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Two days ago my mom asked me if I was working out and I asked her does it look like I've been? She said "yes!" looks like you lost some of your tummy. What have you been doing differently these day? I told her I didn't change anything and I should be working out harder. I guess I'm just a little more hard on myself and I stare at myself everyday so I don't think that there is a change at all. After hearing the comment from my mother, I felt great. It means so much for me to hear that from her because she loves to criticize me all the time.

I don't think I lost the 15 pounds that I'm suppose to lose by the end of the semester, but I do feel like I am eating more healthier and trying to be more active than before. I am losing weight the healthy way.

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benefits of running

I used to be a runner. I used to run everyday and I would always try to improve my time for each mile that I run. I wish I was that person again. The older I get, the harder it is for me to run. For the past few weeks I have been trying to increase my distance. I would run in increments of .5 miles. Each week I would increase my distance. Right now I can only run 2 miles before I call it a night.

I have read several articles on the benefits of running. The links to articles are:

http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/exercise-the-benefits-of-running-509436.html

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704252004574455331050172834.html

http://www.therunnersguide.com/benefitsofrunning/

These are great articles. Each time I read an article it would motivate me to run more. Not to lose weight but to be healthy and to relieve stress that would give me energy. Each time I finish running, I feel like a heavy load have been sweated off.

I need to find a safe place to run at night because the neighborhood that I live in is not too safe. Since I get home late from work running at night is a little harder. However, 24 hour fitness is going to open soon so hopefully I can stop by the gym before heading home and do some running even if it is on the treadmill.

why is losing weight so challenging for me?

I think I know why it is so hard for me to lose another pound. First I don't work out enough and when I start working out, I eat more than I work out. One of my weaknesses are carbs! I love carbs and I always crave carbs. I grew up eating rice so if I don't have rice for more than a day I get cranky. I tried cutting the size of my meal which is working for me right now, but those carbohydrates are killing me especially white food! Carbohydrates are not the only killer. I love drinking fountain drinks! I tried quitting, but there are times when I'm out with my friends enjoying a good meal I would want that drink.
For instance, I went to Bucca di Peppo last weekend and of course we ordered pasta and pizza. I ordered water with my meal and no soft drinks or wine. The bread comes out and I ended up eating three slices! I was enjoying my meal and when I reached for my drink, I ended up reaching my fiance's soft drink! ARGH!! failure! So after that sip I took another 3 sips and that was it. Situation like this makes reaching my goal challenging. I need to tell the people around me not to order soft drinks. Not because of me but for their health also.
The due date to reach my goal is getting closer and closer. If I can't lose that 15 pounds, I would like to lose 8 pounds by the end of the semester. My fiance is motivating me more and more and now that I started the insanity workout. I know I will be able to do it. I need to do it. I actually had brown rice two days ago. :)

eating healthy and losing weight

I have been talking to a lot of different women and asking them for tips on how to lose weight and stay firm. Each of them have their special technique and most of them agreed that diet is an important factor to losing weight. I can not keep on eating the same foods and hope to lose those lbs because all I'm doing is balancing myself out. I must cut down on sugar. I will need to cut down on white foods such as white bread, rice, chinese baos, etc. I don't like to eat sweets but I love my carbs! It is going to be a challenge. Today I had a mini bowl of rice to pair with my meat. At least the portion size have been cut down. My weight have been steady and I haven't gain or lose any. This is it, I have a month to make a bigger difference.
The website that I have been using mostly with my goal is

http://www.womens-health.com

I find this site very helpful and the people on the forum are actual people from the community. I like the healthy food link. Not only does this site give tips on fitness and nutrition, they also talk about other women issues. It's a community where everyone come together to share their thoughts and goals. Not only is this site interesting it is easy to navigate. I'm pretty technological handicapped so the easy navigation helps alot.

Not only do I regularly check this site I also subscribe to Fitness. I think I got the year subscription for free. So that was a deal. Sometimes on spoofee they will give out links to free subscriptions to certain magazines.

I finally got my insanity workout DVD. I am going to drive myself to insanity while doing the cardio workout! Wish me luck!

my 3 barriers!

I think I have more than 3 barriers but I have to choose 3, the 3 would be: lack of time, too tired after work, and my girlfriends.

With this wedding coming soon I have to make as much money as I can and save for it. The pressure is on me because my fiance does not make enough and he also have other financial obligations. I feel like the two of us have to work really hard to save that penny. It seems like one of us have to work harder than the other. Since I am a dental hygienist and I make more than he does I try to get work whenever I can. Work usually happens when I do not have classes. Each time I get a call to temp, I usually take that call. By the end of work I will be too exhausted to even do anything else let alone go running at a park or work out. Since I'm not working out as much I take seven flights going to work and getting off of work.
Lack of time is another barrier. My life is consumed every single minute. It is quite hard for me to fit in that 1 hour of workout. I'm working hard on that and I am putting at least 30 minutes every other day doing moderate exercise before I shower. That way I can be sweating and then I would need to wash up after. If I'm not working out, walking my dog is another type of exercise that I have been doing. I just extend out walks so I get some some workout and since he has to be taken out on walks to use the toilet, I am utilizing the time exercising while walking him.
My last barrier would be my girlfriends. Each time we go out we go out to eat and drink. That is a lot of food consumption for us. I need to figure out what we can do as a group instead of meeting up to eat. One of them are going to be one of the bridemaids so we are working together one trying to lose some weight and be healthy at the same time.

mentally and physically tired

Today we had a midterm in class. I must say it was pretty hard. I thought I knew my information but after the test I felt like I was beaten. Does writing count as exercise? I am working out my fingers and they are still tired from the day!
Anyhow, after the test I was mentally down and the whole ride home I was beating myself up some more. When I got home I rush to my dog Charley for comfort. After the hugging we both went out for a long walk. I think we walked for 4 miles. It was a good walk. I enjoyed the sun and the company. The weather was not too windy. I needed to get out and get away from my articles, wedding planning and job searching. The walk was a great stress reliever. I did 4 miles in less than 2 hours! That is a success for me. I wonder how many calories did I burn?
I told my fiance about my day and how everything went. He is my main supporter. He listened while I vent. After the venting was done, he simply gave me encouragement and told me that I can do better next time. I am not a quitter and I should learn from my weakness so next time I will not make the same mistake. With my exercise and losing weight regime, he is also very supportive in that area. He does not believe in fad diets and diet pills. He wanted me to lose weight the healthy way. He is always encouraging me to eat healthier and not to eat fast food or food that is high in fat. I knew he was the one when he never complain about my flaws. He makes me laugh all the time and he never lets me do things alone. While I'm trying to work out he is also doing the same at home.
Tomorrow will be another day of workout hopefully. We'll see how I feel after 8 hours of classes.