New idea

But first, the exercise log...

Lower Body #1
BB Squat 3 x 10 @ 60lbs
Stiff-legged Deadlift 3 x 10 @ 60lbs
Leg Extensions 3 x 10 @ 60lbs
Standing Calf Raise 3 x 10 @ 60lbs
Lying Ball Raise 3 X 12
Ball Crunch 3 x 10

So I happened to stumble across this website www.leangains.com

The content is about Intermittent Fasting for Strength Training and Fat Loss.

I was fascinated to say the least. At first I sort of cringed when I read the word "fasting", because I'm not one to enjoy missing meals. But as I delved further into the blog, I realized that it doesn't seem a whole lot like fasting when a majority of it is done while you sleep!

This idea (referred to as IF - intermittent fasting), spoke to me because I have been like a hamster in a wheel, spinning and spinning without getting anywhere!

Einstein said "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result." --My husband reminded me of this quote, and I saw it again that night as I read the leangains blog, I HAD to find out more!

Surprisingly, what he says in this blog (backed up by scientific research and testing, of course) is that eating frequently has no more of a beneficial effect on your metabolism than eating 3 bigger meals a day. WHAT? You mean ALL this time I have been timing my meals to eat every 2-3 hours, and it hasn't done a thing to stoke my "metabolic fire"??

The basics of IF are: you fast for 16 hours, then feed for 8 hours (for women though, the "sweet spot", as he says, is fasting for 14 hours rather than 16). My example would be to break the fast at 10am and my feeding window would be from 10am to 8pm, in which I would eat 3 bigger meals. I tried it yesterday, I didn't eat breakfast until 10am, I ate lunch at around 1:30pm after my weight training session, then ate dinner at 5pm and was done for the night by 6pm. Now, technically I could have eaten until 8pm but I was so satisfied that I didn't want to!

It wasn't surprising to find out that getting to eat 3 good sized meals, instead of 5-6 mini meals that always left me wanting more, made me feel incredibly satisfied. All while staying within the perfect calorie range! No kidding, after my second meal, I still had 1 whopping 1000 calories left to consume!! HELLO pasta dinner!

I really think that this is worth giving a try. For me, anyway. My problem these days is that I'm pretty lean, yet I had those stubborn areas where fat loves to hang on, no matter how hard I try to get rid of it. And I'm human, so no matter how good I do at eating pretty "clean", I manage to slip now and then. So, I am at a point where I've been eating not enough calories to build lean muscle and not few enough to lose fat. Hamster in a wheel.

It was time to try something new and this fell into my lap. So I am giving it a go. One day down and I'm really excited that it seems to work very well for me. Eating big meals keeps me from being hungry and snacking in between, therefore, resulting in fewer unnecessary calories. And being I will be eating most of my calories after my workout, my muscles (hopefully) won't suffer. I am going to find out if the elusive "lose fat while gaining lean muscle" holy grail of fitness, is attainable ;)

Please, if you get a chance, check out the website www.leangains.com. There is so much more to IF that I cannot mention. He gives all the details, how it works and how to implement it. Worth the read!

What if I didn't lift weights??

I was thinking about this last night before drifting off to sleep. It's a logical question to be asking myself. A lot of the time I find myself wondering WHY I do this, why is lifting become SO important to me? Why is it so important to me to eat healthy food. What is the REAL honest to God answer? And could I be happy if I didn't do it?

What if I were to give it up and not be fanatical fitness? I could eat cake whenever I wanted, drink more wine, eat more pizza. But I don't think it would make me happy. I've tried it. I feel immensely guilty when I indulge too much, when I act like I don't give a crap.

Because I do care. I care about taking care of my body. I care about setting a good example for my kids. I care about enjoying myself as I age instead of dealing with health issues (that can be avoided).

I love cake, and french fries, and greasy cheeseburgers and pizza. But is it worth eating it ALL the time without regard to my health? Is the 15 minutes of pleasure I get from eating these things worth it, if the rest of the day I feel guilty and sluggish and horrible? The answer is NO! I can still enjoy wonderful tasting food, healthy food doesn't have to mean tasteless! And I can have a cheat meal now and then. We all could benefit from moderation.

The truth is, it has become so ingrained into my life, it's become habit to eat healthfully and to exercise my body. Not only do I know that it is good for me, but I ENJOY it! I enjoy seeing my strength increase, I enjoy watching my body change, I enjoy knowing that the food I put into my mouth will decrease my chances of getting certain disease and illness.

I am healthy and proud!

I try to spread the passion and excitement I feel for taking care of myself and my family. Most of the time, I probably just annoy people with it. But if I can inspire just one person, make a difference to someone, it's worth it. Yeah, I've heard the phrase "Eat right, exercise, die anyway" but that's just the wrong attitude to have, in my opinion. That's the lazy pessimist view. You only get one body, one chance at life. It's a gift. We should all do the best with what we've been given. Plus, we have a responsibility to our children, to make sure they know what's going to make their body (and by extension, their lives) thrive.

I'm no better than the next person. If you choose to live your life without the joy of exercise, that's your journey, your choice. But if you feel like your life is missing something, if you aren't completely happy, if you want to feel great, look great, and boost your mood naturally (and by extension, make everyone around you happy too)....pick up a dumbbell! Give it a try! It might just be the best thing you ever did!

Saturday 2/6/10

WORKOUT B

Squats 75lbs - got all 10 here, will move up to 80lbs
Lunges 60lbs - got 5 each leg
Romanian Deadlifts 95lbs - got 8 YESSSSSS!!!!
BB Bench Press 50lbs - got 10, moving up to 55lbs
BB Row 50lbs - got 10, moving up to 55lbs
BB Shoulder Press 40lbs - beat my last rep count by 2!!
BB Bicep Curl 35lbs - beat my last rep count by 3!!
Lying Tricep Extensions 20lbs - despite shaking like crazy, I beat my last rep count by 3!!
BB Calf Raises 60lbs - got an easy twenty, moving up to 70lbs
Abs - side bends at 25lbs - got an easy 10 each side

I really kicked butt tonight. I get so worried sometimes at how hard a workout is and wonder if it's possible that I will be able to get even one more rep next time. But I surpassed just one extra rep on every exercise. I ended up pounding out 2-3 MORE on each one! I think it was because I was really into a mental zone, concentrating hard and telling my body before each lift that it WILL lift this weight to such and such a rep and BAM!

I have been practicing "mind exercises" as well and it's really paying off!

I haven't been listing my food log at all these days. Probably due to the fact that since I'm not "dieting" or trying to cut back on any one particular thing, eating right just comes a lot easier. I have been trying to stick to the same foods every day though, just to make it easier. The only thing I need to improve on is getting my veggies in. I'm basically eating carbs and protein but omitting the veggies. That needs improvement. I found a formula that really keeps me energized and satisfied all day long so I'll keep on it until I get sick of it. Here it is:

Breakfast: Egg white, turkey sausage, cheese, english muffin sandwich (Jimmy Dean LIGHT - 260 calories)

Snack: plain oatmeal with cinnamon and stevia to taste and ground flax seed and wheat germ added for health

Lunch: 2 slices 100% whole wheat natural bread, with natural peanut butter and jelly

Snack: FiberOne cereal, skim milk

Dinner: This is what changes every day. Obviously I can't feed the family the same thing day after day! But it's always healthy, fajitas, low fat chili with lots of legumes, salmon, chicken, etc. I find some of the best recipes from the following books:

The Abs Diet
Eat Up, Slim Down
YOU on a Diet
Flip the Switch

And because of the way I've kept myself full of fiber and protein during the day, I am only hungry enough at night for one small serving of dinner! Big servings and seconds were always my weakness before. But now, I even can keep spaghetti to a 1 cup serving! And then if it's a non-workout day I'll have a slow digesting protein before bed (like cottage cheese) and if it's a workout day, (I do weights in the evening so Andreas can be my spotter with squats) I have a protein shake or a protein bar.

I haven't even felt the URGE to cheat the past couple weeks. It's weird! Even if the whole family is porking down chocolate and donuts, I don't bat an eye! I have an 80% cocao chocolate bar in the cupboard if I need something with my after dinner coffee (and it's full of antioxidants so bonus bonus!)

Tuesday, Day 17

Epic fail.

Thaaaaaaat's right. You heard me. I'm a cheater. I can't be trusted. Well, in the kitchen anyway.

Here's the food log for today.

Breakfast: fruit, yogurt, granola parfait

Snack: white bread w/nutella, 1 egg, 2 turkey links (380 cal)

Lunch: Pizza for one (420 cal)

Snack: none

Dinner: Homemade pizza (pesto sauce, roasted stop light pepper, onions, mushrooms, cheese)

Oh, but I didn't stop there....

6 mini tacos (300 cal)

Dessert: smart ones (170 cal), Swedish punsch roll (190 cal), gingerbread cookie

WORKOUT: Turbo Jam turbo sculpt 40 minutes ... at least I did ONE thing right today

OVERALL: I'm not even going to get into it...today was bad. I have these days from time to time. I'll consider it a "cheat day" and move on. It's embarrassing, and this accountability thing is a good eye opener. Sigh...

I just have to keep reminding myself that the more days like this I have, the farther away my goal gets.

Better luck to you all today!!

Monday, Day 16

16 days into my calorie zig-zagging and cardio party...

Breakfast: scrambled eggs (1 whole, 3 whites)

Snack: none

Lunch: Turkey, bacon, cheese flat bread melt (calories 300?), Fiber One cereal, 1% milk (I was a hungry girl because I had a tiny breakfast and no snack...I know better than to do this)

Snack: Fiber One cereal, 1% milk, 1 oz. 60% dark chocolate

Dinner: brown rice and sirloin stir fry (yep, I had carbs. But I didn't stop there...) 2 slices whole grain bread w/apricot preserves and farmers cheese

WORKOUT: none

As you can see, I'm having a hard time getting off the carbs again. This is a common occurrence for me when I have a slip up. BUT, tomorrow is another day. I can say with confidence that I'm back to exercising (and I can say this because I always blog about the previous day...so it's actually Tuesday as I write about Monday....and I've sculpted my body for the day. More on that tomorrow)

Not much time left for carb cycling and cardio fanatic-ness. I can manage to get about 3 more cycles in.

Day 12, Thursday

HIGH DAY

Breakfast: 1/2 protein shake w/oatmeal & strawberries

AM Snack: 4 egg white omelet w/scallions & Havarti cheese

WORKOUT: 45 minute yoga session

Lunch: 12 shrimp w/cocktail sauce

PM Snack: Fiber One cereal

Dinner: 1 beef enchilada, glass red wine

WORKOUT: 30 minute walk at incline

OVERALL: It was a high day but I didn't want to go overboard since I technically treated yesterday as a high day. But since it was already in our menu plans to have enchiladas I just ate it. The carb obviously was the tortilla but it was a multi-grain tortilla with Omega-3 and 3 grams of fiber. And it was home made, not processed.

As far as exercise goes, I felt kind of like I was hit by a bus and not sure why. My back muscles were sore, my legs muscles were sore and it hurt to move! I thought I might be getting sick because it couldn't have been from working out. I haven't changed a thing in my workout routine for the past almost 2 weeks, I couldn't be sore from that, could I? Well, I never did get sick so I guess I must have just worked really hard. Still odd to all of a sudden get sore like that. Anyway, I thought I better take it a little easy today without taking a rest day so I did yoga (which felt great to stretch my sore muscles) and then after dinner I was feeling more energized than normal so I got a hill walk in too. Worked up a nice sweat during both sessions.

Also, my right shoulder has been "grinding" a bit lately when I do front lat. raises and windmills and such. I'm SO AFRAID of injury, that would be devastating. So I have omitted the shoulders exercising for the most part. I think I'll give it some rest for a good couple days. Maybe I need to take some joint lubing supplements.

We are off to Minneapolis for the weekend. That will be a challenge for me. I have to keep up with my exercising (at least the hotel has a fitness room) and diet. It's always hard for me to stick to a strict plan when we eat out. Of course the hotel has an awesome breakfast sitting out every morning (donuts and sausage are among the choices), but they have healthy options so I will still be able to eat sensibly. Still, it's a BIG challenge! But I'm committed and I know I can do it. I'll try to keep up with my posts but I might not get to it every day. I'll still post what I ate each day, even if I do it all Monday when we get back.

Day 11, Wednesday

LOW DAY

Breakfast: Fiber One Cereal, 1% milk

WORKOUT: 30 Day Shred, 20 minute walk at incline

AM Snack: 1 whole egg, 4 whites omelet w/ havarti cheese & salsa

Lunch: 1 slice WW bread with natural peanut butter

PM Snack: Fiber One Cereal

Dinner: 3 small ribs, 1 twice baked potato half, cauliflower w/ cheese sauce, salad, glass red wine

Dessert: chocolate cake w/ frosting

OVERALL: OK, I know this was NOT a high carb/calorie day BUT we were going to have guests over for dinner, and sometimes to save myself the embarrassment of explaining why I'm eating something completely different from the rest of the group, I just eat what's there (in moderation). See, whenever I try to explain to anyone my system of calorie zig zagging, or that I'm not eating carbs past 3pm, or that I'm trying to "lean out", I get the same response. "WHY?? You are already so skinny!!"

Well, this may seem like an awesome compliment but it actually embarrasses me. See, most everyone has body issues, even swimsuit models! While I am at a very healthy weight and I am quite lean, there are problem areas I feel could use some improvement. For instance, my backside and my thighs are nowhere near swim suit ready. I am sick and tired of missing out on going to the beach and the pool with my kids because I am ashamed of my legs.

Overweight people never understand this. They laugh at me and tell me how ridiculous it sounds. But I have a goal for myself, and I'm just not going to be satisfied until I reach it. I am ashamed to be seen in a swim suit because I feel like people are looking at my jiggly lumpy thighs in disgust. They probably are shocked to see someone at my weight have such terribly unattractive legs.

I blame it on my 20's. I always used to be able to eat whatever, whenever and still maintain a stick figure. (I will mention though that I was never happy with my thighs, even as a teenager) Then I turned 21 and discovered alcohol. I liked it....too much. I was in college and living in a town where places like McDonalds and Hardees were available to me whenever I felt the urge. Unlike growing up where the nearest fast food place was 30 minutes away. I went crazy! I was careless. I gained weight. Well, I gained FAT. I just wish that I could have started my passion for health and exercise a little sooner.

Anyway (I'm getting windy here) my point is, sometimes your diet doesn't always go as planned. And you have to expect that. I knew I was going to be "naughty" and have ribs and a potato at 6pm and even cake. But I'm OK with that, the little indulges now and then are fine. It doesn't derail me from my goal, I don't just throw in the towel and say, "well, I blew the day, might as well blow the rest of the week too". NO WAY! I'm going to be diligent and consistent. And that is what is going help me acheive my goal!

p.s. that cake was great!

Tuesday, Day 10

LOW DAY

Breakfast: Fiber One cereal

AM Snack: little popcorn, 2 whole eggs, 3 whites, Nature Valley Sweet & Salty bar

WORKOUT: 30 Day Shred, 20 minute walk at incline

Lunch: 5 Boca meatless nuggets, sweet potato fries

PM Snack: Nature Valley Sweet & Salty bar

Dinner: Lentil Soup

Pre-bed snack: Fiber One cottage cheese, 1 tsp Natural Peanut Butter

OVERALL: could have done without 2 of the sweet and salty bars since they have 11 grams of sugar...that was a bad. But still, the day could have been worse. In fact, when I'm not consciously watching my calorie intake, I am positive that it looks much worse. I should actually write down what I eat on one of my "don't give a S*#t" days in the future (hopefully it's WAY into the future) just to compare. I think I'm used to eating a lot.

WEDNESDAY MORNING....

I weighed myself this morning. I try to weigh myself once a week, preferably the 3rd morning after a high carb day. I wasn't overly enthused about the result of over a week of pretty restricted diet and daily exercise but it is going in the right direction so I guess I shouldn't complain. I was down almost a pound. After the Christmas gorge and barf-o-rama fiasco I weighed 115.8 and this morning I was a solid 115.

I don't really have a weight loss goal, but I do have a fat loss goal. And if I lose fat, I'm assuming the scale will go down. I don't expect to be adding muscle with the puny 3 and 5 lb dumbbells I'm using with 30 Day Shred. (that comes next month!!) My goal isn't about weight, it's about measurements. I would LOVE to shave an inch off my thighs. An inch of fat of my thighs would TOTALLY make me happy :)

Day 9, Monday

LOW DAY

Breakfast: 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 1 slice havarti cheese, oatmeal (couldn't finish it though)

WORKOUT: 30 Day Shred, 20 minute walk at an incline

AM Snack: Protein shake w/ oatmeal and strawberries

Lunch: Lentil Soup, popcorn

PM Snack: Fiber One cereal

Dinner: Salad, 6 Large Sea Scallops

OVERALL: My motivation is still pretty high but today was a day where I had to REALLY fight to not cheat. I think my emotions play a part. Huh, never thought of myself as an emotional eater. Anyway, food choices were pretty ok. Exercise is going amazingly well. Have not gotten off goal (which is to continue 30 day shred until the last day of January) and I think that is the key for me. Before, I was making all these long term goals and I was never reaching them. Making shorter term goals like a month out is better. When I reach it I will feel elated I'm sure.

Saturday, Day 7

Saturday 1/9/10

LOW DAY

Breakfast:
1 whole egg, 3 whites (omelet) w/
1 head broccoli, 4 scallions, 1/4 C. cheese

WORKOUT:
30 Day Shred
20 minute brisk walk

AM Snack:
Protein shake w/ muscle milk, oatmeal, frozen strawberries

Lunch:
small Philly Cheese Steak Pita from Pita Extreme
a few Pita Chips (could have done without these)

PM Snack:
1/2 C. Fiber One Cottage Cheese
1 TBSP All Natural Peanut Butter

Dinner:
tiny amount of chicken stir fry (I wasn't hungry at all!)
1 glass red wine

Evening treat:
1 tiny square cappuccino chocolate

OVERALL: I think the day was good again, which makes it an entire week of near perfect eating and exercise behind me! I am so proud of myself! I feel strong, enpowered and successful. And that is just the motivation I need to keep at it!

I have decided that I am going to stick with the calorie cycling and cardio for the month of January to see if I can't get some stubborn fat off. Then, starting in February, I will begin with hardcore weight training again, only doing cardio a few days a week. I will also be bumping up my calorie intake so I can FEED my muscles and hopefully get them to grow and show their beatiful curves!! I think by the end of May, this plan should produce some good results for me.

New Idea

Since I'm not "training" my mom anymore (although she constantly talks about the need to come over here a few times a week to workout with me) I decided to take this blog in a new direction. I'm going to start documenting my own progress.

I don't expect it to be that exciting since I'm already at my ideal weight. I do, however, wish to continue to plug away at those problem areas. My goal is to be able to wear a swim suit in public without feeling the need to cover my backside! LOL

I'm going to display my food log and list my exercises each day (this is the hope...not saying it will happen EVERY day) and that should make me more accountable, for my own purposes. I have taken pictures of my body but I think it might make my hubby cringe if I posted them. I'll post one for good measure :)

This week (following a 2 week hiatus from diet and exercise) I've been back at it in full force. I LOVE the way I feel! The two weeks around Christmas where I told myself I was on a "break" and I wasn't going to worry about it were nice, but no where NEAR as nice as it feels to be eating right and kicking ass with my workouts like I have been this week.

I am back to carb/calorie cycling and I LOVE it! I swear I already feel leaner....and although it's probably all in my mind THAT'S OK!! The mind is your most POWERFUL ally when it comes to your body's progress.

I am doing three days low: no starchy carbs past 3pm and hovering somewhere between 1100-1200 calories.
Then I do one day high: I can have pasta or rice or potato with dinner so I bump my calorie intake up. (I might eat more during the day too...hello triscuits!!)

This method of zig zagging calories is supposed to burn thru fat like CRAZY and rev up metabolism. Although I'm fairly certain I have a pretty high metabolism anyway judging by the amount of cookies and junk I burned thru during Christmas...LOL!

By going pretty low for three days, you are in a calorie deficit (amped up of course thru exercise) and then right before the *starvation response kicks in, you bump up the calories just a little so your body can relax because it's not thinking it needs to store that extra fat for the upcoming famine. And WHAM! Fat burning is gung ho. At least, that's how it's supposed to work according to what I've read.

Then I have my own little exercise scheme as well. I've read that for ideal fat burning, you should walk at a brisk pace, or do whatever form of cardio you like that keeps you in your fat burning zone. NO KIDDING?!?!?!?! You mean I don't have to run on the treadmill for hours anymore? HALLELUJAH! In fact, I've read that cardio does nothing for FAT loss unless you do it in the morning in a fasted state (and who wants to do that??) or right after a weight training session. The later is what I do. But I don't run, I walk briskly. (I emphisize FAT loss because weight loss and fat loss can mean two different things)

So, this week my regimen has consisted of LOW DAYS (Sun, Mon, Tue) followed by a HIGH DAY (Wed), back down to LOW DAYS (Thurs, today and tomorrow), etc.. And I've started with a weight/cardio DVD called 30 Day Shred, followed by 20 minutes of brisk walking every day this week so far.

Still not my IDEAL plan, but it's a start. I had to break myself in slowly after the Christmas break.

And there you have it! I'm hoping to really see a difference in my body by summer. Keeping this online fitness diary should be good for me. We'll see.

And here is a little before pic. I'm really hoping to "beef" up my arms a bit more but I think that might be hard right now when I'm eating so few calories.



I also track my weight training and other forms of exercise on a website called GYMINEE. Or, you can just go to Daily Burn, which is where I enter all my nutrition and workout data. Set up your own account and then friend me so we can share our workout success and keep each other motivated! I have a couple friends from high school that are on the site and it's fun to keep each other in the game!

I like it because of the ease of use when it comes to logging weight training sessions. And I always have a reference if I want to look back and see what my previous weight was or how many reps I'm at so I can keep progressing.

Enough talk! Good luck to everyone on their own fitness and diet goals. Let's make 2010 our year to shine!!

*I made a reference to Tom Venuto's website when it comes to the starvation response because I've read his stuff and he is a very wise man in my opinion. And he has the body to prove it! I first read of the zig zag method in his book Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle.

Days 18 & 19

G-ma is walking 20 minutes every morning now. And 10 minutes in the evening (sometimes).

The best part? Her back is NOT hurting anymore!!! WHOO HOO!!

The second best part? Her first cheat day in 19 days is TOMORROW! I can't tell you how excited she is. She deserves it!!

Days 9 & 10

Yesterday there was not much activity on G-ma's part. She did walk but only for 11 and 1/2 minutes. She said she just couldn't go any longer. She is complaining a lot of her back hurting off to one side and is thinking it may be something more than just a regular backache. But I keep hoping that the more weight she loses, the easier on her body walking will be.

Today, right now actually, she is walking on the treadmill. I want her to do AT LEAST 15 minutes (since she was able to do that two days ago) but again she says "we'll see". I think the initial excitment is starting to wear off. She is fighting more and more about how much walking she does. I don't wait on her either. When she wants water, or has forgotten something she needs in a different room, I make her get up and get it herself. Which usually works great until the kids get home from school!

But, her diet is still perfect. She really has no other choice than to eat what I give her so that part is easy. We really need to work on making her more active during the day....that's the hardest part. She is too used to being completely sedentary, due to pain. The more she moves, the more calories she'll burn.

Give her a shout out! She needs support!

Day 8 WEIGH IN DAY

Well, sorry I didn't post anything for days 6 & 7 but life sneaks up on you and you know how it goes.

I will report that G-ma's walking is still improving slowly every day. She walked 12 1/2 minutes yesterday (up from her 5 minutes the first day) and she was at a pace of 1.8 for a bit.

Now, for the moment of truth. Has her diet and exercise plan been enough to help her lose any fat????

The answer to that is....YES!!! 5 pounds gone this first week! She is 5 pounds lighter, her bodyfat went down by 1%, and she is 1/2 inch smaller in all her measurement points (which include hips, thigh, belly and arm). WAY TO GO!!!!!!!

It's a great moment for her. She needs this motivation to fuel her fat burning fire. Now she knows it IS WORKING and if she keeps it up, she could be 20 pounds lighter by the time we come home!!

Day 5

G-ma walked 11:30 on the treadmill this morning.

I really slacked in the "Sarge" department since I didn't make her walk in the evening. I was having a bad day myself and my motivation for ANYTHING was low.

Her diet has been impeccable this entire week so far. Not one slip up. Not even one single nibble of anything outside the confines of her diet. I am really proud of her! (more than I can say for myself) And on that note....

I caved yesterday afternoon and had carbs. This first week was supposed to be just proteins, fats and veggies and we will slowly introduce carbs back into the diet next week. But I was feeling crappy because my mood was foul and I was SO SORE from training hard the past two days. Mom convinced me that I needed a little extra to replenish myself cuz I WORKED HARD DARN IT!! I said I wanted to stick by her side thru this, eating the same diet and giving her support. But she assured me she was OK and so I had a peanut butter sandwich.....and then pizza....and chocolate cereal.....and some white chocolate.....and some bread with cheese......oh dear. I'm a failure.

But, I don't give up. I had a moment (or an entire afternoon) of weakness and I just have to put it behind me. At least I had a flawless 3 day run with no carbs. This little bump in my calorie intake could actually benefit me. It is what professionals call "calorie or carb cycling". One way to do it is go 3 days low calorie/low carb, which is just long enough to somewhat deprive your body, but then right before the starvation response kicks in (which is the body's survival mechanism that holds tight to the fat you've got in case there is a famine ahead), just before that happens, you bump up your calorie intake (usually through carbs). Then, the next day, you start back on the 3 day low cycle again. It's a continuous zig-zag pattern that seems to work well with fitness models and the like. So well in fact that I have read they can actually lose weight too quickly. Sheesh! If only everyone could do that! I usually have a good run with the cycle until a Friday or Saturday hits. I ALWAYS seem to fall off the wagon on the weekends. But while mom is here we aren't buying any goodies (can't have that stuff laying around while dieting!!! what torture!!) and hopefully that will help a lot.

So, lets give her a shout out people!!! WAY TO GO, JAN!!! Keep on keeping on!!

Seeing progress daily

Yesterday she was up to 7:30 minutes and then she made the mistake of saying, "It didn't even hurt my back or anything".

Today, I'm going to make her go as long as possible PAST 8 minutes.

She keeps saying, "Oooooh, I am going to be crabby next week. I NEEEED my chocolate!"

Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen the woman happier than she is while eating chocolate. But unless she feels like walking to the store (after finding somewhere to exchange her American money) and buying it on her own.....she won't be seeing any for quite some time. MUUUUUAHAHAHAHAHHAAHA!!!!

Don't you love our diet?

-PART ONE-



Mmmmmm......homemade chocolate chip cookies right out of the oven. HEAVEN!



Oh, and we had pizza for supper. "So how the heck is she gonna lose the weight", you ask? Wouldn't YOU like to know ;)

-PART TWO-

proof...



G-ma has been SUCH a good sport. We don't "officially" start our training and nutrition program until Monday but I wanted her to be firmly in a groove by then. She's been on the treadmill every morning and night. Up to 6 minutes 30 seconds each time and I decided we're going add a noon hour session as well. PLUS....she worked out with weights again today. The lady did deadlifts....kid you not....WITH WEIGHTS!! WHOO HOO!! We're gonna rock this fat loss THANG!

New Blog Title

I have decided to change up my blog. My mother is staying with me here in Denmark for the next 5 weeks and I have decided to turn this otherwise relaxing little trip to Europe for her into boot camp!

She has wanted for a long time to lose weight and I think I have a super plan that is going to help her achieve that dream. This was going to be a fitness blog anyway (since that is my passion) and since my fitness goals are somewhat boring, I think blogging about my mom's future success (and she will succeed) will be more exciting.

I intend on devoting the next month to her health and fitness. She will have a specific training and diet plan that will be super easy and fun for her to follow, we will be taking pictures daily and recording measurements weekly. I am making her keep a written journal also and we will take some entries from that and post them on this blog so you get an idea of what SHE is thinking through this whole process.

Why am I doing this? Simple....accountability. Studies have proven that when you are tracking progress and sharing it with others, you are being accountable for your actions, therefore are less likely to give up.

Come back soon to find out an "official" start date. I need to give her a couple days to rest and acclimate herself after a long day of traveling from the US. Comment often with well wishes for her. She will need all the encouragement she can get! Her name is Jan, BTW!!