More than a month, really?! weeks 17-? (I've nearly lost count - wish I could say the same of lbs gone!)

Based on the data (see table below), I'm pretty much exactly where I was 7 weeks ago... How depressing. I was making gains, could feel the difference in my clothes and energy levels, and then I stumbled and fell off the workout wagon for a bit.

I joined the local Women's Center and signed up for two weekly fitness classes that are BUSTING my chops! They are amazingly hard workouts and I love them. What's even better, they provide child care services while you work out, for free!! The Monday class is about 20 min straight cardio (HARD) and 20 min step aerobics (also HARD) followed by 15 min of strength training with resistance bands and free weights (do I need to say it again? HARD!). I have yet to complete the entire routine without taking a break. At one point during the step routine the instructor said "8 more" and at that point I looked at my friend and our faces said it all-> "You're KIDDING?!" My goal is to be able to keep up with the instructor by the end of this session. She is truly FIT, practically zero body fat, you can see the muscles in her legs and arms - what an inspiration!

Friday's class is equally intense. A different instructor who is also inspiring to look at. This class is all about strength training using bands and free weights as well. A full hour of upper, lower and core exercises that leave my muscles screaming and sweat pouring. EA Sports Active 2 doesn't hold a candle to either of these workouts! The thing I like most is these are full 1hr classes, no breaks or pauses unless your wiping your brow or getting your step/floor mat from the corner of the gym. They are a SOLID 60 min of activity. My biggest complaint about Wii Fit Plus and EA Sports Active are the long pauses between exercises. I wish there was a way to get around the long load times... The Biggest Loser is much faster. (BTW - my hubby found the BL game a couple weeks ago! My boys had put it 'in jail' as I suspected, in our wooden magazine rack...)

This is my first time going to an aerobics class since I don't remember when - and my first experience with step aerobics. I was wise the first week to use just the step, without risers. Then in the Friday toning class, we used them for tricep dips, etc. and I discovered that no risers didn't work well for that class. So I made the mistake on the following Monday's class of thinking I had "graduated" to the next level with the step and added one level of risers... Who knew that 1.5 inches would make such a difference?? UGH! I could barely walk the next day! The following Monday I smartened up, used no risers, but didn't make sure my step had rubber 'feet' and fell flat on my ass the first step up as my step went sliding out from under me... Oh what a sight to behold - Corinna and the step!!

I'm still doing the EA Sports Active 9 week program, but as mentioned, I stumbled around the 3 week mark - the program requires a minimum of 4 routines per week and at around the 3 week mark the Women's Center classes started, followed the next week by the start of my winter soccer league. Needless to say, I was starting to feel a bit of burnout, trying to fit all 4 routines in addition to the other 3 activities. The game allows you to enter when you do activities outside of it, but unfortunately they don't count towards your 4 routines... The game now thinks I should be nearing the end of 9 weeks, while I just completed the first routine from phase 2 (weeks 4-6) on Sunday. At least it lets me pick up the routine where I left off. I'll keep it up, but at my pace, where I'm doing 2 per week. A girl's gotta have a night off here and there, right?

Oh, and I almost forgot! I ran a 5km race in September! I'll write about that in my next post. It's a "Good news" story. :-)

Yikes, I'm so far behind, this week's entry requires a table!

Week #	17	18	19	20	21	23*
BMI	28.37	28.17	28.13	28.06	27.96	28.41
Weight	82.0kg	81.4kg	81.3kg	81.1kg	80.8kg	82.1kg

*(forgot to weigh in week 22)