THEY'RE BAAAAACK!!!!!!!

Two things I adore have made their ways back into my life!!

Numero uno.  KETTLE BELLS!  And man.  It came back with a serious punch to my fat ass.  :

I got to the workout facility when everyone else was warming up.  Our changing room really only has two private spaces to change.  When I got there, it was oddly crowded, so I just went to the bathroom.  As I walked  into the room, I understood why.  I think there were ELEVEN people there today!!!  Eleven!  We NEVER had more than five last session.  It was really great to see so many people in there, sweating ourselves silly.  When I went to grab a bell, I didn't see any 15-pounders.  Bummer - that's all I've ever used.  So, I went with a 20.  Let me tell you.  5lbs makes a HUGE difference.  I was DYING.  I was working my muscles overtime, and it was kinda nuts.  Every move was so much more difficult because of the extra pounds.  By the end, I was just hoping it would hurry up and get over so I could go home and be sore.  :)

The funny thing, though, is that I was stronger.  I was able to hold a plank.  Some of the moves I KNOW I couldn't do last year, I could do tonight.  Like planks.  I've never really been able to do them.  We don't really do them in my yoga class unless we're focusing on abs.  I pulled 'em off for the whole 30 seconds.  It might not seem like a lot to a lot of people, but that's HUGE for me.  I was shaking toward the end of the third plank.  I was also able to do a pile of mountain climbers (HATE).

It was a rough workout, but the 600 cals I blew?  Yeah.  I'll take 'em.  And can't WAIT until next week!

Next up?  SHAPE!!!!!

That's right, kids.  The class that started it all!  I genuinely thought it wasn't coming back after it closed up last time.  Enrollment was low, and I think appreciation of the class was even lower.  Not for me, but for others who didn't take it quite as seriously.  I mean, I had a solo class once!  I was the only person there.  That's nuts.  Anyway.  I'm so excited that it's back.  Lynda is even leading it again.  From what I hear, it sounds like the format is going to be slightly different, and I think I like that.  Don't know if you know it or not, but I'm *kind of* an over-sharer sometimes.  The format of this new version sounds a little like it'll be more open; more time for discussions and things that the participants have learned.

Unfortunately, I'm traveling for work tomorrow, so I have to miss out.  Coworkers A and S are taking the class again though, so I'll have some note-takers.  :)

There you have it - two things I LOVE are back in my life.  SO EXCITED!

Anything new (or returning) for anyone out there??

Dang.

Lame.  Today was "super calorie" day.

As part of this whole process, I'm trying to be honest - mostly with myself, but since there's a person or two reading this occasionally too, I guess I'm being honest with you too!  :)

Today, we had some fast food for lunch.  It was friggin' delicious.  It was the new Wendy's burger - the Dave's Hot 'n' Juicy.  Hella good, in case you wondered.  They made a whole bunch of changes - from the bun to the meat to the onions and pickles.  In my (admittedly pretty novice now...) opinion, it's the best fast food burger out there.  They're really great.

But professing my love of that little patty of heaven isn't what this is about.  Sorry Wendy's, but this is about the caloric impact of your little burger of awesomeness.  I knew it wasn't going to be the best choice I made all day, but I wanted to give it a go.  At the time, I was thinking it would be okay.  That I could just have the burger (hold the mayo!) and it wouldn't be so bad.  And really, it wouldn't have - had I also had a salad with it.  NATURALLY, I did not.  According to Wendy's nutritional site, the burger I had (minus the mayo, remember!), was 530 calories.  Yikes.  Again, a 30-calorie salad would have helped with the situation.

Now, here's an honest assessment.  No matter how much I loved the burger, it didn't so much love me back later.  I spent the whole afternoon feeling all bloaty and generally yuck.  *sigh*  I think it's a combo of the whole fast food greasy burger thingy and the fact that I didn't have anything green that didn't sit so well with me.  Smarter eating habits, girl!

The lesson learned?  Maybe stick to eating the things you know aren't going to eat you back.

ACK!!

I know. So "Cathy."

Rode the bike again. Clearly forgot how friggin' hard it is between the end of the workout yesterday and deciding to give it a go again today. Wanted to just lay down in a ditch about 3 minutes in (JR Lauer moment: JUST. LEAVE. ME!). I made it about 20 before giving up. I'll quickly add that my Runkeeper app was acting up and that was also frustrating me to quit. I made it about a mile longer than I wanted to be on that devil's instrument. I could barely get up the little incline of my driveway. I almost fell going down the deck stairs to the garden. My legs = shot.

The point of all this whining is this: working out is HARD! It takes a lot of effort. And it sucks. But if I want to be in that size 10 - 16 (I'm not totally set on a number just yet - I'd like to be a little more realistic before I disappoint myself...) dress for Tessa's wedding, I'm gonna have to learn to suck it up!

And remember to maybe take a day in between the same cardiovascular workouts...give myself a day to recover a little. So, after dinner, I'm going to burn some calories using my resistance bands and cleaning the house.

Sure beats Little Caesar's AND sitting on Pinterest all night! :)