Fitness Gadgets in Review

**3rd post since January 2013's post**

Being a fitness junkie and a technology lover, I do love my fitness gadgets.

I was fortunate to get a computer with the Internet (Any old AOL 4.0 users out there?) in middle school, went to undergrad for it, & use it everyday.  One of my loves is technology.  So naturally, I'm into fitness gadgets.  Here's a scroll down memory lane from when I first started my weight loss journey 'til now.

1. Pedometer

I diligently attempted 10,000 steps (that's what they say is recommended daily) as goal. I really don't remember reaching 10,000 steps, at least using that.  I always forgot to put the thing on and it wasn't really a discreet way to hang on your pants without it being a  "fashion faux paux" So moving on...


2. Heart rate monitor

I used this heart rate monitor until it literally stopped working. Well, it was cheap anyways. I got it for like $10 at Wal Mart, but still. I counted calories to lose weight for the most part, so this thing really, really helped me. I liked to track my progress numerically. And it's pink for breast cancer awareness.

3. Nike+ app

This was my favorite app on my iPhone at the time. Once I completed the Couch to 5k app, I can say I really, really became anal serious about tracking my runs. I didn't know what the heck a running pace and splits were until I saw them on this app. I didn't even think about that type of stuff while I was learning to run a 5k period with C25K. I just knew I wanted to run a 5k in 30 minutes because that's what the app said. So once I started using this app and running with the "fast girls" in BGR, that's when I gave attention to improving my running statistically. And, so the number obsession began ... smh.

4. Nike+ GPS watch

So of course naturally, I thought I was a real pro after this (I was tho ;-)) and I grew tired of fidgeting with the app, the bulky phone case, so I got the GPS watch.I decided on it based on the ease of use, the price, and I liked that I could interchange between the app and GPS watch and it'd all be the same. Plus my iPhone battery sucked. During my first half marathon, my phone died around mile 10. :-( I set out to get this watch IMMEDIATELY. 

Oh, I almost forgot I owned the old school Garmin Forerunner 305. I might have used it...NEVER. That watch was way too bulky and I didn't like that I couldn't add the new miles I would track with that watch with my Nike app (see, I'm a numbers freak). It didn't take long to sell it over Craigslist for $20 more than I'd paid.. :-)

What's next? Well, I'm pretty content with my watch even a year later. It helped me run without all of this stuff attached to me, so I'm good with just that and my iPod. If anything, I'll get ear buds that won't fall out of my ear. On to the next...

Regaining Momentum

**See first post since January below.**

So far, it's been more of a mental struggle to regain my fitness momentum than physical. It went pretty good the first two weeks. I was so excited to just get a sweat in. And I gave it my all in this one class. The instructor couldn't believe I had just had a baby 7 weeks before. I got the green light by my midwife to workout at 5 weeks and I was at the gym the next day. Yup! But week 3, besides schedule conflicts, I think I am expecting more of myself than I should. I know good and well I won't just return back to running 9 and 10-minute miles just like that. But seeing that 13 and 14 is SO freakin' discouraging. It feels like I will never return to the level I once was. That's ridiculous thinking for just having had a baby 2 mths ago almost and only been working out for 3 weeks so far, but I can't help it! I wanna be where I was!!! It's gonna take too long I think. I think it's time to reunite with my girls from Black Girls RUN!.

Almost A Year Later

I guess I just feel like writing today. It's almost a been a year since I've written my last blog post. The blog post that was all about my new series for the year of writing about all of my workouts, ha. Yeah, well, that was a daunting task I obviously didn't know what I would be setting myself up for. I mean, I worked out. I just didn't write about them all afterwards like I wanted to. Actually, I ran my last half marathon at the end of January, became preggo, scaled my workouts back a lot, and then eventually stopped. They were so spread out I wouldn't consider my physical activity while preggo really working out. But anyways...

Here I am, 8 weeks and 1 day postpartum with only 11 more pounds to lose before I will reach my pre-pregnancy weight (gained about 37 while preggo...really good). How do I plan to reach my first goal of the last 11lbs? Well, eating as clean as possible and revamping the cardio and super revamping the strength training. I can't cut calories because I am breastfeeding. 

The first time I set out to lose weight (60lbs), I did 90% cardio and ate clean. It took me a year and a half to lose that 60lbs. I know losing slow is the way to go, but it shouldn't have went that slowly. The one thing I want to do differently this go around is take strength training more seriously, whether it is by weights or calisthenics. This time I am starting out with the gym membership, whereas before I worked out at home for almost 3 years before considering a gym membership. Well, I need to take advantage of all the weight machines and more of the classes. There's so much material and actual results out there from people who have lost weight.... well not weight, but FAT (I'm trying to lose fat), from people who really focus on their weight training. I want a specific shape and I definitely want my running speed to increase so I need to pump the iron more consistently before.

So, we'll see what happens...