Yoga

Yoga in Millennium Park
Originally uploaded by hak123

On Saturday my mom came down early to pick me up and we went out to Millennium Park to try out the free Yoga they offer every week at 8am.

We got there just in time to grab a free bottle of water and find a spot in the grass before the class started. It was a good class! I haven't done any yoga for AT LEAST a year so I was a little worried that I'd have a hard time with it, but the instructor was great and didn't do anything too difficult, but didn't make it too easy either. It's pretty cool to do a downward facing dog and seeing about 75 other people doing the same thing. Outside. In a big grassy area.

Afterward we walked around the park for a bit and I took a bunch of pictures of the bean and the walkway. Millennium Park is really pretty.

It was a great day! :)

Oh, and atkins is over. As of Saturday evening and the pizza we ordered. It's just not worth it for 3 pounds and the struggle to find things to eat. I'd rather eat healthier and have the option to have bread. Besides...atkins made me really tired.

Diet

So Bob and I have decided to do Atkins. (yes, it's approximately 2002 in our heads) It's not the healthiest or interesting way to diet, but we're both fairly certain that it won't last more than a couple weeks at most--we just want to kick start diets and this is a good one for immediate results.

I've still been going to the gym--but, hello? How have I GAINED weight since going to the gym? I'd love to call it muscle-mass, but that's kind of crazy. So Atkins + gym should equal some better results.

The stats? I've lost 2 pounds since Monday. Hurrah.

Bob's lost 10. (Boys totally suck that way. But good for him.)

I'm also trying to do this as healthy as possible. Salads with lean chicken, scrambled eggs made without butter, celery, things like that.

Although I'm eating more cheese than normal. But cheese is soooo good.

So far I've avoided the candy dish at a desk near me, free cupcakes in the company kitchen, and the vending machine full of deliciousness. Well, delicious trans fats and empty calories. So that's good. Work is probably the biggest hurdle in food avoidance--there's just so much temptation! But so far it's not been too difficult to resist. Fingers crossed that it stays that way!

I imagine that I'll crack and want some toast (because...mmmm...toast. I love toast) in a couple weeks. And from that point on I'll try to keep eating salads and chicken and celery and avoid the twix bars. :)

Running

So I joined a gym. Good for me! It's been a long time since I worked out with any consistency so this is a good thing.

My problem is that I'm such a spaz. I can do the elliptical just fine (as long as I don't use the ones with the arm things--those kick my butt) but if I try to run, I practically fall off unless I totally concentrate. Not off the back, mind you, but to the right. I lean or something.

And the running? That's another problem. I can't do it. I tried to do an interval thing last night and after 3 minutes (shorter than most songs on my ipod and some commercial breaks!) I'm gasping and sweating profusely and have to go back to walking. And no suggestions on taking it down a notch on the running speed! I can already pretty much walk at the speed I'm "running".

I'm getting there though. :) I'll keep trying. Maybe in a few months I can re-read this post and laugh at myself. Well, I'm already laughing at myself (as I said, I'm a spaz) but now I can shake my head and be all "oh, she was so naive" or something.

And I started a star chart to track my working out progress. 2 so far. Yay!