Wednesday, November 30, 2005

C1W11D3

Did 20 minute HIIT on elliptical again and I’m so glad I finally figured out how to hit my 10 on this thing. It’s a great workout! After a short recovery/cool down on the elliptical, I hopped on the treadmill and walked four 4 minutes, found a good song on my ipod and upped the speed to 6.5 mph. I ran though one full song at that speed, then another good song came on and I upped my speed to 7.5 mph and ran through that song, then had to drop the speed down a bit. I’m so excited that I can run for extended periods at those speeds – that used to be my 10 and I could barely make it through one minute! I’m wondering how long it’ll take me before I can run through a whole song at 10 mph… Anyway, I think I ran for about 15 or 20 minutes and burned a total of about 440 calories (HIIT plus steady state).

What a fun day at work. Our company hit a milestone revenue goal and we always celebrate with champagne and lunch. We basically stopped working around 1pm and have been messing around having fun all afternoon. I had a small glass of champagne and wanted more - it was so delicious and refreshing - but I was busy holding the camcorder and couldn't juggle both very well (my boss loves to record every single thing and I hate being on film so I always volunteer to be camera woman). It was easy to find something BFL friendly. I wasn’t even tempted by the bread (which is fabulous) or the dessert. I’m definitely feeling very focused right now. Whew. Been so busy that I haven’t had a chance to read any blogs, though. I’ll have to catch up tomorrow. Yup. I always read blogs at work. I put a lot of hard work, hours, sweat and tears into this company though so I don’t feel bad at all. =)

We watched The Biggest Loser last night and while I’m thrilled for the contestants and their success – I have to admit a little jealousy. I guess I just felt a little down because I’ve been working so hard for so long (since September 2004) – although not 100% BFL because I dropped weight training for 6 months so I could do 100% cardio – so I was still working out 6 days a week, but doing an hour session of steady state cardio and no weights. I still have so far to go and I question what I am doing wrong. Is my hypothyroid just an excuse to not make progress? Am I sabotaging my efforts somehow? I’m really trying hard not to think negatively – I just felt so inadequate last night.

On another note… I’m starting to get a little freaked out. I’ve been thinking this is PMS I’m suffering from, but I’m currently 8 days late and I’m usually like clockwork. What if this crampy feeling is something else? I’m so not ready for that. We’re on the “five year plan” for children and even that seems a little sooner than I’d like…

All you wonderful blog friends are such talented writers and very good about including personal challenges, triumphs, and other bits and pieces that give insight to your lives. All I ever talk about on my blog is fitness for the most part. I haven’t delved into much on a personal level and I feel bad about that for some reason… someday soon.

Oh yes, my meals:
M1 – banana, cottage cheese
M2 – cottage cheese, champagne
M3 – grilled salmon, spinach salad, grilled veggies
M4 – turkey burger, romaine salad
M5 – cottage cheese, apple
Not quite a gallon of water, but close.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

C1W11D2 - Confessions

I have an ugly confession to make… I slipped up big time over the long weekend. Remember my tentative Thanksgiving plan? The one I thought would be a piece of cake to stick with? Well… I did great till dinner and then the peer pressure of “It’s Thanksgiving! You HAVE to try the sweet potatoes with marshmallows/nuts/sugar” and “Here, I brought you this piece of 3-layer double chocolate cake” took it’s toll and I caved. It was delicious at the time, but was it worth it? I dunno – it was delicious at the moment, but the taste is long forgotten…

Friday, Saturday and Sunday – get this – I didn’t do one workout. I had ZERO motivation, ZERO drive, ZERO “get-up-and-do-it-no-matter-what” AND… I ate 3 oreos and four Krispy Kreme donuts over the course of the weekend… AND I didn’t drink nearly enough water... AND I didn’t update the blog because of my shame. Oh, and a couple handfuls of Doritos. It could be due to the worst, longest, drawn out PMS I’ve had all year. GRRRRR. I just want to eat and watch TV. My husband and I lazed around all FOUR days and watched TV and movies. What happened to my desire to go hiking in Yosemite??? =(

But here’s the interesting thing… I think I really needed the rest. Starting yesterday, I’m back on track. My waning motivation is starting to return! I’m a little disappointed in myself and I hope I didn’t undo any progress, but I’m kinda glad that it happened because I’ve been really seriously struggling the past couple weeks with my lack of desire to hit it hard at the gym.. I’m ready to rock again.

I decided to do cardio yesterday morning and weight training today. Yesterday’s workout was a 20 minute HIIT on elliptical followed by 20 minutes on the treadmill running at 5.5 mph to 6.5 mph and it felt so great! I think I burned up about 524 calories in about 43 minutes. If the theory of burning 3x’s the amount of calories in a fasted state is true, does that mean I burned about 1500+ calories? I read something to this extent on one of the BFL finalists’ blogs, but it sounds a little off – or too good to be true…?

Just for kicks, I wore my heart rate monitor this morning and as long as I kept moving at the right pace, my heart rate stayed in the 65% to 75% of maximum heart rate range (except during rest periods) – so this style of working out really is two-fold: weight training and fat burning! Yay! I’m not sure why I did UB workout this morning – it probably should’ve been LB. I guess I got a little mixed up since I missed 3 days of working out last week…

Chest:
DB Chest Press on Stability Ball
1x12 – 15 lbs.
2x10 – 20 lbs.
3x8 – 25 lbs.
4x6 – 25 lbs.
5x12 – 20 lbs.
DB Fly 1x12 – 12 lbs.

Shoulders:
Arnold Press on Stability Ball
1x12 – 10 lbs.
2x10 – 12 lbs.
3x8 – 15 lbs.
4x6 – 20 lbs.
5x12 – 12 lbs.
BB Upright Row
1x12 – 40 lbs.

Back:
Assisted Pull Ups
1x12 – 100 lbs.
2x10 – 90 lbs.
3x8 – 80 lbs.
4x6 – 60 lbs.
5x12 – 90 lbs.
Cable Row – 70 lbs.

Triceps:
Extensions
1x12 – 35 lbs.
2x10 – 45 lbs.
3x8 – 55 lbs.
4x6 – 65 lbs.
5x12 – 45 lbs.
Kickbacks 1x12 – 12 lbs.

Biceps:
Barbell Curls
1x12 – 25 lbs.
2x10 – 30 lbs.
3x8 – 35 lbs.
4x6 – 40 lbs.
5x12 – 30 lbs.
21’s 1x12 – 10 lbs.

Monday’s Meals:
M1 – egg whites, spinach, oatmeal
M2 – oatmeal and protein powder
M3 – turkey burger, apple
M4 – pear, string cheese
M5 – salmon or tuna cakes, green salad
One gallon of water.

Today’s Meals:
M1 – egg whites, spinach, oatmeal
M2 – oatmeal and protein (yuk – used banana flavored protein and it was grosssssss)
M3 – tuna, brown rice
M4 – tuna, small pear
M5 – cottage cheese, green salad
M6 – string cheese, small apple
One gallon of water.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

C1W10D3 – Dirty Filthy Love

Happy Thanksgiving! I am grateful for so much, but right now, at this very moment, I'm most grateful for having Thursday and Friday off from work. I really need a four day weekend.

Dirty Filthy Love: We watched a quirky little movie last night called Dirty Filthy Love – it’s a British movie about a man learning to deal with the break up of his marriage, Obsessive/Compulsive Disorder and Tourettes. I loved the movie Matchstick Men – and just find OCD fascinating - and the title of this movie caught my eye so I picked it up at Blockbuster. My husband gave me a strange look when he saw the DVD cover, but he enjoyed the movie, too. So if anyone is looking for something a little different to watch, I’d recommend this movie.

Thanksgiving Day: My tentative Thanksgiving Day plan is to stay on track as any other EFL day. My husband and I will be having dinner at the country club with our boss. It should be easy to stay on track with food choices since it's a buffet dinner. I'll just have a portion of turkey, some vegetables, and hopefully a decent complex carb. I don't think I'll be too tempted with dessert. I like to keep my free day on the weekends - preferably Sunday so I don't end up with a free-for-all. So… that’s the plan. Hopefully I won’t cave. I’d love to go hiking in Yosemite on Friday – hopefully I can talk my husband in to going… I have been dropping lots of hints. Actually, I think I’ve come right out and said “I’d like to go hiking in Yosemite the day after Thanksgiving.”

Calories: As I mentioned in a previous post, I’ve been trying to keep my calories in the 1100 to 1250 range. I totally hate it. I was reading Top Cop’s blog and he’s in a bulking phase now – he was saying he finds it really difficult to reach his goal of 2800 authorized calories a day. I would have NO problems with that – it’d be a piece of cake (mmmmmm cake). I think I have a freakish appetite for a girl. Hypothyroidism supposedly suppresses the appetite. Ha! Not for me it doesn’t. I don’t even want to eat unauthorized foods all the time – I just want to eat more of the authorized foods.

EFL: I usually use the George Foreman grill for my chicken breasts, but I haven’t figured out how to cook them perfectly – they usually turn out leathery and dry. In fact the thought of those chicken breasts turn my stomach. So I decided to try poaching them with some ginger and it’s much easier to swallow and quite delicious actually.

I also cooked some brown rice with diced ginger and a can of fat free/low sodium chicken broth and it was delicious – so much yummier than plain old brown rice.

BFL: I feel like I’m starting to lose the loving feeling for weight training. My strength and enthusiasm is lagging big time. I think I might need to cave in and buy some Betagen – if I’m feeling stronger, maybe I’ll be more excited to lift weights again. WHERE IS MY BURNING FIRE???

Today’s UB workout was good, I hit my 10’s and my arms are still fatigued.

Chest:
DB Chest Press
1x12 – 15 lbs.
2x10 – 20 lbs.
3x8 – 25 lbs.
4x6 – 30 lbs. (failed at 5 reps)
5x12 – 20 lbs.
DB Fly 1x12 – 15 lbs.

Shoulders:
Arnold Press on Stability Ball
1x12 – 10 lbs.
2x10 – 12 lbs.
3x8 – 15 lbs.
4x6 – 20 lbs.
5x12 – 12 lbs.
BB Upright Row
1x12 – 40 lbs.

Back:
Assisted Pull Ups
1x12 – 100 lbs.
2x10 – 90 lbs.
3x8 – 80 lbs.
4x6 – 60 lbs.
5x12 – 90 lbs.
Plus 8 reps at 90 lbs. of dips just to try it out
Reverse Grip Pulldowns – 80 lbs.

Triceps:
Extensions
1x12 – 35 lbs.
2x10 – 45 lbs.
3x8 – 55 lbs.
4x6 – 65 lbs.
5x12 – 45 lbs.
1 Arm Cross Overs 1x12 – 10 lbs.

Biceps:
Barbell Curls
1x12 – 25 lbs.
2x10 – 30 lbs.
3x8 – 35 lbs.
4x6 – 40 lbs.
5x12 – 30 lbs.
21’s 1x12 – 10 lbs.

Meals:
M1 – oatmeal and protein
M2 – oatmeal and protein
M3 – poached chicken breast, brown rice
M4 – tuna, brown rice
M5 – chicken breast, brown rice (oops didn’t bring much to work with me today)
M6 – leftover chicken stir fry and steamed chinese broccoli
One gallon of water.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

C1W10D2 – R.I.P. Sam =(

Did 20 minute HIIT on elliptical this morning. I’ve finally got this dialed in. I’m definitely hitting my 10 and it may even feel more difficult than running. I didn’t do any extra cardio after my HIIT session because at minute 19 I started having horrible stomach cramps. I almost felt like I was going to be sick to my stomach so I went home. Luckily the stomach pains subsided and I feel fine now. I may try to get in some additional cardio this afternoon if time allows.

Meals:
M1 – oatmeal and protein
M2 – oatmeal and protein
M3 – chicken breast, apple
M4 – tuna, pear
M5 – Myoplex lite
M6 – chicken and veggie stir-fry with brown rice
One gallon of water.

On a sad note… Sam, passed away. Poor little bugger. Here’s a link to the story at CNN.com: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/11/22/ugly.dog.ap/index.html – there’s a little video footage of him, which I highly recommend watching. It made me laugh out loud several times. Gosh, I really loved that little devil. Rest in peace, Sam!


Monday, November 21, 2005

C1W10D1

I’m slowly getting over this cold – the worst part of it has been the TOTAL LACK OF ENERGY, which happens to get worse as the day goes on. I did manage to get to the gym first thing Saturday morning for my HIIT on the elliptical followed by 15 minutes on the stationary bike. However, I didn’t do my UB workout that I missed last week. I just didn’t have the strength and wanted to have a full rest day on Sunday.

My strength still isn’t 100% but I did work up a dripping sweat with my LB workout. Here’s what I did this morning:

Quads:
Leg Press
1x12 – 90 lbs.
2x10 – 125 lbs.
3x8 – 170 lbs.
4x6 – 180 lbs.
5x12 – 160 lbs. (failed at 8 reps; kinda scary not being able to push the weight back up…)
Step Ups 100 – 15 lbs. (50R, 50L)

Hamstrings:
Sitting Leg Curl
1x12 – 70 lbs.
2x10 – 90 lbs.
3x8 – 100 lbs.
4x6 – 110 lbs.
5x12 – 90 lbs.
DB Lunges 1x12 – 15 lbs.

Calves:
Standing Calf Raises
1x12 – 160 lbs.
2x10 – 170 lbs.
3x8 – 180 lbs.
4x6 – 190 lbs. (ouch my back)
5x12 – 150 lbs.
45 Degree Calf Raise 1x12 – 150 lbs.

Abdominals – will do later today.

Meals:
M1 – oatmeal, protein
M2 – 3 oz. chicken breast, apple
M3 – oatmeal, protein
M4 – string cheese, apple
M5 – Myoplex lite
M6 – chicken breast, green salad, brown rice
One gallon of water.

Friday, November 18, 2005

C1W9D5 - Bleeeeh

I’m definitely fighting whatever cold/flu that’s going around. My husband was sicker than I’ve ever seen him two days ago, but I’m still taking my Airborne and Zicam and I’m doing so-so. I think all the water I drink is helping my body stay fairly healthy? I had a teacher tell me he hadn’t gotten sick in 12 years because he drank a gallon of water a day…

I’m definitely not feeling energetic – in fact, I’m down right LETHARGIC, but I did get myself to the gym this morning for my LB workout. It was not my best effort. I had forgotten my workout journal at home (yep – I’m a total nerd. I carry that thing to the gym with me every day. Otherwise I can’t remember what set I’m on, what weight I need to use, etc.). So not having my little notebook and feeling under the weather, I improvised. I didn’t do a BFL style workout, but did lift weights and hope I didn’t waste my time.

Today’s LB workout:
Leg Press – 90 lbs. 3 sets at 12 reps
Leg Extensions – 60 lbs. 3 sets at 12 reps
Leg Curls – 90 lbs. 3 sets at 12 reps
Deadlifts – 60 lbs. 3 sets at 12 reps
Sitting Calf Raises – 70 lbs. 3 sets at 12 reps
Calf Press – 360 lbs. 3 sets at 12 reps
Cable Crunches – 4 sets at 20 reps
Leg Lifts – 4 sets at 20 reps

Meals:
M1 – oatmeal, protein
M2 - chicken breast, apple
M3 – Myoplex Lite
M4 – tuna, apple
M5 – chicken breast, broccoli, 1/2 sweet potato
One gallon of water.

My plan is to do UB and HIIT tomorrow, get lots of rest on Sunday and HIT IT HARD again by Monday. Wooooty Wooo!

Thursday, November 17, 2005

C1W9D4 - Dragging Ass

This morning I had a serious struggle getting myself to the gym. I never did make it to my boss’s house yesterday to finish up my LB workout and couldn’t decide whether I should do my LB today or do my HIIT. I made a deal with myself that if the ellipticals were free, I’d do HIIT and that’s what I ended up doing. I followed up with 9 minutes on the bike. Now all I want to do is sleep. I upped my calories yesterday to about 1,500 thinking that would give me some more energy but it didn’t really work. I think my body is fighting something so I’m not going to be too hard on myself for slacking a bit. I’ll probably do LB tomorrow morning and UB and HIIT on Saturday. I’d like to rest Sunday if at all possible.

Can’t wait till my energy returns… I miss it.

Meals:
M1 – chicken breast, apple, natural pb
M2 – oatmeal and protein
M3 – tuna fish, apple
M4 – protein shake
M5 – chicken breast, romaine salad, 1/2 sweet potato
One gallon of water.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005

C1W9D3 - My First Official Bonk

Today was LB day, which I usually love because it goes by so quickly (don’t love the actual act of doing lunges, but do love the feeling in my bum for the next several days). Anyway, this morning I wake right on time (4 AM), drink my morning coffee, get dressed and put on my shoes to head for the gym. Lately I’ve been having a tablespoon of natural PB prior to lifting workouts to give me extra energy, but this morning I put my shoes on before my spoonful and as I was about to leave realized I forgot to grab a bite of peanut butter. I didn’t feel like removing my shoes and putting them back on so I just left for the gym (my husband is a little obsessive/compulsive and requires NO shoes beyond our entryway – his OCD is one of the things I find so endearing). Anyway, I digress…

I get to the gym and start with leg presses, which seem more difficult than usual. I make it all the way through sets 1 through 5 and move on to do hack squats (decided to try this instead of DB squats today). I put 90 pounds on and do one very difficult rep, then go for another – well, I went too far down and just didn’t have the energy to push myself back up. I really tried to focus my mind and do it, but I had to get out of the machine and remove one of the 45 lb. plates – got back in and still couldn’t push back up. Had to get out and take the other 45 lb. plate off. Geez. It was really embarrassing, but mostly I just felt weak and blechy. I went to the dumbbell section to do lunges, made it through my first set and said “F*** it.” And went home. I just feel completely bonked today. I’m shaky and weak and absolutely devoid of energy. I’ve lifted weights many, many times with no pb, so I don’t know why I feel so yucky today. I’m thinking it might be the calorie reduction or fighting the cold (but I really feel like the Airborne and Zicam stopped my cold in its tracks).

My boss says I can use his home gym whenever I want, so my plan is to workout at his house during my lunch hour. I’m on a streak and don’t want to miss any workouts.

About my husband’s OCD… he makes me wipe our dog’s feet with baby wipes each time we come in from outdoors! It does help keep the carpets super clean, but sometimes when hubby isn’t home – I don’t bother wiping Max’s feet just for fun. Oh! Another hilarious OCD thing he has is with the volume control on the TV. It MUST be set at level 12, 15 or 18 – no number in between. So, of course when hubby isn’t home I set it to 11 or 13 and when he comes home and turns the TV on and sees the volume control he gets very “disturbed” – isn’t that odd??? There are so many little things he does that just crack me up.

Meals:
M1 – Chicken breast, 1/2 apple, 1/2 sweet potato (thought the extra carbs would help my energy?)
M2 – Protein shake
M3 – Chicken breast, apple
M4 – Oatmeal and protein
M5 – Chicken breast, sweet potato, romaine salad
M6 – Apple and string cheese
One gallon of water.

Tuesday, November 15, 2005

C1W9D2

There’s a little tickle in my nose and I’ve been sneezing all morning… I so don’t want to catch a cold right now. I’ve started taking the Airborne and some Zicam and hopefully that will nip this in the bud.

My HIIT this morning was less than stellar. All the elliptical machines were taken so I decided to give the treadmill a shot. My shins were hurting for the first few minutes, but then the pain subsided. Or perhaps, I just stopped noticing my shin splints because I was concentrating on the very weird burning, acidic feeling in my stomach. The faster I went, the worse the burning sensation. I didn’t achieve a 10. =(

My HIIT went something like this:

Warm up
Level 6 – 5.5 mph
Level 7 – 6.5 mph
Level 8 – 7.5 mph
Level 9 – 8.5 mph
Level 6 – 4.0 mph (the burning sensation in my tummy was baaad)
Level 7 – 5.0 mph
Level 8 – 6.0 mph
Level 9 – 7.0 mph
Level 6 – 4.0 mph
Level 7 – 5.0 mph
Level 8 – 6.0 mph
Level 9 – 7.0 mph
Level 6 – 4.0 mph
Level 7 – 5.0 mph
Level 8 – 6.0 mph
Level 9 – 7.0 mph
Level 10 - =(
Then I walked at 3.0 mph for a minute to settle the burning sensation. I looked at the display and at 20 minutes, I had somehow managed to hit 2.0 miles… don’t know how that happened.
I decided to run at 6.0 mph until I reached 3.0 miles and the last two minutes I bumped my speed up to 6.5 mph then 7.0 mph.
I cooled down by walking at 3.0 at 15 incline.

It was an OK workout, but I’m disappointed in not hitting a 10 – and what was up with the burning stomach???

My planned meals may or may not change, depending on what I get when I start plugging things into fitday. Jennifer, thanks so much for pm-ing with your meal suggestions. I’ll have to go to the grocery store and stock up on some new stuff.

Meals:
M1 – cottage cheese, apple
M2 – protein shake
M3 – chicken breast, apple
M4 – protein shake
M5 – chicken breast, green salad, sweet potato
M6 – cottage cheese
One gallon of water.

After seeing the Keys to Your Heart test on everyone’s blogs, I couldn’t resist taking it – WEIRD. Especially the part about marriage – I’ve always been freaked out about getting married. I never thought I would, but I’m very, very happy that I did and don’t feel like I’m confined… for the most part. It’s definitely an adjustment because I’m terribly independent, but I love my husband and I’m honored he would choose me to be his wife.

The Keys to Your Heart

You are attracted to those who are unbridled, untrammeled, and free.

In love, you feel the most alive when your lover is creative and never lets you feel bored.

You'd like to your lover to think you are loyal and faithful... that you'll never change.

You would be forced to break up with someone who was emotional, moody, and difficult to please.

Your ideal relationship is lasting. You want a relationship that looks to the future... one you can grow with.

Your risk of cheating is zero. You care about society and morality. You would never break a commitment.

You think of marriage as something that will confine you. You are afraid of marriage.

In this moment, you think of love as commitment. Love only works when both people are totally devoted.

Monday, November 14, 2005

C1W9D1 - Holy Cow - Week 9 Already???


Friday evening’s event was lots of fun. I didn’t have any hors d’oerves, but I’ve always wanted to try Shiraz, so I had a very small glass of it and didn’t finish it. It tastes just like all the other red wines I’ve had. One of the new model homes has the exact tile upgrade that we chose for our home and it is beautiful. We selected 21” tiles and we’ve been a little freaked out that they’d be too big, but they look so nice. We also upgraded our patio to a covered patio and I was concerned it wouldn’t look as nice as building an arbor or something custom – but I can put those fears to rest, too. Whew. Now I can just concentrate on the fears I have of spending sooooo much freaking money on such a tiny little house and tiny little yard! EEEECK! Sigh. (The photo is the living room. I think our fireplace is sexy.)

Saturday I did HIIT on the elliptical followed by 15 minutes on the stationary bike. Another good workout. I was famished and decided to take my free day and we went to our favorite breakfast place. I was thinking I’d have French toast but when it was time to order I got the spinach omelette and whole-wheat toast.

Yesterday was rest day and I was a total bum. I was so tired and didn’t do a thing except grocery shopping for the week. It was nice to just chill out at home. Eating was on plan and water intake was good (coulda been better…).

Back to the gym this morning for UB workout. It’s after 1:00 pm and my arms are still a little fatigued... I thought about adding some steady state cardio in, but time was running out so I may do something this evening. But then again, maybe I won’t. I’m getting a little tired of all the extra work not yielding extra results so maybe I should just hold steady.

Chest:
DB Chest Press
1x12 – 17.5 lbs.
2x10 – 20 lbs.
3x8 – 25 lbs.
4x6 – 27.5 lbs.
5x12 – 20 lbs.
DB Fly 1x12 – 15 lbs.

Shoulders:
Arnold Press
1x12 – 12.5 lbs.
2x10 – 15 lbs.
3x8 – 17.5 lbs.
4x6 – 20 lbs. failed at 4 reps
5x12 – 15 lbs.
BB Upright Row
1x12 – 40 lbs.

Back:
Assisted Pull Ups
1x12 – 100 lbs.
2x10 – 90 lbs.
3x8 – 80 lbs.
4x6 – 70 lbs.
5x12 – 90 lbs.
Reverse Grip Pulldowns – 80 lbs.

Triceps:
Extensions
1x12 – 35 lbs.
2x10 – 45 lbs.
3x8 – 55 lbs.
4x6 – 65 lbs.
5x12 – 45 lbs.
1 Arm Cross Overs 1x12 – 10 lbs.

Biceps:
EZ Bar Curls**
1x12 – 25 lbs.
2x10 – 30 lbs.
3x8 – 35 lbs.
4x6 – 40 lbs.
5x12 – 30 lbs.
21’s 1x12 – 10 lbs.

Meals:
M1 – 1 tbsp natural PB, coffee (pre-workout meal)
M2 – oatmeal and protein
M3 – oatmeal and protein
M4 – tuna, small gala apple
M5 – tuna, 1/2 yam*
M6 – chicken breast, romaine salad
One gallon of water.

*Dana D posted on tracker that she bakes her sweet potatoes for a couple hours and they turn out delish so I gave it a try and she was right. Yummmmmy! Way better than microwaving them. I baked some sweet potatoes and yams and they came out so soft and sweet and fabulous. I’m going to have to be careful with these…

**Dumb question: Is it called the EZ bar because it's easier to do a curl with it than with a standard barbell?

Totally off topic and more of a reminder to myself so I don't forget... I NEED to do something different with my hair. I saw a Hanes commercial this morning with Marissa Tomei and her hair looks fabulous. I want that hairstyle.

Friday, November 11, 2005

C1W8D5 - So Freaking Hungry!!!


I’m so not enjoying 1100 calories per day. I don’t know why a few hundred calories makes such a big difference to me, but I feel so hungry. I plug my food into fitday each time I eat and then I start feeling panicked – oh no, I only get 600 more calories today. I think my hunger is a mental thing. I feel like I’m depriving myself so my stomach is growling. No wonder BFL/EFL was so easy before I started counting calories – now it feels like I’m on a “diet.” =(

Tonight we’ve been invited to our home builder’s grand opening of our new little community and they’ll be serving “fine wine and hors d’oeuvres” so it’s going to be a challenge to resist… (The photo is the house we’re buying.)

Still feeling soreness in my upper body from Wednesday’s workout. Love it.

Today’s lower body workout was great and I think I already feel it in my hamstrings.

Quads:
Leg Press (upped the weights from last time)
1x12 – 90 lbs.
2x10 – 120 lbs.
3x8 – 140 lbs.
4x6 – 195 lbs.
5x12 – 150 lbs.
DB Squats 1x12 – 25 lbs.

Hamstrings:
DB Lunges
1x12 – 15 lbs.
2x10 – 20 lbs.
3x8 – 25 lbs.
4x6 – 30 lbs.
5x12 – 15 lbs.
Deadlifts 1x12 – 60 lbs.

Calves:
45° Calf Press
1x12 – 150 lbs.
2x10 – 180 lbs.
3x8 – 270 lbs.
4x6 – 360 lbs.
5x12 – 270 lbs.
1 Leg Standing Raise 1x12 – 30 lbs.

Hmmm. I wonder if I did the primary exercise correctly. I didn’t realize how much weight I was putting on and 360 lbs. seems like A LOT and it wasn’t the hardest exercise I’ve ever done. 30 lb. dumbbell lunges kicked my butt way more.

Abs (BFL style):
Decline sit ups w/10 lbs. weight
Hanging leg lifts

Meals:
M1 - 1 tsp. almond butter, 1 tsp. pb, coffee (pre-workout)
M2 - 3 oz. chicken breast, apple
M3 - oatmeal, protein
M4 - 3 oz. chicken breast, apple
M5 - tuna fish, apple
M6 - probably chicken and an apple...


Here’s my HIIT on the elliptical from yesterday. Want to keep track of the cycles to see if I can improve on it in the next couple of weeks.

I use manual mode and keep the RPM’s at 60 or above through each level. I haven’t been able to make it to 60 RPMs on the last level and don’t feel like I could keep going a second longer so I’m pretty sure I’ve hit a 10.

Warmup for two minutes at Level 5
Minute 3: Level 8
Minute 4: Level 10
Minute 5: Level 13
Minute 6: Level 16
Minute 7: Level 8
Minute 8: Level 10
Minute 9: Level 13
Minute 10: Level 16
Minute 11: Level 8
Minute 12: Level 10
Minute 13: Level 13
Minute 14: Level 16
Minute 15: Level 8
Minute 16: Level 10
Minute 17: Level 13
Minute 18: Level 16
Minute 19: Level 18
Cool down.

Thursday, November 10, 2005

C1W8D3 and C1W8D4

OK I've refocused and am in a much better "place" mentally. I've realized that with all this muscle I've been adding, once the thyroid is stabilized and the fat starts coming off, I'll be a lean machine. That's how I choose to think about things right now anyway!

Great UB workout yesterday and a good HIIT on elliptical this morning followed by 10 minutes on the stationary bike. Yesterday I added a new exercise - assisted pull-ups. I’m definitely feeling it in different muscles today so I’m pleased about that.

For some reason my energy is gone. I’m feeling bonked today and just want to take a nap. Maybe it’s the cloudy weather?

Yesterday’s UB workout:

Chest:
DB Chest Press
1x12 – 17.5 lbs.
2x10 – 20 lbs.
3x8 – 25 lbs.
4x6 – 27.5 lbs.
5x12 – 20 lbs.
DB Fly 1x12 – 17.5 lbs.

Shoulders:
Arnold Press
1x12 – 12.5 lbs.
2x10 – 15 lbs.
3x8 – 17.5 lbs.
4x6 – 20 lbs. x 4, 15lbs. x 2
5x12 – 15 lbs. x 9, 12.5 lbs. x 3
BB Upright Row
1x12 – 35 lbs.

Back:
Assisted Pull Ups (NEW! Yay!)
1x12 – 100 lbs.
2x10 – 90 lbs.
3x8 – 80 lbs.
4x6 – 70 lbs.
5x12 – 100 lbs.
Cable Row – 70 lbs.

Triceps:
Extensions
1x12 – 35 lbs.
2x10 – 45 lbs.
3x8 – 55 lbs.
4x6 – 65 lbs.
5x12 – 45 lbs.
1 Arm Cross Overs 1x12 – 10 lbs.

Biceps:
Barbell Curls
1x12 – 25 lbs.
2x10 – 30 lbs.
3x8 – 35 lbs.
4x6 – 40 lbs.
5x12 – 30 lbs.
21’s 1x12 – 10 lbs.

Yesterday’s Meals:
M1 – 1 tbsp natural PB, coffee (pre-workout meal)
M2 – oatmeal and protein (reduced oatmeal from 1/2 c. to 1/4 c.
M3 – chicken breast, small gala apple
M4 – chicken breast, small gala apple
M5 – chicken breast, eas whey protein
M6 – chicken breast, broccoli, small apple
Calories: 1108
One gallon of water.

Today’s Meals:
M1 – oatmeal, protein, 1 tsp. almond butter
M2 – oatmeal, protein
M3 – 3.5 oz. chicken breast, small gala apple
M4 – 3.5 oz. chicken breast (no carbs to cut calories)
M5 – chicken breast, romaine salad,
M6 – cottage cheese, apple
One gallon of water.

I'm bloody hungry!

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Melt Down - C1W8D2


I soooo wish I was posting about fat melting off my body. Nope. I had a doctor’s appointment first thing this morning and of course, they always weigh you… I’m UP 5 lbs. I weigh more today than I did in early June well before I started my current BFL challenge. WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH ME?????????

Needless to say, I broke into tears. I just don’t understand. I’m so sad. I just want to succeed at this. I want to wear shorts when we go back to Malaysia in less than seven weeks. It’s so flippin hot and humid there. I don’t want to wear jeans and pants all the time. I don’t want to be FAT ANYMORE. I know in my heart I’m giving it my everything. I’ve never been so focused about a program like I am with BFL.

Why is this not working for me? I used to only eat about twice a day and when I did eat it was taco bell or lean cuisine or scones for gawd’s sake. Now I’m doing everything I’m supposed to do. I might be getting too many calories though. How many am I supposed to get???? Fuck. I don’t know anything right now. Analysis Paralysis.

I’m a real Debbie Downer today. Wah wah.

Plan of Attack:
I started keeping track of my food at fitday. My doctor asked me how many calories I’m getting in and I told him about 1500 and he said that’s too much. I need to decrease my calories if I’m going to lose weight. OK fine. I just did some detailed research and according to Hussman, I need to decrease my calories to about 1100 calories per day to lose fat without losing muscle. That’s what I’ll do. I guess I should’ve done this research earlier.

So, today I did HIIT on the elliptical followed up with 15 minutes on the stationary bike. Did I achieve a true “10”?… I think the answer is “no” because if you’re not sure if you hit a 10, you probably didn’t – right? But I was dripping sweat and it did feel like a good workout. I gotta find my groove.

Meals:
M1 – oatmeal and protein, 1 tbsp PB (I’ve gotta finish this jar and NEVER buy it again or just throw it away!)
M2 – protein shake and small gala apple
M3 – oatmeal and protein
M4 – tuna fish (no carb to cut back on calories)
M5 – 3 oz. of chicken breast, small apple
One gallon of water.

Thanks to all of you for your wonderful encouragement, support, and tips.

Update:
Hmmm… I just now got a call from my doctor’s office. My lab work shows my TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) levels are back up in the "no longer normal" range. That means my hypothryroid is still affecting my weight loss efforts in a very negative way. The only way I can lose weight is if my levels are in the normal range – so he’s probably going to increase my medication. I guess that’s good news. At least it helps explain why I’m not seeing weight loss. That and I was getting too many calories in…

Monday, November 07, 2005

C1W8D1

Things have been busy, busy, busy and I haven’t have time to update since last Thursday…

Things are right on track with workouts, food, water – but I took my measurements this morning and NO CHANGE since last week. This is the first week that everything is the same. I didn’t go crazy on Free Day this weekend – I took one free meal (sushi and a crepe) so I don’t understand. Hmmm… I just realized last week was the first week I didn’t add extra cardio in the afternoons. I did add 15 to 20 minutes of steady state to the end of my HIITs, but nothing on weight days. Maybe that’s why I didn’t make any measurable progress. I didn’t even bother weighing myself. I’m going to take my own advice and forget about that bloody scale.

I’m afraid and my mind if full of self doubt and I know I shouldn’t be focusing on my fears of my body not cooperating with me… but – ARGH.

Moving on.

Friday I did UB workout at home with some dumbbells that I have – I also did push ups and tricep dips… Although I was still sore yesterday, I’m going to wait till we have our home gym set up before working out at home again…

Saturday I did HIIT on treadmill and ROCKED it once again; however, I have to force myself to stop using the treadmill for a minimum of two weeks. My damn shin splints have gotten so incredibly painful and my shins are bumpy and inflamed. I’ll continue with my stretching and strengthening exercises and do elliptical or bike for the next two weeks and then watch out tready – here I come! We went shopping in Walnut Creek - what a cute, cute town. The air is so clean and the downtown area is so darn cute!

Today was LB workout and abs:

Quads:
Leg Press
1x12 – 90 lbs.
2x10 – 115 lbs.
3x8 – 140 lbs.
4x6 – 175 lbs.
5x12 – 140 lbs.
DB Squats 1x12 – 20 lbs.

Hamstrings:
Deadlifts
1x12 – 40 lbs.
2x10 – 50 lbs.
3x8 – 60 lbs.
4x6 – 70 lbs.
5x12 – 50 lbs.
DB Lunges 1x12 – 20 lbs.

Calves:
Standing Calf Raises
1x12 – 150 lbs.
2x10 – 160 lbs.
3x8 – 170 lbs.
4x6 – 180 lbs.
5x12 – 160 lbs.
Sitting Calf Raises 1x12 – 140 lbs.

Abs (BFL style):
Decline sit ups w/10 lbs. weight
Hanging leg lifts

I love leg day because it goes by so fast!

This week I’m starting to track my food at fitday so I know where I am with calories, ratios, etc.

Meals:
M1 – oatmeal and protein
M2 – oatmeal and protein
M3 – tuna, small apple
M4 – cottage cheese, small apple
M5 – chicken breast, broccoli
One gallon of water.

Now I gotta go catch up on ALL the blogs I read...

Thursday, November 03, 2005

C1W7D3

OMGooooodness! It hurts SOOOOO good! Yay! My lower body workout yesterday was awesome. It hurts to walk, it hurts to sit down, it hurts when my dog jumps on my lap. I LOVE IT! It hurts to laugh, it hurts to sneeze. Great ab workout too. Yes. Yes. Yes.

I may have discovered why I can’t get my shin splints to heal. Aren’t you supposed to stretch properly when running? I NEVER stretch. I do my two-minute warm up (sometimes 5 minutes depending on how sleepy/unmotivated I am) and then I just go for it. I never stretch before running and I never stretch after. I’ve tried toe lifts, walking on my toes, walking on my heels, getting new shoes, blah, blah, blah, but I haven’t tried stretching! I’ll try dub’s suggestion of lifting a light dumbbell, too. Thanks, dub!

So, today I did HIIT on the elliptical and followed it up with about 15 minutes of stationary bike. I was dripping sweat but I’m doubtful if I achieved a true 10. I’ll keep at it and I’ll go research the thread Suzanne suggested. Thanks, Suzanne. =) Oh, by the way, the hanging leg lifts are ala Cheryl’s bfl blog – you hold onto the chin-up bar and lift your legs straight out in front of you. You could do them from the chair thing with arm rests, too, but then I guess you’d just call them leg lifts since you wouldn’t be hanging.

I have another new goal, which is to overcome my fear of trying certain exercises in the “Big Boys” section of my gym. I finally overcame my fear of that area in general, and now would like to try doing some exercises that intimidate me a little: sissy squats, barbell bench press, lunges on the smith machine (don’t know why I’m afraid of these), skull crushers…

Meals:
Same things I ate yesterday with the exception of the steamed fish and steamed vegetables. Today at lunch I had a salad with tuna.
One gallon of water.

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Grumpy McGrump, Mayor of Grumpville

C1W7D3

My shins are really hurting today. I shouldn’t have done the treadmill for HIIT. I REALLY need to cross train and get my shins to heal completely but I just don’t have the patience. The treadmill calls to me and I can’t say no. But I guess I’ll have to because it really HURTS today. Even my knee is acting up again. I just don’t know how to achieve a true 10 on the bike or elliptical and time is running out. I only have – holy crap – 5 1/2 weeks left in my challenge. Sigh.

Here’s today’s LB Workout:

Quads:
DB Lunges
1x12 – 10 lbs.
2x10 – 15 lbs.
3x8 – 20 lbs.
4x6 – 25 lbs.
5 x 12 – 15 lbs.
Leg Press 1x12 – 150 lbs.
I was dripping sweat by this time…

Hamstrings:
Stiff Legged Deadlifts
1x12 – 30 lbs.
2x10 – 40 lbs.
3x8 – 50 lbs.
4x6 – 70 lbs.
5 x 12 – 50 lbs.
Standing Leg Curls 1x12 – 35 lbs.

Calves:
Standing Calf Raises
1x12 – 150 lbs.
2x10 – 160 lbs.
3x8 – 170 lbs.
4x6 – 180 lbs.
5 x 12 – 160 lbs.
45 Degree Calf 1x12 – 150 lbs.

Abs (BFL style):
Decline sit-ups w/10 lb. weight
Hanging leg lifts (12 reps were done with “straight” legs but I was swaying and swinging all of the place. Not a pretty sight!)

Meals:
Same old thing. I better mix it up so my body doesn’t get used to it.
M1 – Chocolate oatmeal (with natural PB)
M2 – oatmeal and protein
M3 – steamed fish, bok choy (lunch with my husband)
M4 – tuna, pear
M5 – chicken breast, green salad
One gallon of water.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

C1W7D2 – High on Life

This is the first Halloween in a loooong time that I haven’t had one tiny candy bar. Not one little Hershey’s Kiss. Not one PB cup. Hooray!

I planned on doing HIIT on the elliptical this morning to give my shins a break, but as I walked by the treadmill was calling my name so I hopped on and I’m so glad I did. I definitely hit another 10 with cardio (10mph) and I gave myself some recovery time and ran for another 10 minutes at 6 to 6.5 mph. I finished that up with a 7.5, 8.5 and 9.5 mph minute each and it felt awesome. Anyway, I had to refrain from screaming out in excitement WOOOOHOOOO! I also had to control myself not to high five the man next to me. He wasn’t impressed with my skills – he’s there everyday running like a banshee. I wonder what he would’ve done if I asked for a high five… Man, I LOVE that runners high.

Progress?
I posted my week 6 photos to tracker and perhaps I notice a teeny, weeny, itty-bitty reduction in certain areas. I swear I see more muscle definition in person – it doesn’t show up on film at all. But guess what? I’m not upset. I know I’m making HUGE progress on the inside. I feel strong. I can sprint at 10 mph. I’m not suffering from depression. I sleep like a baby. Things are improving.

Meals:
M1 – Chocolate oatmeal (minus the natural PB)
M2 – oatmeal and protein
M3 – tuna, green salad
M4 – tuna, pear
M5 – chicken breast, green salad, small sweet potato
One gallon of water.

BFL Top 15 Finalists
I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cheryl and truly, truly hope EAS selects her to win the big prize. I’ve been reading the finalists’ blogs at bfl.com and the related comments. I really hate the spirit of this voting – it seems a bit cruel to the people who made it so far. Will all but one be completely crushed in the end? Not only the finalists, but their family, friends and supporters. I just think the way they used to choose a grand master champion was more dignified. Now people who don’t make it to the top 5 are going to wonder if they should have campaigned more – done more to increase their odds of going all the way. It’s ugly.