As much as January, traditionally September is the month for making resolutions and starting new programs and projects. It's in the air as kids -- and adults -- head back to school, to learn, to work hard. And that is certainly what we're doing. Our projects are ourselves. Our educational subject is our own bodies and their capabilities.



We're so glad to see you in September, moving and learning and growing alongside us.

Saturday, Sept. 1st:

60 minutes spin class, with weight intervals
60 minutes Pilates class. Afterward the instructor said I am very strong, but consoled me about everyone's bodies being different. My legs don't like to seal together during the teaser and my outer hips bug me sometimes during class.

Sunday, Sept. 2:

15 minutes Stairmaster stepmill, aerobic, resistance at eight
60 minutes biceps, triceps and shoulders routine
45 minute spin class, the really good one, no playing with little weights, thank goodness, as my arms have done enough today.

September 1: 60 minute boot camp in the morning-- 90 minute Bikram Yoga in the afternoon.

September 2: 60 minute Zumba class in the morning. Had planned on yoga in the afternoon but had to deal with a crisis at home and it didn't happen.

Totals:
2 days
210 minutes

Labor Day, Sept. 3:

70 minutes elliptical in the very nice gym at the Hyatt in Old Greenwich, CT, about 40 of it going backward, resistance at nine, random intervals
15 minutes swimming, not in serious laps, but continually crossing and recrossing, trying different strokes, to see what I remembered from swimming classes that I took back in 2008. I remember a lot. And all the upper body work with weights seems to certainly have helped power my stroke.

September 3: 45 minutes UJAM class. Went to a special Labor Day class that was supposed to be 90 minutes. The gym wasn't very nice and as soon as I entered the room I could tell there was no air circulation (and it was 97 degrees outside). As soon as the class started, the mirrors steamed up totally and the floors became slick and slippery. People were falling left and right and it was very crowded. I decided to be smart and not risk an injury. I could just see myself getting hurt and not being able to do the Tough Mudder that I'm training for-- I would be

I also went and did Bikram Yoga in the afternoon-- 90 minutes and sweat like crazy again. I'm hoping I see a whoosh on the scale soon!

Totals:
3 days
345 minutes

Saturday, 9/1:
-6.6 mile mountain hike to Buck Mountain in Lake George, NY.

Monday, 9/3:
-3 mile run in 28:13.
-Weights for 1 hour after. Not a fan of Gold's Gym!
-Slung 40 lb bags of dirt around for my mother.

Tuesday, 9/4:
-10 minutes treadmill sprints
-20 minutes HIIT elliptical program
-6 minutes stair stepper

Tuesday, Sept. 4th:

15 minutes Stairmaster stepmill, aerobic intervals, resistance at nine
60 minutes chest, shoulders and triceps routine
60 minute spin class with weight intervals in the evening

I didn't make it to the gym this morning. I was all suited up, but got distracted by other stuff and then fell prey to depression, which has crept up on me due to my being off my antidepressants for three weeks now. Fortunately, I went out at lunchtime and the exercise gave me the usual relief with an endorphin rush. I will go back out again tonight for the same reason.

Wednesday, Sept. 5th:

45 minute spin class with weight intervals, one of my good ones that felt exhilarating. Thank goodness for those endorphins.

Hope you're starting to feel better!

September 4: 60 minute UJam class

Totals:
4 days
405 minutes

So far the transition to maintenance is going great. I started maintenance when I lost 31 pounds (hit my goal in mid-August). Big surprise: maintenance is very similar to dieting, I appear to need fewer calories to maintain a low weight than I used to need to maintain a higher weight. I've had a net loss of about two pounds in the past 3 weeks of maintenance. Better news: three days ago I went to a wedding and really overate for the first time since starting my diet June 1. Rather than beat myself up, I said OK, one and only day off from weighing in, but GET BACK ON THE HORSE. I'm discovering that whatever mistakes I make I have to just get right back on and continue. As a result, I had a net weight loss even this week with the overeating day! Training myself not to go into self-hatred for my mistake is a real discipline.

Wed. Sept 5: REST DAY

Thurs. Sept 6: Upper body weights routine. Added renegade rows w/25 lb dumbbells and situps with a 25 lb dumbbell over my head. OUCH. Also 10 pathetic wheezing treadmill minutes; barely broke a mile and couldn't hold 8.0 mph for longer than a minute and a half today.

September 5: went for a Body Pump class but I was early (not normally at a time I go to and I didn't know there was a Zumba class right before).....so....

20 minutes Zumba
60 minutes Body Pump

Totals:
5 days
485 minutes

Thursday, Sept. 6th:

60 minutes elliptical, resistance up to nine, alternating backward & forward, and this was so difficult that, when resistance hit 11 & 12, the machine went on "pause" because I was pushing the peddles so slowly.
60 minutes Pilates class in the evening.

Hmm, I'm going to use September to see if I can push myself out of maintenance mode I've been in by default the last 2 years and see if I can get my number a bit further down by increasing my exercise a bit.

I'm able to commit some extra time to exercise due to my job of nearly 17 years being eliminated (I knew it was coming for almost 3 years but getting the actual boot has been a bit traumatic). So even if no more pounds budge off my body, the extra exercise time will help keep my sanity as I work out what comes next in my life.

So I can report today was my usual 55 minute walk, then added 45 minutes of lap swim.