5 am is really early

i'm on day #3 of getting up at the buttcrack of dawn and going to the gym.
5 am is super early for this girl. 4:30 is even earlier!!! which is actually when i get up so i can be at the gym by 5 when it opens.

yesterday was my cardio only day so i got on the treadmill and walked for 45 mins. (close to 3 miles... i think)

this morning i actually set my alarm for 4:20 so i would get out the door a little earlier because i have to work on wednesdays and i wanted to make sure i had enough time to do everything i needed to do.
4:20 my alarm goes off. i pick it up and turn it off and promptly fall back asleep. fortunately only for about 10 mins. but it still put me off schedule so i didn't get to get everything in....
i'm supposed to walk for 20 mins first thing. (skipped this part)
i did 45 mins weight training (back & biceps pulling)
and 30 mins on the bike (almost 3.5 miles)

i think that's all for now....
--kara 

wow... it's been a while.

i know i haven't posted in a really long time.  we've had a lot going on of late... sick baby... sick mommy.... a few times over. and i've been working a lot more.  it's hard to balance everything sometimes. and i'll be honest the gym is usually the first thing to go... especially if Maya is sick... it just makes it harder to get there. can't take her to the child care if she's sick.

SO i made a decision over the weekend (actually i've been thinking about it for a while) to start getting up at 4:30 in the morning so i can be at the gym by 5am. that way i can get my workout in b4 the rest of the family is up and even get home in time to get my quiet time in while it's actually quiet. =)

so that's what i did this morning. 4:30 AM i rolled out of bed and went to the gym.

i did 20 minutes walking on the treadmill
45 mins. weight training (chest & triceps - pushing)
and then 30 mins on the stair/eliptical death machine (staying around 95 strides per min.)
i ended up doing around 3 miles..... all before the sun was fully up.
while i'm at it a special thanks to Will Burgin! he has been a huge help to me!!!!

uh-mazing.

i'll be honest... i almost gave up at the 15 min. mark but i remembered that God has given me the victory over this! He wouldn't ask me to do something and then not give me the strength to do it. and so i prayed my little heart out! =)  and honestly after i passed that hump it got easier.
Thank You God for giving me the strength to do this...i know You will bless my efforts.

that's all for now!

pushing thru..

i haven't been feeling so hot the last few days... i really just wanted to go home and get back into bed this morning!
but i didn't. i went to the gym whining to myself the whole time. i'm certainly glad i did it. but it wasn't easy!

today i just focused on Cardio because i've been kinda slacking on that.  i definitely enjoy the weight training much better.  so i did 30 mins. on the bike and 25 on the treadmill. 
oddly enough when i signed into the system to enter in what i'd done i got a message from one of the trainers saying that she's checked on my progress and was very proud of the work i've been doing BUT i need to do some more cardio. =) it made me chuckle.

i'm still on track with my eating... i'm down 2 more pounds today. for a total of 13.
hooray!

that's all for now!
--kara

Confessions of a slacker....

sooo.... some of you have probably been wondering where i went.... some of you probably just assumed that i fell off the wagon.... some of you probably didn't notice that i was gone. but i'm here, i'm stupid busy, and i am at least hanging onto the bumper of the wagon... =)

it has been a while since i've written so i have a lot to catch up on....
i went out of town right after my last post. and so i slacked off while i was gone. i will admit it. i didn't go the the gym while we were gone. i did manage to control my eating BUT i drank a lot of soda. (this is always my downfall) so the good news for me is that i still lost that week... only one pound but still a loss and i really thought i would gain.
this last week has also been a struggle. i haven't been feeling well, which really makes it difficult to get to the gym. and let me tell you, i can feel it. it's a catch 22 isn't it? i don't feel good so i'm not going to the gym, and now i feel like crap because i didn't make it to the gym! lame.
and i obviously haven't been doing my lessons either so i'm slacking all around. but i'm, telling you about it so that means that i'll make it in today b/c i'd be too embarrassed to have to write something like this again.

so i will ask this of you, anyone who happens to be reading this:
say a prayer for me today.
say a prayer for me tomorrow.
and go ahead and say one the next day too...
really anytime you think about it....

i need help to make it thru this. i know i can't do it by myself. if left to my own devices i will fail again and again. i am on my knees asking God to help me thru this.... really asking God to carry me thru this. but i need your help too.

thank you!
love
kara

early mornings....

now i know that my idea of early morning is different from others.... but... my day starts around 7am each day. i get up get dressed and take Karlie to school. some days i get up and get Maya up & dressed so that we can go to the Y before we go home. today was one of those days. she woke up last night around 2am soaking wet (too much juice before bed.) so we were all tired this morning. i just grabbed some clothes for her and didn't even bother waking her up, just strapped her in and went.

on the way to the gym the tired started creeping up in me....      ugh.... i don't wanna go.  maybe we should just go back home and see if we can sleep for a while.... no we can't.... she'll wake up when you try to get her out..... maybe not....  we can just go later this evening..... no. you have too much to do today....nah i can come later.... you can but you won't.... i will..... just go..... but..... GO!..... fine.

so i went. dressed my baby in the parking lot. and went inside.  again it's the small victories, right? even if it's against yourself. =)

so today my back was bothering me so i went easy.... i only did a few machines and then got on the treadmill and did 1.18 miles. took 30 mins.   but the music today.... i've debated about putting my workout playlist for each day on here and just haven't done it.... but today. today was perfect so i have to share.

1. All Around Me - Flyleaf
2. All Around Me - David Crowder Band  (think God was trying to tell me something?)
3. All Because of You - U2
4. Alleluia Sing - DCB
5. Always - Switchfoot
6. Ammunition - Switchfoot
7. Refiner's Fire -- ??
8. Arise -- Flyleaf
9. Audry - Anberlin
10. Ava Adore -- Smashing Pumpkins
11. We are Safe - DCB
12. Beautiful Bride -- Flyleaf
13. Beautiful Day -- U2
14. Breathe - U2

today was a normal eating day for me so:
i didn't have time to eat b4 the gym
had 1 chicken strip, 1 SW eggroll and less than half of my spin dip at chili's & chips and salsa
and a mucho tostada from bueno.

that's all for now. i'll leave you with some lyrics from Arise.... they really spoke to me today.

Arise and be all that you dreamed.... all that you dreamed

--kara

Hello Hurricane...

i decided today that Switchfoot is definitely a good listen while working out.
i met with the trainer today and got set up on 9 of the weight machines. when i was done the computer informed me that i had lifted(?) 8430 lbs. today. how's that for awesome??!!!  heheh
then i got on the elliptical/stair thing and did a mile in 12 mins. i felt like a hurricane! drenched in sweat. =)

if i get a chance i'm going to go back this evening and try to get some more cardio in.

i'm on a fast day so i'm just drinking water until 8 tonight.
i will admit that i did eat a few grapes without even thinking about it.  i was getting some for Maya and just popped some in my mouth without a thought. made me think about how often i probably do that. eat without thinking. probably not even hungry just habit. that's part of what the Lord's Table is helping me with.... it teaches you to only eat when your body is signaling you that you need to eat. time to start paying closer attention to what my body is telling me.

also i will be weighing on mondays for the Lord's Table. i'm not going to say how much i weigh BUT i will tell you how i'm doing. as of today i am down 10 lbs!  woohoo!

ok that's all for now!
---kara

Even smaller things....

i bought 2 new tank tops this weekend. i put one on last night and looked in the mirror and thought... "strange... i can see a difference, already! no way!"
so i walked out of the bathroom and asked my husband and he concurred that there is indeed a difference in my shape after one week. i'm super stoked. i'm not saying it's a huge difference or anything. but i can see it. i can feel it. and that's awesome.

today was a normal eating day for me. so i had 2 bars at church for breakfast. for lunch i had a chicken enchilada, a salad, and a cup of soup. delicious. =) and dinner was some angel hair pasta and tomato sauce.
lots of tea and water!
tomorrow is a fast day. AND i have my appointment with the trainer at the Y.

that's all for now.... i'm off to bed.
---kara