Camila's Comeback!

Trusylver - The foam roller is a great idea, thanks for the suggestion. I sort of expected some soreness but I am surprised at how 'deep' the ache feels. Probably because I am doing some exercises I'v never done before? Namely the bike...Also Recipe #1 was really delicious and easy easy to make!

Sunflower - Thank you dear :)

Sooo I had one goal today: Get a workout in at the gym before work. I had my alarm set for 4:45am but found myself awake at 4:30. "This is ridiculous," I told myself. "I don't need to get up so early." So I pulled the coves back over my head.

Then the nagging feeling that I'd be disappointed in myself for the remainder of the day set in. It felt similar to guilt with a dash of anxiety. Within 30 seconds I was up at changing into my gym clothes. I pulled up to the gym at all of the lights were off...nobody was there!

So I swiped my card to get in, and immediately the lights went on. I had always thought it would be really nice to have the gym literally to myself, but I'm not going to lie, it felt really strange at first.

Basically I did...
-Kettlebell workout (swing, lunge, and figure 8: 20 reps of each x 3)
-Stationary bike (~ 5 miles)
-Treadmill walking briskly on incline of 8 for remainder of the workout)

It wasn't the best workout...I was done by 5:30am. However, it felt amazing to get it complete before the work day had even begun. I sweated a lot and felt a lot of stress slip away. I can't promise that I will always get to the gym so early, but I definitely want to do it often. I am really proud of myself for going at all.

Plus, now I have extra time before work to make a delicious breakfast!

My soreness is actually a bit better today as well, thankfully. I quickly realized when getting on the bike this morning that that is the cause of my soreness. Sitting on the bike mimicked the pain I had, so I tried adjusting the seat which seemed to help.

Anyways, I hope you all have a wonderful day :) The weekend is right around the corner!
 
wow WOW wow WOW wow You are back with style girl!!! That's what I call discipline!!! Fantastic workout! How cares it's not the best - you were done before 5 30!! Amazing!!
Your foods look so good too!! Awwwww I love to have you back!! :D
 
4:30?!? That's some dedication there. I looked at the clock when I woke up this morning and thought "7:45? That's too early." :D

Seriously, good work on getting to the gym. Once you keep at it for a while, I think it becomes habit and the more and more you'll simply want to go or at least feel so guilty about not going you'll force yourself to go. Keep up the great work.
 
Geez girl.. you are crazy! In an awesome way though! I get up at 5:30am and that's way to early for me as it is. There's no way in heck I could get up as early as you did AND get all that exercise in. Kudos to you! :)
 
Pffft! I get up everyday at 4:30am... just not 4:30 in MY time zone. See? That's my problem, I live in the wrong time zone. Let's see, 2 hours behind me would be some where in the Pacific Ocean between California and Hawaii. There better be an island there or I'm going to need a bigger boat. :D


GREAT job on the amazing commitment to completing your goal, Camila! That really is inspirational. I have been trying to do the same... make a single, simple commitment per day and complete it. Keep it up, you are doing incredibly well!
 
Justina - Thank you so much! :) It is amazing how much I loved getting a workout in that early in the morning. I am planning on making it out early a few times this week. It feels soooo good!

Sunflower - Thank you! Y'all are sooo kind.

MrVee - I totally know what you mean...and I am hoping it does become a habit. I hated not going the past few days but cannot wait. I'm itching to get back.

Mandy- I think it helps that I actually am a morning person. There's just something about getting up super early that makes the entire day go smoother.

Don - Welcome back! And keeping the goals small an simple seems to really help. I've been loving it.

Sorry, I keep having all of these few day absences when I really don't intend to. Work has been absolutely crazy over the last month (company is "restructuring") and there have been periodic whisperings that I was up for a promotion. It was soo soo stressful because I felt like I was always being evaluated with my every move. When I'd come home all I wanted to do was mentally check out.

Thankfully...on Friday I notice that I was being offered a promotion :party: It is crazy how fast things are happening and I absolutely love it. Once the paperwork is signed this week I will calm down a little more.

Needless to say...this weekend I absolutely needed to let loose. That entailed copious amounts of cocktails, delicious food, and lazy time. I don't even feel guilty because I feel I have worked so hard. I've gotten it all out of my system now!

Today was actually really fun. I know some of you may be familiar about my struggle with getting my bf to be an active participant in my healthy lifestyle...today was amazing. I got him to agree to a walk with me since it was so beautiful out today. At first he put his limit at a mile...but we ended up doing about 3 miles! We also got to sit at the lake for awhile and just take the day in. Afterwards we went to brunch...then to the batting cages with some friends. That was sooo much fun. I am so happy at how well he is grabbing onto the exercise part with going to the gym and all. We are doing great!

Also...I've been suffering from some absolutely ridiculous bloating for the last week and a half or so. TOM is still about a week away but wow. This happen sometimes...not to get too graphic but it looks like I had some augmentation done in the chest area :ack2: I hate when this happens because no amount of drinking water helps reduce it. Ugh. I hope it goes away ASAP.

Lastly, I bought a kettlebell for home use this weekend. I figured since I find the exercises so fun to do, why not? I sam starting with a 15 which I know is sort of on the "light" side...but wow the workout is intense. I've heard that doing the exercises can go a long way in transforming the shape of your body, so for now I am just having fun learning the proper technique and testing out some exercises. I highly suggest these for someone looking to add something different into their workouts!

Have a great week!!
 
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I've decided to do something a bit different, for me, anyways.

"Measurements" have never really meant much to me. I understood that most people thought they were important, but I never really cared. Having those numbers did not resonate with me in the same way as seeing a scale reflect my number back at me.

But I've been getting more interested in these numbers lately. I was curious. I want to know what they say about me. So I took my measurements...

Chest: 37.25"
Bicep: 12.5"
Waist: 31"
Belly button area: 34.5"
Hips: 36.5
Butt: 38"
Thigh: 22"

Okay...so now what? These numbers meant nothing to me, so I decided to do some research. First, I punched them into a body shape calculator. For the longest time, I had this vague idea that I was an "apple" shape...but the descriptions never perfectly fit how I felt my body looked.

Tthe calculator came out with my shape according to my measurements...

Banana?

What the hell is a banana shape?

I had never heard of this...only the typical apple, pear, hourglass shapes. My fascination leapt into overdrive. But the description for this shape made so much sense. My fat distribution is definitely more "overall" than concentrated in one area. Further I found that there are even smaller divisions within the banana shape...namely the lollipop shape which I happen to fit almost to a T. The names are so goofy but for some reason I feel so much more at ease knowing that my body isn't just weird...that my dislike for most of today's "styles" is justified because they simply just don't work with my figure.

I also went on to read clothes to wear vs clothes to avoid for this shape. It was so exciting to see that the majority of clothes that are recommended for banana-lollipop shapes are styles I feel most comfortable in.

Thus...my point is...I am infinitely more interested in my measurements now. For at least the next month I am going to focus on changes in measurements vs changes in weight. I cannot promise that I will never weigh...but hopefully not as much. Even after a few days of working out...my body just "feels" different. I want to see where I can go from here.

Sorry for my ramble :)
 
First of all, congrats on the promotion! Hard work definitely pays off! Be proud of yourself, you clearly earned it!! :D

Now, the measurements. I'm glad you took your measurements. It's nice to have the scale displaying that magic number, but at the same time it doesn't really reflect ALL of the changes that are going on. I'm sure now that you're working out at the gym you're going to start losing some serious inches. It'll be another tool for you to use to figure out how things are progressing. By the way, we have VERY similar measurements! ;)
 
Mandy - Thanks! It has been a crazy few months at work. I just got promoted to full-time a short time ago after being an intern for 2 years...and now they've already promoted me again. Crazy but I love my job more and more each day (knock on wood...lol).

I am really excited about the measurements. I'm not sure they are 100% accurate, because I had to improvise my measuring devices (lol a measuring tape and piece of string). But either way, they are pretty close. I cannot wait to see how they change as I workout more.

Funny you say we have similar measurements...I don't know if you are anything like me but I hateeee the current styles of the past few years. I feel like they do nothing for my figure lol. I am short but quite busty...have minimal waist definition...ugh. I mean I like the styles on others but I just look goofy in them. I can't tell you how often I wish that I had no chest whatsoever :( These things just get in the way of everything!

Today has been really great!


I didn't manage to make it to the gym this morning...and while I felt guilty throughout the day, I knew I needed the sleep. Plus, I have been aching all day. I suspect it has to do with taking batting practice at the cages yesterday...lol.

So, I made some goals for myself:
-Go to the gym when you know others will be around (to conquer that anxiety/fear)
-Drink at least 3 liters of water
-Really push yourself on cardio

I wanted to focus on cardio today since I miss running soo much. For some reason running 8 miles on the treadmill is one of the greatest exercise "highs" I can remember. Street running just does not do it for me. This is clearly mental, but it's like the machine is right there with me, challenging me...nowhere to get away from the reality of how far I've gone and how far I have to go. I know there are pedometers for street running but those don't click with me mentally. One day I would love to get past that but for now the treadmill is perfect. I know that I am nowhere near where I used to be (not even close) but I really believe that with gradual but consistent effort I can get near that again.

So, I manage to do a little over 2 miles. While it is not that much I spent the majority of that time jogging at about 5 mph. It is crazy...a few years ago I go do that and barely break a sweat. This time...I was soaked and my face was beet red...haha! Gotta start somewhere. On top of that, I went to the gym at the "busy" hour (there were about 15 other people in the entire gym...lol I swear this place is a hidden gem)...so getting re-used to working out in front of people again takes a little getting used to.

Afterwards, I did a kettlebell circuit with some new exercises. It is amazing how much I "feel" these exercises working even a day or two after. My abdominals don't hurt or ache but they definitely feel worked out. I love that!

Lastly, I met my goal of drinking over 3 liters of water. I think I've noticed the bloating go down a tiny bit so that's good (and hopefully means TOM will get here and be gone ASAP).

Lately, I've noticed that even if I have a cheat day (or a few cheat days in a row...:angel:) my body bounces back pretty quickly. My mind always tells me to get back on track now as opposed to binge/indulge further than I have. I got another Small sized shirt this weekend and it's actually a bit loose! That is great motivation for me :)

Tonight I am going to just take it easy, do some laundry, and clean up around my apartment. We are supposed to get lots of rain tonight. The news from Oklahoma has been so devastating...and I think we are going to feel the effects from those tornadoes up here. Thankfully, it's just supposed to be rain/thunderstorms and nothing more. If any of you are in the Oklahoma area I hope you and your loved ones are all safe and that too much damage was not inflicted!

Have a great week, everyone!
 
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Camila, you give me so many wonderful compliments regarding my efforts... I sure hope you realize that some of us see your own efforts as incredible. You are a MONSTER when it comes to setting goals and working your butt off, literally and figuratively. I'm not there yet, but I see the Kettlebell workout videos and would really like to do them. In another 6 months, maybe.

By the way, I LOVE your goal of working out at the busy times at the gym. Good for you. It's one thing to set a physically demanding goal, like adding a mile or adding another set, but it's another entirely to address those mental/emotional fears... they are what keep us from going that extra step or getting out of our comfort zones. Well done.
 
Don- You are too kind! Kettlebells are amazing. I spent a good amount of time in the beginning really working on my swing technique and progressing from there. I actually have been so surprised at how nice the recovery is after doing the exercises. And I am loving my mini goals as well! I find that this journey is far more mental than I could have imagined, and there are a lot of things I have to conquer...you've inspired me to make a list of some kind! Thanks for the fantastic support!

Today has been really great. Lots of running around at work. My diet hasn't been perfect...potato soup and cereal...ha. I'm going to get some fruits and veggies in later, I promise!

No gym today, most likely. The back of my knee is aching a bit so I want to give myself a chance for recovery before I just back in. However, this brings me to something new!

Don's encouragement above has inspired me to resolve to make mini goals, spanning either a few days or more. I want to use my mini goals to really progress my fitness, but also to deal with some of the more mental aspects of this journey. So, to my first mini goal!

Mini-Goal Focus: Consistency
Make 3 consecutive early morning visits to the gym, before heading to work.
I am really excited about this one because it addresses something I really need to work on; consistency. Just getting into the gym by 5am with be success enough, but I also have an additional goal of increasing my cardio.
Day 1: Wednesday Jog the combined equivalent of a 5k (~3.1 miles) total. I can take a few walk breaks but I have to actually jog 3.1 miles overall.
Day 2: Thursday Jog a combined total of 3.5 miles
Day 3: Friday Jog a combined total of 3.7 miles

Woohoo so here I go!! Wish me luck :)

Edit: Hah! I decided that I needed to do something active today. Since it is sooo gorgeous out here today, I went for a short but lovely 2.5 mile walk. I loved it! Everyone was out walking with their families (canines and human!)...the whole setting was just so peaceful. I came back feeling so mentally clear and fresh. Oh yeah and I burned some calories! ;)...What's better is the walk has seemed to stretch out the tight feeling behind my knee so I should be good to go tomorrow for day 1!

And now I am actually feeling the urge to do a short kettlebell workout...might as well! I am addicted! I am only using a 15lb kettlebell. I've read various sources that state that is a good starting point for women new to kettlebells. Honestly, I still get a huge workout with it...my heart pumps so hard in the best way. I am looking at eventually going to a kettlebell class around here...there are tons of options taught by experienced RKCs...I am so interested. Maybe a birthday present to myself? I'll be 24 in less than 2 weeks!
 
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Hey lovely. Don does have some great ideas! I am loving your mini goals. I am so glad to see you here now more often! :)
By the way - I cannot believe you consider 2.5 miles a "short walk"!!!!!!
It's a "normal" length walk I'd say! :D

I AM STILL SUPER IMPRESSED BY YOUR EARLY MORNING GYM SESSIONS!
 
Justina - Thank you! Haha and isn't Don just wonderful for inspiration and support? Although, so is everyone else here as well! I feel better being back here on a regular basis right now. I think I am out of that slump for the most part...thank goodness! And I think with walking I just have a weird mentality about it...Usually I do 5-8 miles when I "go for walks" so this was just a nice leisurely stroll to enjoy the weather. I don't anticipate doing those longer walks as often now that I go to a gym, but it is still nice!

And thank you for being impressed! Haha. I honestly don't mind waking up early to have the peace of a quiet gym. It's so worth it to me!
 
Woohoo! Day 1 of my mini challenge is complete and it is just past 6am!

My alarm went off at 4:40am and I arrived at the gym just before 5am. Surprisingly, when my alarm went off, I did not even think twice before rolling out of bed...I was wide awake and ready to go.

It was so wonderful to feel stress just melt away while I ran. Had time not been a factor I would have kept going for awhile. Also, I ended up doing about 3.1 miles total but did manage to jog about 75% of it so I feel great about that. Afterwards, some kettlebells.

I seriously feel so good right now. TOM arrived this AM, so I feel even better about going to the gym despite that. My body feels better and better by the minute...I swear.

Anyhow, I will be back later on in the day. I hope you all have a fantastic Wednesday!
 
I'm also not to fond of the styles these days. The clothes I can find around here in my price range (because I HATE spending money on clothes) either make me look bigger than I am or they're made for stick figures to begin with. I'm also not a girly girl so wearing bright pink, purple, etc has never been my thing. I am fitting into more girly clothes now those so that makes me feel better. No more shopping in the men's department! :)

I also love your mini goal idea. Going out of your comfort zone is a huge step forward. Maybe I should draw from your strength and do some things out of my comfort zone. Congrats to you!
 
Mandy - Fitting into smaller clothes is one of the best rewards I think! It is so immediate and real. And I definitely suggest challenging yourself to do something a bit outside of your comfort zone...doesn't have to be huge, just enough to push yourself a bit!

My AM workout had me feeling great all day. Usually by this time of day I am sooo happy to get home to sit and do nothing for awhile. But work flew by and I still have tons of energy. I was a bit forgiving with my diet today due to TOM...I indulged in some chocolate! However, I don't even feel guilty about it...not one bit!

The weather is a bit yucky here right now...it was cold and pouring all day but has seemed to let up now...I may bundle up and go for a nice walk like yesterday :)

Hope you have all had a fantastic Wednesday!

Edit: Just got back from a 4 mile walk! It started pouring in the middle of the walk but I just tossed my head, laughed, and enjoyed it. :) I'm feeling great!
 
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