Update

Life got a little hectic there for a while. We spent all last week moving and most of this week settling into our new house. It was a lot of work, but the feeling a peace and contentment I get when I walk into our new space has made it all worth it. What's really interesting is my weight (which had inexplicitly shot up) dropped down shortly after the move. There could be some interesting reasons for that, one of them being hormonal, but I would like to think it's my body thanking me for making this move. We've been living in a tiny little cottage for a year and a half, and my son moved in with us and has been sleeping on my couch since June. I've been feeling overwhelmed and trapped in my own house, so this move is oh so much a big deal.

One other thing I've done differently is stay away from any alcohol.  I had realized that things got a little out of hand last month :D  We were our having dinner and/or drinks with friends almost two nights a week all of October - so I decided to give my body a 30 day 'break' and lay off the stuff for the month of November.  I think it was a good choice.

I also seemed to hit my groove with my workouts this week.  I haven't been to the gym but I have done two runs and hit the bike trainer once.  It's felt great each time which means I'm not doing too much for my energy, fitness levels.

Lastly, I've started reading a book The Four-Day Win: End Your Diet War and Achieve Thinner Peace by Martha Beck.  It came in the midst of our move and I just got the time to start to dive in on Tuesday.  It's hard to describe as it's not a 'diet book'.  But it is like someone opened up my brain and sat and listened to all my thoughts about myself and dieting and then wrote them all down and explained them in a way I had never heard before.  If you're a cronic/professional dieter like me, you HAVE to check out this book.

As of this morning I was 231.3 - down 3.7 lbs since Oct 21... I'll take that!

Weekly Update

Well I saw progress this week, but it wasn't what I had hoped or expected. 1.6 lbs down though, I'll take that. Average weight for the week was 233.5 - I'll look for that to go down next week as that's actually the most important number in my mind. Excercise was... well, not up to par. A Weight workout on Friday, a bike ride on Saturday and a run on Wednesday. I can do more. Mentally I felt great - really kept my focus and felt like I was staying the course - this is A#1 the most important part of this.

I haven't got much to update you with.... I'm really just trying to get back into the habit of blogging. It was good for me when I was doing it regularly. Anyway, food is still on track, and last night I started on the first day to 5K program from Podrunner Intervals. It's not the first time I've started this program, but to my knowledge, I've never finished it. I've always managed to get distracted by some other program 1/2 way through. So, the goal this time is to finish it - no matter what. I did the first week's workout last night WEEK 1 20 minutes from 128 to 142 BPM BPM CHART: 5-minute warmup @ 128 BPM 60 seconds @ 142 BPM 90 seconds @ 128 BPM 60 seconds @ 142 BPM 90 seconds @ 128 BPM 60 seconds @ 142 BPM 95 seconds @ 128 BPM 65 seconds @ 142 BPM 95 seconds @ 128 BPM 65 seconds @ 142 BPM 90 seconds @ 128 BPM 65 seconds @ 142 BPM 90 seconds @ 128 BPM 60 seconds @ 142 BPM 95 seconds @ 128 BPM 65 seconds @ 142 BPM 3-minute cooldown @ 128 BPM (BPM is the music speed for each section). and it was reletively easy. I had no problem holding a sub 12 min/mile for the 60 second runs. Felt good, felt strong. My chest was a little tight after, it felt like my asthma was acting up, but that's normal for me when getting back into arobic workouts. The run, plus the cold air, plus my fall allergies were all adding to the overall 'bleh' effect. But I was proud of myself for running. got almost 1.75 miles done in the 28 minutes for a pace of 16:06. That'll get better over time (of course). Weight - well my body is being a little stubborn which is a little frustrating. I don't know if it's that my body is so sick of my yo-yoing that it's going to hold onto every pound, or if it's because I'm older and it's holding onto every pound, or if it's just timing (month wise) My cycle is always so strange that even though I've started tracking in software I still have no idea when to expect it - best guess is that it could be a combination of all of the above that's got me cussing at the scale every morning. But, if it's one thing I've learned over the years it's intellegent percistance. I can't let the number on the scale define me, and I can't let a small stall (even if it is in the first week) discourage me. If I stick with it, the loss will come! Oh-and one other thing to note. I've been 'shouting down' the feast beast a lot lately. He's really confused I can tell. For example, I see a Chevron, think about going inside (maybe for something to drink) and he immediatly says, "Yay! Treats!" Then starts flashing images of sweets that'll be inside, and reminding me of the taste of each one. Before he can even get ramped up though, I scream (in my head) SHUT UP! I almost want to laugh because that 'inner voice' the 'adictive voice' is so used to getting it's way with just that simple technique that it doesn't know what to do and it goes dead silent. I know over time he'll probably try to get more tricky, but for now this technique is working and I love it!

Self Discipline and Patience

"Discipline" is a difficult word for most of us. It conjures up images of somebody standing over you with a stick, telling you that you're wrong. But self-discipline is different. It's the skill of seeing through the hollow shouting of your own impulses and piercing their secret. They have no power over you. It's all a show, a deception. Your urges scream and bluster at you; they cajole; they coax; they threaten; but they really carry no stick at all. You give in out of habit. You give in because you never really bother to look beyond the threat. It is all empty back there. There is only one way to learn this lesson, though. The words on this page won't do it. But look within and watch the stuff coming up — restlessness, anxiety, impatience, pain — just watch it come up and don't get involved. Much to your surprise, it will simply go away. It rises, it passes away. As simple as that. There is another word for self-discipline. It is patience.
— Henepola Gunaratana, "Mindfulness in Plain English" from Everyday Mind, edited by Jean Smith, a Tricycle book Mindfulness in Plain English: 20th Anniversary Edition

Made it!

I said I would be back, and here I am!

2011 has been a pretty good year for me.  Started a new job at the end of 2010 that got me another new job (and a raise).  I'm pretty happy where I am right now.  The low levels of stress are exactly what I need.

Hubby and I worked through a really awful money situation and now are up on our feet and feeling pretty solid.

My son moved in with me 'just for the summer' and now has decided he would like to stay rather then take out more student loans.  So, I'm getting to spend quality time with my kiddo (who I was estranged from for a number of years) as well as have an excuse to move into to a larger and very lovely home.

I'm involved in choir again - singing with a group is always fun!

I've met and gotten involved with some really awesome people who I now consider friends -- It's great to feel 'connected' with a group of people again, plus I've been staying in closer contact with 'old' friends and reconnecting with family members that's made me feel like a more well rounded person overall.

The only thing that hasn't gotten better this year has been my weight/health.  Maybe it's because I was so focused on getting the rest of my life in line.  But now I feel ready to focus on this.

My plan is about 25% diet, 25% exercise and at least 50% getting my 'mind' fixed.  I've been focusing a lot on cognitive therapy, Addictive Voice Recognition Therapy and other 'self help' type programs/books to get myself ready for action. And people, I AM ready for action.

Started working the plan on Friday, just like I said I would.  I even took a trip to the gym so I could do a leg workout.  I wasn't enjoying the workout much at first.  Seeing myself in mirrors on every side wasn't doing much for my mood but then I had a guy come up to me and compliment my 'short hair' (told me I Rocked it).  I stuck to my plan for the entire day/night and really felt good about it - woke up the next morning to a HUGE drop on the scale (that I think now was because I was dehydrated (duh).

Saturday - I stayed (pretty much) on plan as well.  Ate a big breakfast of eggs and bacon and then stuck to my meal replacement foods for the rest of the day.  I didn't eat anything at the bike festival we went to and even skipped eating at the restaurant that night because I had already had my meal.  However, I did have a beer at the festival and a Long Island Iced Tea at the restaurant.  Later, at karaoke I had several more drinks and then had some cookies at jack in the box at 2 in the morning on my way home.  Lesson learned is that I need a better strategy for going out.  Less booze and less 'slipping' after drinking.

Sunday I was up early and went to a Halloween festival with my daughter.  Had an excellent day, ate a huge salad when we stopped at the sandwich place and had grilled chicken when we stopped at Jack in the Box. Didn't drink anything and stuck 100% to my plan - whoop whoop!

Monday was good again - didn't get back to the gym as I had planned but I did stick 100% to my food plan.  Even avoided all the crap food they had laid out at choir.  there's always cake, cookies, chips and the like.  I just avoided going into the 'snack room' at all.  Was a good strategy for me.  Instead I sat and read through my 'reasons to lose weight' cards.

Today, I still don't have a solid workout plan in place.  My legs are only just now starting to recover from Friday's leg workout.  I want to get back into triathlons so I need to make time for running/biking/swimming (BTW - hubby and I biked to and from the festival on Saturday).  I also love to lift weights and really enjoy looking and feeling strong.  I just need to set myself a schedule for doing those things and stick to it.  I have more then enough access to gyms!

But to pull this back to the positive - food has been good - my head is in an excellent place right now.  This is a long term project, I know and every positive step is a good one.

And then....

She started again.

Focus and determination is high. I have a plan of action. It's HUGE! :) starting on Friday because I have Friday and Monday off so I can get over the 'diet tired at home.

I'm going to update here with more details in the next day or so... Look for activity progress and more insight in the days to come.

CVT Run

CVT Run
Originally uploaded by SAMBoddy

This is my goal - to be here, in this shape at the beginning of 2012. From there it'll be a run ride to reach the rest of my goals, but at the very least, I want to be here again!

10 Days on plan

((lost a post - trying to recreate it - bleh))

3.8 lbs lost! I'm happy with that!



Food has been going great, but I haven't hit the gym yet. The motivation is there. I love going to the gym and working out, but I can't seem to take that first step; actually getting off the couch and walking out the door! I'll keep working on it.



I've got some agressive weight loss goals setup for myself for the last half of this year, but I'm confident about hitting them. I'm keeping my head in the game and reading everything I can get my hands on about the mental side of kicking a food adiction. It's going to be an interesting end to 2011.

Ummm Yeah

I can't even begin to explain what's happened between my last post and now. Let's just say things haven't been good. New weight is 234.6 -- yeah, wrong direction.

Last night I took action by planning my means, and packing my lunch before bed. It worked out. I've eating healthy today and actually feel really good about it. 3/4ths of the way through the day and I feel successful.

Going to string a few positive days in a row - the plan is high protein with lots of veggies w/two 'free' meals a week. Free meals will be planned the day before.

Exercise - I'm going to start with hitting the gym and lifting weights in the morning again. I know that when I get in the habit of getting up early that it does get easier. (at least that's what I'm telling myself).

I don't know about cardio right now - when I get in this 'action' mode it makes me want to go all out, work out 7 days a week (or at least plan to) and just kill myself... So for that hasn't worked out so well. We'll see...

Aaaaaand We're Off

So, as you might have guessed, I have a body bugg.  It's a lot of fun for a gadget geek like me. Even better, it's the SP version that displays stats on my iphone -- Love it!

BTW - my nike+ now works with my iphone too!

I started tracking my burn closely yesterday and really hitting the goal of 3000 - I got bloody close - 2916 (from midnight to midnight).  And my intake:  1960  Oh - and the 'official' starting weight 222.7 (down 3 pounds from yesterday)

The quality of the food has been so/so.  But, it's not really where I'm focusing right now.  I'm going for 'better' not perfect.  My goal is to get to 90% of what Brooke Castillio calls "Fuel Eating" (as apposed to "Joy Eating").  But, right now I think I'm closer to 60-70% and over the next few weeks I expect to get better.  I'm no longer trying to be perfect.

On the exercise front:  I did a killer leg workout yesterday morning, and strapped my bike on the trainer for 45 minutes last night.  Today, I did a chest workout this morning and then strapped on my trainers and did a 2 mile run tonight.  Of course my strength is down, and I'm only averaging 13.3 min/mile but I'm looking forward to all that getting better with time.

And now for something boring :D

100 days of weight loss day 1 - I used to be that way, but now I'm different!

I used to get overconfident after a while, stop tracking my eating closely and eventually fall off completely and gain weight back - now I realize that this is for life and I can't make my plan one of deprivation - it's got to be something that I can live with!

The Action Plan (cliff notes version)

Our real problem is not our strength today; it is rather the vital necessity of action today to ensure our strength tomorrow. ~Calvin Coolidge

Tomorrow I will:

Burn 3000 calories (according to my body bugg)
Eat 2000 calories (creating a 1000 calorie deficite)
Lift weight sin the morning
Ride my bike in the evening

-will detail more tomorrow

Hmm...

I've discovered something interesting.

I miss this blog. I missed the history, the struggles, the successes.

I'm trying a new, kinder gentler, more 'brain focus' approach lately. A great deal of it involves journaling so I'm opening up this blog again to record my thoughts. We'll see how it goes.

Here's the first question:

To me having a fresh start means I don't forget where I come from, but I don't let it define me either.

Why is this journey important to me?

Because I feel like I'm at the edge of very big positive change in my life - at all levels. This scares and excites me at the same time. I want to take every opportunity to live my life to the fullest, and learn everything there is to learn from every experience.

What is my number one goal in the next 45 days during Phase I of the Make Today

Matter journey?

To complete it. I've starting so many things and didn't finish. I want to finish!

May the Forth be with you

So... Yeah...

I know it's been a while.  Honestly, I kind of had a 'break down'.  If I can every figure out what causes these,  why my motivation, fire and focus goes out the window... I'll have this process beat.

So, I'm up to my 'before the new year' weight - but, I've been on a plan and 'on plan' since Monday.  Baby steps.

Right now I'm just focusing on the food. Getting back into the routine of making a plan and sticking to it.  I'm doing what I can to remove temptations.  One of my biggest temptations is when I go into 'quick mart' stores.  All that candy and pastry... I almost always walk out with something.  It's kind of like an alcoholic walking into a bar every day with a plan to only order water.  Some people can do it, I suppose, but it's silly to put yourself in the snake pit if you don't have to.

One of the main reasons I go into those places is to grab myself diet soda.  So... I've been looking for ways to avoid that.  I've got a Sodastream  at home and I start by day with a full liter of soda there.  Then at work I've got some Crystal Light Energy and MIO Water Enhancer so I can fill my water bottle up and put a little caffeine and/or flavor in it.  It's worked out well so far.

To manage 'snack attacks' I bought a bunch of 100 Calorie Snack Packs of nuts.  That way I can have some nuts - but there's no question about when it's time to stop!

The next thing I want to deal with was 'fast food'.  It became very obvious to me yesterday that another 'excuse' for going off the rails is not wanting to cook.  There are a lot of fast food places nearby (and of course, the ever present quick marts) that I don't need to be visiting every time I want something 'fast'.  So, I think I'm going to break down and buy myself a microwave.  I have a bunch of quick-to-make food at home (oatmeal, soup etc) but it's a pain in the butt to use if you don't have a microwave.  It's time to give up some of my precious counter space, spend the $50 and get an oven!

Lastly, I need to figure out how to do all of this and not drown in feelings of being deprived.  That ugly "M" word (moderation) is such an elusive beast, especially when there's some addictive tendencies going on.  I actually did manage to do moderation (of a sort) for a brief period of my life.  But, I was living on my own, doing what I wanted to do without many worries.  I wasn't thinking about food or excise at all!  I ate what I wanted, when I wanted it.  I moved a little each day without thinking about it, and I was healthy and happy.  No, I wasn't at my 'goal weight', but I was in a mind space where I probably would have gotten there eventually.  I need to figure out how to get back there.  And not just for my physical health.  Mentally I need to get back to that space too.  The world was my oyster back then.  I miss that person - my husband does too. (that's when we met)

To that end, I gave a little thought to tomorrow nights "Cinco de Mayo" celebration.  I love hanging with friends, and letting my hair down once in a while.  I don't want to throw my goals completely out of whack, but I don't want to feel like I 'missed' the party either.  So I did a little shopping and picked up some Skinny Margarita Mix.  Just a little compromise that I think will go a long way.

Anywho - I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself.  Take one step at a time, one day at a time.

My goal right now is to make it through a week of on plan eating and then evaluate if I'm ready to start thinking about structured workouts again.  Right now, just the thought of getting up at 5:00AM and hitting the gym, or lacing up some running shoes makes me exhausted.   My fitness goals should make me feel energized, not drain me.  So, until they do... it's accidental exercise for me.

LMJS Couples Relay

Woke up to a cold cold cold day, but at least it wasn't raining.  In fact the sun was out and it was beautiful.  Pre-race was easy, I got our numbers, we got our swag bag and basically just waited for the race to start.  There were quite a few sponsors at the race and they were giving away a lot of free stuff, so that was nice.

We lined up right on time and after a really brief explanation of the race route (that boiled down to "Keep the lake on your right" we were off.

I started as I usually do - in the back.  I know I'm slow and rather then frustrate myself I just start at the back and go at my pace -- and that's what I did, went at my own pace - even though it was frustrating to be passed and watch everyone pull away from me.

Of course, going at my pace has it's advantages because eventually I started catching up to people and passing them.

And so I went

And so I started to get tired.  My lack of training caught up to me and I started to play the, just to the next sign, make it around that corner, just to the next intersection game. I didn't have my watch with me so I didn't know how many miles I had gone, but I could look across the lake and see the finish line and that was giving me hope, keeping me going.

Then I turned a corner and realized that there was a major loop ahead of me, and I wasn't as close to the end of the race as I thought I was -- suddenly, I was crushed, I couldn't run another step.  So I switched to a walk/run, made it around the loop and then ran the last leg and tagged my husband.

The best part of the race was coming down the finish line, and seeing my husband, standing there smiling and waiting for me to tag him.  He gave me a big kiss and he was off to run his race.

I got some water and some food and waited for my husband to come him.  He did (in 31 minutes) and as a team we did a 6K in 1:11:44.49 - we came in 148 out of 152.

We weren't last, and I wasn't the slowest person out there - I'm good with that.

A few things I learned from this race:

1 - I run better with a watch.  It helps me to keep track of how much I have left to go and how much I need to leave in the tank.

2 - Training is important (ok - I knew this already)  I figured out later that the place where I 'died' was at about the 2.5 mile mark, and that was about where I had gotten to in my training.

ah well, live and learn and on to the next race.

As for this one - I did 5 K in 40:21 for a 12:36 Pace (and that was with some walking)  I'm pretty proud of that!

I still don't have my race report done -- sorry.

I've had some other crap going on - trying to get my head on straight - I go through this now and then and I try not to drag too much of it out on my blog because, well people would get tired of it, I'm sure.

But, here's where I'm at right now.

If you didn't know already, I consider myself about 80 lbs overweight.

I've battled weight pretty much my entire adult life, and, at 42 I'm tired of it.  I told myself at the beginning of this year, that it was the last year.  I would make one last push to hit my goal weight and if I couldn't do it in 2011, I would never go on another 'diet' again.

So, I did what any computer geek does, I made a spread sheet - charted what my weight loss would look like to reach that goal and went to it.  Only, I fell behind.  I had some bad days, I hit a plateau and, started to do things to try to 'make up'.  I started being stupid.  I started trying to restrict my eating, going on a 'diet'.  Of course, the more I restricted, the bigger my slips got and soon I was back on horrible roller coaster of success and failure where I felt like crap, even when I was being 'good'.

Instead of this journey being a hike over mountains and through valley's as it should be, I had tried to turn it into a sprint...

There really isn't a 'good' way to sprint through a 80 lb weight loss...

And so, I'm done.  I'm done trying to control what I can't control - the scale.  And I'm back to controlling what I can - the quality of food that goes into my pie hole.  Luckily, I don't have any health issues to worry about (yet) so there's no urgency from that end.  But I do know I need to get my head on right about food.  I need to spend less time worrying about what the scale says and more time worrying about how I feel.  I need to get my head on straight and figure out how to have a healthy relationship with food.

So -- that's where I'm at.

Luckily, I happen to believe that Paleo eating is healthy.  And I know from experience that I feel good (great even) when I'm following a Paleo/Primal lifestyle.  So, it's back to unweighed, unmeasured paleo for me.

And the scale can kiss my *SS!

Went on vacation and totally lost my MoJo - has anyone seen it?

The good news is I actually did do my race a few weeks back.  I'm trying to get motivated to write a report...

Will check in tomorrow with a longer post

The plateau is officially broken!  according to my unofficial weigh ins I'm already down 2.8 lbs this week.  Yay!

I have a chart where I track when I achieve a certain weight - a weight is achieved when I've been at or below that weight for three days in a row.  To give you an idea of how 'stuck' I've been - it took me 25 days to get from 212 to 210 - and it had taken me 16 days to get from 216 to 214 (I hit 212 and 214 on the same day)- so basically it took me 41 days to get from 216 to 210.  I'm all for 'slow and steady' weight loss but that's just ridiculous!

So, what's the difference?  Well, I've added cheese back into my diet.  For some reason, when I'm craving something sweet/snacky or whatever a piece of cheese seems to do it for me almost as well as a chunk of chocolate and it means I can grab something when I'm a little hungry that isn't nuts (and thus a little lower in calories).  At home I stick to grassfed hard cheeses. If you haven't already - you really should try the Kerry Gold products!

The other thing I did was made myself some daily goals.  It's been obvious that once I get to my goal weight I'll be able to eat by the general paleo/primal principles and stay healthy, happy and fit.  But when I'm trying to get my body to burn this fat I need to be a little more focused in my intake.  (I've always know this with other diets, but was hoping it wasn't true with paleo) So my goals are now, eat quality meat, cheese, fat and vegetable matter AND stay in ketosis.  What this has meant is I've told myself; no sweet potatoes just cause they are 'paleo'.  No Reese's "Big Cup" just cause it doesn't have wheat... and many other small but important decisions.  I've always known I was metabolically deranged - but this experiment this week has proven to me just how out of whack my system is.  "Just one" really does hurt.

This weekend will be interesting - Nigel and I are taking a trip down south so that we can take care of some 'official business' for his Mom.  Travel has always been a trigger for me.  I love to eat while driving or riding in the car.  8 hours in the car also usually means several stops at fat* fast food places - so earlier this week I started to work on a food strategy.  Now we have packed up and ready to go, almonds, cocoa roast almonds, pistachios, string cheese, roasted chicken (that I made last night), roasted pork loin (left over from last night) and about 16 hard boiled eggs.  Once we get to Nigel's Mom's house we'll just pop over the the grocery store and pick up some eggs and bacon and we'll probably be set.  My goal is to come back from this trip and weigh in Tuesday morning less then I did today.   And, I've got my keto strips with me to make sure I stay on track :D

PS:  my 5k is next weekend!  Please don't let it rain!

*Freudian Slip perhaps?

Was feeling good after my ride yesterday :) and since Rose always has such adorable pictures on her blog -- I wanted to join in too!

Today was ok - I hit the gym, did a weight workout (back and traps) my pull-up program and then left.

The bummer is that I was planning to go for a run tonight, but then my evening fell apart and that didn't happen.

Food was good though - eggs and sausage for breakfast, leftover meetza and cauliflower for lunch and chicken stir fry for dinner.

Best thing is that I think my weight is going in the right direction again - Yes, I believe we might have progress!  (The three week plateau was getting me down)

Jumped on my bike for the first time since August.  I took it easy, just trying to get my 'bike legs' back.  What was nice was that even taking it easy I managed to average just under 12 MPR.  12 MPR is kind of my 'default' speed so to be so close to that without trying is cool.

In the 41 minutes I went 8.16 Miles - the perfect first ride.

Food today was interesting.  I started with eggs (of course) and then later in the day I had a spinach, olive and marinated artichoke heart salad.

Dinner required a little creativity again.  I had pulled out chicken but it didn't defrost in time, so I went to my handy dandy stash of ground beef.  But, what to do with it?  Taco meat just wasn't hitting the spot and most other things required the meat be defrosted first, what to do?

I remembered an old recipe from my Atkins days that was going to scratch an itch I've had for a while -- Meetza! (recipe via the link).  It was yummy and perfect for a Sunday night. (and will be fabulous for lunch tomorrow)

Made it to the gym yesterday morning.  I was planning to try out a new gym because it had a swimming pool.  I arrived and was immediately concerned.  The place was HUGE and very 'fancy' looking.  When I checked in my concerns were confirmed.  My membership didn't cover this gym -- ah well.  They let me workout at the the place "just this once"  and I got my leg workout in at least.

Barbell Squats: 5 reps x 160lbs, 5 x 175, 8 x 185
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 5 x 125, 5 x 145, 10 x 155
Lying Hamstring Curl: 5 x 60, 5 x 70, 12 x 80

However, the workout wasn't without it's own issues.  My brain was so foggy that twice I tried to lift a bar that had different weights on each side... I felt like an idiot, but finished and built some muscle I'm sure.

Food for the day was a little odd.

I started the day with my normal cup of bacon and eggs.  For lunch I had an amazing salad of spinach, carrots, almonds, olives and some marinated artichoke hearts.

It was so pretty and good!

I

I had also brought a can of chicken breast so I ate that too.  Once I was done - I was stuffed and really not feeling that well.  That unwell feeling stuck with me the rest of the day.  Slightly nauseous and burping 'chicken' - bleh.  I didn't feel like any dinner and didn't eat any.

Today I woke up and hit the WW scale.  Same weight for the third week in a row - bleh again.

I came home and had some yummy eggs.  Later in the day I had a few pieces of a home made paleo "Candybar"  (cocoa, coconut oil, ground nuts and coconut flakes mixed together and stored in the fridge)  to satisfy my sweet tooth.

By afternoon I was ready to go for a run  so I grabbed my running partner once again

and we were off.

I strugged.  My legs hurt from my workout yesterday and I generally felt like doo.  I didn't know if I was going to finish the first mile, much less all 2.75.  But I kept on, telling myself 'just a little more'  and eventually, I finished!

2.75 miles in 35 minutes - 2 minutes faster the almost the same route on Wednesday.

Dinner - I had some chicken set out but wasn't sure what to do with it.  With a little creativity I managed to put together some amazing Orange Saffron Chicken (recipe via the link).

Official weigh-in. Exactly the same as last week. That's three weeks in a row! Stupid plateau

So, I'm back - like I said I would be :D

Eats for the day were clean!

I started with my standard breakfast of bacon and eggs, lunch was chicken curry from a few nights ago with a side of broccoli and coconut oil, and had a snack of hard boiled egg before driving home.

I was not happy when I left for my run. I had planned to leave work at 5:30 but got stopped by the receptionist. She had lost her keys and I stopped to help her look for them. So, after hanging at work 'til 6:10 then driving in traffic to make it home, then getting frustrated with my hubby (the closest we ever come to a fight), I was finally off for a run with the dog at 8:00PM. It wasn't easy. My shin started hurting, then my IT band, then my whole freaking leg. But I made it through the whole 2.75 miles.

2.75 miles - 37 minutes - 13:24 pace

Not blazing fast, but I've done worse.

Once I was home I grabbed a quick dinner of bacon and eggs with a little cheese on top (I know, twice in one day, but I needed something fast) and then sat around 'til bed time (now) recovering.

Total WW point for the day = 37 - right on track

Good news is, I'm in ketosis and I'm burning fat. I'm not hungry and I'm getting my workout in. Now to try and get some sleep.

'Night All!

If you didn't know already, my weight loss progress hasn't been what I had hoped. My nutrition hasn't been 100% clean and I've been feeling crappy and depressed. The scale has been bopping up and down and up and down, and even more scary has been the gradual trend UP when I look at weigh averages. Not what I'm going for.

Sooooo - I went back and took a look at Dec/January to see what I was doing when I was seeing losses and feeling better. It's pretty clear to me that the 'just one won't hurt' thing has got to be at least part of the reason. When I got sick mid January I 'allowed' myself a bit of a pity party nutritionally and things really haven't been the same since.

I was also blogging my food daily back then so I'm going to go back to doing that - it seems to keep me a bit more accountable. Probably boring to any who happen to read my blog, but hey, I gotta do what I gotta do.

On other fronts -- well --

Sleep was crap at the beginning of this week and it caught up with me yesterday. I ended up sleeping in and said 'to heck with it' and skipped the gym and worked from home.

Managed to oversleep this morning too, but I forced myself to go to the gym anyway and get in some kind of workout. Hit bis and tris.

barbell Curl: 5reps x 40 lbs, 5 x 45, 10 x 50
Triceps Press-Down: 5 x 50l, 5 x 55, 10 x 60
Alternated Dumbbell Curl: 5 x 15, 5 x 20, 10 x 25

Then I did my 20 pull-ups program - week 3, day 2

Sets of: 4, 5, 3, 3, 10 for a total of 25 (with 155 assist)

I've actually gotten to over 20 total! yay!

I've committed to myself that I'm going to do my run tonight when I get home. I need to get those miles in and I can't push it out anymore or I'll screw up the rest of my schedule.

So, expect to hear from me at the end of the day w/a run and a nutrition log!

Was up and in the gym early, again this morning.  I didn't sleep well for the second night in a row last night and I'm wondering if it has something to do with overconsumption of alcohol.  I'll have to go back and review some logs with that in mind.

Started out with my chest and calf workout.  Barbell bench press came up on the exercise list again and that makes me happy.  I injured myself once doing dumbbell presses so it always makes me nervous when I start to get to failure on that one.

Still finding this new workout routine to be really easy.  It's really strange to be lifting these lighter weights and not going to failure to every set.  I almost feel as if I'm not doing a 'real' workout.  I'm sure it's going to get a lot harder as I progress.

Bench Press: 85lbs x 5 reps, 105 x 5, 125 x 12
Incline Bench Press: 85 x 5, 105 x 5, 115 x 10
Assisted Chest Dip: 5, 5, 11 x 155 of assist
Calf Press: 190 x 5, 210 x 5, 230 x 10
Seated Calf Raises: 95 x 5, 115 x 5, 115 x 10

Then I went over and did Week 3 Day one of my 100 Pushup program.  That was NOT easy, and I didn't finish all the reps of every set.  Not being able to do push-ups makes me feel like such a girl!  My mind can't even begin to wrap around the thought of doing 100 in a row!

Reps: 10,8,7,7,8 = Total 40

After that I hopped on the stationary bike (not recumbent) plugged into a podrunner mix of 180BPM (so that it would make my ride 90RPM) selected the 'random hills' program on level 6 and went for it!  :D  ended up doing 8.8 miles in my 24 minute workout.  It was enough!  I had forgotten how many 'unused' muscles get used when you bike.  I was feeling it at the end.

Food has been spot on for two days now.  Made stir fry with grass fed beef tip steak for dinner last night and it was A-MAZE-ING!  So tender and good!  It was great to bring it in my lunch again today.

Now, I would just like to make a little progress - please?

Ate popcorn and drank too much Sangria last night.  Needless to say, that 5:00AM came way too soon :(

But, I got up anyway and made it to the gym.  Started my new weight training program - it felt way easy, which was a good thing since I was tired and still felt a little drunk :P

Lat Pull Down: 5reps x 90lbs, 5 x 105, 12 x 115
V Bar Pull Down: 5 x 90, 5 x 105, 10 x 115
Dead Lift: 5 x 75, 5 x 85, 11 x 95
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrug: 5 x 65, 5 x 70, 15 x 75

20 pull-ups:  Week 3, Day 1:  2,3,2,2,10 pulls-ups with 155lbs assistance

Then I went over to the treadmill and tried to roll through a few miles.  I had forgotten how boring it is to run on the treadmill at a steady speed.  I may have to figure out a better way to run in the future... Made it through 2 miles though and it took about 29 minutes so I was pretty happy with that.  Planning to be up to 2.75 miles before the end of the week.

Official weigh in today at WW - didn't gain and didn't lose.  Considering the up and down week I've had, I'm ok with that.

By the way - did you all know that cooking is dangerous?

Yeah

Last night I was cooking up some yummy stir fried chicken.

I wanted to give it a little kick, so I figured I'd add some fresh ginger to the mix.

Now, for those of you who don't know - ginger root looks like this.

it's tough, and fibrous, and not the easiest thing to work with.

Luckily I have this amazing kitchen tool called a microplaner.  It's like a grater only the 'bladed' portions are smaller and sharper.  Like, amazingly sharp.

So, I lean the microplaner against a plate, put the ginger against the blade and push really hard (cause remember that the ginger is really tough).  I manage to do this well about twice before the ginger slipped off the blade and I managed to slam my knuckles against the blades on the microplaner --- Yeah  I grated my hand....

So - who wants chicken??

Kilax asked about my upcoming races...

My two "Focus" races right now are:

Date	Race	Type
Feb 27th	LMJS - Couples Relay	5K Run/Relay
June 4th	Tri for fun - Rancho Seco - #1	Sprint - Tri

I'm keeping a list of all the races I'm hoping to do here

2011 Races

and as I complete them I'll update with results.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you!  Any questions - please feel free to drop me a line.

Oh! and if you want to know a little about how I eat - I'm throwing a few recipes on another blog here - Confessions of a Cooking Imbicil

Since I cannot WAIT to get back to working out next week, I'm going to post my training plan, just so I can look at and smile in anticipation....

Monday:
Wendler 5-3-1 - Week 1 -  Back and traps
20 Pullups - Week 3, Day 1
Run - 2.75 miles

Tuesday:
Wendler 5-3-1 - Week 1 -  Chest and Calves
100 Pushups - Week 3, Day 1
Bike - 24 minutes

Wednesday:
Wendler 5-3-1 - Week 1 - Biceps and Triceps

20 Pullups - Week 3, Day 2

Run - 2 miles

Thursday:

Wendler 5-3-1 - Week 1 -  Legs and Abs

100 Pushups - Week 3, Day 2

Swim - 20 minutes

Friday:

Wendler 5-3-1 - Week 1 - Shoulders and Forearms

20 Pullups - Week 3, Day 3

Run - 2.75 miles

Saturday:

100 Pushups - Week 3, Day 3

Bike - 40 minutes

Swim - 21 minutes

You might notice a few changes here (or maybe not - heh)

1)  I'm changing my weight training just a bit.  I've heard a lot about the 5-3-1 program and it looks fun.  Plus it's got De-Loading weeks programed in every 4th week, and I think I need that bit of rest.

2)  I'm running for distance.  I've come to the conclusion that I'm just too slow to run for time.  I've got to get a few more miles in before my race, so I've picked up the last few weeks of the Hal Higdom Novice 5K program so that I can push my endurance into that 3 Mile range before my 5K.

3)  I'm adding Biking and Swimming into the mix.  That's because I'm actually  16 weeks out from my first "A" Race Triathlon and that makes this week 1 of sprint training!  (EGADS!)  so I need to get back on the bike and in the pool.  I figured I'd split my bike training by doing 1 day on the trainer during the week, and on day out on the roads during the weekend.  The weekday ride will be pretty much to the minute with some alternating resistance to simulate hills and probably to Podrunner to work on my cadence.  The weekend ride will be minimum the number of minutes in my plan, and weather permitting, on the roads.  I plan to get in a short swim mid week, and then a longer one on the weekend.  The weekend swim may, or may not be as a brick with the bike ride, and the hope is to transition to more open water swimming as the weather gets better.  We'll see, I still haven't found a place to regularly hit the open water.

And, that's that! :D 

I think I'm back in Ketosis because yesterday I slowly, but steadily felt better during the day.

This morning I woke up groggy but not tired, and by the time I got to work I was bouncing with extra energy.  It's so nice to have 'me' back!

Positive thoughts are racing through my head and I can't wait to see what the day brings.  Whatever I'm doing now I need to keep doing, because I LOVE feeling this way :D

My tummy troubles have improved too.  Early yesterday the pain was at about an 8.  By the end of the day it was down to about a 3, and this morning?   I'm at about a 1.  I can live with that.

One thing I want to track though is what I did yesterday and see how it relates to my moods and most importantly my guts.  You all can skip this part if you like! :D

Pain level = 8-2
Energy level = 0-6
Calories = 2101 (Yeah, I enjoyed my dinner! two Bratwurst = 600 cals! wow!)
Fat = 136.7g - Carb = 72.5g - Prot = 135.7g  That's a 60/15/25% ratio - not too bad
Super Enzymes - 2 out of three meals (forgot at dinner, probably because I wasn't hurting as much)
Probiotics - check
Fish Oil - 2 out of 3 doses (forgot at breakfast)
Water - 1 Liter

I have to say, I am so excited about working out next week. I can not WAIT to get back into the gym!

The cliff notes version:

I'm still resting.

Still waking up tired.

My guts feel like crap and I'm about ready to do something drastic to try and get some relief.

I've gained 5 pounds since Saturday.

Pastured pork is awesomely good!

The longer version:


I fell asleep easily last night and slept until 6:30 this morning (when the alarm went off) and I'm still waking up, and worse STAYING, tired.  Even with caffeine I'm constantly dragging and sleepy throughout the day.  I actually feel worse this week NOT working out then I did last week when I was at least getting 45 minutes of exercise a day.  Still, I promised my body a solid week's rest so I'm sticking with it.  Although I hate getting up at 5:00 AM to do it, I'm looking forward to getting back into the gym next week.

My guts *sigh*.  Oh how I wish I could blame my issues on grains.  The sad thing is, I brought this on myself by not knowing any better.  You see, about 17 years ago I had a horrible gall bladder attack.  Something I know now was probably caused by a grain intolerance/autoimmune issue.  I listened to my Dr and had them yank out the offending organ.  After all, I don't really NEED it right?  Being young and stupid I listened to the medical community and did no research.  I just went in and did the deed thinking all my problems would be solved.  10 years ago I started getting level 10 gut pain.  It would hit without warning, leaving me doubled over and throwing up.  Problem was, by the time I would decide I should go to the Dr, the pain would be gone.  Trying to explain to a Dr that you WERE in pain and where it was and how it felt, when the pain itself is gone -- it's a lesson if futility.  After about a year of this I finally told myself that when it happened again, no matter the time I would go to the Dr and if they didn't believe how much pain I was in, throw-up on his shoes.

So, the pain hit, I hit the emergency and after a LOT of hemming and hawing, during which one Dr decided I just had gas...   I finally got a scan done and discovered that my appendix was leaking!  Well there was no consult at that point - within a few hours I was back under the knife.

So, you can imagine my fear and frustration when a few years later I started getting abdominal pain again.  This time I didn't mess around.  I was into the Dr and yelling at him to 'FIX THIS!'.  Only, I was told there was no fixing it.  One, or both of my abdominal surgeries had caused scar tissue that had wrapped around my intestines.  (called adhesions) I was looking at having surgery that had about a 25% chance of success to 'clip' the scar tissue, or just learning to live with/minimize the pain.  I, of course, chose the latter.

What's interesting is that the pain comes and goes.  I don't really know what causes it to start, or what makes it go away.  I just know that I've been dealing with a severe flair up since before the first of the year.  The best explanation I can find as to what is going on is

In most people, abdominal adhesions do not cause any symptoms. Adhesions that partially block the intestine from time to time can cause intermittent bouts of crampy abdominal pain.

Yeah, that about explains it.  Of course having a crap food binge on Monday didn't help my little digestive issue and as the week has progressed, the pain and general malease has gotten worse. So, what do I do?  The SAD diet doesn't help.  Paleo made things a little better, but not perfect.  I've been taking Super Enzymes and Probiotics and nothing seems to be making things relax.  Therefore, I'm seriously thinking about doing some kind of 'cleanse'.  I feel like I need to give my guts some kind of break so that I can get rid of this spasm and get 'moving' normally.

Anyway, enough of that crap - if I find something that works, I'll alert you all.

Tied into all of that though, as of today I'm up 5 pounds since Saturday.   The pizza I had on Monday lingers on...

However!  Last night we finally tried some of the pastured pork that we bought over the weekend.

From the website of the place we bought it (Baron's Meat & Poultry)...

Niman Ranch partners with Willis Farms in Iowa to raise non-confinement, all-natural pork. Niman Ranch is dedicated to ensuring that meat production does not impact the environment, so "factory farms" are not allowed in its protocols. Pigs are pastured and eat human quality feeds. The pork Baron's Meat & Poultry provides is sweet, juicy, and flavorful.

Yeah - "Sweet, juicy and flavorful" doesn't even begin to describe it.  It was so yummy!  My husband who swore he didn't like pork chops went back for seconds and asked when we could have these again.  If you have never had real free-living pork, I would challenge you to give it a try.  As with eggs, the difference may just be worth the extra cost.

Another great day - Had some eggs scrambled in lard for breakfast, a snack of a hard boiled egg. After that, I wasn't really hungry until dinner when I had some excellent meatballs, with a side of curry cauliflower. I'm about ready to have a bit of steamed veg before bed and that should do it for the day. 100% on plan.

Today I stuck to my training plan and took the day off.  As I sign I might be doing something right, I woke up at my normal time (5:00AM) without an alarm (figures).  But, I'm going to follow through and just take the entire week off anyway.

Although, I may have another (or additive) reason for how I've been feeling.  Because I've been struggling with seeing results on the scale, I started logging my food yesterday.  

Now, historically, I stop logging for two reasons.  

1 - I stop logging because I really don't want to acknowledge how out of control my eating is getting and I'm actually eating double what my body needs.

2 - I'm super focused, have my eye on the goal and think I'm following my plan but in actuality I've taken things too far the other way and I'm way under eating.

These past few weeks I've been in #2 mode.  At the end of the day yesterday, when I logged my food I had eaten just over 1000 calories.  Hmmm, I wonder why I have been so tired.

So, this week I'm getting back to logging my food, making sure I'm getting enough fuel in the tank and hopefully I can get back to working out regularly and seeing results.

Normally Mondays are good days for me.  I'm rested up from the weekend and I have no trouble getting up and doing what I need to do.

Yesterday?  It was a no go.  Even though I had got to bed at 10:00 I ended up sleeping until 8:00 AM.

This morning, I again was fighting to wake-up/get myself out of bed.  Soooo I decided to try something different.  I'm going to listen to my body and take a week off.  No weight lifting, no running... I'm going to do some stretching just so I don't lose the progress I've made on my back and shoulder issues, but otherwise, I'm taking a rest!

The timing isn't the best because I have a race in just 4 weeks, but I'll just have to take this as a lesson learned and program (and do) my back off weeks a little better next time.

I'm hoping that this shutdown week will help me feel better and get me back into training consistently.

On the food front -- well, yesterday I just lost it.  I was tired and frustrated and well you name it :D  took 'binge day'.  I had a bunch of crap food like cupcakes and pizza.  It actually felt good to relax for that little bit.  What worries me is not the off day, but getting focus back.  Amazingly, although the feast beast has risen his head a few times today, it's been really easy to tell him to 'shut up' and go back to eating on plan.  that's a big deal for me.  As to how I feel after my junk food fest.  Honestly, I wish I felt worse.  I'm tired today, but I've been tired every day for a week now.  My stomach feels fine.  My only noticeable change is that my hands and wrists are really swollen and achy.  But, it is a reaction I should acknowledge.  Yes, there is a part of me that wishes I would get 'bent over the bowl' sick when I ate crap food.  But I don't :(

So, this week I'm going to do a lot of sitting around and eating good clean food.  I'm not expecting to make a lot of progress.  I may not even lose any weight.  But, I need to realize that this is a journey, a process and if I want to make a change and make it last, then I have to be in the moment and be open to learning the lessons I need to learn.  I have always been an 'all or nothing' person.  I'm working out 6 days a week for 3 months, or doing nothing for 3 months.  I'm eating super strict 'on plan' or cleaning out the candy isle every day.  None of that works as my body shows.

I've paid lip service to 'life style changes' in the past.  It's time to really figure out what it will take to make myself healthy and happy for a LIFETIME.  There's not doubt in my mind that Paleo is a big part of that.  Just as I'm sure that my lifestyle will sometimes include pizza and cupcakes.  For now, my goal is to keep my pizza and cupcake days down to once a month.  To that end, I've told the feast beast that he can have whatever he wants Feb 28th.

My lifestyle will also include weight lifting.  Probably more weight lifting then cardio because that's what I love doing.  But it's also going to have to include some rest.  I'm pretty sure that I get afraid to rest not because I'm worried about loss of progress, but because I'm afraid that if I put the weight down, I'll never pick it up again. It's happened to me in the past.  Again, I need to find that balance.  I think planning the rest will help with that balance.  If I'm taking a day off because it's part of my training - if I wake up thinking "My plan today is to rest"  then I'm never 'off my plan'.  So, I'm never getting out of the the habit of thinking what my goal for the day is.

And so - this week I'm resting.  No matter how guilty or scared it makes me feel. Next week I start back again.  I'll finish up the current weight cycle and my race training and run my first race of the year on Feb 27th.  In the meanwhile I'm going to review my year long plan and tweak it to make sure I get these planned rest days into the program so I don't burn out again.

Official weigh-in UP .4 lbs. I knew this wasn't a great week, but still very frustrating. So close to the 10 pound milestone. Next week I'll probably blow right past it.

Yesterday was so tired first thing in the morning I actually slept until 9:00 AM (after going to bed at 10:00PM) - missed the gym and ended up working from home - bizarre.

And, today was another one of those days. Just felt mentally drained and tired. 'Snoozed' the alarm for almost an hour before getting out of bed and still was dragging by the time I got to the gym. I guess it was noticeable because a guy (who I had never talked to before) said "Too early in the morning huh?" As he walked past me.

Cable Rows: 6 reps x 140 lbs x 3 sets
Lat Pulldowns: 6 x 140 x 2
Barbell Row: 6 x 115 x 2
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrug: 10 x 80 x 3

100 Pushups - Testing: 10, yes I did 10 pushups in a row without stopping (I feel like such a wimp!)

Despite feeling like crap - went up in weight on all exercises. So it's obviously NOT muscle fatigue or lack of recovery - right?

So, a few things I'm going to try:

1)  take my Melatonin earlier in the evening.  When I drop it completely I have trouble falling and staying alseep, so I don't want to do that - yet.

2) if #1 doesn't help, I'll drop my dose down.

3) if that doesn't work... Stop taking it at all.

Alternatively I'm considering changing to another 'natural' sleepaid.  dunno, we'll see.  I've battled with sleep issues my whole life and would really like to have a more natural/normal sleep schedule.

Anywho - after that I went over to the treadmill for my run.  I was running late, but figured something was better then nothing so I did a quick 15 cardio with 5 minutes of a walking warm-up and 10 minutes of running - made it 1 mile.

Mentally I just feel BLAH still -

(men - if you're reading this, you can skip this part - it's 'girl stuff')

I know that much of this mental up and down crap right now is hormonal.  It's rather ironic that before switching (back) to paleo my periods were really erratic and I would go months without one.  1 week on paleo and I have my first period in MONTHS and now it's back, a month later like clockwork.  And with the period has come the hormonal erratic mentality that make me -- well pissed honestly.  This down in the dumps, then up in the clouds, then red with anger ping pong shit... I don't have time for it.  I seriously want to grab myself by the shoulders, shake myself and scream "GET OVER IT!!"

I know, I know, this too shall pass.  Next week I may even forget I ever felt this way.  Until then, will someone please slap me with a herring?

Feeling depressed and generally blah today. Days like these make me hate being a woman. Darn hormones! Whereas I normally go to the gym and feel powerful and strong. Today I just felt dumpy and fat. Looking forward to better days that's for sure.

It's kind of funny that things are pretty easy for me right now, and that doesn't seem to give me much to blog about.

Thanks to the few 'new' people who have dropped by and left me a comment - I really appreciate the support!

Workouts have been going well - though, now that I'm over my cold I seem to have hit the 'hormonal' time of the month.  Retaining water, tired and craving sweets - yay!  Good news is if I stay focused this can end up being a really strong week.

Friday the 'tireds' hit me hard, but I still managed to make it to the gym.  It took a lot mentally to start each set, but once I lifted it, it wasn't that hard so it's obvious that the exhaustion I was feeling was something other then physical.  Hit my chest workout, did some abs and then my '100 pushups' - looked like this:

Incline Barbell Bench Press:  6 reps x 115 lbs x 3 sets (hopefully this helps explain my shorthand Kim!)
Dumbbell Bench Press: 6 x 50 x 3
Chest Dip: 8 (with 155lbs of assist)
Hanging Leg Raise: 10, 10
Cable Kneeling Crunch: 10 x 110 x 2
100 Pushups - Week 2 day 2: 5, 3, 4, 4, 7

Finally got around to my last run of the week on Sunday - It was an amazing day. So I grabbed my running partner



(he was more enthusiastic then it looks)

and off we went!

I wasn't sure how this was going to go - 20 minutes of solid running. But hey, the weather was great, the dog was excited to be out on a run with me -- I figured I would go out and do my best. Only bummer out of the whole thing was that I somehow turned off my watch after the first 5 minutes and didn't figure it out until about 10 minutes later... but I still feel like I had a great run and the dog and I enjoyed the entire experience. Made it 1.91 miles in 25 mintes for a pace of 13:05 including a 5 minute walking warm-up... I take it!.

The best part was getting to dress like this while running!



Yes, it's January here too...

Monday - tired and frustrated because my arm strength sucks! but did a decent bi workout.

alternated Dumbbell Curl: 6 x 30 x 2
Barbell Curl: 5 x 60 x 2
EZ Curl Bar Curl: 6 x 55
20 Pull-ups: Week 2 Day 1: 1,2,1,1,10 w/155 assist

Then I hopped on the treadmill - I don't normally run two days in a row so I was a little unsure how it would go, but I figured 'what the heck'.  It was a 'back-off' day with only 5, 8, and 5 minute runs with 3 minute rest intervals.  Was actually pretty easy.

2 miles - 29 minutes

Yesterday was shoulders - still dealing with the blahs, but by then I had figured out the cause.  Once I had done that it was easy to take my focus on how tired and cranky I was feeling and force myself to think about hearts, flowers and .... well generally not make it worse by getting sucked into the PMS blackhole of blah thinking vicious cycle.

Dumbbell Press: 6 x 40 x 3
Side Lateral Raise: 6 x 25 x 2
Bent-over Raise: 6 x 22.5 x 2
100 Pushups: Week 2 Day 3: Total Pushups: 30 Sets: 5, 7, 5, 5, 8

Last night -- well the monthly bout of insomnia hit... stupid night to forget to take my bedtime sups, but it is what it is - when I'm laying there looking at the clock at 2:00AM it's the wrong time to go pop the sleepy time pills - lol  I was slow to get up but forced myself to the gym anyway.  I was glad I did.  While I was setting up my squats, I had an older gentleman (by older I mean older then me) come up and ask me about my Manta Ray

He was really nice (and in good shape) and we got into a conversation about weight lifting, knee rehab and other random stuff.  He ended up asking me if I was a powerlifter, because I was lifting so much weight.  He totally meant it as a compliment and I took it as one.

Barbell Squat: 6 reps x 215 lbs x 3 sets
Angled Leg Press: 6 x 630 x 2
Lying Hamstring Curl: 6 x 95 x 2
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 6 x 185 x 2


Then another guy complimented my strength right before telling me I should be using a weightlifting belt for my deadlifts. He didn't seem to understand that I didn't use a weight lifting belt because I'm working on whole body strength. I never do deadlifts to failure and focus on lifting with my glutes/hamstrings. I use my core to stabilize my back and thus avoid having to do things like planks or 'core workouts' (ick!). Seems to me that using a weight lifting belt kind of defeats the purpose... but, what do I know? I'm just a girl who picks things up and puts them down ;)

Oh yeah - also did
Twenty Pullups workout - Week 2 Day 2 - total reps 17 made up of sets: 3, 2, 1, 1, 10

That pretty much brings us up to date.  Food wise - I've been great.  Small cravings for sweets but nothing that can't be silenced with a little 85% dark chocolate.  Feeling strong and relatively happy considering the hormonal timeframe.  I'm smiling a lot more then I'm not.

Oh - should be publishing some progress photos soon too - I'm kind of excited to see if I can see the changes I'm feeling...

After slipping last week and gaining 1.2 lbs this week I'm down 3 lbs for a total of 9.4. Although I'm happy for the loss I was really hoping to hit 10 lbs gone. Ah well.

Alright, so things went a little sideways for me for a bit.  I got sick, didn't workout, didn't feel like eating and was pissed to see the scale bounce up and up and up.  I know it was just from the virus, but is still frustrating.  But, I eased back into this week and I'm seeing results again - yay!  Intelligent persistence pays off again (as my old weight loss coach used to say)

So, Monday I was still trying to recover from the cold, but I was sick of sitting around on my bum. figured I would hit the gym and just see how I did. Was also time for a new mix of exercises -- that always makes me feel weak.

Alternated Dumbbell Curl: 6 x 30, 5 x 30
Standing Barbell Curl: 4 x 60, 3 x 60
EZ-Curl Bar Curl: 6 x 55

Cable Kneeling Crunch: 10 x 100 x 2

Then I hopped on the treadmill and did my training run.

Took it easy because I've been sick. Only went 4.3 MPR on the running portions of my workout. Painfully slow, but I was able to easily finish each interval and didn't feel as if I had drained myself after the workout. Important to leave something in the tank to continue to fight the cold with.

went 1.9 miles in the 30 minute workout

Tuesday was back at it and feeling better -- oh so much better.
Actually had someone talk to me while I was working out - offered to spot me on the military press. That was nice, I appreciated it. There's also a gentleman who nods and says hello whenever he sees me. I appreciate that too - some days I feel like a pariah at the gym. Granted, I'm not there to socialize, hit on folks or be hit on. But sheeze say hello...I would, but people seriously avoid eye contact with me.

Barbell Military Press: 6 x 105, 6 x 115, 6 x 115
Side Lateral Raise: 6 x 25 x 2
Bent-Over Rear Deltoid Raise: 6 x 22.5 x 2
Seated Calf Raises: 6 x 145, 6 x 150, 6 x 150

100 Push-ups Workout - Week 2 Day 1: 4,6,4,4,5

Wednesday - was legs

I figured out that it's really nice to get my two least favorite workouts out of the way early in the week (bi's and shoulders)so that I'm left with legs, chest and back for the end. I'm feeling 80% recovered now so gave my legs all I got :D

Oh, and ended up workout next to this guy that I've seen in the gym a few times. If I judged by outward appearances alone, I would have guessed he was one of those, steroid using, sloppy lifters with more muscle then brain that drive me NUTS at the gym (hubby and I call them 'meat heads'). But, this guy has been working out with some 'less gifted' of his friends and the stuff he tells them (and demonstrates) is right on the money. Great form and super courteous weight lifter. Puts his weights away, cleans up his chalk, doesn't pose in front of the mirror between every set. Turns out he's a competitive power lifter -- not a 'meat head' at all! :D And impressively strong to boot! If I could ever get him to make eye contact - I would say 'hello' *sigh*

Barbell Squat: 6 x 215 x 3
Leg Press: 6 x 630
Lying Hamstring Curl: 6 x 95
Stiff Leg Deadlift: 6 x 185

Twenty Pullups - Week 1 Day 3 (yeah my days are all messed up from being sick): 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 10 with 155 lbs of assist.

Almost talked myself out of my run. I just wasn't feeling motivated to do it. I think I get frustrated when I don't get better/make progress with every run. Why am I ok with lifting the same weight several weeks in a row, but not ok with giving my running time to come around? Maybe because it feels like I'm starting so far behind the curve. Dunno. But, I made myself get on the treddy and pound out my workout. And when I was done, I felt better for it. Still having to go frustratingly slow. Bumped the speed up to 4.5MPR for my first interval (8 minutes) and almost didn't make it to the end. Only went to 4.3 for the second 8 minute interval and still struggled to finish - bah! Bah I say! :D

total of 1.9 miles in 28 minutes this time...

I didn't want to get out of bed this morning. Talked myself into just driving to the gym and showering there, but once I got into the car and started driving I was ready to workout. Funny how 1/2 the job of working out is just overcoming inertia. As Newton says "An object that is at rest will stay at rest unless an unbalanced force acts upon it." well, my goal is to become an unbalance force! :D

Besides, today was a back workout, another of my favs.

Cable Row: 6 x 135 x 3
Barbell Row: 6 x 105 x 2
Lat Pulldown: 6 x 135 x 2
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrug: 10 x 80 x 3

I think I figured out today why I feel so isolated at the gym sometimes.  In years past I aways went to the gym with my hubby and having a workout partner was really nice...  But, then again, I really like my 'alone time' too. I've come to realize that one of the reasons I love working out so much is because it's one of the few times I can shut off my brain. I don't think about work or finances or the kids or anything. I can focus on my body and be entirely in the moment. Resistance training, it's like meditation for me.

So, Antonieta dropped by and wanted to know what exercises I was doing to eliminate tummy fat.

Antonieta, I'm sorry, you're not going to like this, but the loss at my midsection has nothing to do with exercise.  That hasn't changed since September.

What's changed?  my diet.  The change in my tummy is from going grain, legume and dairy free.  I know, I know the vegetation in you just shuddered, but that's the truth!

Well, this week hasn't been good, it hasn't been good at all. I started out not feeling well on Monday and it just kind of got worse from there. By Wednesday I was running a fever, and feeling queasy. Thursday was more of the same. Stuffy head, cough and upset stomach. All I wanted was comfort food! And, I ate it. The only good thing was, even though I ate sugar and chocolate and the like, I managed to stay away from the wheat. yay!

Today wasn't much better for the first 1/2 of the day. Still feeling like crap and still inhaling chocolate. But, but the end of the day I was feeling better and got a little excited about cooking something for dinner. My cupboard is a little bare right now since tomorrow is grochery day, but I managed to scrape together something from what I had hanging around. Curry turkey meatballs, with a warm mint yogurt sauce along side some spiced sweet potato pancakes. It was all so good!

I just know I 'm not looking forward to weighing in tomorrow. Oh well - not much I can do about it now.

Feeling a little better yesterday. Ate clean again, and I can tell the difference. Breakfast was some Natural JD Sausage again, with an egg. Lunch was left over Beef Stir, and dinner was a quick egg scramble with a side of marinated artichoke hearts.

Had some mixed nuts/fruits and some nut crunch things for a mid-afternoon snack, and some almonds and olives when I got home from work. Overall I think things are headed in the wrong direction. One thing's for sure - no more grain based alcohol for me!

Don't even ask me how I managed to GAIN 4 pounds in one day. I just know that yesterday was the first day of all of this that I actually ended the day feeling crappy about what I ate. I was craving salt like crazy. My theory is that the alcohol I drank on SAT (My friend and I almost finished a bottle of Gentleman Jack between the two of us) caused my body to release hormone cortisol - cortisol (and it's hormonal friends) can mess with your salt/water balance, and well... that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

We'll see tomorrow if today's weight was just a salt/water thing, or if maybe the 211 from the day before was an alcohol/dehydration thing. My guess, it's a little of both.

Anywho, Today's eats were much cleaner, much better balanced. I had some natural Jimmy Dean sausage and two scrambled eggs for breakfast, left over pork loin medallions with a whack of broccoli for lunch, and some very yummy stir fried beef for dinner. Snacks were a bag of cashews, some almonds and some almond stuffed olives.

Had the standard scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast, but after that, just pretty much grazed all day. Ate a LOT of salt though and still feel like I'm craving more :| Ah well, part of the process is learning to listen to my body. But, if I didn't have to weigh in for a comp tomorrow - I wouldn't step on the scale, cause I'm sure it's going to be BAD.

So - this is the difference from 12/26 to 1/9 - I've lost 7.6 lbs, but it all seems to be from my belly.   A place I'm happy to lose it from!

Yesterday was a strange day. Slept Really late - catching up from the week. Then went to the gym, did a heavy weight workout, came home to sausage, scrambled eggs and a pear prepared by my loving husband. After that settled, went for a run, then got invited out for drinks with the neighbor. Since I'm giving myself one 'carb up' meal per week (but gluten free) I went out and enjoyed an awesome bunless burger, some fresh fries and a few glasses of gentleman jack. Woke up this morning almost 2 lbs lighter - whoop! :D

My day yesterday got a little screwed up because I overslept. Didn't get up until 6:30 :( so I didn't have time to hit the gym before work. (made up for it today though). Breakfast was three eggs and 2 slices of bacon. Makes everyone in the office jealous when I heat that up in the microwave! :D For lunch I had a can of chicken breast (Sometimes you have to go with 'fast food'), an avocado and a hard boiled egg, all piled together on a plate. It really is yummy and one of my favorite stash and dash lunches. Dinner was pork loin with peppers, mushrooms 'n onions. MMM MMM good!

Official weigh in 3.4 pounds down. 7.6 total

As my stress levels have gone up today, I've found myself fantasizing about French fries from Wendy's (which is right down the street)

I wonder why my body/mind reacts that way.

Just a quick check in before bed, since I haven't had a chance to post in a day or two.

My goal to drink more water? eh - it's going ok - not great. But hey, how's that 'old' adage go? "Progress not Perfection"

My hands have recovered from the strap 'injury'. So that's a plus.

I've been killing my workouts. Yesterday was Back and I went to the SAC gym.  It was a little more crowded then the MIL gym where I normally workout on weekdays.  Still not as crowded as the OAK gym near my house though.

Lat Pull-Down: 6 x 140 x 3*
V Bar Pull-Down: 6 x 140 x 2*
Cable Row: 6 x 140 x 2*
One-Arm Row: 6 x 55

*Increase in Weight

Just absolutely crushing my previous PR's

Then I hopped on the treadmill and did my first day to 5K workout. I was really surprised that the run was easier then Monday. I wasn’t expecting that at all. Maybe this ‘training’ thing actually works? :D the really cool thing was that right at the start of my last 3 Min running interval, my headphones died. So, I didn’t really know when I was supposed to stop. My watch isn’t set up to show me the time for my lap (only total time) so I was kind of stuck. So – I just kept running. When I finally stopped I hit the lap button, and got the summary screen I was told I had managed to keep the 12Min Per Mile pace for 4 and a half minutes instead of the required 3. Guess I’m not as far gone as I thought!

I was back at the SAC gym today and was surprised that it was a little quieter then the day before.  I heard some of the others in the gym talking about how the crowd had died down already, and they were glad of it.  Although I like it better when the gym is quiet, it was a little sad to think that some people had given up on their goals already and it was only the 6th!

It was Chest day today, and I did my best to make the 'boys' nervous.

Incline Dumbbell Press: 6 x 45 x 3
Dumbbell Bench Press: 6 x 50 x 2
Decline Dumbbell Press: 6 x 45 x 2
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs: 10 x 80 x 2*

* Increase in weight

I know, for sure that I could go up in weight on the Incline and Decline Presses, but weirdly enough, I'm more nervous doing chest with dumbbells, without a spotter, then I am doing a barbell. So, fear is holding me back a little.  Probably because I majorly tweaked my shoulder/back doing dumbbell presses before, and even though it's been over 4 years, I can vividly remember how it felt when it happened! :|

A few funny things started my day off right today.  As I was going into the gym, a held the door for the gym that was coming up behind me.  He was just beside himself that I would do that and thanked me over and over.  He asked me "If a man does something like that, he's called a Gentleman, what do you can a woman?"

I just laughed, shrugged and said "Polite?"  He laughed too, and then later held the door for me in return.

So, I was already smiling when I hit the gym door.  Then, just as walking into the locker room a gym behind me said, "Wow, that's a really pretty bag you have there".

Now admittedly, it IS a really pretty bag.  Probably not what most people would expect someone to bring to the gym but it's really the perfect size and function.  But, it's not really something I would expect a guy to notice.  I thanked him and went on my way.

And the best?   I was really pleased to see the improvements already when I look in the mirror.  My tummy has gone down a lot and you can actually see when my stomach ends and my boobs begin.  Apparently I wasn't the only one who noticed because as I walked past two guys workout out I heard one say to the other,  "oooo yeah!  that's what I'm talkin' about" (Yes, I'm vain).

Girl is gettin' her groove back!

I'll be taking pictures again this weekend (for a a weight loss comp) and hopefully I'll be able to show a little progress....

P.S.  This turned out not to be such a quick update after all! hah

Cross another day off the calender. Breakfast was leftover Omelet muffins (with breakfast sausage and asparagus). Lunch was leftover fruited chicken from the other night with a whack of broccoli alongside. Dinner was chicken fajita salad. Grilled chicken on top of spinach and lettuce with some avocado on the side. YUM!

Another great 'food' day. Post workout was a banana and a hard boiled egg. Although, I've been thinking I'll cut the post workout fruit - just because I've noticed more cravings over the past few days. Breakfast was bacon and eggs, again. Can't go wrong with that staple. For lunch I had leftover chili. Dinner was Omelet muffins. I love these things! Grab a Meat, a veg (or several) chop it small, toss with eggs and pour into muffin tins and bake. I ate some for dinner and had leftovers for today's breakfast! Yummy! Everything's going according to plan and I'm feeling fantastic!

Paleo for my birthday!

Post workout was an orange and a hard boiled egg. Man, that feels good after a heavy leg workout. Breakfast was two eggs and some bacon - makes the rest of the office jealous when I cook that in the microwave. For lunch I had the leftover Mediterranean Chicken and veg from last night, with a few olives and a scoop (or three) of almond butter for a snack while I made chili. What I'm calling Nom Nom Chili :D

Got two thumbs up from my husband