1000!

So, last week while watching The Biggest Loser, I was on the elliptical like I usually am and decided to stop looking at the clock and just keep going until I felt tired. I also decided to try it on a higher resistance than I normally do. Typically I stay around level 4 or 5. That time I decided to try it on level 8 or 9 since 4 isn't really that tough for me usually. About 45 minutes later... I had burned over 800 calories! This week I hopped on the elliptical again during the show and tried it on a high resistance again. This time I stayed on level 10 or 11 during the show and during commercial breaks I kicked it up to level 12. Then 55 minutes later... I learned that my elliptical can only count calories up to 3 digit numbers. It reached 999 calories and rolled right over 001. Kinda sad that I never got to see it say "1000" but still a really gratifying moment. So I did over 10 miles and almost an hour and burned over 1000 calories!!!


Still... something about this doesn't seem right. On the elliptical at the gym I could sometimes get it up to maybe 5 or 6 miles and maybe 500 calories or so burned, but then I'd be spent. So, how can I do so much more on this elliptical? At the gym I always hovered around level 3 or 4... never any higher because it was hard. So how can I do it at home on my elliptical at level 12? I figured it was just a slight difference between the machines, but seriously... to go from 30 minutes at level 4 at the gym to 55 minutes at level 12 at home? The logical assumption would be.... that I'm in better shape now and have more endurance. But that also doesn't seem right to me because I don't feel much different, but that has to be it. I guess it just kind of crept up on me because I didn't really feel like I was forcing myself.

I always told myself that if we had a treadmill or elliptical at home that it'd be easier to exercise and I'd do it so much more... though in the back of my mind I knew there was a chance that the machine would just become a clothes collector. However, I've actually done pretty well. I don't do as great as I should... but I always use the elliptical at least 2-3 times a week. I guess that's how things crept up on me. I can watch Biggest Loser and just not focus on the fact that I am exercising and it makes the time go by much faster. At the gym I am practically counting down the minutes until I can get off the ellipticals.

I know we all say "this is the time I'm going to do it" all the time... but this time I feel a little more than determined or upbeat about it. This time I feel angry. I am angry with myself for losing and re-gaining the same 10-15 pounds over and over again. I have stayed between 210-220 for the past year... and I'm over it! I haven't been below 212 in the past 9 years. By the end of May 2010 I plan to be at or below at least 211.

Gotta make it happen!