Sprints

20 minutes of hill sprints this morning.
30 sec. work/ 1 minute rest for the first half
30 sec. work/ 1-1/2 minute rest for the second half

I was so near puking, if I'd had food in my stomach, I'm pretty sure it would have come up.

Was just juicing this morning, no solid food. Until my energy level dipped, then I ate eggs and a protein bar. My energy went back up a little, but now I'm pooped again. Not sure why I'm so tired today.

I guess it's superbowl Sunday today. I would never have known without seeing FB status posts about it. Obviously I don't watch football. I don't watch much of anything. Although I did watch a movie yesterday. I was all by myself and literally had NOTHING I needed to do so I watched Take Me Home Tonight. It didn't look that appealing to me and figured I'd shut it off after 10 minutes but it was actually a pretty funny movie.

Not much else to note. See you Monday!

Arms Day

Remember, all of these exercises are performed in 3 sets of 8-12 reps. If I can get higher than 12 reps, I need to increase the weight. If I can't make 8, I decrease the weight. I think I found a pretty good range for me right away. It helps to keep a log of the exercises that I do, reps, poundage, etc. That way, when I need a point of reference, I can just look back to previous days and find what I need!

Bench Press: 50lbs x 10, 10, 10
Bent Over row: 40lbs x 13, 45lbs x 10, 10 (see, I needed to increase there because I was able to get 13 reps)
DB Shoulder Press: 30lbs x 11, 8, 7
Skull Crushers: 20lbs x 8, 7, 5 (my arms were just shaking at this point)
Barbell Curl: 30lbs x 8, 8, 5

And afterward, my biceps felt just HUGE and tight from all the blood. It's such a crazy awesome feeling. Seriously, they felt like twice their normal size. Like, if I flexed they would just pop open! LOL

*And once again, I should note I got this routine from the bodybuilding.com website.

Legs Day

My new 4 day split routine is as follows (the lower body portion):

Lower body:
Squats 3 x 10 @ 60lbs
Stiff-Legged Deadlifts 3 x 10 @ 60lbs
Leg Extensions 3 x 10 @ 60lbs
Lying Hamstring Curls 2 x 10 @ 40lbs 1 x 10 @ 35
Standing Calf Raises 3 x 10 @ 60lbs
Lying Leg Raise 3 x 10
Ball Crunches 3 x 10

I got the routine from bodybuilding.com but I plugged in the appropriate weight...which I am still positive is too easy. BUT, I know it is important to incorporate some lighter weight/higher reps too. As long as I'm still lifting, I'm happy.

I haven't seen as much progress as I would like this past month with eating more carbs along side the heavy lifting. So, new month, new approach. I'm going to start to watch what I eat more. I think I had a more free attitude about what I ate since I knew my goal was to "carb up" and feed my muscles for growth. However, I tend to get carried away with that and start eating more junkie carbs than I'd like (i.e. garlic bread sticks, white buns, crackers, etc.).

So yesterday I spent a good portion of the afternoon going thru my healthy cookbooks and trying to make a list of all my options that I can choose from when I have NO idea what to make for lunches and dinners. I've got a pretty good start on the list. And I think I pretty much have breakfasts DONE....right down to the appropriate portions of proteins (which, by the way, I figure I was not eating enough during this past month). When I sat down to actually figure out the numbers, I realized I had been guessing all wrong.

Apparently, I need about 115 grams of protein a day (although this, along with everything else in the diet/fitness world, is debatable). Some believe that you need 1g per pound of body weight, some think it's 1g per pound of lean muscle mass, who knows what is really right. I guess since everyone is different, experimenting on your own is really the only way you'll ever find out the surest thing for you.

But I needed a starting point, and since I'm now aware that I am actually eating far less protein than I thought, coupled with the fact that I have not seen much gains in muscle mass, I will bump up my protein intake. I'm shooting for 115 grams.

I started picking apart the breakfasts I most often consume. For me, breakfast is the easiest meal of the day, mainly because I alternate between the same 3 items and I like it that way. I discovered that if I'm going to get in 115g of protein a day, I will need to try and get between 19-25g in each meal (depending on if I'm eating 5 or 6 times that day - and I make that decision usually based on whether I'm weight training that day).

So, my breakfast options are as follows:

#1 4 egg white omelet w/ 1 cup spinach, 1/2 cup mushrooms, 1/4 cup onions and 1 tsp oil. Approx. 21.4g protein, 184.5 calories (calories a bit low, could add more oil)

#2 3 egg whites 1 whole egg scramble w/ 1 glass skim milk. Approx. 24.8g protein, 216 calories. Just about perfect!

#3 packet plain instant oatmeal w/ 1 tbsp ground flax, 1 tbsp wheat germ, 1 packet truvia, 1 cup skim milk, 2 egg whites on the side. Approx. 21 protein, 286 calories.

#4 FiberOne cereal, 1 cup milk, 2 egg whites. Approx. 20 protein, 284 calories.

#5 1 slice Breadsmith 100% whole wheat bread, 3 egg whites 1 whole egg scramble. Approx. 20.8 protein, 236 calories (more calories when adding butter)

#6 Home-made muesli, low-fat yogurt, berries...(haven't figured the macro nutrients in this one yet, but I thought it was worth adding since this is supposed to be the breakfast of champions, one that will energize you and fuel you for hours afterward)

And those are MY choice breakfasts. Today I had #3. One thing worth noting, eggs REALLY fill me up nicely without adding tons of calories. I would eat them for every meal if I wasn't afraid of the horrid gas I'd probably get. LOL - And speaking of gas, this might be a bit too personal but I think the flax is responsible for my nightly bout with awful gas. I am only adding 1 tbsp to my diet daily and I thought after a while my body would get used to it and I could add another tbsp later in the day. But so far, it's still causing me a bit of gastrointestinal distress :( I still eat it though simply because I know how good it is for me.

I met a goal!

Here is my last workout (Sunday Feb. 21, 2010)

First of all let me say that I have met a personal goal - deadlifting 100lbs 10 times! I will have to set a new goal for myself (and probably buy another set of weight plates soon)!

Squats - 95lbs
Lunges - should have done 70lbs but only did 1 set at 30lbs
Romanian Deadlifts - 100lbs
BB Bench Press - 60lbs
BB Row - 60lbs
BB Shoulder Press - 45lbs
BB Bicep Curl - 40lbs
BB Lying Tricep Extension - 30lbs

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!

Sometimes I don't feel strong...

In the last post, I felt strong. I banged out 10 squats EASILY with 90lbs resting on my shoulder blades. I am close to my goal, very close! At the next workout, I barely (and by barely I mean, my legs almost didn't straighten me up to standing) made 8 reps with only 5 more pounds (95lbs). What up wit dat?

Was I just not feeling it that day? Did I not eat enough to power me thru the workout? Did I not sleep enough? I am constantly trying to troubleshoot EVERYTHING. Well, whatever. Here's the rest of my workout that was on Thursday the 18th of February:

Squats 95lbs 8 reps
Leg Curl 40 lbs 8 reps - this is pretty easy but I am really moving the weight slow and concentrating on absolute PERFECT form so that I'm ONLY using my hamstrings to lift this weight.
Stiff-Legged Deadlift 75lbs 8 reps - could have done 10 but don't want to push the stiffs too fast
BB Incline Press 50lbs - needed to be 7, got 8
BB Row 60lbs - needed to beat 8, got 9...but DANG, gettin hard
BB Shoulder Press 45lbs - went up from 40lbs last week, got 4...yikes
BB Bicep Curl 40lbs - needed to beat 7, could only get 4....????? Depressing when that happens
BB Lying Tricep Extension 30lbs - needed to beat 6, got 7. Now this in my opinion, is one odd exercise. You lay on the floor holding the barbell straight up. Then, you slowly bend at the elbows while keeping the rest of your arm straight up, bringing the bar to your forehead. Then push back up again. It is a fun exercise, I like it. But it feels so odd and unnatural. Plus I have this stupid elbow injury, a fracture many years ago that leaves me favoring it still today. I hate injuries.
Calf Raises - Oops! I forgot these puppies.
Abs - boring old crunches with a 25lb weight plate, hip lifts and bicycle.

On a side note, I have noticed the muscle in my arms getting bigger! Not by leaps and bounds, but by tiny woman standards. It's an improvement, one that I am immensely proud of, even though my husband is less than impressed. I don't let that bother me though, just as long as he keeps spotting me until I get a squat rack ;)

Seriously though, the muscle growth in my arms is super exciting to me because do you know what that means??? It means that if the muscles in my arms are getting visibly bigger, it must mean that the same thing is happening to my legs!! And THAT, my friends, is the WHOLE REASON for my incredibly powerful addiction to weight lifting!!

And, on a side side note, talking about my husband being less than impressed with this whole thing involving me weight lifting; besides the fact that he is constantly afraid that I will put a crack in the foundation of our basement (if I should ever drop 100lbs while failing to bring my squat back up)...thaaaaat's right, he's more afraid of that than me hurting MYSELF, I don't think he's into muscular woman. (pretty sure that was a big run on sentence but I care not)

And the funny thing about that is he is one of the biggest reasons I am doing this. Aside from my fascination with being as fit as possible and building up my leg muscles to make the appearance of less jiggle and flab, I want HIM to be impressed by the way I look. I want him to be proud to have me as a wife. I want him to be happy too. And I know he already is. He constantly tells me. He wouldn't care if I gave up weightlifting and used lifting chocolate to my mouth as a workout (with him) most nights a week.

I showed him a picture of a woman (a friend of mine on BB.com) who battled with anorexia most of her life but started weightlifting and is now one of the best bodies (I think) on the whole site. She is tiny yet muscular and beautiful. I showed him this because he thinks woman can't build muscle. I've tried to explain that sure, they can't build muscle like a man but it IS possible to add muscle mass. So, I showed him her pictures and all he said was "That's a bit too muscular for my taste". But she is one of my motivators because if she can look the way she does (and believe me, it's amazing), if she can go from skin and bones to muscle, I can build muscle too. Getting back to my hubs, I know, I know, he likes the soft feminine contours of the female body. I don't plan on losing that, just firming up. And the only way (THE ONLY WAY) I will ever do that is to build muscle. Period.

But then again, I might find it so empowering, so exhilarating, I won't want to stop there! It is SUCH a powerful trip to see and feel yourself improving. I feel powerful, I feel successful, I feel extraordinary. And THAT is what I want to be....

EXTRA ordinary. Because anyone can be ordinary.

love of weight training

Workout A - Tuesday, February 9Th 2010

My workouts got a little screwed up somehow the past week. I left out an exercise on my last workout I think. Anyway, no big deal. Let's get to the moves.

Squats 80lbs - did 8, I'm on my way to my goal! (which, incidentally, is 8 reps at 100lbs. That will be one sweet day!
Leg Curl 55lbs - did 9 but was guilty the whole time. I noticed that my hips move up off the bench as I'm curling up (which, you probably know, is not correct form). So, I took the hit and lowered the weight. I figured 35lbs was a good place to start. I pounded out 10 reps, with nice slow controlled movement while concentrating on keeping my hips planted firmly on the bench. If I felt my butt raising a little, I slowed it down and concentrated EVEN MORE, to ensure I was only using my hamstrings to lift this weight.
Stiff-legged Deadlift 65lbs - My hams are tight so I did a warm up set with 15lb dumbbells first. The 65lbs was easy of course, but I'm really careful, I don't need an injury!
BB Incline Press 45lbs - this is one I was supposed to do last week. Did all 10.
BB Row 55lbs - got 8, finally I'm at a weight that is getting difficult!
BB Shoulder Press 40lbs - these are still so hard for me. But I continue to inch along every time I workout, getting that one or two more reps. I'm up to 7 now.
BB Bicep Curl 35lb - another hard one for me. Been at 35lbs for a long time. Going at it slow, pushing one more rep every time WITH CORRECT FORM! Got 9 (I remember it wasn't long ago I was pushing to get at 9-10reps using momentum and arching my back - BAD! Now I am doing it the RIGHT way and getting up there in reps!)
BB Lying Tricep Extension 20lbs - these were hurting my elbow a bit, but I widened my grip a bit and THEN I could do them better, really felt it in the triceps this time! Got all 10.
BB Calf Raises 65lbs - calf exercises are easy. Got 20
Abs - 25lb weighted crunches, hip lifts & bicycle

Actually, this was supposed to be a rest day. I was scheduled to do this workout Monday but I had a killer headache so I postponed it. I noticed I was yawning a bit in the beginning of the workout. But I powered thru it anyway.

Tuesday & Wednesday

Rest days from weights. But I did do some interval training (HIIT) - which is 20 minutes on the treadmill, alternating between high and low intensity. And, in addition to the HIIT, I did a butt blaster (Wednesday). It's a series of 4 moves which are supposed to build a nice round butt ;) just twice a week. Not sure the point at which you are supposed to notice a difference tho...3 months maybe?? Anyway, I did 3 sets of each exercise and 8 reps of each.

I just felt the need to get some cardio in. It really felt wonderful, to tell you the truth. I couldn't help but smile the whole time I was doing it. I LOVE the way exercising can just lift your mood from good to GREAT!

So far I have successfully completed 2 solid weeks of training. I haven't noticed any gains in muscle size necessarily, but that will come eventually. I just hope I'm eating enough! I always worry that I'm not eating enough to fuel my muscles but when I do eat more (clean food, mind you) I'm worried I'm eating too much and will gain fat!!! It's such a double edged sword, this eating thing!

Monday 2/1/10

Workout B

Lunges 60lbs
Extensions 95lbs
Deadlifts 90lbs
Leg Curl 55lbs
BB Incline Press 45lbs
BB Row 45lbs
DB Pullover 2-12lb dbs
BB Shoulder Press 35lbs
BB Bicep Curl 35lbs
Skull Crushers 2-12lb dbs
Abs-Side Bends 20lbs

OK, two full workout weeks done already! Wow, that went fast! Now I get to look forward to 2 days of rest before I hit it hard again on Thursday.

Saturday 1/130/10

Workout A

Squats 70lbs
Extensions 90lbs
Deadlifts 90lbs
BB Bench Press 45lbs
Inclince DB Flyes 2-15lb dbs
Alt. DB Rows 20lbs
BB Shoulder Press 35lbs
BB Bicep Curl 35lbs
Tricep Kickbacks 10lb db
BB Calf Raise 50lbs
Ab Crunch 25lb plate, leg lifts, bicycle

I am supposes to be alternating between dumbbells and the barbell on some exercises but I have been just sticking to the barbell in those cases. It's hard to substitute the dumbbells when the heaviest I have are 15 pounds and then I end up using the small bars with the weight plates. That becomes to bulky for me, especially on moves where I need to be keeping the weight close to my body (i.e. rows, kickbacks, etc.). It's also very time consuming the way it is having to add or remove weight from the bar between each exercise. My goal is to keep moving as quickly as possible (little rest between moves) to keep my heart rate up.

But other than that, workouts are going well! I am so happy with my progress. Here is a progress picture of my back/shoulders/arms. One day I will be brave enough to show my leg progress as well!

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!!

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!!