Holy Crap Batman, Week 9 Already?

If this were elementary school, I'd be getting a 9-weeks progress report. Here's mine:

Motivation: A- Ashley has strong goals in mind, but may want to consider smaller, short-term goals to help her through troublesome weeks.

Water Consumption: F Ashley drinks, on average, only 5 glasses of water a day. She needs to give up sodas in favor of calorie-free fruit juice and water. Eating water-heavy fruits would also help her increase her water consumption (and finally heal up her chapped lips).

Exercise: C Ashley began poorly, but in the past few weeks has added cardio to her routine. Her progress, though, is haphazard. She needs to incorporate cardio into her week more regularly, in addition to adding a strength training regimen. Perhaps signing up with the weight-room orientation with Oh, Mike might help motivate her.

Fruit / Vegetable Intake: F How hard could it be to add fruits and veggies into a meal, Ashley, really? Think salads, vegetable soups, or veggie wraps for lunch instead of your rice-heavy leftovers.

Breakfast: B+ Although she eats the same thing for breakfast almost every day, it's a nutritious granola bar and a cup of milk, and a good start.

Healthful Cooking: B- Slowly begin replacing rice and bean meals with more veggie-heavy sides. Meat needs to be portioned better, as well as soup, chili, and casserole portions.

Networking: A+ Keep up with that blog, SparkPeople, and your Li' Fattie. Keep listening to those compliments you're getting, and take them as encouragement to keep strong.

Constancy: C For the first half of the 9-weeks, Ashley was a model for consistency. Lately, though, she's skipping recording her meals and counting points. Refocus, and begin this 9-weeks with renewed energy.

Organization and Enabling: B+ Don't be your own worst enemy; plan your week so you have less room to fail. Get back on track with menu planning and cooking. Set a schedule for going to the gym and don't rely on whether or not you feel like it. Chances are you won't, unless Oh, Mike is there.

Note to the public: I began the long process of preparing my move to Mississippi today. I cleaned out my closet and boxed up my winter-wear. I'll eventually need to move on to going through my books (boo!), and packing up / donating the stuff I know I'll never use again. I'll also need to begin looking for an apartment in Oxford, which should be interesting, as I'm three states away and see no opportunity to get out of Augusta until the middle of May.

Oh, and think your trainers are perfect? They're not. Oh, Mike joined us in my beginning yoga class at the gym (or Power YoLates a friend and I call it). He did considerably worse than I did, maybe even than I did on my first day. Muscled and adorable he is, flexible he is not.

Thank you, Mike!

One of the perks my gym reeled me in with was the free fitness assessments they provide. I had mine today (with, yet again, another ridiculously cute gym guy...what's up with those?) In the test, my body fat % was measured, along with my flexibility, heart rate, stamina, and strength. I thought I would be really embarrassed by my results for these tests, but Mike (oh, Mike!) was the nicest guy. He was really encouraging, and when I told him what I've been doing for the past month and a half, he was surprised and impressed that I knew what I was doing. Apparently, people that come through the gym trying to lose weight are starving themselves and doing light exercise once a week and expecting the pounds to come off.

But enough of everyone else, my scores... My body fat composition was, of course, rated "poor" (the scale goes from Poor to Very Good) but I'm only a few points away from the next bracket up, so if I lose a couple of inches or so, I'll be better with that rating. My heart rate was average, stamina good, and flexibility Very Good! I wanted a gold star for that one (Yay yoga!!). My strength test was a little pathetic, so he encouraged me to step up my game on the strength training front.

I'm to stay on track, and see him again in three months. Oh Mike, how do I count the days...

I be up in the gym just working on my fitness (he's my witness)

It was always the plan to join a real gym once I graduated and the free use of the school's gym expired with my degree. But when my boyfriend and I met with a couple we're friends with for lunch today, and they waxed poetic about the beauty of their gym, and then offered to get us a guest pass for free so we could take a look around and try out all the equipment, we couldn't pass that opportunity up. And when we go there, well, we'll be joining a new gym on Friday.

I feel kind of guilty for paying for a gym when there's a free one at my disposal, especially since I'm supposed to be amassing grad school funds, but at the same time, if having a membership with a gym that offers a fitness checkup (free!) every six months, constantly updated and accessible charts tracking your progress, free classes as varied at Tai Chi, Body Pump, Water Aerobics and dance lessons, and sectioned off areas for those "self-conscious" exercisers, then it's a price I'm probably willing to pay in order to get myself healthy.

I've been eating kind of cruddily lately--I'm stressed out and constantly busy with school--and I've been feeling it. I did elliptical training for the first time tonight in probably a week and a half, and I didn't feel it as much as I thought I would. I think having to read the captions to the O'Reilly factor annoyed me to the point of being able to ignore the burning in my quads. Taking the new gym for a test drive tonight invigorated me to get back on track. I'm so excited to start a more comprehensive and total-body workout plan. In addition to the fitness checkup I'll get when I start, a trainer will show me the finer points of all the gear, and help me plan what I need to do to be satisfied with my workouts. I'll be trying a spinning class for the first time (and I'm so stoked about this!!); I want to start swimming (which should be interesting, as I have no idea where my swimsuit is, or even if I'd be comfortable working out in it). The couple we met for lunch told us about their favorite class-Body Pumping-I'd never heard of it, but they LOVE it, so I'm really excited to try it.

And one of the best things? It doesn't look like a gym. It's not a big open box with machines crammed together. Machines are sectioned off and spread apart, so if bimbos march in, I can distance myself from them lest I be tempted to throw my sweaty towel at them. The walls literally look like Dr. Seuss illustrations--walls are curved, the hallways twist around, every four feet or so is painted a different color--it's really quite postmodern. And perhaps on of the most awesome things? It's located smack in the middle of Broad Street, the center of our downtown, and where the boyfriend and I like to spend a lot of our time. Directly across the street is our favorite bars and restaurants, it's a quick walk to our Riverwalk and to a library. Now if only we could sprig for a loft with swanky furniture, we'd be set.