Saturday Sweat Session: LEGS!!!

Legs, legs legs!!  My favorite body part to work.  This awesome workout was created by one of the other trainers at the gym and I loved it so had to share!  The only rule: no decreasing weights!!  If you choose to go up in the amount of weight you use because the first set is too easy, then you cannot decrease it back down.  If the first set is too easy, then you don't need to decrease the weights!

First exercise (each exercise done one after the other, no rest until all 4 exercises completed)
incline leg press x 12
incline leg press w/ feet together x 12
single leg incline leg press x 10
single leg incline leg press x 10
Repeat 4 times

Second exercise
Tabata seated hamstring curls
8 rounds of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest

Third exercise
TRX one-leg jump lunges x 12
Repeat 3 times each leg

Fourth exercise
kettlebell thrusters x 20
Repeat 3 times

Fifth exercise (each exercise done one after the other, no rest until both exercises completed)
standing calf raise slow speed x 10
stadning calf raise fast speed x 10
Repeat 2 times

Starting weight: 176.4 lbs.
Last week weight:  140.0

Current weight: 138.2

Current loss:  -1.8
TOTAL LOSS: -38.2

So far going strong.  

Workouts have been on point (about to head to the gym after I post this to attack chest, shoulders and tris).  Nutrition has been better but there's still room for improvment.  I'm not sticking to my plan 100% like I should be, but kind of using it as a guide for my everyday eating.  So far it seems to be working and I really like it!  The hardest part about the plan:

too much food!!

Yup, I'm stuffed.  I'm used to eating 5 or 6 times a day, but because the plan calls for a lot of veggies throughout the day, I'm always full.  Never had this problem on a diet before.  =)

'W' is for Walnuts

(source)

... as in honey-roasted walnuts!  Sorry no picts but we made these at a friend's house and didn't have my camera around.  They turned out so yummy that we actually went to the store to buy all different kinds of nuts!

Ingredients:

• 1c walnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 tbs. honey
• 1/3 tsp cayenne pepper
• dash of salt

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a microwave safe bowl, mix together honey, cayenne pepper and salt and microwave about 15 - 20 seconds or until honey runs thin.

2.) Add walnuts to the bowl and mix well until all walnuts are coated with honey mixture.

3.) Spread walnuts on baking pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time.

4.) Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

ENOUGH!

Alright, truth be told.

I haven't been around the blog much because things have been pretty bad on the health and fitness front for me.  No bitching or complaining, but long story short, I'm sitting about 10 lbs. heavier than my lowest weight of 128.

I can give you all the excuses in the world for why it happened, but instead I'm moving forward and doing something about it!

 

I had enough!

Workouts are still happening but not as often and intense as I would like.  Working with other personal trainers helps a ton because we'll usually pair up to workout (workout buddies!!) but I still find myself making excuses to why I can't do an extra 20 minutes of cardio or why I HAVE to go out to buy my lunch.

But no more!

I'm not making any promises about how often I'll be blogging but I AM making a promise that health and fitness are back to being my number one priorities.

To get my eating back on track, I'm following an awesome diet plan, made by an awesome woman, whose concept and ideas behind the plan are things I strongly believe in.  Fighter Diet.  If you don't know, educate yourself with the link!

So official re-starting stats:

Starting weight: 176.4 lbs.
Last week weight:  ???

Current weight: 140.0

Current loss:  ???
TOTAL LOSS: -36.4

Did you forget about me?

Wow!!  A month and half has gone by since my last post and not too many things have changed since then. 

I still haven't:

• blogged - OBVIOUSLY!
• caught up on any blogs
• gotten back to my "normal" pre-vacation eating habits - eating out has replaced almost all my meals
• gotten back to my exercise routine - still working out, but the workouts have been all over the place - full body one day, only arms one day, only cardio one day, only plyo one day, etc.
• lost any weight since I got back - NEED to get on this one!

I still have:

• BEEN SUPER BUSY but so so happy

Updates, updates, and updates

Life hasn't changed much over the last two months, but I miss my vacation (back in June) and literally think about it everyday.  Two months later and I'll be posting some pictures in the next few posts - since I know you're all dying to see them.  =)

My new career as a personal trainer is moving slowly, but surely, in the right direction.  I've added a second certification to my name and I've gotten pretty comfortable talking to strangers and getting them in for a "first one's free" session, but still have to work on presenting and "selling" my service to them.  I say "selling" (in quotes) because if I lay the ground work in that free session, I shouldn't have to sell anything... the potential clients should see the value in my service, WANT that value, and ask me how to get more of it.

And last but not least, things on the blog may be changing a bit - the biggest change hopefully being more consistent posts.  But seriously, since the blog is now being read by several of my clients, I'll be posting my daily eats and workouts a couple times a week.

Here's hoping I'll be around a bit more!

So...

... it's been almost three (3!!!) weeks since I've been back from my trip (which was AMAZING) and here's what's been happening.

I haven't:

• blogged 
• caught up on any blogs
• organized my pictures from my trip yet (over 2000 to go through)
• gotten back to my "normal" eating habits
• gotten back to my exercise routine
• lost any weight since I got back

I have:

•  gained about 5 pounds since before the trip
• quit my job (!!!)
• started working as a personal trainer full time
• been asked to come back to my old job part-time
• BEEN SUPER BUSY but so so happy

Right now, there are so many things going on between the new personal trainer job (so much to learn) and the part-time old job (so much to catch up on whenever I go in) that I haven't had any time to get on the internet.  A lot of my free time is spent creating my clients' programs- which I LOVE doing, - studying for my next personal trainer certification, and organizing my financials to make sure I have enough money for the next couple months.

So far, the decision to leave my comfortable, sit-at-a-desk government job has been the best decision ever!

Nothing changes if nothing changes

I'm on my trip right now but here's something interesting (I hope):

If nothing about your current life-style changes, how can you expect changes to happen to your health and body?

When someone first starts out on a "life-style change",  they'll almost always see immediate results because any change, big or small, to their current lifestyle will have an effect on their body.

But what about those of us who have been going at this "life-style change" for months... even years?  Finding more and more things to change gets to be a little difficult and sooner or later, you'll hit a plateau. I'm not just talking about a weight-loss plateau, but a plateau in any area of your health and fitness journey (ex. strength, endurance, body fat, etc.).

Here are my tips on preventing/breaking through a plateau using exercise.

Cardio

• Change up which machine you use - Most people tend to stick to one type of cardio machine but by switching it up, your body now has to get used to using different muscles to get you the same cardio effect.  On the other hand, if you switch machines daily, you may want to think about switching machines weekly, even monthly, instead.  Although there's nothing wrong with cross-training, because your body is comfortable with ALL the cardio machines at once, it's hard to change it up if you needed to.
• Change up the resistance or level of the machine - Always doing level 5?  Jump up the resistance to level 8 every two minutes, then throw it down to level 3... then up to level 12.  
• Try an exercise class - It's amazing what a class-environment can do for motivation and boredom!
• Try swimming - it's a completely different type of of cardio workout
• Incorporate high intensity interval training (HIIT) - I wish I could get EVERYONE doing interval training.  A lot of experts say that intervals are for more conditioned exercises but I think that's BS.  Of course, I don't suggest that someone who's just started out do walking/sprinting intervals, but a beginner can easily alternate between walking and power walking.  That still gets your heart rate up/down.

Weight-lifting

• Like the first tip under "Cardio" change up which machines you use - There are TONS of machines that work the same muscle group, so switch it up once in a while.
• Change up your rep/set scheme - Always do 3 sets of 12 reps?  Change it up to 4 sets of 10.  Of course, this can only change so much depending on what your goal is at the time (bodybuilding vs. power vs. strength vs. endurance, etc.).
• Focus on all three muscle actions: concentric, isometric, and eccentric - Mose people concentrate on the concentric part of a movement, where you muscle is shortening to move the weight.  For example, the upward motion of a bicep curl.  But by focusing on the isometric (holding the weight at the 90 degree angle in a bicep curl) or the eccentric (the downward/lowering part of a bicep curl; also called negatives) movement, the muscles get worked in an entirely different way.  Yes, it's the same motion, but you recruit different muscle fibers in each action.

(source)

Basically, switching up the frequency, intensity, duration or type of exercise should help move you past a plateau. 

Fitness Bucket List

I'm on my trip right now but here's something interesting (I hope):

(source)

The other month I came across the above picture and LOVED the idea of creating a bucket list of things I want to achieve on this journey.  Not just fitness related, but health related.  If you're not familiar with a bucket list, it's basically a list of things you want to do or achieve before you kick the bucket.

Here's a list of some of the things on my "Health and Fitness Bucket List":

1. do a pull-up
2. attend a Bodypump class
3. go rock climbing
4. run Koko Crater
5. try surfing
6. squat twice my body weight
7. take a cooking class 
8. try a spin class
9. complete a full round of Insanity
10. stand-up paddle boarding
11. join the National Weight Control Registry
12. go on a fitness cruise(!)
13. try Cross Fit
14. get away from all processed foods
15. attend a yoga class
16. compete in a bodybuilding competition
17. go completely Paleo/Primal for a full month
18. become a certified personal trainer...
19. ... with a job
20.  5K Color Run is coming to Hawaii

What's on your health and fitness bucket list?

Motivational Monday: TRUE

I'm on my trip right now but here's something interesting (I hope):

 I'll repeat myself again.  You canNOT out-train a bad diet.

Flashback Friday: Since I'm on a trip...

I'm on my trip right now but here's something interesting (I hope):

Flashback Fridays are a re-posting of my previous blog entries.  Sometimes I need a good kick in the butt and these old posts remind me of how to get it done.

Why I flash-backed to this post:  This was an a-ha moment for me when I first wrote it.  I also chose it because the post kinda describes a trip and since I'm on a trip right now... perfect!

_______________________________________________

Original post date: 8/13/09
Original post found here.

So I know this is only day four of my promise to myself, but guess what... I've learned something already.

In order to get to the future, you have to live in the present.

So common sense and so NOT profound.

Why didn't I know this before? Well it's not that I didn't know it, I just didn't listen to it. I mean the main quote of my blog is "one step at a time..."

When some people start out losing weight (like me), they get into this super-motivated-I-can-do-anything mode especially when the first 5 lbs. are lost because those are always the easiest. They (I) set up goals and picture themselves as what they want to look like at the end of the journey but they forget about the journey itself.

It's like planning a trip. You decide you wanna go to Fitville and you plan all these must-do-activities for when you get there: where to eat, where to stay, what to visit, what to do but without even planning on how to get to Fitville, you'll never get there. Without knowing how you're going to get from your house to the airport, then from the airport to the hotel in Fitville, your goal is already impossible to accomplish.

This is exactly the same thing with weight loss.

It's awesome to know what you want your body to look like and do when you're at the end of the journey (btw, a weight-loss journey never ends... takes you straight to Maintenance Land!) but you also have to know how to get there. Going back to when I started out, I knew what my goal destination was but getting there was going to be the tricky part. I set weekly and monthly goals to help me along the way but that's like only planning the airplane ride then the car ride from the airport to Fitville. What about how to get from my house to the airport?!

The past four days have made me realize that my weekly/monthly goals are way more attainable if I break them down even further... into daily goals.

BRILLIANT!!

It's as simple as telling myself I just need to get through today - eat clean TODAY and get in a good workout TODAY. Don't worry about tomorrow today, worry about tomorrow when it gets here. By breaking down my goals to the smallest amounts possible not only makes the goal seem that much more achievable, but it also lets me see the goal... I mean really see it!

Currently my weight goal is about 20 lbs away. Instead of focusing on the entire 20 lbs. I'll focus on just the next two lbs., then the next two, then the next two and so on and so on. But instead of just focusing on the two lbs. I'll focus on what I need to do to get rid of those two lbs. I'll focus on my workouts each day and break it down even further and focus on pushing myself during the workouts.

Just get through the next 5 minutes of running and when I've done that, I'll focus on the next 5 minutes. If I'm able to really give it my all for each 5 minute increment and just repeat it, my workout will go by in no time and I'll probably have pushed myself harder than normal. It's a win-win situation.

Applying the same idea to my nutrition each day - hell, each meal - and I should kick those 20 lbs. in no time! Amazing it's taken me this long to really realize and apply this to my life.

Counting calories: Their role in my journey

I'm on my trip right now but here's something interesting (I hope):

I'll be the first to admit that I'm a calorie counter.  With all the bad/crazy connotations that calorie counters are associated with, I'm proud to be one.

Why?  Because counting calories saved my life.

Lets look back almost 4 years ago, to the beginning of my journey (don't worry, this will be a very brief history).

September 2008.  This picture pissed me off so much, it started my journey:

 September 2008.

I knew right then and there, I needed to change my lifestyle, but I didn't know where to start.  I've tried Weight Watchers before and counting points just wasn't my thing.  Back then (2006ish), almost nothing had WW points listed on the box like today so figuring out the points was too much trouble.

So for me, calorie counting was my next try.

I found a site (My Food Diary) that offered a several-week trial offer so I signed up.  I promised to give my full 100% effort to this site till the end of the year (3 months away) and then reevaluate if counting calories was my way of losing weight.

Long story short, I lost over 20 pounds in 3 months and the rest is history.

April 2012

Yes, weight-loss comes down to calories in vs. calories out and I honestly believe that's why I've gotten to where I am today, but my calorie counting today is VERY different than what it was 3 years ago.

Today, I still like to keep my calories in a certain range (1300 - 1700), however the make-up of the calories I eat take precedent over how much I eat.  1700 calories of clean, whole foods will make a big difference in your body composition compared to the same amount of calories coming from processed food.

Do I plan on counting calories for the rest of my life?  No.  It's all about reevaluating where I am on this journey and finding something (new or old) that will work for me.

Motivational Monday: Lift HEAVY

I'm on my trip right now but here's something interesting (I hope):

This is so true!  Most women people think that lifting heavy weights will make you "bulky".  It's just not chemically/hormonally possible for women!

Lift heavy to get a lean, muscular body!

Vacation time!

I haven't mentioned it much here on the blog, but later today I'm leaving for a two-week vacation!  I'll be visiting Oregon, Nevada, and end up in California and I can't wait!!!

The last trip I went on was to Vegas a couple of years ago and I came back home with NO weight gain.  That's one of my goals for this trip too, but I'm actually hoping to lose weight.  I know, it's vacation.  But if I didn't gain any weight in Vegas, it's very possible to lose some on this trip.  Here's why:

• Vegas = buffets, beers, and sitting down gambling
• Oregon/Nevada/Cali = LOTS of walking around, access to gyms, much healthier food

I'm also bringing some things to give me a slight edge on weight-loss. 

Since Anthony won't be joining me on this trip, I'm bringing one of my other loves.

Yup, I've brought my Bodybugg out of retirement (read my reviews here and here).  Although I won't be tracking my calorie intake on my trip, I'm really curious to see my calorie burn and step count.  I'm hoping to see a burn of 2500+ and a step count of 20,000+.  On any given day (sitting at a desk for 8 hours + my workout), I burn about 2100 calories and get about 8500 steps, so my goal numbers are doable, right?

Another thing I made sure to pack:

My supplements, including protein powder, fish oil, multi-vitamin, creatine, and BCAA's.  I'm bringing ALL my supps because I've googled the closest gyms to my hotel and I've got my workouts planned into my schedule, so here's hoping that I'll be in a gym (or two) over the next couple of weeks.

I'll have very limited access to the outside world while I'm away (just how I like it!) so I'll be catching up with you guys in two weeks!  Hope you enjoy the scheduled posts coming up.

It's official...

... I am a certified personal trainer WITH A JOB!!!

I just got back from filing out and signing all the hiring documents at the gym!!!  As long as the background check clears (which it should, right?) my start date is July 1!

It's so surreal how this is all playing out.

I swear it was just last weekend that I came home from my personal trainer certification workshop... but now the hard part begins. 

Branding and selling myself. 
Finding my niche as a trainer.
Gaining (and holding on to) clients.
Studying for more certifications.
Learning a WHOLE lot more about the industry.

I'm scared nervous excited going in to this, but I plan to make it work!  This is my way of paying it forward and helping others who also struggle on this journey.

RFSC: Challenge wrap-up

CANNOT believe this 10-week challenge is over!  During this challenge, I:

- met a TON of great new people
- accomplished things I don't think I could have without the accountability of my fellow challenge-mates
- got healthier
- got fitter
- got stronger both physicality, mentally, and emotionally
- can't wait for the next challenge!

Listed below are my original goals on day-1 of the challenge, with my updates written in red.  I chose not to focus on a weight-loss goal because 1.) I'm so close to goal weight the weight-loss has really slowed down and 2.) I wanted to focus on the things that REALLY matter on this journey.  Exercise and nutrition... with NSV's thrown in for good measure.  =)

NSV Goal

• Success story.  The other week I was talking to Anthony and told him that one of my NSV goals is to be featured on the "Wall of Success" at our gym.  The catch is I don't wanna ask to be a feature, I wanna be asked... big difference.  WIN!!! Hit this goal the other week and you can read more about it here.  I haven't had a chance to get a picture next to my story on the wall because taking pictures at my gym is a big no-no (corporate rules suck), so I gotta be sneaky about it.  Once I get one, I'll be sure to post it.
• Donation time!  This weekend, I'm spending the time to try on ALL my clothes and sort them into piles of too big, too small, and just right.  By the end of the RFSC, I want to fit into the "too small" pile and have to donate the other piles of clothes.  WIN!!!  Hit this goal too... kind of.  I can't fit into all the clothes in my "too small" pile, but I'm getting rid of a lot of "too big" and "just right" clothes from 10 weeks ago!  

 
Exercise Goal

• Keep on going.  Continue my current 12-week exercise program, which will take me into the middle of May.  WIN!!!  On the last couple of days for the LiveFit program and gotta say I really liked it!  Won't get into details in this post, but maybe in a future post I'll do the pro's/con's and what my results were.
• Something new.  Based on where I am at the end of my current program, research and choose my next routine. WIN!!! I leave for a two week trip next weekend (!!!) and have put my newly-certified personal trainer skills to good use by developing a 3x/week workout program that I can do in my hotel room.  Once I get back from my trip, I already know what I want to do next!  Why this program?  It incorporates something I'm a huge fan of: powerlifting moves to build strength and muscle.

Nutrition Goal

• Clean, clean, clean!  My #1 priority for the next 10 weeks is to really focus on and dial in my nutrition.  Clean, whole foods to support my body and intense workouts.  WIN and FAIL!?!?! I definitely a lot more focused on clean eating during this challenge so I consider that a win.  I also consider this goal a fail because I could have done A LOT better on the actual eating part.  Nutrition is and always will be the hardest part of this journey for me.
• Increase healthy fats.  Definitely need to add more "smart fats" to my diet: salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, coconut oil, etc.  WIN!!! I can't believe how much better I feel after eating so much healthy fat... and you know what?  I still lost weight.  Don't be afraid of fat in your diet.  Our bodies need the good kind to stay healthy so pile it on!  My new faves after doing this challenge:  avocado, coconut, egg yolks, and nut butters!
• New eats = happy tummy.  Making it a goal to try one new recipe a week.  Nutrition can get pretty boring if you eat the same things over and over, so finding 10 new (hopefully yummy) recipes to add to my rotation will do me good.  FAIL!!! Couldn't even do one recipe a week.  I did find a couple of winners that will stay in my rotation, but didn't even come close to making  this goal.  Does new juicing recipes count?

Weigh-in Wednesday: GAIN!

Starting weight: 176.4 lbs.

Last week weight:  126.0

Current weight:  126.4

Current loss:  +0.4
TOTAL LOSS:  -50.0

TOUGH week lead to a weight-gain but no big deal.  I knew my eating was off track so it's just a matter of getting back to my regular schedule this week.

__________________________________________________

Yesterday I had my last certification exam to finalize everything I need to become a personal trainer. 


When I spoke to the gym manager yesterday, he was talking to me as if I already had the job.  We had talked a couple of weeks earlier so he was aware that I was going on a trip in two weeks, but this is what he said to me:

"Since you have all your certifications, submit a resume on-line and email me when you do it.  Then we can get all the hiring paperwork taken care of before you leave on your trip and when you get back you can start."

Umm... does that mean I have a job?!

Here's hoping!!

 (source)

RFSC: Week 10 goals

Week 10 Goals

After a really bad week 9 (see below for recap), I'm planning on killing week 10.

Exercise Goal 

• Keep on going.  Continue my current 12-week exercise program, which will take me into the middle of May. 

• Sun: full body weights + HIIT
• Mon:  hike
• Tues:  full-body weight training + cardio
• Wed: chest and calves + HIIT
• Thur: arms and abs + cardio
• Fri:  shoulders + HIIT
• Sat:  cardio

Nutrition Goal

• Clean, clean, clean!  My #1 priority for the next 10 weeks is to really focus on and dial in my nutrition.  Clean, whole foods to support my body and intense workouts.  100% clean 100% of the time!!  Period!
• Increase healthy fats.  Definitely need to add more "smart fats" to my diet: salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, coconut oil, etc. Cutting back on the healthy fats a bit since I'm in major fat-loss mode right now.  Still taking my fish oil and flaxseed oil, cooking with coconut oil, and eating a whole egg a day.
• New eats = happy tummy.  Making it a goal to try one new recipe a week.  Nutrition can get pretty boring if you eat the same things over and over, so finding 10 new (hopefully yummy) recipes to add to my rotation will do me good.  No new recipe this week because my focus is going to be on simple, clean grab and go foods that have worked for me in the past.

____________________________________________________________

Week 9 recap

After a pretty exciting week last week, I was so tired!  This week suffered a lot in the nutrition department and I'd say I ate out well over 6x and I can feel the difference in my body.

Exercise Goal 

• Keep on going.  Continue my current 12-week exercise program, which will take me into the middle of May. 

• Sun:  arms and abs + HIIT
• Mon:  OFF
• Tues:  full-body weight training + cardio
• Wed: chest, shoulders and abs
• Thur: hammies, glutes, calves
• Fri:  back, bi's, and abs + HIIT
• Sat:  cardio

Nutrition Goal

• Clean, clean, clean!  My #1 priority for the next 10 weeks is to really focus on and dial in my nutrition.  Clean, whole foods to support my body and intense workouts.  Like I mentioned earlier, this past week was tough.  LOTS of meals eaten out and not the best choices when it came time to chose those meals.  Weigh-in will definitely show it this coming Wednesday.
• Increase healthy fats.  Definitely need to add more "smart fats" to my diet: salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, coconut oil, etc. Did good job in cutting back my healthy fat intake BUT I pretty much replaced it with unhealthy fats.  FAIL!!!
• New eats = happy tummy.  Making it a goal to try one new recipe a week.  Nutrition can get pretty boring if you eat the same things over and over, so finding 10 new (hopefully yummy) recipes to add to my rotation will do me good.  This recipe came out great!  No pictures because I was lazy.

Weigh-in Wednesday + goal update

Starting weight: 176.4 lbs.

Last week weight:  126.4

Current weight:  126.0

Current loss: -0.4
TOTAL LOSS:  -50.4

Super surprised because it was a tough week!  No exercise with lots of high calorie days... maybe my body needed the rest and extra calories?

RFSC: Week 9 goals (!!!!)

Week 9 Goals

First thing, let me take you back two months ago when I first set my RFSC goals: 

NSV Goal

• Success story.  The other week I was talking to Anthony and told him that one of my NSV goals is to be featured on the "Wall of Success" at our gym.  The catch is I don't wanna ask to be a feature, I wanna be asked... big difference.

MISSION  FREAKING  ACCOMPLISHED!!!!!  This past week, Trainer L asked me to be a success story for the gym wall!  He asked me to write up a short paragraph about my journey and include a starting, middle, and current picture.  I literally finished it about an hour ago and sent it off to him just in time for my gym's grand reopening later this week.  Let's just say that between this and my weigh-in with Trainer L, I was in such an emotional state earlier this week... in a good way, of course.

Second thing, remember the exciting/secret news I had mentioned here?  Well, I just got back home from a two-day intensive personal trainer certification workshop and exam!!!  Yup, I'm going to be a personal trainer (once I pass a couple more certifications and get first-aid/CPR recertified).  I already went on a first interview at my gym and just need to schedule the second interview once I become certified.  I'm so excited... scared like hell... but still excited!!  So this is the reason why I need to really step up my nutrition... doesn't look good to be a chubby personal trainer.

Exercise Goal 

• Keep on going.  Continue my current 12-week exercise program, which will take me into the middle of May. 

• Sun:  arms and abs + HIIT
• Mon:  OFF
• Tues:  full-body weight training + cardio
• Wed: chest, shoulders and abs + plyo
• Thur: hammies, glutes, calves
• Fri:  back, bi's, and abs + HIIT
• Sat:  shoulders, tri's and calves + plyo

Nutrition Goal

• Clean, clean, clean!  My #1 priority for the next 10 weeks is to really focus on and dial in my nutrition.  Clean, whole foods to support my body and intense workouts.  Last two weeks and I plan to make them the BEST two weeks of this challenge.
• Increase healthy fats.  Definitely need to add more "smart fats" to my diet: salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, coconut oil, etc. Cutting back on the healthy fats a bit since I'm in major fat-loss mode right now.  Still taking my fish oil and flaxseed oil, cooking with coconut oil, and eating a whole egg a day, but will eliminate whole avocados/fatty cuts of meat until mid-June.
• New eats = happy tummy.  Making it a goal to try one new recipe a week.  Nutrition can get pretty boring if you eat the same things over and over, so finding 10 new (hopefully yummy) recipes to add to my rotation will do me good.  Going to try this recipe for dinner tonight.

____________________________________________________________

Week 8 recap

Yup, this week sucked with exercise BUT I purposely took off.  Getting over a cold, body feeling run down, and having to study for my personal trainer certification kept me out of the gym (and out of work for a day).  I'm ready to hit it hard in Week 9!


Exercise Goal 

• Keep on going.  Continue my current 12-week exercise program, which will take me into the middle of May. 

• Sun:  arms and abs + HIIT
• Mon:  OFF
• Tues:  full-body weight training + cardio
• Wed: OFF
• Thur: OFF
• Fri:  OFF
• Sat:  OFF

Nutrition Goal

• Clean, clean, clean!  My #1 priority for the next 10 weeks is to really focus on and dial in my nutrition.  Clean, whole foods to support my body and intense workouts.  With my new fitness goal, clean eating has to be a priority or else what's the point?  Nutrition makes up 80% of the equation to get us the body we want.
• Increase healthy fats.  Definitely need to add more "smart fats" to my diet: salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, coconut oil, etc. Are avocados out of season?  Can't seem to find any that don't break the bank to buy ($5 for one?! SERIOUSLY?!)
• New eats = happy tummy.  Making it a goal to try one new recipe a week.  Nutrition can get pretty boring if you eat the same things over and over, so finding 10 new (hopefully yummy) recipes to add to my rotation will do me good.  Tried out this recipe for slow cooker chicken fajitas and it was... okay.  I'm not a bell pepper person and the bell pepper taste was a little too much for me.  Minus that, it would have been REALLY good!  Easy fix for next time so I'll be keeping this recipe in my rotation.

Weigh-in Wednesday: AHHHHH man!

First of all, I'm loving all the guesses on my exciting news (best guess: Olympic torch runner)!  Just a couple more hints:

• If everything works out, I'll need a whole new wardrobe (not weight-loss related)
• I'll be paying it forward
• And no, I'm not getting married.  Let's not rush into things, now.

On to the weigh-in...

Starting weight: 176.4 lbs.

Last week weight:  127.0

Current weight:  126.4

Current loss:  -0.6
TOTAL LOSS:  -50.0

A regular happy face doesn't even cut it...

...even this one barley contains how I feel.

(source)

WOOT WOOT!!!  Hit the 50lbs. mark on the dot!!  I was so excited when I weighed in with Trainer L, that I actually started to choke up and got a little teary eyed.  Kinda weird for Trainer L to see me get like that since normally he's used to seeing my heavy squatting face:

(source)

My thoughts on hitting this tremendous milestone:

• This journey takes time.  I decided to lose the weight for good back in September of 2008... almost four years later and I'm down 50 lbs.  Many people can lose that amount of weight in less than a year, but this is MY journey and I did what worked for ME.
• Anyone who said losing weight is easy is a F*@$^% liar! Period!
• Every set back I had or mistake I made came with a valuable lesson learned.  Don't let these stand in your way of anything.
• Ice cream and pizza will always be a part of my life so it's just something I need to work around.  No big deal since I'm still moving in the right direction.
•  Reaching goals and milestones are AWESOME, but it doesn't end your journey.  You need to reevaluate where you are and strive to improve yourself for the rest of your life.  It's a lifestyle change... not an "only-till-I-lose-30-pounds" change.
• Health and fitness are no longer just things I do... it's now a part of who I am (another hint for my exciting news).
• I've still got a lot more work to do but I'm so excited about doing it!

RFSC: Week 8 goals

Week 8 Goals

Have some exciting news that may change the course of my fitness journey.  In fact, it may change my life.  But I can't talk about it just yet (sorry for the tease).

With this news, comes motivation for me to really kick things up into high gear, especially when it comes to my diet.  Fat loss needs to be my main priority for the next several weeks.  Any guesses to why that might be?!

Exercise Goal 

• Keep on going.  Continue my current 12-week exercise program, which will take me into the middle of May. 

• Sun:  arms and abs + HIIT
• Mon:  OFF
• Tues:  full-body weight training + cardio
• Wed: chest, shoulders and abs + plyo
• Thur: hammies, glutes, calves
• Fri:  back, bi's, and abs + HIIT
• Sat:  shoulders, tri's and calves + plyo

Nutrition Goal

• Clean, clean, clean!  My #1 priority for the next 10 weeks is to really focus on and dial in my nutrition.  Clean, whole foods to support my body and intense workouts.  With my new fitness goal, clean eating has to be a priority or else what's the point?  Nutrition makes up 80% of the equation to get us the body we want.
• Increase healthy fats.  Definitely need to add more "smart fats" to my diet: salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, coconut oil, etc. Are avocados out of season?  Can't seem to find any that don't break the bank to buy ($5 for one?! SERIOUSLY?!)
• New eats = happy tummy.  Making it a goal to try one new recipe a week.  Nutrition can get pretty boring if you eat the same things over and over, so finding 10 new (hopefully yummy) recipes to add to my rotation will do me good.  No recipe planned yet but I have to get on track with my meal planning this week so I'm sure I'll need a recipe by Tuesday night.

____________________________________________________________

Week 7 recap

Besides failing to plan my meals this week, week 7 was pretty stellar.  Got in all my trainings despite being sick a couple of days and my lifts are really improving.  When I look at the weights I was lifting in the beginning of my 12-week program, it's amazing!

Getting excited to finish up the last couple of weeks on the program!


Exercise Goal 

• Keep on going.  Continue my current 12-week exercise program, which will take me into the middle of May. 

• Sun:  arms and abs + HIIT
• Mon:  OFF
• Tues:  full-body weight training + cardio
• Wed: chest, shoulders and abs + plyo
• Thur: hammies, glutes, calves
• Fri:  back, bi's, and abs + HIIT
• Sat:  shoulders, tri's and calves + plyo

Nutrition Goal

• Clean, clean, clean!  My #1 priority for the next 10 weeks is to really focus on and dial in my nutrition.  Clean, whole foods to support my body and intense workouts.  I failed to plan so my nutrition kinda failed too.  Calories still kept in check, but they came from bad sources: Chinese food, fried egg roll, desserts, pizza, Mexican food, ice cream.  FAIL!
• Increase healthy fats.  Definitely need to add more "smart fats" to my diet: salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, coconut oil, etc. Going good with these.  My biggest problem is remembering to take my fish oil during lunch... breakfast and dinner I got it down, but just can't remember during the middle of the day.
• New eats = happy tummy.  Making it a goal to try one new recipe a week.  Nutrition can get pretty boring if you eat the same things over and over, so finding 10 new (hopefully yummy) recipes to add to my rotation will do me good.  I did try a new recipe this week and it was yummy.  Totally not healthy but it was my dad's birthday so a birthday cake cheesecake was in order.  =)  No picts, but it was totally worth the extra calories.

Saturday Sweat Session: Booty time!

You know I love working my lower body but the muscles on the back of my lower body (glutes, hammies and calves) tend to get neglected.  Time to change that with a modified workout from the LiveFit program.

Each color-coded set of exercises are to be done as a superset (or tripleset in the case of the last three exercises).  This means you want to do one set of each exercise (two exercises in a row), rest a minute or two, then do the second set of each pair of exercises.  Rest, and repeat for three sets.

For example, you would do one set of seated leg curls immediately followed by 20 jump squats.  That's one set.  Rest a minute.  Repeat with seated leg curls followed by jump squats.  That's the second set.  Rest.  Again, seated leg curls followed by jump squats.  Third set is finished and you're done with the first superset.

Move on to the next pair of exercises.  ENJOY!!

Typical day of eats

Some of my buddies over at the Ready for Summer Challenge wanted to see what a typical day of eats looks like for me.  Gotta warn you... it's nothing fancy, in fact it's kinda boring.

I usually stick to the same things day in and day out simply out of convenience.  It makes weekly grocery shopping easier, meal preps easier, and counting calories easier.  Maybe it's time I change things up with new recipes.

Anyway, here we go.

Meal 1 (~ 400-450 calories)
a.k.a breakfast... or my first meal of the day.  9/10 times it will be between three choices: protein smoothie, oatmeal, or eggs.

Clockwise from top left corner: smoothie goodies in the blender, cocoa almond butter oatmeal, veggie egg scramble, pumpkin spice oatmeal

Oatmeal is normally reserved for my training days and eggs usually only happen on the weekends when I have the time to cook something.

Smoothies are definitely my go-to breakfast.  Smoothies will ALWAYS have 2 cups of baby spinach, 1/2c of frozen fruit, protein powder, Shakeology, and flaxseed oil.  Sometimes it will have coconut milk, almond milk, almond butter, coffee, chia seeds, spirulina powder, or egg whites.  Yup, pasteurized egg whites make smoothies thick and creamy.

Meal 2 (~ 100 calories)
This meal saves me from going insane between breakfast and lunch.  It's a smaller meal that will ALWAYS have protein, and either carbs or fat.

 Clockwise from top left corner:  apple and nut butter, egg spinach "muffin", banana nut butter wrap, hard boiled eggs/egg whites, turkey muffins, protein powder and rice crackers w/ nut butter.

When it gets super crazy and I don't have time to pack up my meal 2, I grab a handful of raw almonds to snack on (I keep a two-pound bag at my desk at work).  I also keep single-serve packets of protein powder at work, too.

Meal 3 (~ 350-450 calories)
LUNCH time!!!  Again, I'm a creature of habit so 9/10 times, it's salad for lunch.

Salads with all different kinds of protein, fats, and carbs.  

Chicken breast, salmon, eggs.  Olive oil, avocado, nuts.  Carrots, pumpkin, fruits.

 

Boring?  Maybe, but I love them and it works for me.  Some of my coworkers ask me why I don't eat "real food" for lunch... COME ON!! How much "real"er does fresh produce, minimally processed protein and smart fats get?

Meal 4 (~ 150 calories)
Depending on when I workout, this meal will either follow Meal 2 or it will be a straight protein shake.  Workout before Meal 4 = whey protein shake.  Workout later in the night = same as Meal 2.

Whey protein shakes!

Meal 5 (~ 350-400 calories)
By far my favorite meal of the day.  I don't know why since it's usually smaller than breakfast or lunch, but I think it's because I actually have the time to prepare something.

First row: whole roasted chicken, sweet potato covered in chicken breast and salsa, veggie egg white scramble w/ feta cheese.

Second row:  baked chicken breast w/ broccoli and sweet potato, grilled veggies and chicken, turkey breast w/ salsa and broccoli covered with cottage cheese.

Third row:  stir-fried steak and broccoli, mixed veggies with chicken, veggie omelet.

Dinner foods actually range from soups to stews, to baked zucchini lasagna to salads, so it's always changing.  And a couple times a week Meal 5 will be eaten out.

Meal 6 (~ 150 calories)
Typically only eaten if I'm starving at night and will usually be a hard boiled egg or two. 

Right now, since I'm working on building serious muscle, I've been drinking a casein protein shake right before bed.  Casein is a slower digesting protein so your muscles have a protein source when you sleep.

Total calories for the day:  1500 - 1700 cals

Don't get me wrong... as much as I'd like to think I eat like this EVERY day, it doesn't happen.  Schedules get busy and sometimes I have no choice but to grab something quick, but 4-5 days a week my daily eats look like this.

I still reserve one meal a week to indulge in pure evilness: 

Might take me longer to lose the weight, but it keeps me sane.  

This is a way of living and I don't ever see myself giving up certain foods completely.

Weigh-in Wednesday + progress stats

Starting weight: 176.4 lbs.

Last week weight:  127.4

Current weight:  127.0

Current loss:  -0.4
TOTAL LOSS:  -49.4

Really thought I was going to hit the 50-lbs. milestone but it'll have to wait for another weigh-in.

Progress starts from April to May:

And overall progress stats since I started the LiveFit program on March 1:

I'm pretty stoked about my results (even if they seem so little bit) so far and can't imagine what they REALLY could have been if I stuck to the nutrition plan, too.  I'm in the last month/phase of LiveFit and plan to be a little tighter about where my calories come from.

NOTE:  These are inches lost due to heavy weight training... not hours on a cardio machine.  Pick up them weights NOW!!!


After this last month is over, I'm not sure what I'll be doing next... thinking about doing the program again or moving on to another program I saw at bodybuilding.com.  It's basically the guy version of LiveFit but I know several girls who got AWESOME results from it.  It's called Kris Gethin's Hardcore Trainer.  We'll see where I'm at after the next four weeks.

Where did April go?!

1. Weight-train 5-6x/week
• Continue LiveFit (which I LOVE by the way).  6-day splits used to be tough to schedule but with only one PT session a week, I've switched my quad day to be my PT day.  Why?  Because PT works my quads hard with heavy squats... plus I'm very quad-dominate so need to focus on my hammies and glutes to catch them up.  That puts me on perfect track to get in my other 5 workouts for the week.
2.  Short-duration (20 - 30 minutes), low intensity cardio 2-3x/week
• Phase III of LiveFit adds in HIIT and plyometric moves to the routine so I'm cutting back my cardio days to 2-3x a week.
3. Keep food calories between 1200 - 1500 on average/week
• Phase III of LiveFit is all about fat burning so they suggest a lower calorie range.  Their aim is 1400 - 1700 cals a day but I'm lowing it to 1200 - 1500 because that calorie range does NOT count my supplements (multi-vit, BCAA's, creatine, fish oil, etc.).  So with those added in, I'm looking at an extra 150 - 200 calories, bringing my true daily cals up to the recommended total of 1500 - 1700.
4. Drink a gallon of water a day!
• With fat burning comes increased water intake.
• 1 gallon = 16 cups = 128 fl. ounces
• I normally drink anywhere from 9 - 14 cups of water a day, so hitting 16 shouldn't be that hard, right?
5. Plan my meals for the week on Sunday
• If you fail to plan, you're planning to fail!  'Nuff said!  Nutrition is the hardest part of the weight-loss journey for me, so I gotta make it as simple as possible to keep on track.  Making a weekly meal plan helps with that.
6. Reach the 50 lbs. mark and stay below it
• Yup, I've been after that milestone for a couple of weeks now but it's thisclose, I know I can do it this month!

April Recap
When I look at my calendar, I see lots and lots of red.  Red = not good.

I only lost a pound this month, but that's better than none, right?  Measurements get taken tomorrow with Trainer L so we'll get to see a better picture of what went on with my body.

RFSC: Week 7 goals

Week 7 Goals

Handful of weeks left in the challenge... time to continue to be get serious!

Exercise Goal 

• Keep on going.  Continue my current 12-week exercise program, which will take me into the middle of May. 

• Sun:  arms and abs + HIIT
• Mon:  OFF
• Tues:  full-body weight training + cardio
• Wed: chest, shoulders and abs + plyo
• Thur: hammies, glutes, calves
• Fri:  back, bi's, and abs + HIIT
• Sat:  shoulders, tri's and calves + plyo

Nutrition Goal

• Clean, clean, clean!  My #1 priority for the next 10 weeks is to really focus on and dial in my nutrition.  Clean, whole foods to support my body and intense workouts.  With my new fitness goal, clean eating has to be a priority or else what's the point?  Nutrition makes up 80% of the equation to get us the body we want.
• Increase healthy fats.  Definitely need to add more "smart fats" to my diet: salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, coconut oil, etc. Restocked fish oil capsules, chia seeds, eggs, and avocados.  Still need to get more flaxseed oil and salmon.
• New eats = happy tummy.  Making it a goal to try one new recipe a week.  Nutrition can get pretty boring if you eat the same things over and over, so finding 10 new (hopefully yummy) recipes to add to my rotation will do me good.  Don't have a recipe just yet, but looking for one.

____________________________________________________________

Week 6 recap

Week 6 was the worse week so far in this challenge... but instead of focusing on the bad, I'll list some of the positive things that happened this week.
Got in all my trainings.
Established a new fitness goal!!
Got back to my regular eating schedule this week.
Bought new workout clothes.
Had a great time celebrating my Dad's birthday without worrying about FOOD.


Exercise Goal 

• Keep on going.  Continue my current 12-week exercise program, which will take me into the middle of May. 

• Sun:  arms and abs +HIIT
• Mon:  OFF
• Tues:  full-body weight training + cardio
• Wed: HIIT
• Thur: shoulders, chest and abs
• Fri:  legs
• Sat:  back and rear delts + cardio

Nutrition Goal

• Clean, clean, clean!  My #1 priority for the next 10 weeks is to really focus on and dial in my nutrition.  Clean, whole foods to support my body and intense workouts.  I know I keep saying it, but it's true... I have to get my nutrition on track.  Being that my weight is close to goal, exercise alone won't give me the body I want.  Nutrition plays 80% of the equation so I don't understand why it's so hard for me to control this part.  I just love food THAT much!
• Increase healthy fats.  Definitely need to add more "smart fats" to my diet: salmon, avocado, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds, coconut oil, etc. Once again, stocked up on all the healthy fats and threw in some extras like raw/unsalted walnuts and pistachios, sunflower butter, and good-quality olives.
• New eats = happy tummy.  Making it a goal to try one new recipe a week.  Nutrition can get pretty boring if you eat the same things over and over, so finding 10 new (hopefully yummy) recipes to add to my rotation will do me good.  Didn't get around to trying this recipe.