I love Saucony..I always have. I tried on my first pair about 6 years ago and have never purchased another pair of running/walking/exercising shoes since then. So you can imagine my disappointment when each pair I purchased started falling apart sooner than the last. However, within a day of complaining to the company–I recieved a message on Twitter from the company with an apology and a code to help me purchase a new pair to replace my falling apart pair.

I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to Saucony. You’ve shown me that you really do care about your customers and I’m a lifer.

I had some mental issues (read about them Here) and they really took a toll on my self-esteem. However, I still managed to get to the gym most days this week and have been having a great time on the Arc-Trainer. I bumped up to 40 minutes at a time today and burned 573 calories on that alone!!

I got a chance to run a bit a work (more like chase someone) and it really surprised me how far I was able to go and how long I was able to keep up just compared to a month or so ago. Working the cardio on the arc trainer and then putting the treadmill on an incline for 30 minutes at a 3.0 speed really has made a huge difference. I can’t wait until the snow is off the trails here so that I can practice my running outside for my 5k in May.

Overall though, I’m down 5 pounds in two weeks and have upped my push ups to 22 at a time (not where I wanted to be , but I’m happy )

Here’s to a great week..and to an even better one next week!!

***Workout***

40 Minutes Arc Trainer 572 Calories

A–I’ve been watching “Losing it With Jillian Michaels” today and I’m in awe of the life-changing force that is Jillian Michaels. She sees right to the heart of these peoples issues and makes such valid points. If I could put her in my pocket and carry her around all day and take her out when I’m feeling down and have her tough love me back into shape, I so would.

B–I had a mini mental breakdown this weekend and realized that I felt that I wasn’t “ENOUGH” for anyone.  I wasn’t enough of one thing for one person, I wasn’t this for another person… and I was ready to just walk away from everything that I have here and just run and hide in some dark distant corner of the world..so I drove the cemetery where my mom is laid to rest and sat in the parking lot and just let it all out and cried for hours. The best part of the whole night was turning on the radio and hearing a song that has come to mean so much to me after my mother died. which to my knowledge has never been released for air play, so that caught my attention and then I heard .. and I knew somehow my mother was telling me that it was okay, I was going to be fine.

C–So today, I decided that I was taking charge of my life and I went out and rented an apartment. I’ve been living at home with my dad ever since mom passed and its time for me to move on. I  didn’t move all the way to New Hampshire from Nebraska to live at home for ever. I’m 31 and I need to get on with my life. Yes, I’m divorced; yes, I’m back in school at 31 but it’s okay. I can move forward and onward to better things.

D– and the icing on the cake– My best best best friend sent me a link to an amazing song after listening to my recounting my mental break down and how I was just feeling so worthless and he couldn’t have picked a better song.

oh..and I went to the gym today:

I can’t believe I had an additional 15 INCHES on my hips. Where the hell did I keep it? I’ve still got the J.Lo booty– so I’m not sure what left, lol!! I know my waist went down. It used to stick out like I was pregnant, even whenI wasn’t.

Here’s some comparison shots:

Around my heighest weight ever– give or take 10 pounds.

And a recent shot:

Every once in a while, I amaze myself and realize just how far I have really come.

***workout***

I have had the chance to get to know Katy over at “Swedish Pancake”..and she’s pretty awesome. If you haven’t read her blog or her twitter updates, you’re missing out on knowing a wonderful lady So go on, follow her on Twitter.

I’ve pushed myself hard on the Arc Trainer at the gym, and have been consistently burning 400 plus calories in my 30 minutes that I spend on it. I must say that it gives me quite a thrill to look down and see that many calories gone with such a low perceived rate of effort. Don’t get me wrong…it’s hard as heck especially when I’ve got the resistance dialed up to 55 and the incline at a 6 but it’s amazing to see those numbers. I’ve done alright with my push-ups this week as well. I’m at a solid 20 before I can’t do them with proper form anymore.

Eating on the other hand, I’m not doing well. I have a tendency to just not eat as my appetite runs to the low side. I have a hard time getting to my recommended calories each day, and trust me–while it seems like a good problem to have, it’s not. When you aren’t eating enough, weight loss will plateau. According to the Harris Benedict formula of BMR I have a basal Metabolic rate of 1644.08, which is what my body burns just being alive. So based on my activity level I can consume 2548 calories and not gain weight, but to lose weight I need to eat less than 2048 calories a day. However, with what I managed to eat to day, I am only sitting at 1100 calories. That’s below the 1200 minimum recommendation for women and well below the daily deficit of 500 that I am going for.

So my question to you is:

How many calories a day do you eat? Do you know your BMR? How do they match up?

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