cherry garcia's diary

thanks dreamingblue! yeah, i decided i won't let the BP thing get me down and out, in the past i'd have gone to pig out and gotten all depressed, but this is the new me that i'm liking and went off straight to the gym...slowly and surely the weight is coming off, i just need to tell myself everyday it took 28yrs to put on so i shouldn't be so impatient for it to come off.

yeah and i'm so glad about the elliptical machine too!...i think i'd gotten into a comfort zone where i was only doing the treadmill or a class, so adding a new type of activity working new muscle groups will be great for the body too. eventually i'd like to tackle the stationery bike but i still need to loose quite a few pounds before i can comfortably get on it.

dreamingblue said:
Hey Cherry,

Sorry that your doctor's appointment didn't go so well. BP is a tricky thing. It can be high for a number of reasons. Don't let it worry you too much. What you're doing is definitely a step in the right direction and with every healthy decision your making yourself healthier and healthier. And though you're probably not going to be your healthiest for a while, until more weight comes off, you're getting there slowly but surely.

Good going on the Elliptical machine!! I have a similar machine like that at Curves. It's very hard. But there are certain levels you can do.

Anyway, try to keep your head up. :) You're doing SOOOO well. :)
Click to expand...
 
sorry about the bp. with cardio, i think long as your heart rate is up your body is burning. the elliptical is my baby. tomorrow i am going to try to beat 8.3 miles in 60 min on resistance level 10! wish me luck. I remember when i couldn't do any more than 20 min on that thing. i could probably go for 2 hours if wanted too at 7mph at resistance 10. Eight miles is just a little too ahrd for me with so much resistance, my goal is to get to nine miles and i move on to level 15 and start over at 5 or 6 miles in an hour. Also no worries about the weight coming off slowly. soon you'll realize that a pound hear and there makes all the difference in the world. When you transition form daily weigh-ins, i think you'll get more satisfaction from your weekly results and appreciate the one-three pounds you lose in a week. I had a bad lunch today haha. so i'll be working extra hard on the courts after work. but man was lunch soooo good!!!
 
thanks kureransu for checking in. wow, so the elliptical is really your thing! that's so amazing, especially since i've just started on it and find it quite the challenge! 60mins on it at resistance level 10? wow, sounds great and i'm sure you'll kick a$$!

i was so busy holding on to the thing for dear life i didn't even notice there was an mph reading, i was only checking my time left oh and of course ensuring i was at resistance level 1...lol! wow, 8.3mph is fast! i'm sure you'll do it!

kureransu said:
sorry about the bp. with cardio, i think long as your heart rate is up your body is burning. the elliptical is my baby. tomorrow i am going to try to beat 8.3 miles in 60 min on resistance level 10! wish me luck. I remember when i couldn't do any more than 20 min on that thing. i could probably go for 2 hours if wanted too at 7mph at resistance 10. Eight miles is just a little too ahrd for me with so much resistance, my goal is to get to nine miles and i move on to level 15 and start over at 5 or 6 miles in an hour. Also no worries about the weight coming off slowly. soon you'll realize that a pound hear and there makes all the difference in the world. When you transition form daily weigh-ins, i think you'll get more satisfaction from your weekly results and appreciate the one-three pounds you lose in a week. I had a bad lunch today haha. so i'll be working extra hard on the courts after work. but man was lunch soooo good!!!
Click to expand...
 
i did in fact encounter that same problem when i first started, after a while it just goes a way, i would try and stomp my foot awake when it did happen, but i don't even remember when it stopped. i guess i got enough blood flow going now!
 
Hi cherry, I am sorry to read about the BP, but you're doing great to be so positive about it. It's scary going to the doctors, especially when we fear the worst, but better to face the fear head on like you did and deal with the situation instead of being in denial. You really are a very strong and capable woman.

Well done on the ellipitical! I have a hard time getting on those too because of my short legs. And 10 minutes your first time? That is great! I know I certainly didnt last that long on my first go! As you know, I love the AMT. I like the ellipitical too but I have such a hard time with my water bottle on that damn machine lol.
 
yes! elliptical for the win! its low impact so you can work the hell out of it without endangering yourself, i use it so i dont mess my knees up for work
 
Hey cherry,
I am sorry you were disappointed at your bp measurement, but you have to remember you only just started and there is a HUGE room for improvement. Also I have no really been following what you are eating but maybe cutting out some salt would really improve the bp. Try for your salads to use lemon juice and skip the salt (it is definitely an acquired taste so don't give up if it tastes terrible in the beginning). Salt is one of the biggest problem, we eat too much of it too often, and it is hard to go down on it because we are so used to salty taste. For me it would be terrible to have to decrease my salt consumption, I love salt! But I am lucky and my bp is almost too low (according to my doc because I am such a small person... I was a bit surprised never thought 5 foot 3 (or 4, who knows) was THAT tiny!).
I mean I am sure your doc will tell you a ton of stuff on wednesday, but unless it is really skyhigh I would try to adjust my food before I take meds. Discuss it with him if he tells you about meds immediately. Also tell him about your change in lifestyle and how you still have a long way to go, but you are definitely on the right track and will he give you a little bit more time before medicating you.

Elliptical is also my torture of choice, although I am such a weakling. I feel awesome when I manage to do 25 minutes (and not at a very high level either!) and have never ever done more than that!!! I also get bored quite quickly, so what I had been doing before I quit the gym and what I plan to go back to is 10 or 15 minutes of stationary bike, then 10 or 15of elliptical and then another 10 or 15 of the other stationary bike (you know the one where you sit back... no clue what it is called). This way I am on no machine for too long to completely bore me and I am still getting a good amount of time in!

Have a great day, Camy
 
kureransu said:
i did in fact encounter that same problem when i first started, after a while it just goes a way, i would try and stomp my foot awake when it did happen, but i don't even remember when it stopped. i guess i got enough blood flow going now!
Click to expand...
thanks for letting me know, i'm hoping as my body gets used to the elliptical the numbish foot feeling will go away.

ymcachick said:
Hi cherry, I am sorry to read about the BP, but you're doing great to be so positive about it. It's scary going to the doctors, especially when we fear the worst, but better to face the fear head on like you did and deal with the situation instead of being in denial. You really are a very strong and capable woman.

Well done on the ellipitical! I have a hard time getting on those too because of my short legs. And 10 minutes your first time? That is great! I know I certainly didnt last that long on my first go! As you know, I love the AMT. I like the ellipitical too but I have such a hard time with my water bottle on that damn machine lol.
Click to expand...
i know! i was holding on for dear life so couldn't even reach for my water bottle since i didn't want to loose my balance! i guess with time i'll ease into it. as soon as i'm comfortable with the elliptical i'll try and reconquer the AMT.

Mikez0rr said:
yes! elliptical for the win! its low impact so you can work the hell out of it without endangering yourself, i use it so i dont mess my knees up for work
Click to expand...
hey mike!...yeah i'm so glad i can add it to my workout because it means less knee impact which is great!
 
hey camy!
thanks for checking in! i've really been eating healthy since feb but had a few slips here and there and got back up. but the last 6weeks now i've been eating perfect, no junk food, only lean proteins and wholemeal carbs and lots of fruit and veges. i actually eat most of my salads/veges dry (trying to get used to the taste) and on occassion add a low fat dressing. i don't even own salt anymore, but when cooking my proteins (usually grilled skinless chicken breast or fish) i add a bit of spices and a bit of soy sauce which i know must be high in sodium but i only add abit of it when cooking my protein and nothing else. otherwise that would be the only time i add something that has salt in it.

i was trying to think and the only thing i can think of is that on friday i got some medication for my cramps (ponstan), and on saturday had my treat meal which had lots of sugar and i guess salt but its the second treat meal i've had in 6 weeks, but maybe caused a spike in blood pressure? i don't know i'm just thinking out loud. because when i compare what i used to feel like before my lifestyle change, its amazing, before i felt literally near death, but now i feel so alive! but i guess at the end of the day no matter how healthy i'm eating/exercising i'm still carrying alot of weight and hence is still putting pressure on my heart.

otherwise i've been taking no medication since i've been feeling so great since my health change, i used to live on painkillers for my headaches before but my headaches vanished since i started eating healthy/exercising. the only form of pain that's persisted is my period cramps of which i only just got some meds on friday.

i'll see what the doc says on wednesday. i'm also not for the idea of going on medication at all especially when i know how hard i've been working....i'll talk to him and see what he says. i tried explaining to the nurse yesterday that i'm on a health plan but i guess because of my size she didn't really believe me, i hope it won't be the same case with the doctor because it would be a shame. i'm hoping i have a better reading then.


Camy said:
Hey cherry,
I am sorry you were disappointed at your bp measurement, but you have to remember you only just started and there is a HUGE room for improvement. Also I have no really been following what you are eating but maybe cutting out some salt would really improve the bp. Try for your salads to use lemon juice and skip the salt (it is definitely an acquired taste so don't give up if it tastes terrible in the beginning). Salt is one of the biggest problem, we eat too much of it too often, and it is hard to go down on it because we are so used to salty taste. For me it would be terrible to have to decrease my salt consumption, I love salt! But I am lucky and my bp is almost too low (according to my doc because I am such a small person... I was a bit surprised never thought 5 foot 3 (or 4, who knows) was THAT tiny!).
I mean I am sure your doc will tell you a ton of stuff on wednesday, but unless it is really skyhigh I would try to adjust my food before I take meds. Discuss it with him if he tells you about meds immediately. Also tell him about your change in lifestyle and how you still have a long way to go, but you are definitely on the right track and will he give you a little bit more time before medicating you.

Elliptical is also my torture of choice, although I am such a weakling. I feel awesome when I manage to do 25 minutes (and not at a very high level either!) and have never ever done more than that!!! I also get bored quite quickly, so what I had been doing before I quit the gym and what I plan to go back to is 10 or 15 minutes of stationary bike, then 10 or 15of elliptical and then another 10 or 15 of the other stationary bike (you know the one where you sit back... no clue what it is called). This way I am on no machine for too long to completely bore me and I am still getting a good amount of time in!

Have a great day, Camy
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Hi Cherry, Don't get too worried about your BP until you get more info. Sometimes your BP can be up for different reasons. Me..for instance. I get super nervous going to the Dr. and it goes sky high. If I dont feel good its horribly high. Just an ear ache can make it go higher. Any kind of pain...all kinds of things can cause it and most likely it will be down when you go in again. Just do some calming thoughts when you get there so your not nervous. What ever it is...YOU KNOW your healthier. I am amazed at all your working out. You kick my butt!! Keep going! You are so strong!
Have a great day and I hope you let us know the results=)
 
thanks LBN for the encouragement and also letting me know about the BP stuff...i was actually just thinking the same thing because as soon as i walked in for my appointment i was so nervous and tense just wondering what the result would be...and just like you say little things can change the result too. i'll see the doc wednesday and i'm almost certain it will be fine by then.

Littlebitnorth said:
Hi Cherry, Don't get too worried about your BP until you get more info. Sometimes your BP can be up for different reasons. Me..for instance. I get super nervous going to the Dr. and it goes sky high. If I dont feel good its horribly high. Just an ear ache can make it go higher. Any kind of pain...all kinds of things can cause it and most likely it will be down when you go in again. Just do some calming thoughts when you get there so your not nervous. What ever it is...YOU KNOW your healthier. I am amazed at all your working out. You kick my butt!! Keep going! You are so strong!
Have a great day and I hope you let us know the results=)
Click to expand...
 
okay, so today was another good day, no it was a great day! so gauging from my first elliptical experience yesterday, i felt i could give more on it today, i realised that when i break up my workout into smaller parts it seems alot more doable and i don't get as bored quickly like i was when i was doing one long treadmill session.

so today i started off with 10mins warmup on the treadmill on gentle incline, then hopped on the elliptical and did 20mins woohoo! i just kept telling myself to keep going to see how far i could go so was glad about that, then hopped on again on the treadmill on steepest incline for 20mins which went by so quickly, then hopped on the elliptical again for the final 10mins which was really tough but made it. then did a 5min cooldown on the treadmill then headed off to my aerobics class. today was a good day and i hope to keep splitting my workout like this in short doable portions instead of just staying on the treadmill for a whole friggin hour, the new workout is quite refreshing. so today did:

-30min elliptical machine
-30min treadmill on incline
-45min aerobics class
 
okay, haven't posted weight in a while, i had a rest day on friday and had been feeling a little low so woke up on saturday and said the hell with it, i'm not going to the gym, and decided to make it a treat day since my last one was ten days ago. i had a bag of crisps, a slice of chicken pie and a slice of cheesecake and put on three friggin pounds? what a joke. but i think the fact that i was on my period was also a contributing factor. i also had the treat hoping it would jump start my weight loss since i seemed to be going quite slow the last few weeks. i've dropped the extra 3 pounds pretty quickly but i think it was mostly water weight anyway i think by the end of the week will be able to gauge whether my weight is coming off a bit quicker or not.

WEEK 12 OF EXERCISE DAILY WEIGH IN

==================================
HIGHEST WEIGHT: 159.1kgs (350.7pounds)
CURRENT WEIGHT: 146.8kgs(323.6pounds)
===================================

Sunday: 10/05/09 - 147.7kgs(325.6pounds) : 45mins weights, 45min combat class
Monday: 11/05/09 - 147.7kgs(325.6pounds) : 45min combat class, 60min treadmill (steep incline)
Tuesday: 12/05/09 - 147.1kgs(324.3pounds) : 45min aerobics class, 30min treadmill, weights +squats
Wednesday: 13/05/09 - 147.1kgs(324.3pounds) : 45min combat class
Thursday: 14/05/09 - 146.8kgs(323.6pounds) : 45min aerobics class, 45min combat class, weights + squats
Friday: 15/05/09 - 146.5kgs(322.9pounds) : (rest day)
Saturday: 16/05/09 - 146.5kgs (322.9pounds) : (second rest day and had a treat meal)
Sunday: 17/05/09 - 147.9kgs (326.1pounds) : (3pounds increase from yesterdays treat: 60min treadmill, 45min combat, weights)
Monday: 18/05/09 - 147.3kgs (324.7pounds) : (10mins elliptical, 50mins treadmill, 45min combat)
Tuesday: 19/05/09 - 146.8kgs (323.6pounds) : (30mins elliptical, 30mins treadmill, 45min aerobics)
 
Last edited:
Wow.. that Elliptical workout sounds hard, but I think the way you are doing it in shorter bursts interspersed with the treadmill is a great way to start with it!
I doubt I could do 5 mins on the dang thing!

I have been thinking of getting a machine for home.. but it does look very hard, would hate to buy it and never use it LOL

Will be watching to see if it worked shaking things up abit in your work out... but I just got to say you are doing so well!
 
thanks kori, yeah at least now when i split the workout it doesn't feel as long and difficult as it was before and i'm able to catch a breather in between which energises me abit.

i know what you mean about not being sure if you'd use the machine if you bought it, in the past i've bought a stepper and a stationery bike (of which is now a clothes hanger lol!)....but that's just me. i think i'll buy a machine for myself in a couple of months when i feel i've gathered some more discipline. but if you feel you'll use it then go for it...if not then maybe hold off for a while untill your sure you'll use it regularly.

Kori said:
Wow.. that Elliptical workout sounds hard, but I think the way you are doing it in shorter bursts interspersed with the treadmill is a great way to start with it!
I doubt I could do 5 mins on the dang thing!

I have been thinking of getting a machine for home.. but it does look very hard, would hate to buy it and never use it LOL

Will be watching to see if it worked shaking things up abit in your work out... but I just got to say you are doing so well!
Click to expand...
 
okay, i'm glad with todays weigh in, i hope the trend keeps on, i'm thinking since i switched my workout by adding the elliptical machine (since 2 days ago) has also been a contributing factor....looking forward to saying goodbye to the 320's.

WEEK 12 OF EXERCISE DAILY WEIGH IN

==================================
HIGHEST WEIGHT: 159.1kgs (350.7pounds)
CURRENT WEIGHT: 146.1kgs(322.1pounds)
===================================

Saturday: 16/05/09 - 146.5kgs (322.9pounds) : (second rest day and had a treat meal)
Sunday: 17/05/09 - 147.9kgs (326.1pounds) : (3pounds increase from yesterdays treat: 60min treadmill, 45min combat, weights)
Monday: 18/05/09 - 147.3kgs (324.7pounds) : (10mins elliptical, 50mins treadmill, 45min combat)
Tuesday: 19/05/09 - 146.8kgs (323.6pounds) : (30mins elliptical, 30mins treadmill, 45min aerobics)
Wednesday: 20/05/09 - 146.1kgs (322.1pounds) : (40mins elliptical, 20mins treadmill, 45min combat)
 
Last edited:
Hey cherrygarcia!

I am Tansy and am new to this site but not to weight loss :p

And I would firstly like to congratulate you on your fanatstic weight loss so far! Yay!!
I can say I understand exactly what you are going through! :) so well done!

I do love your exercise routine too, sounds very similar to mine!

Where are you currently a student then?
x
 
hey tansy,
welcome to the forum and thanks for stopping by my diary! well, we're all in the same journey and the forum is great for support. i'm in dundee by the way. all the best xoxo
Tansy said:
Hey cherrygarcia!

I am Tansy and am new to this site but not to weight loss :p

And I would firstly like to congratulate you on your fanatstic weight loss so far! Yay!!
I can say I understand exactly what you are going through! :) so well done!

I do love your exercise routine too, sounds very similar to mine!

Where are you currently a student then?
x
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top