Hectic few weeks...

So I have had several crazy weeks in a row and suffice to say, they have gotten the best of me.  As of yesterday, I am back up to 310 pounds, which means that I am not heading in the right direction.  I'm trying not to be too hard on myself, but I am disappointed that my focus has not been where it should be in terms of my health.  However, I have taken a few steps to rectify that in the past several days.  First, I am starting a walking program through my school starting tomorrow.  That means, that I have established a baseline of steps that I take each day, and I will enter any steps past my baseline into the challenge.  The goal is to "walk the paths taken during the American Revolution", and to compete against others in my school.  It should be a fun experience that focuses on exercise.  


Second, Jason and I have started kettlebell training.  I am super excited with this development.  Kettlebell training is something that has been around in Russia for years.  It uses weighted kettlebells to improve strength and give the user an all over cardio workout.  We are using kettlebells and workouts from the Art of Strength company. They have great kettlebells, and great workouts.  So far, I'm using a 8kg kettlebell for my workouts.  Let me tell you, it is shocking for me to do these routines.  They seems like they should be easy, but it is kicking my butt!  Here's what I am doing this week as my starting point:

Basic Kettlebell Drill

(20) 1 Arm Swings (10 each side)

(10) Windmills (5 each side)

(20) One Arm Cleans (10 each side)

(20) Military Presses (10 each side)

(20) Two-handed Swings (20 total)

(20) One Arm Rows (10 each side)

I am doing two full sets of this routine, which right now is taking about 30 minutes.  I take a 30 second rest between each exercise, but the goal is to not rest and move from one exercise to another without stopping.  I also hope to work up to doing three full sets in the 30 minute time frame.  

So as you can see, I've changed my focus from the food aspect to the exercise aspect.  Don't ask me why, because I really don't know, but I do think it has something to do with the fact that I LOVE food, and really have a hard time limiting what I eat.  It just seems that every time I try to cut out certain foods, I blow it, so maybe by not eliminating foods, and focusing on exercise, I can keep the weight off for good!

Ciao for now!

Lauren