This week has been slightly tougher on my Get Shredded. The scale has not been moving like it did last week, and it makes it harder to be enthusiastic about this program. My first week, I dropped 1-2 pounds, sometimes more, sometimes less, daily. It slowed down, and I know it's normal, having looked at other people's blogs about their progress. I have said that if the scale stays the same, but my body composition changes, I would be happy. And I mean that, really I do. But I'm realizing that's easier said than done. Measurements weekly or bi-weekly are not as exciting or motivating as daily ever-decreasing weigh-ins. So much of this whole weight-loss thing is (as I think Marcol said) mind over matter. Knowing that something is working even when you can't see the results is not an easy thing to do.
Last night was a parent night at my school. There was pizza, soda, juice, cookies, the whole 9, and I couldn't have any of it. I felt so left out! It was actually surprising to me that I felt that way, but I was bored & hungry (bad combo!), and I think that's why. I have a couple of other events this month, so I will have to take some preventive measures. The good thing is that I know I wouldn't slip and eat a cookie, or a piece of pizza. That's not a slip to me, in this kind of situation. But it is challenging. I did end up eating a couple of yummy meatballs and a few bangin chicken wings, so I felt better. :)
Friday, November 30, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Getting The Hang of It
Today I realized that I'm getting into the swing of this diet. At first I felt that I was really limited in what I could eat. But I'm starting to realize that I can eat more than I expected. See, I have a fear of getting sick of food. I am concerned that in 6 weeks I will be so sick of eating according to plan that I will fall off the wagon or just dread mealtimes. So I'm glad that I'm figuring out that there is more food available to me, I just have to combine it with the right food and eat it in the right portion. Piece of cake! ;)
Today I squatted 160 lbs... for those of you who have been paying attention, that's more than my current body weight! Yay! That makes me feel pretty strong. And my Thanksgiving weight is almost down - I'm 1 lb away from where I was on Thanksgiving morning, so I will have pretty much the entire 14 days in front of me to lose some new pounds.
It's hard to believe, but the 1st semester of grad school is almost over. The next 4 weeks are chock full of papers, presentations, reading, and exams. It's gonna be a lot of work, but then I will have 3 weeks off to catch up on my sleep. I've definitely gotten some good sleep over the past few days, and it was delicious. Happy Monday everybody!
Today I squatted 160 lbs... for those of you who have been paying attention, that's more than my current body weight! Yay! That makes me feel pretty strong. And my Thanksgiving weight is almost down - I'm 1 lb away from where I was on Thanksgiving morning, so I will have pretty much the entire 14 days in front of me to lose some new pounds.
It's hard to believe, but the 1st semester of grad school is almost over. The next 4 weeks are chock full of papers, presentations, reading, and exams. It's gonna be a lot of work, but then I will have 3 weeks off to catch up on my sleep. I've definitely gotten some good sleep over the past few days, and it was delicious. Happy Monday everybody!
The Home Stretch
Something has happened to me recently. I don't know exactly when, but I have gotten to the next phase of my fitness journey. The thing I enjoy about this transformation is that it's ever evolving. Phase I was lose a bunch of weight. Check. Phase II is sculpt - take the body that has appeared after 45 pounds, and shape it into what I want it to look like. Now, I look in the mirror and think 'ok, I can stay at this size, just with different composition'. That's quite a different place from where I was, even a month or two ago. I am still trying to lose 15 lbs, but I am open to the possibility that I may stay at this weight and lose body fat and build lean muscle. I actually have a plan that will take me pretty darn close to my 30th birthday, which is both exciting and intimidating. I have learned that I have what it takes to stick to a difficult plan, but losing weight has become a way of life over the past year. To think that it's almost over! OK, I have almost 4 months to go, but considering that I've gone through 14 months already, 4 is nothing. It's the homestretch people... But the body is not the end of the road, it's just a (very important) milestone along the way. I'm already looking for a half-marathon to run this spring, and who knows, maybe there's a triathlon in my future...
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Strange Sightings
The gym was more crowded than I expected this morning. It was also more amusing. Among the strange things I saw...
1) a girl running on the treadmill at a high speed, holding on to the railing for dear life. why bother? just slow down...
2) a woman riding the bike talking on the phone... why?! you aren't working hard enough if you are smiling on the phone while exercising.
3) this guy in the weight room grunting like... well, just grunting very loudly. on every single exercise. ok, we know you're working hard, but can you contain it just a bit? this same man offered to spot me on my bench press. thanks, but no thanks.
I enjoyed my food today. Dinner was great. I only ate one serving, but I wasn't prepared to be hungry for actual food after my meal. But I had plenty to drink! I am notorious for my desire for drink. My family used to tell me that when I was little I would stand at the fridge and say 'TD!' when I wanted something to drink. There was also an accompanying hand motion. I still would rather drink my calories than eat them sometimes. Not good. But tasty. ;)
Tomorrow is back on the saddle. I lost a total of 8.6 lbs between last Tuesday and today. That number might be a little off, because TOM threw a monkey wrench into my weight loss this week. Hopefully the weight will balance itself out over the next 16 or so days. I was hoping for 9, so I came close. The majority of that was re-lost weight, but I am still pleased overall with my results. I am hoping that the next 6 weeks or so will produce the flat stomach that has eluded me for, um, pretty much my whole life. I have gotten somewhat tired of some of the food I've been eating (it's a bit repetitive), so I have to brainstorm some eats for the next cycle at least. I'm open to suggestions.
I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving, hopefully at least some of it spent with loved ones.
1) a girl running on the treadmill at a high speed, holding on to the railing for dear life. why bother? just slow down...
2) a woman riding the bike talking on the phone... why?! you aren't working hard enough if you are smiling on the phone while exercising.
3) this guy in the weight room grunting like... well, just grunting very loudly. on every single exercise. ok, we know you're working hard, but can you contain it just a bit? this same man offered to spot me on my bench press. thanks, but no thanks.
I enjoyed my food today. Dinner was great. I only ate one serving, but I wasn't prepared to be hungry for actual food after my meal. But I had plenty to drink! I am notorious for my desire for drink. My family used to tell me that when I was little I would stand at the fridge and say 'TD!' when I wanted something to drink. There was also an accompanying hand motion. I still would rather drink my calories than eat them sometimes. Not good. But tasty. ;)
Tomorrow is back on the saddle. I lost a total of 8.6 lbs between last Tuesday and today. That number might be a little off, because TOM threw a monkey wrench into my weight loss this week. Hopefully the weight will balance itself out over the next 16 or so days. I was hoping for 9, so I came close. The majority of that was re-lost weight, but I am still pleased overall with my results. I am hoping that the next 6 weeks or so will produce the flat stomach that has eluded me for, um, pretty much my whole life. I have gotten somewhat tired of some of the food I've been eating (it's a bit repetitive), so I have to brainstorm some eats for the next cycle at least. I'm open to suggestions.
I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving, hopefully at least some of it spent with loved ones.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Whew!
1) Tomorrow is my refeed. I am SOOO looking forward to eating a regular meal and having a few drinks. I have to pace myself though. I plan to continue this diet for another 7 weeks or so, with refeeds every 14 days, so I don't have to eat every single thing I want tomorrow.
2) I am experimenting right now. The phase of weightlifting that I'm in is about building muscle, and I am not supposed to do cardio for the duration (8 weeks). That is a mental challenge for me, because I don't like the idea of losing any cardio capacity. I've worked hard for it! But, I talked through it with a friend, and I remember something someone said before 'if you want what you've never had, you have to do what you've never done'. Enough said. I am going to take measurements, pictures, and of course, keep track of my weight. If in 1 month I'm not seeing remarkable results, I'll throw cardio back in.
3) I haven't been this sore in a while. My workouts this week have been challenging. On Sunday, I did 5 sets/5 reps for upperbody. Shoulder press, close-grip bench press, high pull, cable pulley row, lat pulldown, and dumbbell bench press. Fun. Tuesday I did 4 sets/10 reps for lower body. Squats, deadlifts, split squats and step-ups. It was interesting to do split squats with 2 27.5-lb dumbbells. I remember when I did them with 2 10-lb dumbbells and my legs were on fire. What a difference 7 months makes.
In other business... my first Thanksgiving 'alone' was 8 years ago. My roommate was hosting Thanksgiving, so her family was everywhere. Mine was in another state. I didn't realize how much it would hurt until that day, when I called my family in tears. They promised that it would never happen again. After that, Thanksgiving lost its appeal. It became a 'whatever' day for years. Perhaps that was to prepare me for the years ahead when my separation from my family would be under much different, far more painful circumstances. But I have had many happy Thanksgivings since then, and I'm grateful that I've realized that sometimes family is what you make it, not what you're born into. Thankfully, I have good friends who have opened their hearts & homes to me. Thankfully, I have a brother who means the world to me. I certainly don't have everything I want, and sometimes don't even have what I need. But either way, I have much to be thankful for. We all do.
Happy Thanksgiving!
2) I am experimenting right now. The phase of weightlifting that I'm in is about building muscle, and I am not supposed to do cardio for the duration (8 weeks). That is a mental challenge for me, because I don't like the idea of losing any cardio capacity. I've worked hard for it! But, I talked through it with a friend, and I remember something someone said before 'if you want what you've never had, you have to do what you've never done'. Enough said. I am going to take measurements, pictures, and of course, keep track of my weight. If in 1 month I'm not seeing remarkable results, I'll throw cardio back in.
3) I haven't been this sore in a while. My workouts this week have been challenging. On Sunday, I did 5 sets/5 reps for upperbody. Shoulder press, close-grip bench press, high pull, cable pulley row, lat pulldown, and dumbbell bench press. Fun. Tuesday I did 4 sets/10 reps for lower body. Squats, deadlifts, split squats and step-ups. It was interesting to do split squats with 2 27.5-lb dumbbells. I remember when I did them with 2 10-lb dumbbells and my legs were on fire. What a difference 7 months makes.
In other business... my first Thanksgiving 'alone' was 8 years ago. My roommate was hosting Thanksgiving, so her family was everywhere. Mine was in another state. I didn't realize how much it would hurt until that day, when I called my family in tears. They promised that it would never happen again. After that, Thanksgiving lost its appeal. It became a 'whatever' day for years. Perhaps that was to prepare me for the years ahead when my separation from my family would be under much different, far more painful circumstances. But I have had many happy Thanksgivings since then, and I'm grateful that I've realized that sometimes family is what you make it, not what you're born into. Thankfully, I have good friends who have opened their hearts & homes to me. Thankfully, I have a brother who means the world to me. I certainly don't have everything I want, and sometimes don't even have what I need. But either way, I have much to be thankful for. We all do.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
I Made It!
I made it through my 1st get shredded weekend. You know how they say kids need structure? I think I do too. Although I definitely missed my orange soda, pizza, dessert, and last but not least... my Malibu & coke! Nevertheless, there was an odd comfort in the routine of pre-determined, properly timed meals. I could get used to it. Maybe.
I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. Because of the way my schedule is, all I have this week is 2 days of my placement. YAY! I really want to take full advantage of my days off not only to do homework with less pressure and get ahead on a couple of hefty papers, but to make a plan. My placement is very taxing - I counsel a few kids in an inner-city school. Stressful, fast-paced and demanding. Then, of course, there's 4 classes, and the material I read is also pretty heavy stuff. Not to mention life - a recent break-up, struggling to find myself spiritually, healing from a divorce from my family (irreconcilable differences, at least for now), being broke... And to top all that off, I just don't make myself a priority in a lot of ways. I'm thinking about getting a yin-yang tattoo to remind myself forever of the need & quest for balance in my life. I say all this, not to say that my life is bad, cuz it's not. I have so much to be grateful for. But it's a lot, and I need a plan to make sure I don't allow myself to get overwhelmed and burn out. I'm too young for that.
What do you for self-care?
I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. Because of the way my schedule is, all I have this week is 2 days of my placement. YAY! I really want to take full advantage of my days off not only to do homework with less pressure and get ahead on a couple of hefty papers, but to make a plan. My placement is very taxing - I counsel a few kids in an inner-city school. Stressful, fast-paced and demanding. Then, of course, there's 4 classes, and the material I read is also pretty heavy stuff. Not to mention life - a recent break-up, struggling to find myself spiritually, healing from a divorce from my family (irreconcilable differences, at least for now), being broke... And to top all that off, I just don't make myself a priority in a lot of ways. I'm thinking about getting a yin-yang tattoo to remind myself forever of the need & quest for balance in my life. I say all this, not to say that my life is bad, cuz it's not. I have so much to be grateful for. But it's a lot, and I need a plan to make sure I don't allow myself to get overwhelmed and burn out. I'm too young for that.
What do you for self-care?
Saturday, November 17, 2007
50%
My weekend is pretty much halfway over. Today wasn't too bad actually. Probably my most non-productive Saturday since school started. It actually felt kinda nice. I got a massage this afternoon, which was great, even though I'm actually a bit sore. But I feel better.
Tomorrow will be my first day at the gym in 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to it, although I have enjoyed the extra couple of hours of sleep I've gotten this week. Once I start this program (hypertrophy), no time off for 8 or so weeks. But that's cool. The program will be interesting. The number of sets/reps changes every workout. I guess it's supposed to build muscle. Hopefully, the combination of exercise and diet will help get me a few steps closer to the defined body that I am striving for.
Someone told me that I need to give 'self-care' the same level of priority that I give working out. Hmmm... I know I don't get enough sleep. Somewhere in the back of my mind is this idea that I can do with less. So I may plan to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and then end up getting 6 or so because I know that I will be ok with 6 hours. I certainly don't give sleep the priority I should. I don't relax enough, I'm too hard on myself, and I'm sure the list goes on. Bottom line: I need to take better care of myself.
Tomorrow will be my first day at the gym in 2 weeks. I'm looking forward to it, although I have enjoyed the extra couple of hours of sleep I've gotten this week. Once I start this program (hypertrophy), no time off for 8 or so weeks. But that's cool. The program will be interesting. The number of sets/reps changes every workout. I guess it's supposed to build muscle. Hopefully, the combination of exercise and diet will help get me a few steps closer to the defined body that I am striving for.
Someone told me that I need to give 'self-care' the same level of priority that I give working out. Hmmm... I know I don't get enough sleep. Somewhere in the back of my mind is this idea that I can do with less. So I may plan to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and then end up getting 6 or so because I know that I will be ok with 6 hours. I certainly don't give sleep the priority I should. I don't relax enough, I'm too hard on myself, and I'm sure the list goes on. Bottom line: I need to take better care of myself.
Friday, November 16, 2007
The Rubber & The Road
I've been doing just fine in my quest to get shredded. I started on Tuesday, and I have dropped 5 lbs since then. Now, to be fully balanced, I started this quest about 7 lbs up from my lowest recent weigh-in as a result of my lax eating lately. So the 5 lbs that I have lost as of this morning is really re-lost weight. But it's dropped pretty fast, which is cool. Anyway, part of the challenge of this diet is that it eliminates my weekly cheating with a refeed every 14 days. I'm sure that I will appreciate the progress that this allows me to make over the next 6 weeks or so. But... I love my weekends! Monday thru Friday is the grind - most of my days are at least 12 hours of nonstop activity, between class, work, and/or homework. So, Friday through Sunday is a nice break. Have a few drinks, go out to eat, let go of the regimented eating. Relax, basically. So, not doing that, beginning with tonight, isn't just a challenge to my willpower, it's a challenge to my routine. It might be good - force me to find other ways to relax besides food & drink. Since I am making efforts to be better at 'self-care', this actually might help me along that journey. But the next few days is where the rubber meets the road. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Day 1
Today was the first day of 'Get Shredded'. It wasn't so bad actually. Lots of water, lots of fish oil, veggies and protein. Yum. Making the decision to follow this diet, for however long I choose, reminds me of what weight loss is all about. Choices. Sacrifice. Decisions. Do I love my egg nog, orange Sunkist, and cheat days? Yep. But you know what, I want to lose weight. And I haven't lost 45 pounds to give up now. Or even to slack, or take the easy way. I guess I just have a problem with claiming that I want something, but then not being willing to execute the accompanying, necessary action. I want it, so I'm gonna go get it. Maybe I will lost this 15 lbs by December 31, 2007, maybe I won't. But I'm damn sure going to try.
On another, less soapboxy note, I wore a skirt today, my first size 8 in a long time. And you know what? I had room! It didn't fit like it did when I first bought it, and although I'm not close to a size 6 yet, it was nice to have room in an 8. Although my friend did tell me that I look like a 6 the other day. That's why I pay her the big bucks. ;)
On another, less soapboxy note, I wore a skirt today, my first size 8 in a long time. And you know what? I had room! It didn't fit like it did when I first bought it, and although I'm not close to a size 6 yet, it was nice to have room in an 8. Although my friend did tell me that I look like a 6 the other day. That's why I pay her the big bucks. ;)
Monday, November 12, 2007
I've Been Tagged...
So, Camille tagged me and I have to say seven random/weird things about myself and tag 7 other people. Here goes...
1. I never ate sandwiches for lunch as a kid. My mom packed me a thermos with ravioli and hot dogs and stuff. I think sandwiches on regular, untoasted bread have a nasty texture. Yuck.
2. One of my nicknames is Beck. My Aunt Rish and Pop, two of my favorite people, both of whom are not here anymore, always called me that.
3. When I was in the 10th grade, I lost 30 lbs without even knowing it.
4. I love Al Pacino.
5. I'm a big sucker for a pretty smile.
6. I cried when I took my cat to the vet to get neutered.
7. It took me and my first real boyfriend about 4 years to break up, after a 4 year relationship.
I'm tagging these people: swanky, Kristen, Melissa, Beck, Tea
1. I never ate sandwiches for lunch as a kid. My mom packed me a thermos with ravioli and hot dogs and stuff. I think sandwiches on regular, untoasted bread have a nasty texture. Yuck.
2. One of my nicknames is Beck. My Aunt Rish and Pop, two of my favorite people, both of whom are not here anymore, always called me that.
3. When I was in the 10th grade, I lost 30 lbs without even knowing it.
4. I love Al Pacino.
5. I'm a big sucker for a pretty smile.
6. I cried when I took my cat to the vet to get neutered.
7. It took me and my first real boyfriend about 4 years to break up, after a 4 year relationship.
I'm tagging these people: swanky, Kristen, Melissa, Beck, Tea
From Here to Thanksgiving
I spent a lot of time this weekend planning and preparing for my new diet. As some of you know, I usually eat a strict low to no carb, high protein diet during the week, and much more relaxed on the weekends. Lately I have not been as strict (hence, no weight loss), in part to prepare myself for this phase. This diet is a high fat (50%), low carb, high protein diet. It requires a cut in my caloric intake, and a lot of supplements, mainly fish oil. I'm not a fan of fish oil - it hurts my belly. But a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do, right? The real kicker, though, is that I have to eat the same way on the weekends, and I have a re-feed every 14 days. Thanksgiving will be my first re-feed, and then right back on the wagon for another 14 days. If I see decent results, I will follow this through to the end of the year. There was a time when I wouldn't have done something like this, but I guess I've grown.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Uh Oh...
So, I was in the supermarket yesterday, and I happened upon... egg nog! Oh no! I love egg nog. Especially vanilla egg nog by Hood. Yummy. I am going to have to exercise some willpower this season. Did I mention that I love egg nog? Just checking...
This week is a week off weight lifting for me. Cardio only. I am also supposed to start a new diet, which I am hoping to ride into 2008, 15 lbs lighter. We'll see. On the one hand, I'm excited to see how effective it is. On the other hand, it's a little intimidating, because it requires quite a bit of detailed calculation, which just is not my thing. At all. Thankfully I've had help with that. It is going to mean a lot of meal repetition, no flexibility, no eating out, but I really just need to go ahead and suck it up. I have learned that I have the capacity to do what it takes to get it done, and I'm proud of that. But it doesn't mean that I have to like it. But... I will like the results, and that's what matters.
I saw a friend this weekend that I haven't seen in a while. Seeing her, in part because she's so complimentary and encouraging, reminded me of what I've accomplished over the past year. Not only have I lost the 40 lbs that I gained during a hellish time in my life, I've gone beyond that. And it's not over yet.
Of course, there are also other things I've accomplished and am accomplishing, like school, which is really something like a dream come true for me. But anyway, seeing her motivated me in some weird way to go ahead and finish this thing out. Rock it out, bang it out, get it done, whatever you want to call it. I'm proud of what I've done, but I still have 15 lbs to go, and I'm really ready to take it all off.
This week is a week off weight lifting for me. Cardio only. I am also supposed to start a new diet, which I am hoping to ride into 2008, 15 lbs lighter. We'll see. On the one hand, I'm excited to see how effective it is. On the other hand, it's a little intimidating, because it requires quite a bit of detailed calculation, which just is not my thing. At all. Thankfully I've had help with that. It is going to mean a lot of meal repetition, no flexibility, no eating out, but I really just need to go ahead and suck it up. I have learned that I have the capacity to do what it takes to get it done, and I'm proud of that. But it doesn't mean that I have to like it. But... I will like the results, and that's what matters.
I saw a friend this weekend that I haven't seen in a while. Seeing her, in part because she's so complimentary and encouraging, reminded me of what I've accomplished over the past year. Not only have I lost the 40 lbs that I gained during a hellish time in my life, I've gone beyond that. And it's not over yet.
Of course, there are also other things I've accomplished and am accomplishing, like school, which is really something like a dream come true for me. But anyway, seeing her motivated me in some weird way to go ahead and finish this thing out. Rock it out, bang it out, get it done, whatever you want to call it. I'm proud of what I've done, but I still have 15 lbs to go, and I'm really ready to take it all off.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Nothing Much to Say...
Well... it's been a while. My eating has been less than stellar as of late. I think this happens to me when I have decided in some way to crack down, or start some new diet regimen that's more restrictive than what I'm used to. I say 'well, I'm about to do [fill in the blank with fun diet plan here], so I can afford to relax a little bit'. I've done it a couple of times during this journey. Perhaps had I not, I'd be finished with my 60 lbs instead of gearing up for the last 15 lbs. Oh well... however long it takes me to get rid of it, I don't expect that I will ever, ever, have to take it off again. But at some point, I really have to buckle down if I'm serious about the body that I want to have by my 30th birthday.
On another note, it's almost time for me to increase my weight. That's a good feeling. The same workout that kicked my ass (hard) two weeks ago is still challenging, but not to the same extent.
Funny story: I went to get water jugs with my co-workers. The janitor told one of them, who's extremely thin, that she can't lift it cuz she's too skinny. He looked at me and said 'I know you can do it. You're healthy and strong'. That's what I'm talking about... ;)
On another note, it's almost time for me to increase my weight. That's a good feeling. The same workout that kicked my ass (hard) two weeks ago is still challenging, but not to the same extent.
Funny story: I went to get water jugs with my co-workers. The janitor told one of them, who's extremely thin, that she can't lift it cuz she's too skinny. He looked at me and said 'I know you can do it. You're healthy and strong'. That's what I'm talking about... ;)
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