Sunday night is when I touch base with my trainer, Kelly. We had a lot to talk about tonight. I had emailed her yesterday when I had my mini-meltdown and so she gave me a "pep talk" tonight. She said that the "low days happen" but we both know that the low days just push me to work harder. I need to keep my expectations realistic. I want to see big results NOW. It has taken me almost 8 months to get to where I am now, and I still have 4 and half months before competition. Although strength training is relatively new to me, I have learned a lot. I'm learning about what weights to use, how to build muscle and trim fat, and becoming in tune with my body and my abilities. Its not easy, but what I need to focus on is that the competition is just ONE day, the journey is the true reward.
My biggest mistake is that I keep wanting to rush the process. The truth is, this is a sport that takes time and consistency. The sport is fitness; learning and living a healthy lifestyle and allowing yourself time to grow. Kelly said to me tonight, "AA, if we could transforms our bodies in 2 weeks, then everyone would do it! You can do this; you've made the commitment, you're making the time and putting forth the effort. Be patient." If I had a dollar for every time someone told me to be patient about something... Well, I guess that's my biggest fault in every aspect of my life. Patience is a virtue I have yet to master.
So I'm entering week 4 of my training and nutrition plans. With the strength training, I'm increasing volume and adding sets (whew!) and with nutrition I'm cutting down more sugars (dairy and fruit) and continuing with my clean diet. I'm excited about the upcoming week. Tomorrow is my chest and back day and I'm ready to hit it hard!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Super Salads
Salads make fabulous lunches! However, I'm someone that needs a lot of variety; I can't eat the same lunch every day or I start to feel like my food is boring and unsatisfying. Today, for my prep work, I decided to focus on creating salads for the week ahead.
I went to Whole Foods and picked up a variety of greens and vegetables. I precut and washed most of the vegetables and grilled meats, boiled eggs and planned my menu. For my dressing, I always use an oil and vinegar. Balsamic Vinegar and Red Wine Vinegar are my favorites.
Monday: Romaine Lettuce, cucumber, red onion, green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and beets topped with grilled chicken.
Tuesday: Baby Spinach with strawberries and blueberries (sometimes I add a little feta), grilled salmon on the side.
Wednesday: Mixed Spring Greens with edamame, cilantro, snow peas, red bell pepper and topped with thinly sliced steak (I prefer this with an Asian style dressing like a sesame vinaigrette)
Thursday: Romaine Lettuce, Red, Yellow and Orange bell pepper chopped, broccoli florets, radishes, carrots, red onion and cilantro. I like to top this with hard-boiled egg and/or grilled chicken.
Friday: Mixed Spring Greens with beets, hard-boiled egg, red onion, green bell pepper and cucumber topped with grilled tuna.
I always avoid or use sparingly: dried fruits (raisins, craisins, etc), creamy dressings or mayonaise based dresssings, bacon, croutons, cheese, and nuts. I always measure out my dressing or if I have to order a salad out, ask for the dressing on the side.
This is sort of an odd thing about how I like my salads, but I have to eat them on a real plate with a real fork. The salad has to be cold and I don't add my dressing until I'm ready to eat it. Often times, when I pack my salads, I put everything in individual ziploc bags and assemble it at lunch time. That just keeps everything fresh and crisp. It adds a little more work/time in the prep, but I would rather take a couple extra minutes and have a phenomenal lunch rather than have a soggy, mediocre meal. :o)
I went to Whole Foods and picked up a variety of greens and vegetables. I precut and washed most of the vegetables and grilled meats, boiled eggs and planned my menu. For my dressing, I always use an oil and vinegar. Balsamic Vinegar and Red Wine Vinegar are my favorites.
Monday: Romaine Lettuce, cucumber, red onion, green bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and beets topped with grilled chicken.
Tuesday: Baby Spinach with strawberries and blueberries (sometimes I add a little feta), grilled salmon on the side.
Wednesday: Mixed Spring Greens with edamame, cilantro, snow peas, red bell pepper and topped with thinly sliced steak (I prefer this with an Asian style dressing like a sesame vinaigrette)
Thursday: Romaine Lettuce, Red, Yellow and Orange bell pepper chopped, broccoli florets, radishes, carrots, red onion and cilantro. I like to top this with hard-boiled egg and/or grilled chicken.
Friday: Mixed Spring Greens with beets, hard-boiled egg, red onion, green bell pepper and cucumber topped with grilled tuna.
I always avoid or use sparingly: dried fruits (raisins, craisins, etc), creamy dressings or mayonaise based dresssings, bacon, croutons, cheese, and nuts. I always measure out my dressing or if I have to order a salad out, ask for the dressing on the side.
This is sort of an odd thing about how I like my salads, but I have to eat them on a real plate with a real fork. The salad has to be cold and I don't add my dressing until I'm ready to eat it. Often times, when I pack my salads, I put everything in individual ziploc bags and assemble it at lunch time. That just keeps everything fresh and crisp. It adds a little more work/time in the prep, but I would rather take a couple extra minutes and have a phenomenal lunch rather than have a soggy, mediocre meal. :o)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Moving Around the World 5k Run/Walk
At 10 AM, I did the "Moving Around the World 5k Run/Walk" http://www.movingaroundtheworldrun.com/ in Annapolis, sponsored by the Annapolis Rotary Club. It was cold this morning, but I could definitely tell Spring is here!The run was somewhat crowded with runners and walkers of all levels. We had a slow start as everyone was entering the course; it was very congested and some of the walkers had positioned themselves at the front of the race. Once I hit the 1 mile mark though, it opened up and there was a good bit of distance between runners and walkers. The first mile is always easy. It goes by in a blink and I started to feel "warmed up". Around the second mile, my ears were burning and the cold air was tight in my lungs and on my face. 
My allergies were really bothering me this morning and I just felt like I couldn't get any good deep breaths. I couldn't breathe through my nose at all. I pushed my shoulders back, straightened my spine and really tired to get the air in. I actually had to slow down my pace and just focus on getting some good breaths. I slowed down too long, though. At 2.5 miles, I hit it hard and just tried to make up my time.
I came in at 30 minutes. Not bad, but not great. It was slower than what I had run in October. The trail was much harder than my October run, I was fighting allergies and the air was biting cold. Earlier this week, I ran in 27 minutes, so it was very disappointing to have added the 3 minutes. I knew I slowed down for too long, but it is what it is and I'm ok with that. I'm looking for other race in the next couple weeks to beat my best time.
Looking back at where I was less than a year ago, I'm very proud of myself.
Baby Steps
Throughout this process, I am learning that you don't just wake up one morning and decide that you're going to be fit and then go sign up for a competition. It takes a long time and consistency to achieve this level of fitness.
Let's talk about that bikini I bought on Wednesday... This morning, I decided to go ahead and put it on and take my pre-competition pictures for my trainer. Marty took several shots; I did all my poses (which, by the way, I am CLUELESS about still, but I did my best) and then I had to review to see which ones I would send to her. BLAH! I immediately burst into tears.
I have my ups and downs. Most days, I feel strong and confident. I can see the progress. My clothes fit better; I'm in the same size I was the day I got married; I have muscle definition; I'm tight, I'm tone. Today, however, I know that as good as I look for a "mom of two", I am not even close to where I need to be for competition in just 5 months. It broke my heart.
Today is an emotional morning. Training is hard work. I feel that it consumes me. It breaks down my inhibitions and forces me to push aside my self-doubt. I feel embarrassed, self-conscious and nervous. Am I making a fool of myself? Are my goals obtainable?
Today's task was excrutiating! I had to take pictures of myself in a bikini and send them to someone else. For her to look at, judge, and prepare a plan to transform my body quickly. Granted, Kelly is just about the sweetest person alive and I know she'll look at the pictures and get to work to help me succeed, but still it hurts to take pictures of yourself and not feel happy with the image and then send it off to someone else so they can see those flaws too.
I'm getting ready to go run a 5K. This will give me some time to focus and regroup. I will not let those pictures beat me down. I will work harder. I can do this!
Let's talk about that bikini I bought on Wednesday... This morning, I decided to go ahead and put it on and take my pre-competition pictures for my trainer. Marty took several shots; I did all my poses (which, by the way, I am CLUELESS about still, but I did my best) and then I had to review to see which ones I would send to her. BLAH! I immediately burst into tears.
I have my ups and downs. Most days, I feel strong and confident. I can see the progress. My clothes fit better; I'm in the same size I was the day I got married; I have muscle definition; I'm tight, I'm tone. Today, however, I know that as good as I look for a "mom of two", I am not even close to where I need to be for competition in just 5 months. It broke my heart.
Today is an emotional morning. Training is hard work. I feel that it consumes me. It breaks down my inhibitions and forces me to push aside my self-doubt. I feel embarrassed, self-conscious and nervous. Am I making a fool of myself? Are my goals obtainable?
Today's task was excrutiating! I had to take pictures of myself in a bikini and send them to someone else. For her to look at, judge, and prepare a plan to transform my body quickly. Granted, Kelly is just about the sweetest person alive and I know she'll look at the pictures and get to work to help me succeed, but still it hurts to take pictures of yourself and not feel happy with the image and then send it off to someone else so they can see those flaws too.
I'm getting ready to go run a 5K. This will give me some time to focus and regroup. I will not let those pictures beat me down. I will work harder. I can do this!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Inspiration
I found a necklace today with a quote from the british poet, William Ernest Henley, handstamped into a sterling silver piece and then topped with an 18kt gold pendant with a compass on it. Of course, I bought it and didn't even let the woman box it up; I asked her to help me put it on and I wore it out of the store!"I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul."
What a beautiful and inspirational quote! I felt that my feelings were captured in these eloquent words. So many times in my life I have felt out of control. I have relied on others for approval, acceptance and self worth. What a horrible way to live! Through this journey of health and fitness, I have learned tremendous lessons about who I am and what I am capable of doing. I have learned that only I am in control of how I feel about myself; I push myself to be strong, to be disciplined and to be MY very best.
I was never "overweight" or "obese", but I was feeling out of control with my body. By putting my focus into my goals, making up my mind to work hard and making the commitment to myself for MY health and MY physical appearance, I feel that I am capable of achieving anything! This has spilled into every aspect of my life. I'm a better wife, a better mother, a better friend and just a better person all around. I get up every day and make the choice to be the absolute best that I can be and know that I'm only in control of myself and no one else has power over me or my feelings.
After buying the necklace, I went and bought a bikini! Yes, I did it; I bought a bikini! A string bikini, at that! However, I did let them box it up rather than wear it out of the store. :o) I needed this bikini to take my pre-competition pictures, but I have been putting it off because I just didn't think I was anywhere near ready. When I'm about 6 weeks out from competition, I'll get my bikini that I will wear for the stage and I'll be able to see how much physical progress I've made. Right now, I feel strong. I am confident that I can do anything I put my mind to. "I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul."
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Be Fit Test; the Bod Pod
Saturday morning I met Kelly to have the Be Fit Test done, using the Bod Pod http://www.befittest.com/index.html The Bod Pod is the same method that they use on the TV show, The Biggest Loser. The test cost me $45 and it took all of 5 minutes and I got the results immediately! It was pain free and very easy! I just sat there in this "egg".
Wow! What an eye opener! You cannot argue with science and/or numbers! I wasn't thrilled to learn how much body fat I had (I will tell you I'm in the healthy range, but no where near ready for my competition!) but at least I have a very clear marker of where I am and how much work I have ahead of me.
I strongly suggest that people find a Bod Pod and have this test done. It tells you your fat mass, fat free mass, body mass, how many calories your body uses to just "live" and how many calories you need to take in based on your activity level. It was helpful for me to see that just because I'm thin, I have a high body fat % relative to my overall body mass! I learned a lot and it gave me motivation to work even harder!
Wow! What an eye opener! You cannot argue with science and/or numbers! I wasn't thrilled to learn how much body fat I had (I will tell you I'm in the healthy range, but no where near ready for my competition!) but at least I have a very clear marker of where I am and how much work I have ahead of me.
I strongly suggest that people find a Bod Pod and have this test done. It tells you your fat mass, fat free mass, body mass, how many calories your body uses to just "live" and how many calories you need to take in based on your activity level. It was helpful for me to see that just because I'm thin, I have a high body fat % relative to my overall body mass! I learned a lot and it gave me motivation to work even harder!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Turn Up the Heat
If you really want to feel the burn, you've got to turn up the heat! Too many people get caught up in repeating the same exercises at the same intensity for weeks and then wonder why they aren't seeing results!
Over the last couple weeks, I've been trying to push myself to the limits! Marty has been taking time to do at least two workouts a week with me (he doesn't work out with me, but he pushes me with my own workout; that's a HUGE help and it helps me recognize what my muscles should feel like when I'm working hard) He helped me find my maximum weights and then I do my working sets at 75-80%. By the end of the last set, I'm absolutely exhausted and shaking from the energy and force that I had to give!
I give myself about 45 seconds of rest in between sets and then I hit it hard! I'm working at a 2-1-2 tempo. For example, a chest press would be two counts up, hold for one, down in two counts. Its a slow and steady pace and I'm really working on the control with my muscles; you cannot rely on momentum here! Just doing the exercise/movements isn't enough, I need to really think about the movement, visualize my muscles working and maintain form and control.
I try and push myself so that each workout is harder than the last. There are many ways to increase the intensity or "turn up the heat" in a workout. I'm not increasing reps right now, but I am working to increase weight! I push myself to failure (not discomfort, but absolute failure where I cannot move regardless of how hard I try). I also super set, where I will do a different exercise immediately after I finish one exercise. For example, if I'm doing dumbbell flies, I might immediately go into a chest press and go until I just can't go anymore.
When doing cardio, I keep my heart rate at 70% max. I try and keep my heart rate there for a solid 30 minutes (don't forget that 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down in ADDITION to the 30 minutes!) This week, Kelly wanted me to stay on one machine and complete the 30 minutes at that intensity. I'm really enjoying it. Kelly also made a point to say that at the 10 minute mark, if you're not sweating like crazy, you're not working hard enough! You should be able to speak, but not very comfortably. Conversations during cardio for me usually consists of short, one to two word answers or nods.
Increasing intensity and really turning up the heat is the only way anyone can see any real progress, especially if you've been working out for a while. I realized that when I was "stuck" or not seeing much progress anymore, its because my body had adjusted and adapted to the workouts and it just wasn't challenging anymore. That's why its important to change workouts up, increase the reps or the weight and push to break limits!
Over the last couple weeks, I've been trying to push myself to the limits! Marty has been taking time to do at least two workouts a week with me (he doesn't work out with me, but he pushes me with my own workout; that's a HUGE help and it helps me recognize what my muscles should feel like when I'm working hard) He helped me find my maximum weights and then I do my working sets at 75-80%. By the end of the last set, I'm absolutely exhausted and shaking from the energy and force that I had to give!
I give myself about 45 seconds of rest in between sets and then I hit it hard! I'm working at a 2-1-2 tempo. For example, a chest press would be two counts up, hold for one, down in two counts. Its a slow and steady pace and I'm really working on the control with my muscles; you cannot rely on momentum here! Just doing the exercise/movements isn't enough, I need to really think about the movement, visualize my muscles working and maintain form and control.
I try and push myself so that each workout is harder than the last. There are many ways to increase the intensity or "turn up the heat" in a workout. I'm not increasing reps right now, but I am working to increase weight! I push myself to failure (not discomfort, but absolute failure where I cannot move regardless of how hard I try). I also super set, where I will do a different exercise immediately after I finish one exercise. For example, if I'm doing dumbbell flies, I might immediately go into a chest press and go until I just can't go anymore.
When doing cardio, I keep my heart rate at 70% max. I try and keep my heart rate there for a solid 30 minutes (don't forget that 5 minute warm up and 5 minute cool down in ADDITION to the 30 minutes!) This week, Kelly wanted me to stay on one machine and complete the 30 minutes at that intensity. I'm really enjoying it. Kelly also made a point to say that at the 10 minute mark, if you're not sweating like crazy, you're not working hard enough! You should be able to speak, but not very comfortably. Conversations during cardio for me usually consists of short, one to two word answers or nods.
Increasing intensity and really turning up the heat is the only way anyone can see any real progress, especially if you've been working out for a while. I realized that when I was "stuck" or not seeing much progress anymore, its because my body had adjusted and adapted to the workouts and it just wasn't challenging anymore. That's why its important to change workouts up, increase the reps or the weight and push to break limits!
A Healthy Lifestyle Should Not Feel Like Punishment
Last night my husband and I attended an amazing event in Annapolis. The Junior League of Annapolis, Inc hosts "Chefs by the Bay" every year. This is such a beautiful event where chefs from the Annapolis area show off their best dishes; this year it was hosted at the Loews Hotel. Party goers were able to sample delicious dishes while also browsing exceptional items that were part of a silent auction (I was lucky enough to score a great basket, a cleaning service, several gift certificates to local venues in Annapolis and an artfully decorated drum for my son!) I bought a sexy black dress, hot pink sandals and prepared myself to step out in my new body. I was feeling pretty good! I didn't for one minute stress about what I was going to eat or drink and I went out with every intention to enjoy my evening! I sampled all the dishes; pastas, soups, crepes, chicken satay, cake, sushi, etc... It was FANTASTIC! I even had a glass of Pinot Noir and didn't bat an eyelash!
When you're working hard in the gym and cleaning up your diet, that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy a splurge every now and then. Its important that you allow yourself a break to take in the frills of life that you enjoy! If you feel like you're always missing out or giving up on those things, you're not going to feel rewarded or good about all your hard work. I know that as I get closer to my competition, I won't be able to allow a splurge like that, but last night was a perfect example of allowing myself to just relax and enjoy.
Don't get me wrong, I didn't stuff my face all night and drink myself into a frenzy. Everything was in moderation. I was polite to taste everything, but if it didn't suit my fancy, I tossed it. Choose your splurges, enjoy them, but don't let them derail you from your healthy goals. Remember, if you find yourself "splurging" more than sticking to your plan, than you can't really call it a splurge anymore. A treat every now and then is good for you though, it keeps your mood up, you feel satisfied, but you're able to keep your focus on your goals! Today, I feel refreshed and motivated!!!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sunday; Not Necessarily a Day of Rest
Sunday is my normal "off" day from training. However, don't discount off days. Rest is equally as important to the growth and development of your muscles as the actual weight training. When muscles are asked to do more work than they are accustomed to, they suffer minor ruptures. You'll feel these "micro-tears" as muscle soreness. Your body needs time to repair this muscle tissue so that's why we incorporate "rest days" in with our training schedule. This is also why your muscles grow larger. The resulting muscle is slightly larger than before, better able to handle the stress that caused the initial tears.
As a busy working mother of two, Sundays are far from a day of rest and relaxation. Sundays are my day of planning, preparation and organization. I use the day to prepare for the week ahead. This includes all household chores, grocery shopping and meal preparations. We tend to stick close to home, with the exception of early morning grocery shopping (we were lucky this week in that we didn't really need to restock anything so we were able to skip the trip to the stores). Marty and I split chores and we work diligently to get our house in tip top shape so that we can survive the busy week ahead. Anyone with small children can agree that cleaning house with them home is like trying to contain the Tazmanian Devil (times 2!), so we've been thankful that the weather has been nice enough to keep them outside and happy. Often times, Marty will end up having to entertain them while I get the housework done.
My son thankfully still naps, so I use naptime to focus on meal prep for the week. This week, I've already grilled tons of chicken breasts and organized all the essentials for our daughter's and my lunches. Our refridgerator is neatly organized with properly portioned meals and snacks in tupperware and ziploc bags so that each morning we can quickly grab everything we need for the day.
Here are some tips for organizing quick grab meals: (always have a menu and know what you're planning on packing all week)
Another thing that I plan for on Sunday is my schedule. I know what meetings, events, and commitments that I have and I'm able to look at the schedule and make adjustments with my training days. In the ideal world, I would always stick to my training schedule, but because life has a funny way of taking over, I need to be able to make changes when I recognize a day is just not going to have enough time for my training. This goes back to my post about MAKING TIME; if I know that there just aren't enough hours in the day on Monday for me to hit the gym, I'm going to have make Monday a rest day and plan my other days accordingly. I do whatever is necessary to keep myself on my training schedule.
Prepping for the week doesn't take me all day. Sure, it takes up a chunk of the day and it takes an organized mindset and a level of dicipline, but without it I just don't feel that I would be able to successfully execute my goals and commitments for the week ahead.
As a busy working mother of two, Sundays are far from a day of rest and relaxation. Sundays are my day of planning, preparation and organization. I use the day to prepare for the week ahead. This includes all household chores, grocery shopping and meal preparations. We tend to stick close to home, with the exception of early morning grocery shopping (we were lucky this week in that we didn't really need to restock anything so we were able to skip the trip to the stores). Marty and I split chores and we work diligently to get our house in tip top shape so that we can survive the busy week ahead. Anyone with small children can agree that cleaning house with them home is like trying to contain the Tazmanian Devil (times 2!), so we've been thankful that the weather has been nice enough to keep them outside and happy. Often times, Marty will end up having to entertain them while I get the housework done.
My son thankfully still naps, so I use naptime to focus on meal prep for the week. This week, I've already grilled tons of chicken breasts and organized all the essentials for our daughter's and my lunches. Our refridgerator is neatly organized with properly portioned meals and snacks in tupperware and ziploc bags so that each morning we can quickly grab everything we need for the day.
Here are some tips for organizing quick grab meals: (always have a menu and know what you're planning on packing all week)
- Grill Meats and place in large tupperware so that you can quickly grab to top salads, place in wraps or put in between bread
- Wash and cut all veggies/fruit and porportion them into individualized bags or tupperware.
- Wash all your fruits that you can quickly throw in your lunch (apples, bananas, pears, etc) Store them in a bowl that is close to your prep area.
- Hard-boil a dozen eggs and place back in container; you can grab these fast for snacks or salad toppings
- Measure out Oatmeal (1/2 c portions) and place in ziploc bags. I throw a bag in my lunch box and this makes a great mid-morning snack, just add water and blueberries!
- Measure out whey protein and place in ziploc bags. Again, throw these in the lunch box and I've got a great mid afternoon snack. Just add it to my water while I'm on the go.
- Measure out dressings, humus and/or dips in small tupperware so you can toss them quickly in with your lunch.
- Buy individulized yogurts, cottage cheese, cheese sticks/babybels or measure them out in tupperware so you can quickly grab the right portion.
- Measure out snacks into ziploc bags (goldfish, cereal, healthy crackers/cookies)
Another thing that I plan for on Sunday is my schedule. I know what meetings, events, and commitments that I have and I'm able to look at the schedule and make adjustments with my training days. In the ideal world, I would always stick to my training schedule, but because life has a funny way of taking over, I need to be able to make changes when I recognize a day is just not going to have enough time for my training. This goes back to my post about MAKING TIME; if I know that there just aren't enough hours in the day on Monday for me to hit the gym, I'm going to have make Monday a rest day and plan my other days accordingly. I do whatever is necessary to keep myself on my training schedule.
Prepping for the week doesn't take me all day. Sure, it takes up a chunk of the day and it takes an organized mindset and a level of dicipline, but without it I just don't feel that I would be able to successfully execute my goals and commitments for the week ahead.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Competition Date is Set!
Although I was planning on competing in the Baltimore Charm City Classic on Oct. 9th, after speaking with my trainer today, it looks like I'll be shooting for the Presidential Cup in Washington DC on August 14th! WOW, only 5 months away!!!! I'll be honest, I'm scared out of my mind!
My husband, Marty, has agreed to help me more in the gym and assist me in pushing myself to the limits! He was so excited to hear about my new competition date that he met me at the gym today and devoted the hour and a half to supporting me, pushing me and working with me to reach absolute muscle fatigue/failure. He is a beast! Halfway through the workout I was cursing him up and down!
I've really got to get myself to focus and commit to this goal. Kelly and I spoke in great length today and I am finding that I have a better understanding of what I need to do; this is not easy, but it feels so good to set the goals, see the progress and push the limits of my own personal strength and fitness!
August 14th might sound like a long time away, but I know that it will be here before I know it. If I want to accomplish my goals, I'm going to have to dedicate myself completely to this. I'm ready! I'm thankful to everyone that plans on attending and showing their support for me!
My husband, Marty, has agreed to help me more in the gym and assist me in pushing myself to the limits! He was so excited to hear about my new competition date that he met me at the gym today and devoted the hour and a half to supporting me, pushing me and working with me to reach absolute muscle fatigue/failure. He is a beast! Halfway through the workout I was cursing him up and down!
I've really got to get myself to focus and commit to this goal. Kelly and I spoke in great length today and I am finding that I have a better understanding of what I need to do; this is not easy, but it feels so good to set the goals, see the progress and push the limits of my own personal strength and fitness!
August 14th might sound like a long time away, but I know that it will be here before I know it. If I want to accomplish my goals, I'm going to have to dedicate myself completely to this. I'm ready! I'm thankful to everyone that plans on attending and showing their support for me!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Adding Pilates tonight!
Wish me luck! I have joined a pilates class on Tuesday evenings. Unfortunately, my training days are off schedule this week. I had to take a "mental health" day yesterday, so my day #1 started today, which means I lifted today will again tomorrow. Wednesdays are usually an off day for me, (which is why I opted to take pilates on Tuesday nights so that my body could rest up the following day). However, since this week's schedule has shifted a little, I lifted today, will do the class tonight and then lift again tomorrow. YIKES! Hopefully next week I'll be back on track!
I'll check in later to give an update on the class!
***UPDATE***
Well, first night of pilates did not start off great. I must have got my times off and I arrived 15 mintues late. Tisk Tisk! Anyone that knows me knows I cannot stand to be late to anything! I must have turned purple with embarrassment when I walked in! Thankfully, I only missed introductions and I was able to join in immediately.
We learned the five basic moves:
The Roll Up
One Leg Circles
Hundreds
Rolling Like a Ball
Double Leg Stretch
I got some great stretching accomplished; learned how to "scoop" and engage my lower abs and lengthen the spine; and also learned some great breathing techniques. We'll see how next week goes!
I'll check in later to give an update on the class!
***UPDATE***
Well, first night of pilates did not start off great. I must have got my times off and I arrived 15 mintues late. Tisk Tisk! Anyone that knows me knows I cannot stand to be late to anything! I must have turned purple with embarrassment when I walked in! Thankfully, I only missed introductions and I was able to join in immediately.
We learned the five basic moves:
The Roll Up
One Leg Circles
Hundreds
Rolling Like a Ball
Double Leg Stretch
I got some great stretching accomplished; learned how to "scoop" and engage my lower abs and lengthen the spine; and also learned some great breathing techniques. We'll see how next week goes!
Grocery Shopping takes planning!
I went grocery shopping today and as I was browsing the aisles, I realized, "most of this stuff is JUNK!" We have aisles upon aisles that are filled with foods that are processed, prepared, "enriched", sodium loaded and sugar coated! Its awful!
From watching videos and reading about grocery shopping on http://www.bodybuilding.com/, I learned about perimeter shopping. Basically, avoid the middle of the store if at all possible. The good foods that you need should be all along the walls. That makes sense, right? You need fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats/lean proteins, dairy. You may have to step in an aisle or two to get things like pastas and of course your household cleaners and such, but when it comes to your basic "clean" foods, stay along the perimeter!
Keep your food basic! Lean Proteins, Carbohydrates, Non-Impact Carbohydrates (vegetables) and fruits!
Lean Proteins:
fish (I prefer tilapia or salmon)
Chicken (boneless/skinless breasts or tenderloins)
shrimp
eggs
lean pork
turkey
beans
Carbohydrates:
sweet potatoes
oatmeal (organic and old fashioned; NOTHING in little individualized bags!)
whole wheat pastas/breads
brown rice
quinoa (one of my favorites!)
bananas
lentils
Non-Impact Carbohydrates: These foods will add tremendous flavor and color to all your dishes and they are soooo good for you!
broccoli
green beans
spinach
mushrooms
onions
tomatoes
cucumbers
celery
cauliflower (i have a great mashed cauliflower recipe!)
peppers
brussels sprouts
radishes
lettuce
beets
cabbage
Fruit:
berries
grapefruit
apples
pears
plums/nectarines
Dairy:
skim milk
greek yogurt (love Fage!)
low-fat cottage cheese
Good fats:
natural peanut butter/almond butter
avocados
olive oil
You can make great meals, just from all the items above! Get the "Green" bags or tupperware to store your fruits and veggies; they'll last MUCH MUCH MUCH longer! Buy veggies and meats frozen if you can. Canned veggies are a BIG no-no! Prepare your meals ahead of time (Sundays are my "prep" day and I cook/prepare everything and then just label it and have it ready to reheat throughout the week.)
Stay away from:
bagels
pastries
biscuits
white rice/bread
candy
nachos
ice cream
pancakes
muffins
chips/fries
instant mashed potatoes
Planning your menu, entering a grocery store with a list (and sticking to it!), then meal prep and storage are imperative to the success of your nutrition and diet! When you're not prepared, you'll grab what's easy and convenient and that usually means your diet will suffer.
From watching videos and reading about grocery shopping on http://www.bodybuilding.com/, I learned about perimeter shopping. Basically, avoid the middle of the store if at all possible. The good foods that you need should be all along the walls. That makes sense, right? You need fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats/lean proteins, dairy. You may have to step in an aisle or two to get things like pastas and of course your household cleaners and such, but when it comes to your basic "clean" foods, stay along the perimeter!
Keep your food basic! Lean Proteins, Carbohydrates, Non-Impact Carbohydrates (vegetables) and fruits!
Lean Proteins:
fish (I prefer tilapia or salmon)
Chicken (boneless/skinless breasts or tenderloins)
shrimp
eggs
lean pork
turkey
beans
Carbohydrates:
sweet potatoes
oatmeal (organic and old fashioned; NOTHING in little individualized bags!)
whole wheat pastas/breads
brown rice
quinoa (one of my favorites!)
bananas
lentils
Non-Impact Carbohydrates: These foods will add tremendous flavor and color to all your dishes and they are soooo good for you!
broccoli
green beans
spinach
mushrooms
onions
tomatoes
cucumbers
celery
cauliflower (i have a great mashed cauliflower recipe!)
peppers
brussels sprouts
radishes
lettuce
beets
cabbage
Fruit:
berries
grapefruit
apples
pears
plums/nectarines
Dairy:
skim milk
greek yogurt (love Fage!)
low-fat cottage cheese
Good fats:
natural peanut butter/almond butter
avocados
olive oil
You can make great meals, just from all the items above! Get the "Green" bags or tupperware to store your fruits and veggies; they'll last MUCH MUCH MUCH longer! Buy veggies and meats frozen if you can. Canned veggies are a BIG no-no! Prepare your meals ahead of time (Sundays are my "prep" day and I cook/prepare everything and then just label it and have it ready to reheat throughout the week.)
Stay away from:
bagels
pastries
biscuits
white rice/bread
candy
nachos
ice cream
pancakes
muffins
chips/fries
instant mashed potatoes
Planning your menu, entering a grocery store with a list (and sticking to it!), then meal prep and storage are imperative to the success of your nutrition and diet! When you're not prepared, you'll grab what's easy and convenient and that usually means your diet will suffer.
Monday, March 15, 2010
6 Meals a Day
We naturally think, "I want to lose weight; I need to stop eating." WRONG! Many of us make this mistake in dieting in an effort to lose weight fast. You're going to sabatoge your efforts and end up feeling deprived, frustrated and HUNGRY!
Since I started "eating clean", I've also started eating more! I eat 6 small meals every day and I use food for fuel. Each meal is timed and planned to give my body what it needs when it needs it.
A typical breakfast for me at 6am is:
Whey Protein Shake
Organic Old Fashioned Oatmeal (1/2 c with 1 c skim milk)
Handful of blueberries
then I go workout.
After my workout 8am, I come back home and I immediately have:
either another Whey protein shake or an egg-white veggie omelet
1/2 grapefruit
10 am snack
large banana
2Tbsp of natural peanut butter/almond butter
slice of whole wheat toast/whole grain english muffin
12 pm lunch
whole wheat tortilla wrap
two grilled chicken tenderloins
Lettuce, tomato, onion
3 pm snack
12 almonds
cottage cheese
handful of berries
6pm dinner
grilled tilapia topped with tomatoes, bell peppers and basil
steamed veggies
sometimes before bed, I'll make myself a slow absorbing protein shake (100% Casein). That helps curb any late night cravings. The brand that I get is Optimum Nutrition, they come in such yummy flavors! I seriously feel like I'm drinking cake batter sometimes. I don't make a full shake, just half (its enough to satisfy my sweet tooth and keep me full late at night)
The first few days, it was hard to remind myself to eat. I had to pack a cooler and take it with me to work. I then had to set a timer at my desk to remind myself to eat. I never felt hungry or tired. I try and switch up my meals every single day. That way I don't get bored. Also, make sure that the food looks good! My mother used to tell me, "when food looks good, it tastes good". I make sure my meals are colorful; I put them on nice plates; and eat slowly.
Just remember when choosing foods, eat clean; don't eat foods that are processed, no additives, no added sugar, low sodium and low saturated fats. Your body will thank you!
Since I started "eating clean", I've also started eating more! I eat 6 small meals every day and I use food for fuel. Each meal is timed and planned to give my body what it needs when it needs it.
A typical breakfast for me at 6am is:
Whey Protein Shake
Organic Old Fashioned Oatmeal (1/2 c with 1 c skim milk)
Handful of blueberries
then I go workout.
After my workout 8am, I come back home and I immediately have:
either another Whey protein shake or an egg-white veggie omelet
1/2 grapefruit
10 am snack
large banana
2Tbsp of natural peanut butter/almond butter
slice of whole wheat toast/whole grain english muffin
12 pm lunch
whole wheat tortilla wrap
two grilled chicken tenderloins
Lettuce, tomato, onion
3 pm snack
12 almonds
cottage cheese
handful of berries
6pm dinner
grilled tilapia topped with tomatoes, bell peppers and basil
steamed veggies
sometimes before bed, I'll make myself a slow absorbing protein shake (100% Casein). That helps curb any late night cravings. The brand that I get is Optimum Nutrition, they come in such yummy flavors! I seriously feel like I'm drinking cake batter sometimes. I don't make a full shake, just half (its enough to satisfy my sweet tooth and keep me full late at night)
The first few days, it was hard to remind myself to eat. I had to pack a cooler and take it with me to work. I then had to set a timer at my desk to remind myself to eat. I never felt hungry or tired. I try and switch up my meals every single day. That way I don't get bored. Also, make sure that the food looks good! My mother used to tell me, "when food looks good, it tastes good". I make sure my meals are colorful; I put them on nice plates; and eat slowly.
Just remember when choosing foods, eat clean; don't eat foods that are processed, no additives, no added sugar, low sodium and low saturated fats. Your body will thank you!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Today's Health Tip
"Surround yourself with people and things that remind you to live a healthy lifestyle."
I added a gadget on my page that give daily health tips and I really liked today's. Its so true! When I started working out in July, I had Lisa. I was completely inspired by her. She has a great figure, she works hard and I just love her drive when it comes to setting goals and working to achieve them. It was so wonderful to have that support and to feel a connection with someone who was taking the working out and weight loss just as seriously as I am.
In November, Marty started working out really hard again too. He had just finished doing all the masonry work on a new local gym and I think seeing such a nice and fresh facility really motivated him to get a gym membership (prior to that he worked out in our personal gym). Lisa and I ended up joining the new gym as well and its been a great place for us. It really has everything we need and it feels good to work out in a place that's new and well taken care of.
I will respect my husband's privacy and not blog about too many details, but I will share that he's expressed that a major motivation for him was seeing how focused and commited I was to my own health and fitness. He's always been in good shape, but I think he wanted to push himself as he approached a "big" birthday ;o)
So at home, we share our routines, help each other plan menus, support each other with our diet plans and make sure that we both always have something healthy and good to eat readily available. He's constantly working to organize my playlists, put together workout journals, and emailing me cooking videos. I love that he's so organized; it makes everything so much easier for me!
Lisa and I have parted ways in the gym for the time being. We have different goals and we're working different things. We try and connect for cardio, but I know that for right now our schedules are a little different. Its ok, for short term. I miss her terribly, but like I said we have different goals. The good thing about being "workout buddies" is that we can still support each other even if we're not side by side. We share emails, links to fitness plans/programs, swap meal plans and recipes, etc. We talk A LOT about our goals and what we're working on.
At work, I've even noticed that some of the girls are eating better, asking me what I'm doing in my workouts, my niece even joins me at the gym some mornings, the list goes on and on! People feel supported and encouraged when they share in the desire to have a healthy lifestyle. Being healthy is pretty easy, its not always convenient, but its certainly not hard. Feeling supported and surrounding yourself with other people that remind you to be healthy helps keep you on track!
One of the first things my friends in the fitness world told me was to let my family and friends know how much I needed their support as I ventured down this path. I now understand why. It is because of all the people in my life that cheer me on, work with me and show me their own goals I feel like my goals are obtainable.
I added a gadget on my page that give daily health tips and I really liked today's. Its so true! When I started working out in July, I had Lisa. I was completely inspired by her. She has a great figure, she works hard and I just love her drive when it comes to setting goals and working to achieve them. It was so wonderful to have that support and to feel a connection with someone who was taking the working out and weight loss just as seriously as I am.
In November, Marty started working out really hard again too. He had just finished doing all the masonry work on a new local gym and I think seeing such a nice and fresh facility really motivated him to get a gym membership (prior to that he worked out in our personal gym). Lisa and I ended up joining the new gym as well and its been a great place for us. It really has everything we need and it feels good to work out in a place that's new and well taken care of.
I will respect my husband's privacy and not blog about too many details, but I will share that he's expressed that a major motivation for him was seeing how focused and commited I was to my own health and fitness. He's always been in good shape, but I think he wanted to push himself as he approached a "big" birthday ;o)
So at home, we share our routines, help each other plan menus, support each other with our diet plans and make sure that we both always have something healthy and good to eat readily available. He's constantly working to organize my playlists, put together workout journals, and emailing me cooking videos. I love that he's so organized; it makes everything so much easier for me!
Lisa and I have parted ways in the gym for the time being. We have different goals and we're working different things. We try and connect for cardio, but I know that for right now our schedules are a little different. Its ok, for short term. I miss her terribly, but like I said we have different goals. The good thing about being "workout buddies" is that we can still support each other even if we're not side by side. We share emails, links to fitness plans/programs, swap meal plans and recipes, etc. We talk A LOT about our goals and what we're working on.
At work, I've even noticed that some of the girls are eating better, asking me what I'm doing in my workouts, my niece even joins me at the gym some mornings, the list goes on and on! People feel supported and encouraged when they share in the desire to have a healthy lifestyle. Being healthy is pretty easy, its not always convenient, but its certainly not hard. Feeling supported and surrounding yourself with other people that remind you to be healthy helps keep you on track!
One of the first things my friends in the fitness world told me was to let my family and friends know how much I needed their support as I ventured down this path. I now understand why. It is because of all the people in my life that cheer me on, work with me and show me their own goals I feel like my goals are obtainable.
Low Energy Days
In the ideal world, we would wake up every morning ready to tackle the day. We would get out of bed feeling refreshed; make our super-woman breakfast; get the kids off to school; and then hit the gym for a hard, yet rewarding, workout that leaves us feeling accomplished and strong! Well, life has a funny way of throwing us some curve balls and its only natural to have some days when we just don't feel our best.
Today was a very low energy day for me. I'll back up by saying that last night when I finally got home, I was ready to drop! It had been a hard day; physically, emotionally and mentally. I went to bed early, but couldn't get into a good sleep pattern. I woke up several times, tossed and turned and by 5 AM, I had really only had about 3 hours of sleep. When it was time to get out of bed, I felt sluggish and "beat up".
I went through the motions of getting breakfast, packing lunches, getting kids dressed and ready to go and then loaded everyone up in the car to get where we needed to go. I was thinking about my workout, what muscles was I going to focus on today, etc. (Even on my worst mornings, I still very much look forward to my workout) I was at the gym by 7 AM and everything felt fine.
Today I worked Shoulders, Back and Calves. I realized that I wasn't really "into" my workout when I was surprised by what song I was listening to on my iPhone. I realized, "I'm not really listening to the music. Where am I?" That meant that I probably wasn't thinking about my sets, my weights, my muscles, etc. I was lost in thought somewhere else. My body was in the gym, but my mind wasn't.
I finished up my strength training and then headed downstairs to do my 30 minutes of high intensity training cardio. 15 mintues of interval training on the TM, and I was losing steam. I decided to change machines, sometimes that helps me refocus and keep up the momentum. 7 minutes of interval training on the bumble bee and I was done. I tried changing my music, watching some of the TV, but I just couldn't muster up enough to pull through. I ended up stopping just 2 minutes shy of a complete workout. Not a big deal, since I did do a 5 minute warm-up and I did have a hard workout. I was ticked-off at myself for not sticking to it for 2 more minutes, but I felt that my body was exhausted.
When I got home, I fixed my second breakfast, egg white veggie omelet, whole grain english muffin and cup of green tea. I could only eat about half of it, so I made half a whey protein shake. I'm not going to beat myself up too much about not having an awesome workout. I went, I did it, I pushed myself (even if I did fizzle out) and tomorrow is a new day.
This is the PERFECT example how stress can interfere with your sleep, exercise and diet.
Today was a very low energy day for me. I'll back up by saying that last night when I finally got home, I was ready to drop! It had been a hard day; physically, emotionally and mentally. I went to bed early, but couldn't get into a good sleep pattern. I woke up several times, tossed and turned and by 5 AM, I had really only had about 3 hours of sleep. When it was time to get out of bed, I felt sluggish and "beat up".
I went through the motions of getting breakfast, packing lunches, getting kids dressed and ready to go and then loaded everyone up in the car to get where we needed to go. I was thinking about my workout, what muscles was I going to focus on today, etc. (Even on my worst mornings, I still very much look forward to my workout) I was at the gym by 7 AM and everything felt fine.
Today I worked Shoulders, Back and Calves. I realized that I wasn't really "into" my workout when I was surprised by what song I was listening to on my iPhone. I realized, "I'm not really listening to the music. Where am I?" That meant that I probably wasn't thinking about my sets, my weights, my muscles, etc. I was lost in thought somewhere else. My body was in the gym, but my mind wasn't.
I finished up my strength training and then headed downstairs to do my 30 minutes of high intensity training cardio. 15 mintues of interval training on the TM, and I was losing steam. I decided to change machines, sometimes that helps me refocus and keep up the momentum. 7 minutes of interval training on the bumble bee and I was done. I tried changing my music, watching some of the TV, but I just couldn't muster up enough to pull through. I ended up stopping just 2 minutes shy of a complete workout. Not a big deal, since I did do a 5 minute warm-up and I did have a hard workout. I was ticked-off at myself for not sticking to it for 2 more minutes, but I felt that my body was exhausted.
When I got home, I fixed my second breakfast, egg white veggie omelet, whole grain english muffin and cup of green tea. I could only eat about half of it, so I made half a whey protein shake. I'm not going to beat myself up too much about not having an awesome workout. I went, I did it, I pushed myself (even if I did fizzle out) and tomorrow is a new day.
This is the PERFECT example how stress can interfere with your sleep, exercise and diet.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Changing Things Up
I started my new training and nutrition plan with my trainer, Kelly, this week. WOW! I am feeling sore all over! Its a good sore though, not pain. She's got me on a four day split now, so I strength train Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; Cardio only on Wednesdays and Saturdays and Sundays I rest. Monday I did Chest, Arms and Abs then 30 minutes on the bumble bee; Tuesday, I did legs and glutes then finished up with 15 min on the TM and 15 min on the bumble bee; Wednesday I did 30 minutes of cardio (20 on the TM and 10 on the eliptical -I got bored so I had to switch it up)and then Abs. I did some new Ab exercises that I'll have to tell you about later! I feel great, although I definitely notice that I'm working different muscles. I won't give specific details about the exercises and weights because the plan was designed specifically for my goals and it might not be wise for someone else to follow it exactly. I will, however, let you know what I work, how I feel and what exercises I love (and hate).
My nutrition plan is fantastic! I actually really love eating clean. In fact, I purchased some new books that I can't wait to share: The Eat Clean Diet, The Eat Clean Diet Recharged and The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook all by Tosca Reno. I also feel like a better wife and mother because I'm cooking healthy foods that everyone enjoys. Last night, we had turkey burgers on whole grain buns, topped with lettuce and tomato with steamed green beans on the side. My kids LOVED it! This morning after my workout, I made a yummy egg white omelet with diced onions, bell peppers and tomatoes with basil. I don't feel like I'm on a "diet" at all!
I will tell you though, that my first day, I couldn't eat all the food. I felt so full, eating every 3 hours and lots of protein. I think it will take some time for my body to adjust. I have to keep in my mind that I need food for fuel. Kelly and I did talk some last night and we know that its going to take a few days to learn what I need and when.
I'll make a separate post about nutrition in the next day or so, but I just wanted to give an update that my new program has started and I'm kickin' butt and takin' names! :o)
My nutrition plan is fantastic! I actually really love eating clean. In fact, I purchased some new books that I can't wait to share: The Eat Clean Diet, The Eat Clean Diet Recharged and The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook all by Tosca Reno. I also feel like a better wife and mother because I'm cooking healthy foods that everyone enjoys. Last night, we had turkey burgers on whole grain buns, topped with lettuce and tomato with steamed green beans on the side. My kids LOVED it! This morning after my workout, I made a yummy egg white omelet with diced onions, bell peppers and tomatoes with basil. I don't feel like I'm on a "diet" at all!
I will tell you though, that my first day, I couldn't eat all the food. I felt so full, eating every 3 hours and lots of protein. I think it will take some time for my body to adjust. I have to keep in my mind that I need food for fuel. Kelly and I did talk some last night and we know that its going to take a few days to learn what I need and when.
I'll make a separate post about nutrition in the next day or so, but I just wanted to give an update that my new program has started and I'm kickin' butt and takin' names! :o)
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Feeling Good
We all know that working out has tremendous benefits. I've been honest in that my main motivation has been to feel sexy (in and out of clothes). Its been a LOT of fun losing the weight. Its no surprise to many that I'm a "shopper". I love fashion, love hitting sales and love wearing new clothes. Getting to do all that because I've lost weight magnifies the satisfaction by 100. 
I've gone from a size 6/8 to a size 2 in six months. That might sound like a long time to most, but I really believe that anything faster than that and I wouldn't have been healthy. The key to losing the weight and keeping it off is to make steady lifestyle changes and allow your body time to adapt and adjust to your new diet and activity level.
This weekend, I got to dress up a bit since we were children-free. Friday night, before we left town, we went to a show in Baltimore. It felt so good to dress up and feel CONFIDENT! The confidence just spreads into so many parts of my life. I feel stronger, happier and better about myself on so many levels.
I'm still losing weight/inches so I'm holding off on buying anything new until I've settled at a size I know I'll be for a while. Get ready for a shopping trip in the next couple months though!
I've gone from a size 6/8 to a size 2 in six months. That might sound like a long time to most, but I really believe that anything faster than that and I wouldn't have been healthy. The key to losing the weight and keeping it off is to make steady lifestyle changes and allow your body time to adapt and adjust to your new diet and activity level.
This weekend, I got to dress up a bit since we were children-free. Friday night, before we left town, we went to a show in Baltimore. It felt so good to dress up and feel CONFIDENT! The confidence just spreads into so many parts of my life. I feel stronger, happier and better about myself on so many levels.
I'm still losing weight/inches so I'm holding off on buying anything new until I've settled at a size I know I'll be for a while. Get ready for a shopping trip in the next couple months though!
Dining Out
Let's talk about dining out. Breakfast is an easy meal to have while dining out. Most places have a healthy breakfast menu with yogurt, fruit, egg whites, etc. Lunch is pretty easy too; turkey sandwiches or burgers on whole wheat or multi grain breads, substitute fruits or a side salad instead of fries.
Dinner is what gets me. They bring bread to the table right away at most restaurants. I try and tell them not to bring it. I'm terrible at leaving the bread alone! I order a lean protein, chicken or seafood, steamed veggies and I limit my starch. Try not to order things fried, drowned in gravy or sauce or loaded with carbs. Ideally, I have very very little carbs in my last meal of the day. If you have a sweet tooth, get something small or share with someone else.
I had dinner with girlfriends on Saturday night. It was nice to know some ladies in the area and I wanted to be sure that I got to spend some time with them before heading home. Dinner was really hard! I allowed myself my "bad meal", as Kelly puts it, and I had a glass of red wine; ate a little bread; and at the end even had a small dessert! For dinner, I had woodfire salmon with steamed asparagus. I did order red baby potatoes, but they came FRIED (!?!?!?!) so that was a no go. I didn't eat all the salmon, probably because I ate more bread than I should have. For dessert, I had a very small cup of tiramisu. I didn't feel terrible after eating a big meal, but after weeks of NOT eating like that, I didn't really feel like I had an awesome meal. Does that make sense? I just felt like my body wanted something "cleaner".
Dining out is hard, but manageable. You just need to know what to order (don't be afraid to ask them to prepare something differently or substitute). Watch your portions, choose lean proteins, don't load up on carbs and be sure and allow yourself a treat every now and then.
Dinner is what gets me. They bring bread to the table right away at most restaurants. I try and tell them not to bring it. I'm terrible at leaving the bread alone! I order a lean protein, chicken or seafood, steamed veggies and I limit my starch. Try not to order things fried, drowned in gravy or sauce or loaded with carbs. Ideally, I have very very little carbs in my last meal of the day. If you have a sweet tooth, get something small or share with someone else.
I had dinner with girlfriends on Saturday night. It was nice to know some ladies in the area and I wanted to be sure that I got to spend some time with them before heading home. Dinner was really hard! I allowed myself my "bad meal", as Kelly puts it, and I had a glass of red wine; ate a little bread; and at the end even had a small dessert! For dinner, I had woodfire salmon with steamed asparagus. I did order red baby potatoes, but they came FRIED (!?!?!?!) so that was a no go. I didn't eat all the salmon, probably because I ate more bread than I should have. For dessert, I had a very small cup of tiramisu. I didn't feel terrible after eating a big meal, but after weeks of NOT eating like that, I didn't really feel like I had an awesome meal. Does that make sense? I just felt like my body wanted something "cleaner".
Dining out is hard, but manageable. You just need to know what to order (don't be afraid to ask them to prepare something differently or substitute). Watch your portions, choose lean proteins, don't load up on carbs and be sure and allow yourself a treat every now and then.
A Lesson on Road Trips
"Despair is most often the offspring of ill-preparedness"- Don Williams Jr.
This saying couldn't ring truer when it comes to trying to eat healthy while on a road trip! Something that I've been trying to do for the last several weeks is eat 6 small healthy meals throughout the day. Well, let me just tell you, when you're in the car for 7 hours, spending most of your time on the turnpike and your options are limited...make sure you PACK FOOD! Dining out is hard enough, but try dining out and depending on your exits to provide you with some sort of health conscious food; it's not happening.
We did stop at a Bob Evans in Zanesville (I'm not even sure what state we were in) but surprisingly they had a "Fit and Healthy" menu and I was able to get grilled chicken, steamed broccoli and a plain baked potato. On our car ride home today, we stopped in Hagerstown, MD at an Olive Garden. BIG MISTAKE. Everything was caked in grease. I ate about 5 bites and just knew that my stomach would be hating me if I ate any more.
Next time, I'll be sure and pack some foods to get me through the car ride. I was reading my trainer, Kelly Gonzalez's, website http://www.kellygonzalez.com/ and she gave great suggestions about packing a cooler with snacks. She calls it "Kelly's Kooler"
Some things that I'll be sure to pack in the future would be:
Fresh Fruits/Veggies
Hard Boiled Eggs
Turkey Sandwiches (on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato)
Protein Bars
Bottled Water
I think that this will make it so much easier and I won't find myself scrambling to find something nutritious to eat. It is a shame to work so hard on cleaning up your diet and getting the right foods at the right times only to have your efforts wasted when you find yourself not prepared.
Next time, I'll be sure and pack some foods to get me through the car ride. I was reading my trainer, Kelly Gonzalez's, website http://www.kellygonzalez.com/ and she gave great suggestions about packing a cooler with snacks. She calls it "Kelly's Kooler"
Some things that I'll be sure to pack in the future would be:
Fresh Fruits/Veggies
Hard Boiled Eggs
Turkey Sandwiches (on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato)
Protein Bars
Bottled Water
I think that this will make it so much easier and I won't find myself scrambling to find something nutritious to eat. It is a shame to work so hard on cleaning up your diet and getting the right foods at the right times only to have your efforts wasted when you find yourself not prepared.
Returning from the Arnold Fitness Expo
My husband and I decided to take a road trip to Columbus, OH this weekend to check out the Arnold Fitness Expo. http://www.arnoldsportsfestival.com/expo/ The expo had around 700 booths of the latest in sports equipment, apparel and nutrition. It was just one part of a HUGE Arnold Sports Festival. The festival featured competitions in several sports.
Our original plan was to go to see a Women's Figure Competition first hand, but we weren't able to make it there for that event. I did get to meet Nicole Wilkins Lee (http://www.nicolewilkins.com/home.shtml) who won the Arnold Figure competition Friday night though; she was a sweetheart! She actually works with the same company, Nutrigenix, as my trainer, Kelly Gonzalez. Meeting Nicole was really a treat for me. It was while reading the Jan/Feb 2010 Muscles and Fitness Hers magazine that I had decided to look into Figure competing. I never in my life thought I would be meeting the winner of both The World's Best Figure (and now the Arnold winner!) Don't be fooled by the pictures in magazines. The women look big and bulking, but standing next to her, I realized she was one tiny little woman!
Other women that I got to see and meet were, Jamie Eason and Christina Dugdale. I had learned about both women from www.bodybuilding.com. Meeting Christina was completely by accident. She was working a booth that was showcasing materials with her husband, Mark Dugdale. I looked over and thought, "she looks so familiar" and then realized it was because I watch all her cooking videos "Cooking with Christina" on the bodybuilding.com website! I got to chat with her for several minutes, telling her all about how much I love her cooking videos and how I love her recipes! Her husband reminded me a lot of my Marty; I stood there gushing over Christina, asking her if she came up with her own recipes, etc, her husband Mark just BEAMED. She wouldn't admit that they were her own recipes, but Mark stood behind her and just nodded his head yes and you could just tell that he was proud of her and thankful that she made food so great for their family (especially since feeding a bodybuilder is no easy feat!)
The one thing that struck me the hardest about all the women I met was that they were all very very small; short and tiny! I guess I just imagined them to be so much bigger. The magazines and videos make them look big and bulky, but they are all shorter than 5'5" (which is what I am) and maybe weight 120lbs, tops! Jamie Eason was a peanut! Christina Dugdale is not even 5'1" and my trainer Kelly Gonzalez is probably a good 3 inches shorter than me too! I was feeling a little discouraged. Kelly had warned me that most of the women in Figure competing are much shorter than me. I just looked at all these women and felt enormous!
I left the expo feeling a little deflated, very discouraged and somewhat scared. What am I thinking!?!? Is this really something that I think I can do? I was beginning to feel like my goals were unobtainable. Maybe I'm too tall. Can I ever get my body that lean? The doubt was setting in and I was really feeling not so good about myself. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that Nicole Wilkins Lee and I are about the same height. That made me feel so much better! I did have a major reality check in that this is going to be MUCH harder than I had anticipated. I'm ready for that challenge. I'm motivated and now that I've seen the women in real life, I have no doubt that I want to push my body to reach that level of fitness.
Our original plan was to go to see a Women's Figure Competition first hand, but we weren't able to make it there for that event. I did get to meet Nicole Wilkins Lee (http://www.nicolewilkins.com/home.shtml) who won the Arnold Figure competition Friday night though; she was a sweetheart! She actually works with the same company, Nutrigenix, as my trainer, Kelly Gonzalez. Meeting Nicole was really a treat for me. It was while reading the Jan/Feb 2010 Muscles and Fitness Hers magazine that I had decided to look into Figure competing. I never in my life thought I would be meeting the winner of both The World's Best Figure (and now the Arnold winner!) Don't be fooled by the pictures in magazines. The women look big and bulking, but standing next to her, I realized she was one tiny little woman!
Other women that I got to see and meet were, Jamie Eason and Christina Dugdale. I had learned about both women from www.bodybuilding.com. Meeting Christina was completely by accident. She was working a booth that was showcasing materials with her husband, Mark Dugdale. I looked over and thought, "she looks so familiar" and then realized it was because I watch all her cooking videos "Cooking with Christina" on the bodybuilding.com website! I got to chat with her for several minutes, telling her all about how much I love her cooking videos and how I love her recipes! Her husband reminded me a lot of my Marty; I stood there gushing over Christina, asking her if she came up with her own recipes, etc, her husband Mark just BEAMED. She wouldn't admit that they were her own recipes, but Mark stood behind her and just nodded his head yes and you could just tell that he was proud of her and thankful that she made food so great for their family (especially since feeding a bodybuilder is no easy feat!)
The one thing that struck me the hardest about all the women I met was that they were all very very small; short and tiny! I guess I just imagined them to be so much bigger. The magazines and videos make them look big and bulky, but they are all shorter than 5'5" (which is what I am) and maybe weight 120lbs, tops! Jamie Eason was a peanut! Christina Dugdale is not even 5'1" and my trainer Kelly Gonzalez is probably a good 3 inches shorter than me too! I was feeling a little discouraged. Kelly had warned me that most of the women in Figure competing are much shorter than me. I just looked at all these women and felt enormous!
I left the expo feeling a little deflated, very discouraged and somewhat scared. What am I thinking!?!? Is this really something that I think I can do? I was beginning to feel like my goals were unobtainable. Maybe I'm too tall. Can I ever get my body that lean? The doubt was setting in and I was really feeling not so good about myself. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that Nicole Wilkins Lee and I are about the same height. That made me feel so much better! I did have a major reality check in that this is going to be MUCH harder than I had anticipated. I'm ready for that challenge. I'm motivated and now that I've seen the women in real life, I have no doubt that I want to push my body to reach that level of fitness.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Tuning Out
Music is important for your workout when you're alone. You need to just tune out let your mind relax. Music really moves me; my mood goes with the music and it helps to either pump me up, calm me down or push me into a mindset that is necessary to get a good workout.
We all have a "mood" that works for us to get a good workout. For me, its all about feeling sexy. Let's be honest, for those of us in our 20's and 30's, are we really working out because we're concerned about our cholesterol, disease prevention or overall health? Maybe that equates to 10% of our motivation. I know that my major factor for working out is I that I want to have a sweet little ass in that sexy black number. I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. I want to feel good; I want to feel confident; I want to BE sexy.
So, the music I listen to taps into those feelings. For today's playlist (I put it on shuffle so they played in a random order):
Cake- Short Skirt/Long Jacket
Buckcherry- Crazy Bitch
Duffy- Mercy
Michael Franti and Spearhead- Say Hey (I love you)
Stevie Ray Vaughan- Pride and Joy
Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
Britney Spears - If You Seek Amy
Toya- I do!
Cascada - Evacuate the Dance Floor
The Smithereens- Blues Before and After
The Smithereens- A Girl Like You
Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
Lady Gaga- Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
Lady Gaga- Boys Boys Boys
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts- I Hate Myself for Loving You
I'm always looking for great songs, so if you have any suggestions...please share!
We all have a "mood" that works for us to get a good workout. For me, its all about feeling sexy. Let's be honest, for those of us in our 20's and 30's, are we really working out because we're concerned about our cholesterol, disease prevention or overall health? Maybe that equates to 10% of our motivation. I know that my major factor for working out is I that I want to have a sweet little ass in that sexy black number. I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. I want to feel good; I want to feel confident; I want to BE sexy.
So, the music I listen to taps into those feelings. For today's playlist (I put it on shuffle so they played in a random order):
Cake- Short Skirt/Long Jacket
Buckcherry- Crazy Bitch
Duffy- Mercy
Michael Franti and Spearhead- Say Hey (I love you)
Stevie Ray Vaughan- Pride and Joy
Pussycat Dolls - When I Grow Up
Britney Spears - If You Seek Amy
Toya- I do!
Cascada - Evacuate the Dance Floor
The Smithereens- Blues Before and After
The Smithereens- A Girl Like You
Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
Lady Gaga- Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
Lady Gaga- Boys Boys Boys
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts- I Hate Myself for Loving You
I'm always looking for great songs, so if you have any suggestions...please share!
Friday's Workout: Legs and Calves
I was solo today. I think every now and then that's ok. I popped my earbuds in and just got lost in the music. My next post will be about my playlists. Good music is a MUST when working out alone!
So for today, this is how it went:
10 minutes cardio warmup- I hit the bumble bee, but I kicked it up to resistance 10. It felt pretty good. Its really important to get those leg muscles warmed up before a good leg workout.
Narrow Stance Squat - Warmup Set - 12-15 reps; since I was solo, I used the squat machine. For my warm-up I did 12 reps at 90lbs.
Narrow Stance Squat - 3 Working Sets ; I wanted to push myself, so I went up to 110lbs. That felt great. I was able to do 10 reps three times. I think when men see women do squats, you earn a little respect in the gym. This morning I was the ONLY female there (awkward) but I held my ground and did my workout with diligence.
Lunges - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps; I use 20lbs dumbbells in each hand and do stationary lunges. This really works that booty. You lunge forward and then push back into your stance then alternate legs.
Hamstring Curl - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps I did this at 70lbs
Leg Extension - 3 Working Set 12-15 reps again at 70lbs
Calve Machine - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps I used the Hoist machine for this and did at 97lbs (where do they come up with these increments!?)
I finished up on my frenemy the stair master. I did 10 minutes at level 10 (whew!) It was a great workout. I kept my heartrate up through out the ENTIRE workout and really pushed it. I'm going to be burning in the legs tomorrow!
So for today, this is how it went:
10 minutes cardio warmup- I hit the bumble bee, but I kicked it up to resistance 10. It felt pretty good. Its really important to get those leg muscles warmed up before a good leg workout.
Narrow Stance Squat - Warmup Set - 12-15 reps; since I was solo, I used the squat machine. For my warm-up I did 12 reps at 90lbs.
Narrow Stance Squat - 3 Working Sets ; I wanted to push myself, so I went up to 110lbs. That felt great. I was able to do 10 reps three times. I think when men see women do squats, you earn a little respect in the gym. This morning I was the ONLY female there (awkward) but I held my ground and did my workout with diligence.
Lunges - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps; I use 20lbs dumbbells in each hand and do stationary lunges. This really works that booty. You lunge forward and then push back into your stance then alternate legs.
Hamstring Curl - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps I did this at 70lbs
Leg Extension - 3 Working Set 12-15 reps again at 70lbs
Calve Machine - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps I used the Hoist machine for this and did at 97lbs (where do they come up with these increments!?)
I finished up on my frenemy the stair master. I did 10 minutes at level 10 (whew!) It was a great workout. I kept my heartrate up through out the ENTIRE workout and really pushed it. I'm going to be burning in the legs tomorrow!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Wednesday's Workout: Back, Shoulders and Abs
10 minutes cardio warmup- I started on on the bumble bee this morning. Resistance 7.
Lat Pulldown - Warmup Set - 12-15 reps; I like to use the cables for this. For today's weight, I did 60lbs.
Lat Pulldown - 3 Working Set - 12-15 reps; by the end, I could only do 7 reps.
Seated Cable Rows - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps; I haven't found a good machine for this yet. Lisa and I were a little annoyed that the weights go up in 15lb increments on the cables. I did 60lbs, but only because at 75lbs, I couldn't do even 3 reps.
Barbell Press - Warmup Set - 15-20 reps; today I upped my weights and used 17.5lbs in each hand.
Barbell Press - 3 Working Sets - 15-20 reps; by the end of all the sets, my shoulders were feeling it.
Front Dumbbell Raise - 3 Workings Sets - 15-20 reps; I used 15lbs in each hand and I alternated the raises. I feel by doing that, I'm able to stabalize my body better and really focus on the raise. You have to be very careful to not start swinging though. I really focus on not using momentum, but using the muscles to raise the weight.
Seated Rear Dumbbell Raises- 3 Workings Sets - 15-20 reps; I haven't found a great exercise yet that works those shoulder and back muscles. I find that I can't do much weight with these, only 12.5 lbs. It makes sense, because these aren't really muscles you use a lot.
Ab Leg Raises - 3 Sets - Failure; I'm getting so much better at these. I do ten forward raises and then ten on each side to work those obliques.
Crunches - 3 Working Set - Failure; again, here we might not necessarily do crunches, but we do some sort of floor work to get those abs working!
20-30 minutes Cardio; Lisa and I did a little work on the bike (i'm not a big fan of the bike) I did "fat burn" but I wasn't happy with the speed the machine had me working; then moved to the treadmill for today. We did 4mph at 10% incline. My booty was feeling it!
It was an AWESOME workout!
Lat Pulldown - Warmup Set - 12-15 reps; I like to use the cables for this. For today's weight, I did 60lbs.
Lat Pulldown - 3 Working Set - 12-15 reps; by the end, I could only do 7 reps.
Seated Cable Rows - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps; I haven't found a good machine for this yet. Lisa and I were a little annoyed that the weights go up in 15lb increments on the cables. I did 60lbs, but only because at 75lbs, I couldn't do even 3 reps.
Barbell Press - Warmup Set - 15-20 reps; today I upped my weights and used 17.5lbs in each hand.
Barbell Press - 3 Working Sets - 15-20 reps; by the end of all the sets, my shoulders were feeling it.
Front Dumbbell Raise - 3 Workings Sets - 15-20 reps; I used 15lbs in each hand and I alternated the raises. I feel by doing that, I'm able to stabalize my body better and really focus on the raise. You have to be very careful to not start swinging though. I really focus on not using momentum, but using the muscles to raise the weight.
Seated Rear Dumbbell Raises- 3 Workings Sets - 15-20 reps; I haven't found a great exercise yet that works those shoulder and back muscles. I find that I can't do much weight with these, only 12.5 lbs. It makes sense, because these aren't really muscles you use a lot.
Ab Leg Raises - 3 Sets - Failure; I'm getting so much better at these. I do ten forward raises and then ten on each side to work those obliques.
Crunches - 3 Working Set - Failure; again, here we might not necessarily do crunches, but we do some sort of floor work to get those abs working!
20-30 minutes Cardio; Lisa and I did a little work on the bike (i'm not a big fan of the bike) I did "fat burn" but I wasn't happy with the speed the machine had me working; then moved to the treadmill for today. We did 4mph at 10% incline. My booty was feeling it!
It was an AWESOME workout!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Sweat! Just don't sweat the small stuff!
By nature, I'm a worrier. Its not uncommon for me to take a very normal situation and just get myself all in knots over it; I have a red hot temper and I'm uber emotional. You wouldn't think that these personality characteristics would effect how my body builds muscle, would you? Well, it does!
In learning how to take care of my body, I learned that the physical aspect of it was just half the story. Sure, we need to work out, we need to eat good foods; but there is more! You need to make sure that you are emotionally healthy as well! This all makes perfect sense to me as an Early Childhood Educator, my entire educational approach is to support the "whole child" in all areas of development (social/emotional, physical and cognitive), so why didn't I realize that it doesn't stop at childhood, but extends into our lifelong development?
Let's talk about the "stress hormone". Cortisol is a steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. It is often called the "stress hormone" because its levels rise following emotional and physical stress. This hormone is more than just a simple indicator of stress levels; it's also necessary for the functioning of almost every part of the human body. When we have excess of this catabolic hormone, our bodies actually begin to break down muscle protein.
Don't get me wrong, cortisol is an important hormone our body needs to protect and react to stressful situations (either good or bad stress), but having excess cortisol can actually keep you from developing the muscles you desire!
So what do we do?
1. Don't sweat the small stuff! Recognize your trigger stresses, fix them or move on. Are you spending too much time and putting too much value into something that's just not worth it?
2. Take breaks throughout the day to check your stress level. Take a walk; a step back or a breath.
3. Stretch. I have a few yoga poses that I can do in my office. Just breathing and stretching helps me get myself back in check.
4. Laugh. Call a friend to vent and laugh with or try and find the humor in the situation. A day without laughter is a day wasted!
5. Remember, you're only in control of yourself. No one has control over you. Take care of what is yours and the rest...just let it go. (that's a big one for me!)
I don't want you to think that I walk around like some Disney character with little squirrels dancing my woes away; stress is a very real part of our lives. I struggle to find balance as a mother, wife, business owner and woman. I'm just taking one day at a time and trying to recognize that I control my stress; it doesn't control me.
In learning how to take care of my body, I learned that the physical aspect of it was just half the story. Sure, we need to work out, we need to eat good foods; but there is more! You need to make sure that you are emotionally healthy as well! This all makes perfect sense to me as an Early Childhood Educator, my entire educational approach is to support the "whole child" in all areas of development (social/emotional, physical and cognitive), so why didn't I realize that it doesn't stop at childhood, but extends into our lifelong development?
Let's talk about the "stress hormone". Cortisol is a steroid hormone secreted by the adrenal glands. It is often called the "stress hormone" because its levels rise following emotional and physical stress. This hormone is more than just a simple indicator of stress levels; it's also necessary for the functioning of almost every part of the human body. When we have excess of this catabolic hormone, our bodies actually begin to break down muscle protein.
Don't get me wrong, cortisol is an important hormone our body needs to protect and react to stressful situations (either good or bad stress), but having excess cortisol can actually keep you from developing the muscles you desire!
So what do we do?
1. Don't sweat the small stuff! Recognize your trigger stresses, fix them or move on. Are you spending too much time and putting too much value into something that's just not worth it?
2. Take breaks throughout the day to check your stress level. Take a walk; a step back or a breath.
3. Stretch. I have a few yoga poses that I can do in my office. Just breathing and stretching helps me get myself back in check.
4. Laugh. Call a friend to vent and laugh with or try and find the humor in the situation. A day without laughter is a day wasted!
5. Remember, you're only in control of yourself. No one has control over you. Take care of what is yours and the rest...just let it go. (that's a big one for me!)
I don't want you to think that I walk around like some Disney character with little squirrels dancing my woes away; stress is a very real part of our lives. I struggle to find balance as a mother, wife, business owner and woman. I'm just taking one day at a time and trying to recognize that I control my stress; it doesn't control me.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Product Rave- Breville Smart Grill
One evening while Marty was browsing the internet looking for good recipes and nutrition plans to help clean up our diets he noticed that a lot of the fitness experts were using an indoor grill/griddle. Being the diligent researcher that he is, he checked out various grills, watched videos, read reviews and visited stores. Last week, he brought home his new find.
I can without a doubt say that every home needs a Breville Smart Grill and Griddle! This is hands down one of the best kitchen appliances I have ever owned.
Its a Williams-Sonoma exclusive, and will cost you about $350.00, but already I'm thinking that it is worth it! I use it for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
You can check out the website to get more details http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/1640184/?cm_src=hero I'm so happy with it and it makes meal time hassle free, healthy and literally cuts the mess in half! The website has a great instructional video too.
Monday's Workout: Chest, Arms and Abs
This is my current Monday workout. I'll be switching things up here in about a week, but this gives you an idea of what I've been doing. I had some specific questions (thanks, Kara!) so I wanted to come back and edit this post and tell you a little more about the workout.
5 minutes cardio warm-up; I usually do this on the Precor Adaptive Motion Trainer. Lisa and I call this the "bumble bee" because it has yellow feet and handles. A comfortable resistance level that I find challenging but still allows me to get full range of motion is level 7.
Flat Bench Press - Warmup Set - 12-15 reps; I use dumbbells for these. 17.5 lbs in each hand.
Flat Bench Press - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps
Bench Flys - 3 Working Set - 12-15 reps; I use 15 lb dumbbells. This is a hard exercise to do for me. It really stretches those chest muscles and I make sure that I don't compromise form just to get a higher weight. I want to get the full stretch and make the most of the exercise.
Bicep Curl - 3 Warmup Sets - 12-15 reps; I used 17.5 lbs in each hand for these as well. The great thing about using the dumbbells for all these exercises is that you're working out in the same general area. You're able to keep the muscles warm and just go from one exercise to the next.
Tricep Extension Machine - 3 Drop Sets - 12-15 reps Triceps are another hard exercise for me. I tend to do lighter weight so that I can really focus on my form and get the full range of motion. For this specific workout, Lisa and I used the cables. I did 30lbs and did as many as I could in each set. My tri's were BURNING! By the last set, I could only do 6 reps.
Incline Dumbbell Curl - 3 Working Set - 12-15 reps; I go back to 15lbs. This is probably my favorite bicep curl. The incline causes the muscles to work just a tad differently. You're going to feel the burn if you do this right. I make sure that my arms get the full range of motion and that I really really focus on that bicep pulling it back up.
Dip Machine - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps. I LOVE DIPS. I never thought I would say that! I use the Hoist machine at our gym. I put it at level 5 (i'll have to check the weight on that next time) and I do as many as I can. Again, by the last set, my arms are crying.
Crunches - 3 Working Set - Failure; I don't always just do crunches. Some days, Lisa and I will do bicycles, floor work, use the large ball with the cables. It doesn't really matter. We just try and do about 10 minutes of ab work. If I don't feel the burn the next day...I didn't do enough.
Cardio 20-30 minutes; I like to switch this up. Some days, we'll do the bumble bee, some days the treadmill, others I might row, it just depends on the mood. Sometimes, I'll do 10 minutes on three different machines. The key is just get moving! For today, I walked on the treadmill with my niece Kasey, she sometimes comes up to workout with us. We did 4mph at a 5% incline. It was a very easy day, but we used the time to talk. 30 minutes was over before I even realized it.
Leaving the gym, I felt great. Energized for my day, stress free and satisfied that I had really pushed myself!
5 minutes cardio warm-up; I usually do this on the Precor Adaptive Motion Trainer. Lisa and I call this the "bumble bee" because it has yellow feet and handles. A comfortable resistance level that I find challenging but still allows me to get full range of motion is level 7.
Flat Bench Press - Warmup Set - 12-15 reps; I use dumbbells for these. 17.5 lbs in each hand.
Flat Bench Press - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps
Bench Flys - 3 Working Set - 12-15 reps; I use 15 lb dumbbells. This is a hard exercise to do for me. It really stretches those chest muscles and I make sure that I don't compromise form just to get a higher weight. I want to get the full stretch and make the most of the exercise.
Bicep Curl - 3 Warmup Sets - 12-15 reps; I used 17.5 lbs in each hand for these as well. The great thing about using the dumbbells for all these exercises is that you're working out in the same general area. You're able to keep the muscles warm and just go from one exercise to the next.
Tricep Extension Machine - 3 Drop Sets - 12-15 reps Triceps are another hard exercise for me. I tend to do lighter weight so that I can really focus on my form and get the full range of motion. For this specific workout, Lisa and I used the cables. I did 30lbs and did as many as I could in each set. My tri's were BURNING! By the last set, I could only do 6 reps.
Incline Dumbbell Curl - 3 Working Set - 12-15 reps; I go back to 15lbs. This is probably my favorite bicep curl. The incline causes the muscles to work just a tad differently. You're going to feel the burn if you do this right. I make sure that my arms get the full range of motion and that I really really focus on that bicep pulling it back up.
Dip Machine - 3 Working Sets - 12-15 reps. I LOVE DIPS. I never thought I would say that! I use the Hoist machine at our gym. I put it at level 5 (i'll have to check the weight on that next time) and I do as many as I can. Again, by the last set, my arms are crying.
Crunches - 3 Working Set - Failure; I don't always just do crunches. Some days, Lisa and I will do bicycles, floor work, use the large ball with the cables. It doesn't really matter. We just try and do about 10 minutes of ab work. If I don't feel the burn the next day...I didn't do enough.
Cardio 20-30 minutes; I like to switch this up. Some days, we'll do the bumble bee, some days the treadmill, others I might row, it just depends on the mood. Sometimes, I'll do 10 minutes on three different machines. The key is just get moving! For today, I walked on the treadmill with my niece Kasey, she sometimes comes up to workout with us. We did 4mph at a 5% incline. It was a very easy day, but we used the time to talk. 30 minutes was over before I even realized it.
Leaving the gym, I felt great. Energized for my day, stress free and satisfied that I had really pushed myself!
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