Square

At the salon, we stopped accepting credit cards because the fees were high. It's really inconvenient for clients to have to pay with either a cash or check, since most people pay with a card these days. Especially with new walk-in clients. What if they came in and expected to pay with a card, and didn't have a check or cash as an option to pay? I started using Square.

It's a little device you hook to your phone, you swipe their card, and the money goes into your bank account. They sign their signature with their finger on your phone, and you can either text or email them a receipt. It's great!!

NROL, Stage 1

I completed all 16 workouts in New Rules of Lifting for Women... I am almost done with Stage 2 now. (7 stages in all). Here's the beginning and ending weights of how much I lifted during Stage 1:

• Squats: Started with 35 lbs, ended with 90lbs


• Pushups - Started out barely being able to do these, to no problem at all


• Seated Row: Started with 20 lbs, ended with 90 lbs


• Step-ups: Started with just body weight, ended with 15 lb dumbbells in each hand


• Prone Jackknife: This was the best ab exercise I've ever done - I can't believe what a difference it has made! Anyone who doesn't know what a Prone Jackknife is, watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szyy3-K_Yz8


• Deadlift: Started with 55 lbs, ended with 105 lbs


• Dumbbell shoulder press: started with 20 lbs, ended with 25 lbs in each hand


• Wide-grip lat pulldown: started at 80lbs, ended at 90 lbs


• Lunge: Started with 15lbs, ended with 20 lbs each hand


• Swiss ball crunch: I did the required 15 reps, 2 sets. This exercise was worthless

I'll report Stage 2 when I'm done. I've been really loving this program. It has really strengthened and toned me. I lost 11.4 lbs doing this Stage, and 107lbs down to date.

Stage 1, Workout 4

Just a summary of today's workout:

Workout B:
Deadlift: 65/15, 65/15
Alternating:
Dumbbell shoulder press: 15/15, 20/15
Wide-grip lat pulldown: 70/15, 70/15
Lunge: 10/15, 10/15 (2 sets each leg)
Swiss-ball crunch: 2 sets of 8

I asked a trainer at the gym today to show me proper form on the swiss ball crunch. When I did it the first time, I didn't feel it doing anything at all. I was doing it wrong. She showed me how, and I really felt it. I didn't even a need a plate to hold onto. She actually discouraged me from using a plate, and just doing the crunches, because using a plate will actually push my abs OUT, not IN.

I didn't have time today for HIIT, so I came home and did level 3 of Jillian's Shred video for my cardio.

Loving this program!

Stage 1, Workout 3

Today I felt stronger. I'm realizing that I don't feel sore later in the day, but the next day! I can tell I did something!

Today I did workout B:

Squat, 2 sets of 15 reps, 45 lb bar
Supersets (alternating):
Pushups - 2 sets of 15 (these still kill me)
Seated Row - 2 sets of 15, 60lbs
Supersets:
Stepups: 2 sets of 15, each leg, 10lb weights, each hand
Prone jackknife - 2 sets of 10

So there you have it. I'm getting a little more comfortable with being in weight section at the gym. It's still a little intimidating for me, but I just go and do my thing.

NROL4W - Stage 1, Workout 2

Today was my 2nd workout. It consisted of:

Workout B:
Deadlift - 2 sets of 15 reps, 55 lbs
Dumbbell shoulder press - 2 sets of 15 reps, 15 lbs
Wide-grip lat pulldown - 2 sets of 15 reps, 60 lbs
Lunges - 2 sets of 15 reps, each leg, holding 10 lbs
Swiss-ball crunch - 2 sets of 8 reps holding a 10lb weight

After the workout, I decided to start on HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), which will come in Stage 2. I did 18 minutes on the stairmaster, with 1 minute at level 8, and 2 minutes at level 3. I repeated the intervals 6 times. It was tough - even though I am used to climbing stairs 30-40 minutes at a time. It was tougher because at level 8, those stairs move pretty quickly. By the time the minute was up, I was dying.

I don't feel as sore today as I did the first day. But we'll see tomorrow. I love the way I feel. I feel accomplished.

NROL4W - Stage 1, Workout 1

So I started something new. I've always wanted to get into weight lifting. I'm not talking about bodybuilding, I'm just talking about weight lifting. Tone. Sculpt. Look like I have some muscles. I have been taking a pump class at the gym. I love it. I love the whole body workout it gives me in an hour, but I want more. I heard about this new program, New Rules of Lifting for Women. So I bought the book yesterday, read it, and took off. Basically it's a 6 month weight lifting program, 3x a week. Today was day 1.

Today I did workout A:

* 2 sets of squats, 35lb bar, 15 reps each
* 2 sets pushups, 15 reps each - THESE KICKED MY TRASH! (I'm not talking about sissy pushups, I'm talking about the real pushups.)
* 2 sets Seated rows (I actually did these with dumbells - 20lbs each hand 15 reps each
*2 sets Step-ups - first set I did with my own body weight, next set I did using 5lb dumbbells
*2 sets Prone Jacknife with swiss ball. These also kicked my can. They were really hard for me, I felt it in my abs!

The idea is to use heavier weights each time. The next day I will do different exercises.

I have to admit I felt completely out of my comfort zone in the free weight section at the gym. I am always in the cardio area or taking a class. I acted like I knew what I was doing and didn't care about the other people there - they were doing their own thing like I was. Hopefully as time passes I'll get in my groove and feel like I own the place. Ha!

A little of my routine, and what inspires me...

Part of my daily routine is going to Gold's Gym. I go 5-6 days a week. Since it's winter time, I go to the gym, otherwise I run outside. I do a weight class on Tuesdays (but since having my surgery I haven't been able to), and I do a combination of 60 minutes on the Elliptical, Treadmill or the Stairmaster. That is one bad boy. Today I climbed stairs for 40 minutes and burned 363 calories. That picture is crappy, but hey! Walking on the treadmill with an incline of 11 will burn 300 more calories. It's hard but feel SO good when I am done!

One of the things that inspires me the most to stay on track and focus on my health is watching The Biggest Loser. I love that show. It makes me want to sit and do situps or bicep curls while I watch it. It makes me want to push myself. I know they lose weight at a very rapid pace, and it's not really realistic, but to see the lives of these huge people transforming, is just inspiring. They get to the core of some very emotional issues that got them big in the first place. Emotional issues were also at my core. It's been a process to get in the right frame of mind.

Weight Loss

I want to start blogging about something that has affected me my whole entire life: my weight. I have always been a "bigger" girl. I was always bigger than all of my friends in high school, and in fact, throughout my life. I have lost weight, only to gain all of it back, plus some. Hopefully I can inspire someone out there who is struggling, or wants to start losing weight. There is hope! It can be done! I am proof, and I am a work in progress.

I come from a family of a very thin mother, and 2 very thin sisters, and 5 very big brothers. I never fit in with my thin mother and sisters, but always fit in with my brothers. I always hated that I had those types of genes.

I have been on so many diets in my life. Nutri-System, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, LA Weightloss, to name a few.

I got to my heaviest weight in 2008. I topped the scale at 270 lbs. It was then that I said NO MORE! I decided to do something about it once and for all. In May 2008 I joined LA Weightloss. I loved this program, and it worked for me. I lost almost 50 lbs, and then the company went bankrupt in October. I still did the program on my own, the best I could, and then I decided to do it on my own.
I am still on a weightloss journey, but I am almost to my goal. I am down 95 lbs to date. This is a huge accomplishment for me. Last summer is when I really started to exercise. I started out by walking around my neighborhood. I would increase my time, and my speed each week. In June I decided I wanted to start running. I had never run before, but one of my goals was to complete a 5k. I did the "Couch to 5k" program, and I loved it. I totally recommend it!!

I will start posting some before pictures and more of my weight loss journey in the days to come.

Been a long while...

It's been a long time since I have blogged. I really want to start getting into it more. Here's to me posting more!