On Exercise

I don't know how many more days I'm going to be doing these multiple posts, but I'm a teacher and have another 5 weeks (I think) off, so....but I will say, it's definitely helping to keep my motivated, even if there is no one out there actually reading other than the spam companies that keep flooding to my blog and driving my stats up!

Okay...so exercise....I completed my second day just now and noticed a few things. 

1.  I'm so super out of shape that the first 10-15 minutes hurts like a mother.  My legs start aching and screaming at me.  And dude, it's not like I'm doing 30 Day Shred.  I'm just doing a little Leslie Sansonne Walk At Home DVD. 

2.  After the first 10-15 minutes (and I mentioned this earlier), my legs hurt less and I start to feel super empowered!

3.  I own a whole library of Leslie Sansonne videos, but I chose this one that I lost a ton of weight with before (also falling a healthy diet, of course), because it reminds me of a time I succeeded.  I have some newer videos, but I smell failure everytime I even glance in their direction, so it will be awhile before I want to pull those puppies out.

Now...onto another topic on my mind called....Running.

I desperately want to be one of those 5K every weekend kind of girls!  I actually did the first run from Couch to 5K three separate times last year, but could never get the courage up to continue.  Of course, I weighed well over 300 pounds then too.  My knees are so incredibly fucked up right now, that I can't even begin to imagine trying to start running again right now.

BUT...it is definitely something I'll be looking forward to once I start shedding these pounds and getting my body back into fighting shape! 

Meanwhile, completed un-weight related (gasp!), I saw World War Z yesterday, which was okay.  It was nothing like the book.  I'm a bit of a zombie freak.  I also love anything post-apocalyptic/dystopia related, so I'm reading a bunch of different young adult series that fall into that category right now.  Currently, I'm reading Matched (I can't remember the author's name) and it's terribly enjoyable.  Very Hunger Games-esque. 

So, if you are out there, please leave me a comment and tell me two things:  1.  What kind of exercise do you like to do and 2.  What kind of books do you enjoy?

Books, Books, Books!

I love reading.  For about a year or so, however, I wasn't doing much of it.  I got a Kindle Fire for Christmas last year (I think I mentioned this awhile back) and my love of reading has been reignited!  In addition to my usual fiction, I've been downloading a lot of weight loss and self-help related books.  Some of these I may have mentioned before.

Here is a sampling (asterisked titles are books I have just downloaded and haven't finished or even started yet):

Weight Loss

99 Weight Loss Tips (That Helped Me Lose 30 Pounds in 12 Weeks) by Marcus Zjukov
Umm...this one was obviously self-published.  There are a lot of common sense tips here, but a lot of crazy shit too like "fall in love with Diet Coke" and "don't stop smoking".  There were a few others that made me raise my eyebrows.  Also, there are some serious, serious grammatical and syntax errors that made me want to beat my head against the wall.  But, in all fairness, I'm not entirely sure the author's first language is English....
This is not a book I'd recommend, by the way.  Despite the cheap price.  Save your money.

344 Pounds:  How I lost 125 Pounds by Counting Calories by Shawn Weeks
This one was a pretty good little memoir by the guy who runs a blog by the same name:  344 Pounds, which has become one big ad for the aforementioned book.

*Designated Fat Girl by Jennifer Joyner
I haven't started this one yet, but it looks like a good memoir

Diets Don't Work:  How I Lost 120 Pounds Without Dieting by Vernoica Morgan
Pretty good, but it's been a few months since I read it

*Eating the Moment:  141 Mindful Practices to Overcome Overeating by Pavel Somov
Haven't gotten too far into this one yet.  I think it will require a lot more of my focus and attention than I've been able to give it so far.  But looks promising!

From Fat to Fit:  How I Lost 100 Lbs by Alyssa Reyans
This one was good.  She also includes some recipes.

Obese From the Heart:  A Fat Psychiatrist Discloses by Sara L. Stein, M.D.
I liked this book a lot.  This woman has been there and really delves into all the reasons why we get fat and stay there.  Definitely worth a reread in the near future.

*Ravenous:  A Food Lover's Journey From Obsession to Freedom by Dayna Macy
I've read the first couple of chapters.  She picks a food, then really delves into it.  Cheese - her past experiences with it, then she travels to a factory where it's made...Sausage - experiences, factory where it's made...and so on.  I'm having a hard time focusing on it.

*Stranger Here: How Weight-Loss Surgery Transformed My Body and Messed With My Head by Jen Larsen
I'm really looking forward to reading this one, even though I'm not considering weight loss surgery at this time.  I've read several reviews and an exerpt.

*Weight Loss For People Who Feel Too Much by Colette Baron-Reid
I like what I've read so far.  She definitely hits the nail on the head with feelings and weight.  A lot of "work" involved here that I just haven't psyched myself up for yet.

Self-Help

*The 52-Week Life Passion Project by Barbie Davenport
I haven't gotten past week one on this, because I started it when school was still in session and then got sidetracked.  Involves a very brief reading and an "assignment" each week for 52 weeks.  Really looking forward to getting back to it!

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben
Potentially life changing.  It really had me rethinking a lot of things in my life.  I'd like to reread it.

*Madly In Love With Me: The Daring Adventure of Becoming Your Own Best Friend by Christine Arylo
I really, really, really want to get sucked into this book.  I just don't know that I'm there yet.  There being the place where I can fall madly in love with myself.  ;)  I've started it, but haven't picked it back up in awhile.

*Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Bernstein
Yeah.  I got nothin'.  The cover looks cool, though!  However, I just noticed the one on Amazon is not the same as the one I have on my downloaded version.

Disclaimer:  I do not earn any money or anything when you click the above links.  These are just books I have either purchased and plan to read or books I have already read.

Thanks for reading!