I've been doing something stupid lately, I've quit strength training. I used to take strength training classes at the Y twice a week, but I quit going back in the fall because I was bored with the classes. Plus, I was doing yoga twice a week, so it kind of balanced out.
In what has been a little bit of a surprise to me, I have not lost weight as I've been training for the half marathon. I'm burning enough calories to easily result in a 2-3 lb weight loss every week. The problem is, well there are two problems: 1) I'm eating too much, shocker; & 2) I'm not doing strength training.
I had lunch with my friend Mark last week, who has successfully lost a crap-ton of weight & has really changed the way his body looks over the past two years. Mark couldn't believe I wasn't losing weight either, especially since I'm burning up to 1400 calories on some days. He asked me two things, am I tracking my calories & am I strength training? No & no. I HATE tracking my calories. Hate! But... if you've ever seen me skinny, it's because I was tracking my calories, so there's that. I told him my conundrum with strength training - that I'm bored with the classes & was doing yoga, but now have gotten too busy to even do that.
Mark said he'd bet money that if I started strength training again, I'd drop some lbs. He said to either start going back to the classes or come in & do the free weights on my own. Ha! On my own. Has me met me? I only exercise as a vehicle for seeing & talking to my friends. But he has a point. He said I should check out magazines like Women's Health or Shape & use the work-outs they provide in their magazines, which again, is a valid point.
I didn't strength train last week, but I did swim twice with my injured friend, MHG. Just adding two swim days to my routine last week resulted in a 2 lb weight loss. Ha! Who knew? God, I love swimming. This week I had planned on meeting MHG at the Y on two morning to strength train with her, but I haven't been able to because of work, so the other night I went to a group fitness class at the Green Hills Y. Apparently there's a big difference between classes at the Downtown Y & classes at the Green Hills Y. Sculpt class Downtown is 45 minutes of free weights. Sculpt class in Green Hills is boot camp, with no weights & lots of obstacle course style running.
We had to set our benches up around the room like an obstacle course & then we formed a congo line & ran all around the room, jumping over things & running sideways & backwards. I was annoyed that we weren't using weights, but I was having a little fun running around the room like an idiot until..... my knee gave out. Yeah, apparently my knees are cool with running 10 miles, but jumping & sideways running, not so much.
I was so mad. Mid-class, I grabbed my stuff & limped out of the room. By the time I got home, my knee was super swollen & sore, so I took an Aleve & iced it & it was fine by morning. I didn't run last night in an abundance of caution. I think it's okay. I hope so because I'm running 11 miles this Sunday & I kind of need my knees to work.
Ugh, group fitness. When will I learn?!