Stop

Stop is a pretty negative word. I mean look at it. The S just looks overpowering and than from there it just looks intimidating.
Except when its a red button on a treadmill. And then it's encouraging.
I met with my trainer today for the third time and I had the hardest workout of my life. While I was on the treadmill I looked down at my feet and saw the big rectangular stop button on the panel of the machine, which from my knowledge of the word most likely stops the treadmill when pushed. But, for some reason, I had no urge to press it. It actually motivated me to run harder and faster and finish my cardio off on a good note.
I'm also writing about the button because it made me stop (No pun intended) and think about my diet. An aspect of this project is to start eating better, and while I have began tracking my food, I've realized I've only cut out certain foods that are bad for me, and not all. So, this stop is only for tonight; it's merely a time for my to think about my life the past 3 weeks, and help me figure out what I need to do to actually change my diet and incorporate healthier foods into my diet. Also, an article I received today from Ms. Lord about healthy eating encouraged me to reflect and try harder in changing my dietary habits!

Feelin' Good

I feel pretty good. This past week I met with my trainer, Darrin, and he gave me my first work outs on a four day split. Every other day I do strength training, and the other 2 days I do mainly cardio, and then one or two days a week I'm on my own. I'm definitely feeling sore but it's the good kind. I've gone to the gym everyday this week, but I am giving myself today off to rest and recover, and then back at it tomorrow.
As for my diet change, I've been slacking, somewhat. I have lost some weight which is awesome, and all day everyday I do really well with tracking what I've eaten on my phone, how many calories, and so on. But then comes night time, and the munchies set in, and I think that is what's holding me back from really excelling. I also think going to the store and getting vegetables and fruits to snack on at night would be beneficial, instead of falling to the junk food I find in my house. It's not much junk food, but I tend to find it easier than I planned on. This week will be better, I promise.

Good or bad?

I'm not quite sure if this is a bad thing or not. Yesterday I met with my trainer and he set me up on my 4 day cycle of workouts, and although I'm sore, I feel good. He's having me use a variation of cardio and weight machines, and I'm confident he knows what he's doing. My back was in no pain yesterday after lifting (for the first time in over a year, I might add) which was encouraging. But, the reason I say this may be bad is because that fitness App I've been using that calculates how many calories I should eat in a day based on my workouts/ physique may not be of use to me. Almost all the machines I'm now using to train aren't on this app, making my results look skewed, and ultimately not tracking my progress.
On the plus side?
My trainer will keep track of my weight and BMI, etc. So, I guess it's not too big a deal. Maybe I can find another app that has what I need.

Minor oops but a Great Idea

So, I slacked this weekend. I just got back to going to the gym after 3 days off. It's certainly an internal battle to get yourself up and get workout clothes on and drive oneself to the gym. But, I know it will be worth it, and I have to be diligent about getting there almost everyday.
This is also my week to schedule my 5K. I was beginning to think, if I don't find a 5K that works within the parameters of my project, I could always map out my own run around Ithaca. The 5K will be cold but it won't be much different from wherever I find a race. This idea came to my mind because although spending money on running a race is no problem, I might as well save where I can considering college will be here in 6 months. Also, running the 10K at the 16 week mark will be a lot more enjoyable in Ithaca, with all the trails open and the warm weather. I've become quite nostalgic the past few months. My parents have raised me in a culturally diverse part of upstate New York, and I'm only realizing now almost at 18, how much I will miss this place. So, I feel like mapping out my own runs will be ways for me to spend quality alone time in the place that I've known for the past 18 years. Almost like a tribute for myself, which sounds corny but I don't really care.
Also, I meet with my trainer this week for our first session, and I think he will give me "homework"(workouts to do when we aren't meeting) which will encourage me to make it to the gym more often. All in all, I'm still psyched for this!

Successful Week

This week was a vital week for my project. I met with my mentor for the first time, and we are both now on the same page about my goals and essentially my project as a whole. She was reading over my proposal and she mentioned that change is a good thing, and she has rarely or never seen a WISE students project change or shift goals, which is something I knew going into this. I was talking to another WISE Student the other day and he was mentioning how just one conversation with a family member shifted his thinking to a different aspect of his project, and I hope something like that happens with me at some point. On the other hand, I finally have an actual trainer on board with me for the 16 weeks.
I met with my trainer on Wednesday (2/13) and we got all the basics out of the way. I think he's going to be a great motivator, because at the end of our consultation he said he was going to start brainstorming ways for me to train with my back. I felt like I had found a good trainer based on his almost immediate commitment to finding ways for me to be successful. I will have 8 sessions with him, (trainers can be expensive), so in the 16 week period we will be meeting once every other week from what it looks like now. Now, it's time to train.

Making Strides

I'm not too sure if this is considered our first official week of the 16 week period or the second week. In any case I've made some progress in my project. IN about one month I have lost 8 pounds! I think that may be contributed to the hype I had for my project and my eagerness to get started, because I've been eating healthier for about 3 weeks but only working out for one. I'm ready to see further progress in the coming weeks.

In addition to that, I should be meeting with a potential trainer within the next two days (potentially tomorrow, but he hasn't contacted me back). I think I'm ready to start training and am eager to see what he has to offer. 

Psyched

Today is my first day as an independent WISE student and I've already made progress. One goal of my project is to lose some of the weight I've gained over the last year.  Today I was explaining this to a friend, and she told me about an app for iPhones called "MyFitnessPal." This app will help me immensely with this project and I am extremely happy her and I held this conversation.
I put in all my information, like weight, height, age, how long I plan to work out each day and how many days I plan to work out. This app even breaks down my workouts to strength or cardiovascular exercise. Based on all of that, it gave me the number of calories per day I should consume. The best part about the app is that I can enter in every snack or piece of food I have, like a Wegmans Caesar Salad with dressing, and it will calculate the amount of calories I have left to eat that day. This will be a vital tool for me to keep track of my weight loss and diet changes. And, to have it on my phone, which is with me 24/7 is just an added bonus.

The First two Weeks- Journal #2

I'm starting to get really motivated and psyched about my project again. Drafting and editing my proposal multiple times had me lose some interest, but now that I am out in the field actually working out has me looking and wanting to see results. Right now, since I haven't worked out in a long time, I'm averaging about one hour a day at the gym. One main goal is to work with a personal trainer from Island Health at least once before these two weeks are up. Since I just signed up I am entitled to 3 free sessions with a trainer which is awesome. It's almost like a present I wasn't expecting.
Also, in the next two weeks I hope to have my workout and training schedule in place for the next 8 weeks, leading up to my 5K race. I think following a set schedule will help me stay on track, instead of just going to the gym and working out on whatever machine may be available. I also hope to lose 2 pounds in two weeks, but that's just a side goal, nothing I will fret about if it doesn't happen.

The Beginning

Dear Reader,

Here we are, the WISE project. The concept and idea all of us students have been dreaming about for an entire semester. My project encompasses a lot to do with fitness, primarily training to run a 5K and 10K. Along with that, I hope to lose most of the weight I have gained over the last year from an injury and major illness. I hope for a lot of things as well, which I know seems redundant. What I mean is I am looking forward to the experience I get out of this whole process. I haven't really worked out steadily in over a year, and I am excited to see the results on my body and get back to the healthy state I used to be in. I have a blood disorder, and I had my spleen taken out as a result, and later on in life I can develop heart disease or suffer from a stroke because of this, and those are enough warning signs to get in shape and stay in shape.
Another hope of mine is to change my diet. I have become somewhat unhealthy over the last year, eating out more often and not necessarily watching what I put in my mouth. I need to incorporate more vegetables and fruits into my diet, and take out the greasy fatty food. With all of this, I do have some fears though. I fear that with my back injury I won't be able to run either race, in which case I may have to go back to the drawing board. I had surgery to relieve some of my pain and if running will risk that pain coming back, I just don't see the point in it. Other than that I don't have more fears- for now. I know I need to get in shape, and running these races is the perfect reason to get back where I was in 2011.