Day 73: back in the groove

I started off the day feeling pretty low about my exercise regimen (or lack thereof) and determined to get my rapidly sagging ass to the gym. So this is exactly what I did.

I reached the facility around 4 pm, only to discover that they were closing early (5 pm). This meant I had to get the most out of my hour and make sure to take care of the most high-impact activities first, in case I ran out of time.

I began as I usually do - with arm & leg weight machines. Watching myself in the mirror, I noticed some definite definition in my arms and was pretty stoked.

Then, I tackled my age old enemy, the treadmill. I walked for .2 miles and then alternated jogging/walking every .1 mile for the rest of my full mile.

After that, I hopped on the elliptical and did another solid mile. When I'm on the elliptical, I start off doing a frontward stroke with my arms on the handles for .1 miles, then doing a frontward stroke pumping my arms (as if I'm running) for .1 miles, then doing a backward stroke with my arms on the handles for .1 miles and finally doing a backward stroke pumping my arms. I cycle through these four different manuevers until I've reached the mile. I find that it makes the mile go by very quickly and also engages different parts of my body.

Tip: The gym has a few tv screens and one of them is maintained by the Athletics Department and offers fitness tips. One of them is that your workout becomes less effective if you grip the machine too tightly when you work out. Your grip should remain slack. If you don't hold on at all, you make the most of your workout and really work your core and maximize your balance.

Once I'd finished the elliptical, my hour was unfortunately up. I decided to make the most of the day and take out my bike. I ended up doing two circles around the Ring and then capping it off with an extra mile in the Dell, bringing my total bike mileage to 5 miles and my total mileage of the day to 7 miles.

***

Earlier today, I posted an entry about food. It prompted me to think more about my daily intake. Here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: a 100 calorie yoplait yogurt. one bottle (22 oz) of water.
Lunch: 3 slices of deli turkey breast, one cup of goldfish
Snack: 1 cup of cajun trail mix. 4 squares of Hershey's chocolate. 1 bottle (22 oz) of water.
Dinner: one cup of Lipton's "dirty rice" (rice with cajun seasoning, peppers and onions). A watermelon / tomato / lemon juice / balsamic vinegar / onion salad with raw sunflower seeds*.
After dinner: one cup of orange pekoe tea. 4 mini chocolate chip cookies.

If I could cut out two things from this list, I would get rid of the Hershey's and the chocolate chip cookies. Instead, I would have 2 squares of chocolate after dinner with my tea. I tend to eat things impulsively, based on my cravings, and need to learn to control that. But other than the chocolate indulgence, I think my consumption for the day was fairly healthy.

*I haven't been grocery shopping in a long time and had to be a little innovative. I cut up one half of a white onion and let it soak in one tbsp of balsamic vinegar while I cut up 4 slices of watermelon and one tomato. I put the watermelon & tomato in a bowl and doused them in fresh lemon juice and then mixed in the onions, finally sprinkling a handful of the seeds on top. The flavor was really interesting! The onions were a bit on the potent side - I would have preferred scallions or red onion - but I never realized how versatile watermelon can be. The subtle sweetness of it was a nice compliment to the sharpness of the onion and the balsamic lemon made for a nice dressing. I think I will definitely be experimenting with salads in the near future!