Week 2 Progress

I am officially in my third week of getting back on track and I'm feeling pretty good about my progress. Like any journey there are setbacks for every step forward. This weekend I had my daughters and it was cold and rainy. This meant we stayed in and watched movies.... and snacked. I did my best to keep everything in moderation but it also felt good to relax for a day.

So what were the actual results of the week? Well I am 153.4 pounds as of this morning which is a 1.4 pound loss from last week. I actually ended up raising my calories this week because the weight is dropping quickly. I ate roughly 15,000 calories, or 2,150 per day. I've continued lifting heavy and set my sights on possibly competing in a power lifting competition in May instead of doing the NPC Mid-Atlantic Cup again.

Starting to see some definition again

 Abs are slowly reappearing

My workouts this week were as follows:

Monday

Squats:

4 warm-up sets of 10 reps increasing weight each set

5 x 5 increasing weight each set (I ended at 190 lbs)

Reverse Hack Squat

5 x 10 x 180 lbs (not counting the starting weight of the sled)

Leg Press 

5 x 15 x 90 lbs (not counting the starting weight of the sled)

Calf Raise

5 x 15 x 155 lbs

Wednesday

Bench Press:

4 warm-up sets

1 heavy set of 3 reps

4 heavy sets of 2 reps (I PR'd with 115 pounds)

Incline DB Press:

10 x 10 x 25 pound DB's

Shrugs:

5 x 7 x 160 pounds

Dips:

5 x 15 with 60 pounds of assistance

Thursday

Treadmill 4.0 MPH for 10 minutes

Overhead Press:

8 x 30 pounds

2 x 8 x 50 pounds

5 x 60 pounds

3 x 70 pounds

4 x 2 x 80 pounds

Lateral Raise

10 x 10 x 10 lb dumbbells

Cable Front Raise

5 x 7 x 15 pounds

Treadmill 20 minutes inclined at 4.0 MPH

Friday

Treadmill 4.0 MPH for 15 minutes

Deadlifts

5 warm-up sets

5 x 5 x 235 pounds

Deficit Deadlifts

5 x 7 x 185 pounds

Lying Hamstring Curls

5 x 10 x 80 pounds

Barbell Rows

4 x 10 x 95 pounds

Sunday

Supersets of biceps and triceps:

DB curls w/ skullcrushers

4 sets of 8 - 12

Rope curls with rope pushdowns

3 sets of 8 - 12

Incline hammer curls with bench dips

3 sets of 8 - 12

Shoulders:

Plate front raise superset with plate upright row

3 sets of 10

Facepulls

3 sets of 10 - 15

And now it's on to week 3 and planning nutrition to get me to the under-148 pound weight class by May 28th!

Week 1 Results

I apologize for this being a day late. I was unexpectedly scheduled for ten hour shifts this week. But on to the good stuff!

My first week of cutting and increasing my workouts has yielded good results. I ate a little more than I had planned with 14,037 calories for the week (2,005/day). However, my workouts were very intense (more on that in a second) and I still lost 2.4 pounds (154.8 pounds). Likely a good  portion of this initial loss was water weight from cutting out processed carbs and junk food. Only another week will tell!

 154.8 pounds

Building a nice V-taper

I've been focusing on more power lifting-style strength workouts with accessory lifts that will build up my physique. This means lower reps with heavy weight for my main lifts (squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press) and lower weight and higher reps for my accessory lifts. I did a quick shoulder session plus 15 minutes of cardio on Tuesday. I believe it consisted of overhead press, front barbell raise, dumbbell lateral raise, front plate raise, and upright barbell rows. I was in a rush and did not write down what I actually did.

Wednesday I benched with a friend of mine. He is competing in a power lifting competition in May and has agreed to help me train for strength and size. Our workout was:

Warmup: Walk on treadmill 10 minutes

Bench Press:

8 x Bar (45 pounds)

5 x 5 @ 75, 95, 95, 105, 100 pounds

Incline dumbbell press:

10 x 10 with 20 pound dumbbells

Shrugs:

5 x 7 @ 135, 135, 135, 155, 155

Dips:

5 x 15 (I used 60 lbs on the assisted dip machine)

Friday I met my friend again for deadlifts and posterior chain (back) training. My workout was as follows:

Deadlifts:

8 x 135 pounds, 8 x 185 pounds

3 x 225 pounds

4 sets of 2 x 225 pounds

5 x 185 pounds

5 sets of 3 at 185 pounds

Deficit Deadlifts (standing on a 45 lb plate):

5 x 7 @ 135, 185, 185, 185, 185

Hamstring Curls:

4 sets of 10 @ 45 pounds

10 x 60 pounds

Barbell Rows:

4 sets of 10 x 95 pounds

On Saturday I went hiking in Ohiopyle with my boyfriend and his dog. We spent about an hour and a half doing a 4 mile hike out to see waterfalls and then back to the car. And on Sunday we went to see the Pirates vs. Cardinals season opener. There may have been some beers involved but I kept it to a minimum and we brought our own food to the tailgate and ate again at home after the game. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and we saved money too!

Ohiopyle hiking selfie

Some examples of my nutrition this week would be tuna, Greek yogurt, and lots of veggies. I also ate a good bit of salmon, beef, and chicken as well as sweet potato. I felt like this whole week was really hectic and didn't allow for much meal prep so I kept it simple and quick most days.

 Mediterranean Style Tuna (from a packet), California blend veggies, and Greek yogurt

Salmon (marinated in soy sauce and ginger) with wilted spinach and strawberries

For week 2 I plan to drop my calories just a little lower (maybe 1,900 per day average) and continue to workout 4-5 days per week. I'd like to add in more cardio but that will depend on how I feel and my work schedule. I always start my workouts with 10-15 minutes of cardio but I would prefer to get a solid 20-30 minutes at least 3 times per week for health and the extra calorie burn. 

And that concludes week one of my return to fitness! Please comment and share if you are following along! 

Week 0 - Getting Started

I wanted to start off with the basics of how I'm setting up my cutting program and some ideas of what and how much I'm eating. Everyone is different and I've found that I need to eat more than most women my size. Using a standard TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) calculator online I get a TDEE of just over 2,100 calories per day. So what does that mean? Well it means that I should consume an average of 2,100 calories per day to maintain my weight.

I track my daily and weekly calories (2,100 calories x 7 days = 14,700 calories/week) because it leaves more wiggle room to eat a little more or a little less each day as my appetite (or social engagements) demands. The common calculation is to subtract 3,500 calories per week (500 per day) to lose a pound per week. Half that to lose half a pound per week, which is my goal. So, my calculations say I should eat 1,850 calories per day or 12,950 per week (2,100 - 250 = 1,850) to lose 0.5 pounds every 7 days. But I have found this doesn't hold true for me. On 13,000 calories per week I was losing closer to 1.5 pounds every week. I'm not sure if it's because I work a somewhat physical job or if I just have more muscle or a higher metabolism than estimated. So I'm eating 'at maintenance' (2,100 calories per day) for now to see if and how my weight changes over the next couple weeks. I will adjust up or down as necessary to reach my goal loss of 0.5 - 1 pound each week.

The next step in making my comeback was cleaning out my fridge. All of the Easter candy and goodies are gone. There is no junk food in my house AT ALL. I know that I like to eat when I'm stressed or anxious so I have taken away the unhealthy options and replaced them with Quest Bars and Arctic Zero 'ice cream'. I also got back to meal prepping.

My fridge

My current food situation consists of oats, eggs, egg whites, strawberries, Greek yogurt, chicken, beef, sweet potato, rice, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, almond milk, rice cakes, almonds, peanut butter, and coffee. I haven't committed to a set 'meal plan' for this week but I did prepare meals for breakfast and work each day to make staying on track easier. 

Breakfast is usually oats and berries plus a protein shake

Lunch was a 3 oz. lean beef burger with rice and asparagus

Dinner was another burger with peanut butter and sweet potato

My snacks, or smaller meals, consist of things like chicken with veggies, a Quest bar, or 1-2 rice cakes and almonds. I also drink 3-4 liters of water each day and take a multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin D, and a probiotic. Making sure that I get plenty of protein, healthy fats, and all of the necessary nutrients is my top priority for ensuring my metabolism and weight return to normal (and stay healthy).

This is long enough (and probably boring). I will write more about my workouts in my first update post and cover how I decide what adjustments to make to my nutrition. If I missed anything or didn't explain it well enough just drop a note in the comments and I will make sure I cover it in my next post! 

Finally, thank you to everyone who took the time to read and respond to my initial post. It isn't easy to admit I'm struggling and that I don't look and feel my best right now. But I know that I can help people if I swallow my pride and bare my progress for the world. It means more than you'll ever know that so many of you have reached out and offered support and kind words. <3 p="">

Calories In Vs. Calories Out? Not so fast!

December is here and, if you're anything like me, you've been thinking (or trying to avoid it) about all the goals you didn't meet and what you want to do better in the new year. I've talked about the problems with New Year's resolutions before and I've made the same mistakes as everyone else. So for 2016 I have been doing my homework and making a plan.

What kind of plan? Well, I kind of want to compete again if the stars align. I wasn't lean or built enough in May. My placings were disappointing and I felt overall miserable about the whole experience. Since then I have dropped the coaches I was working with and started putting in the time and effort to learn enough to be my own coach. Obviously, being a certified personal trainer, I can put together an exercise plan but I knew I had to go deeper. I need to understand how my diet, my lifting, my cardio, and even my sleep patterns affect everything down to a hormonal and cellular level.

I read every study I could get my hands on. I talked to competitors I admired and those that I didn't want to emulate. I took their advice back to the books and tried to figure out the why behind how it worked (or didn't). After learning so much (and still having so much more to go) I decided to share some of what I've found to help my fellow athletes and those who just want to look or feel better in the new year. If you're ready to throw out everything you've ever believed about losing weight then keep reading.

Every diet (I hate that word) starts with counting calories. As long as you eat less than you burn you'll lose weight, right? WRONG! Studies show that people who restrict their energy (calorie) intake long term will basically adjust to the new 'normal'. Hormones like leptin, insulin, testosterone, and T3 (a thyroid hormone) will all decrease. The 'bad' hormones, ghrelin and cortisol, which encourage fat storage, will increase. Over time you have to eat less and less to continue losing weight until your body is in a chronic state of starvation and you can no longer maintain your 'diet'. You will inevitably overeat at some point and gain weight quickly because your metabolism is in the toilet.

This is where calorie cycling and refeeding come into play. Periodic refeeding (having that cheat meal or dessert) can increase the hormones that encourage fat loss temporarily. Taking this a step further, refeeds should happen on a day that you lift weights. Why? Because then your body uses those extra calories to preserve muscle (or even build a little bit more) instead of storing them as fat. Keeping your caloric intake on rest days lower than on training days will further balance out the refeeds and keep fat loss steady.

This still doesn't mean you can starve yourself the rest of the time. A weekly loss of no more than 0.7% of your weight is ideal. So, at 140 pounds, this would be 1 pound a week. As you get smaller, the amount you can safely lose without sacrificing lean mass (muscle) will also shrink. This is why a long, slow 'cut' is much better than a crash diet. I made this mistake (well, my coaches did) during my competition prep. I lost 12.5 pounds in 25 days going into my show and I was tired, weak, and mean. It took months for me to regain the strength I lost and find my motivation again. And I still didn't look as good as the other girls on that stage. So, overall, I gained nothing from the deprivation and misery.

Any bodybuilder or powerlifter will tell you that decreasing your weight will also decrease your performance. One way to fight back against this is to consume most of your carbs each day around your workout. Carbohydrates are turned into glycogen and used for energy during exercise. When your carbs run out so does your motivation, strength, and performance. Make sure your body is supplied with enough energy to get through each workout and don't do cardio before weights. Studies have shown that cardio, especially HIIT (high intensity interval training), will leave your muscles too fatigued for resistance training. 

The summary of all of my research basically comes down to what you likely already knew. Losing fat is a long, slow process. Eat enough, but not too much, and exercise often. If you were looking for the shortcut to your dream body I'm sorry to tell you that there is no legal method that will get you there any faster than good old-fashioned hard work and commitment. So get to planning ahead for your 2016 goals and, by 2017, you'll probably be shopping for a new wardrobe.

Lifting - The Basics

I'm almost 10 weeks into my first cycle of lifting. It's not easy and, as I begin leaning out, I am sore, tired, and hungry every day. I'm also two weeks away from taking my ACSM Certified Personal Training exam. My days are consumed with the gym, meal planning/prepping, and studying. This is not the life I plan to lead forever but I'm very happy I gave myself 3 months to give it my all. The changes (mental, physical, and emotional) have been more than I ever dreamed. And I'm going to take my new knowledge and strength into my next cycle with the aim to be more balanced so I can still have meals out, sweet treats, and look amazing.

Photo Credit: Tumblr

So that leads me to how I plan to design a lifting program. Is it the only way? No. Is it the best way for everyone? No. But it's a great place to start and learn what works for you so you can build your own programs that maximize your results.

Phase 1: Endurance/Strength

Everyone wants to jump right into lifting hard and heavy. But that's when you end up so sore you can't walk or, even worse, injured. Next thing you know you're skipping the next workout or two to recover and all your hard work is slipping away.

The only way to avoid this pitfall is to start slowly (note: I didn't say EASY). Building endurance starts with higher reps. I like to use 3 sets of 12 repetitions for each exercise for the first 2 weeks. It's right on the line between pure endurance lifting and strength building so it sets you up for maximum growth in the next portion. I also like to start with only 4 days of lifting so my body has plenty of time to recover between workouts.

There are several general 'target areas' that need to be strengthened each week. These are your chest, back legs, shoulders, arms, and abs. Obviously, you can't dedicate a day to each group or you won't hit them all in a four day split. A common split, sometimes referred to as the 'Brogram', is chest/triceps, back/biceps, legs, and shoulders/abs. This gives you four workouts per week and makes sure you get all of your muscles ready for growth.

After two weeks of lifting like this, I move onto a five day split. The fifth day is simply a second day of working out my weakest body part. For this first cycle that meant legs for me. I chose them because I love to run but I also want a butt and strong legs. Next cycle I think this will be my back as it is definitely my weakest link and prevents me from squatting as heavy as I'd like and I still can't do a pull-up. You have to decide what your weakness is and hit it the hardest so that it becomes your strength!

August 31, 2014 to January 13, 2015

Grow booty, grow!

Phase 2: Muscle Growth (Hypertrophy)

As an adult you can't actually add muscle. You have all the muscle fibers you ever will. But you can make them BIGGER. This is known as hypertrophy. So how do you do this? The answer is to get a little heavier in the weights, add a few more sets, and keep your reps in the 8-12 range (I prefer 8-10). I also add supersets (grouping two lifts together before resting). Lastly, I added a 6th day of lifting. In this phase, my program consisted of the following days: back, chest/abs, legs, arms/abs, shoulders, legs. I also added more cardio to increase my calorie burn and keep my in running shape. I usually aimed for 30-40 minutes with a day or two of 60+ minutes. The longer cardio days were simply to keep my running up and not related to my lifting goals.

I love my arms and shoulders now!

Phase 3: Leaning Out/Fat Loss

Once you've gained the muscle you have to shed fat so you can show it off! The last portion of a lifting cycle will be losing some of the fluff. This really focuses on diet (which I will talk about in another post) but I also tweaked my workouts.

I kept a 6 day lifting split (5 days with cardio) and added higher volume lifting. This means more sets (usually 4) with higher reps (usually 15-20). I obviously am lifting lighter weights to be able to nearly double the reps I do of each exercise but the 'burn' is killer. I have kept supersets as a big part of my programming and added active rest as well. I usually rested 60-90 seconds between sets in the first two phases. This phase the rest periods are filled with jump rope, mountain climbers, burpees, and tuck jumps. Keeping my heart rate up keeps my calorie burn high. 

After I finish my lifting workout I do 30-40 minutes of HIIT (high intensity interval training) cardio. This can be intervals/speed work on the treadmill, a spin workout, plyometrics, or even rowing. I just try to keep my heart rate up and burn as many calories as I can. 

For the final two weeks my lifting will be done in circuits. I will work through one set of every exercise before I rest for 3-5 minutes and then repeat the series 3-4 times total. After that I will once again perform 30-40 minutes of cardio. 

Working out with Shaun T and Beachbody's T25!

Conclusion:

I can attest first hand to the first two phases doing exactly what I'd hoped. I'm still working on my lean out and I have 17 more days before it's over. I hope I will love those results just as much as I loved the muscle building. After hitting a highest weight of 139.5 pounds over the holidays, I am currently sitting at 131 pounds. That is not my 'goal' weight but I'm more worried about not losing my hard-earned muscle than hitting an arbitrary number. 

So I hope this basic overview of the last 10 weeks of my life has helped you get ready to begin or build your lifting program. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment or find me on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. I'll cover my nutrition in the next few days.

Also, please remember that I am not a certified trainer (yet). So, as always, consult your physician and listen to your body! 

How To Get Fit

I haven't posted in awhile. And, yes, it's partially due to my work schedule being crazy again. But it's mostly because I've been keeping a secret. I decided to completely overhaul my workouts, nutrition, and lifestyle to get into the best possible shape. Normally I would have posted progress pictures, weight and measurement updates, and generally over-informed the world. This time, however, I wanted to trust myself and trust the process. Put my own knowledge to use and follow through without input or criticism from outsiders. I'm still not ready to share my transformation but I do want to share what I'm learning.

In the last several weeks I've talked to quite a few women who are upset that they aren't losing weight. They are 'dieting' and exercising and counting every bite they put in their mouth but the scale isn't budging. They're hungry, cranky, and exhausted. And they all have one thing in common. They aren't eating enough!

Your body needs a certain amount of calories just to exist every day. Your brain, your heart, breathing, swallowing, and just being alive all take energy. This amount is otherwise known as your Base Metabolic Rate (BMR) and calculating this is the basis for changing your eating. I like to use a simple online calculator like the one at My Fitness Pal.

This number forms the basis for your nutrition. Then you need to eat enough to support walking, working, and exercising. This is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). A calculator like the one at IIFYM can calculate out your TDEE and it also takes it one step further by suggesting your calorie intake depending on your goals. A little below TDEE for weight loss, a little above for gaining muscle. Then you can even break it down further into macronutrient ratios but I'll save that for another post.

For now, just take a look at your calorie intake and adjust it to meet your actual needs! You'll look better, feel better, and see results faster!

The DL on DOMS

Who hasn't seen a marathoner walking backwards down the stairs? Or gingerly lowered themselves to the toilet after leg day? Maybe you pride yourself on your DOMS (aka Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) after a hard workout. You may even believe it's a necessary evil for growth and progress. I'm here to tell you that's absolutely untrue.

I've recently been having this argument with Paul. I've been doing leg days twice a week because I really want a squat booty for the pool this summer (and it might help my running, too). The thing is Paul is usually wrecked after leg day. He's gently hoisting himself off the couch by arm power alone while I prance up the stairs and laugh at his pain. So this last leg day Paul appointed himself sadistic coach.

The 'I am going to puke, pass out, or die' face

I went up 20 pounds on leg extensions. I used him as a human squat rack (the Y doesn't have them) so I could squat 40 pounds heavier than I had been without a rack. I doubled the weight I was using for lunges. I PR'ed my leg press and calf raises. All the while Paul pushed me to go harder, squat lower, add more weight. I was CERTAIN that I would be walking like a cowboy the next day. I was wrong.

This discovery caused me to dig deeper into the science behind DOMS and post-exercise soreness. I found an article in the Journal of Experimental Biology where I learned just how wrong 'No Pain, No Gain' is. According to the authors the study was designed to 'test the hypothesis that symptomatic (i.e. detectable) damage is a necessary precursor for muscle remodeling'. In short, they wanted to see if muscle growth can happen without being sore.

PR!

Two groups of college students were tested. The first group was given three weeks of 'training' where they slowly ramped up their exercise. The second group was thrown in with the first on the fourth week with no ramp up. They just had to keep up as best they could. The second group showed higher levels of creatine kinase (an enzyme that is released when muscle is damaged through exercise, injury, etc.) and expressed more soreness and exertion than the first group. So, if more muscle damage means more growth, then the second group should have shown more gains right? Wrong.

Muscle gain and strength increases were equal across both groups. This study went as far as blood work and muscle biopsy to verify these findings! And it wasn't the only study that had similar findings and results. So my takeaway from all of this is that, if you know you're working hard and you're still seeing gains, then a lack of soreness the day after exercise doesn't mean you won't progress. It just means you can get off the toilet and climb the stairs without calling Life Alert! And I call that a win!

LiveFit Trainer Week 1

Today marks the end of my first week of the LiveFit trainer. Obviously there aren't any huge changes to report but I thought a little update might help with motivation (mine and yours!) as we make our way further into the new year.

I made it through all of the workouts for week 1 with a few modifications. The gym was closed New Year's Eve and New Year's Day (isn't that when they get all their new memberships?!) so I made due with home workouts using bands and body weight exercises for chest and triceps day. I was at Paul's house on back and bicep day so we used his gym, which is fairly limited, and did our best. Leg day and shoulder/ab day both happened at my YMCA and the only thing I had to substitute for was seated calf raises because the Y doesn't have the equipment. And yes, I have been sore from head to toe all week. I love it!

Using my toddler for squats

 

As for the nutrition, I have been doing really well in my own opinion. I cheated with some wine and champagne on New Year's Eve but I saved the calories in my plan so the only damage was the shift in my macros. I had some popcorn and fruit snacks with the kids one day. And I have had Starbucks coffee twice this week but I stuck to a tall and made it a 'skinny' version of my usual order.

A 'skinny' treat

My typical day consists of lots of eggs, chicken, and fish. I get unlimited veggies so Birds Eye Steamfresh bags are my best friend right now. I only get a single serving of starch with each meal so rice cakes and sweet potatoes make up most of my carbs.

As Honest Toddler calls these, Sadness Patties!

I figured I'd be getting bored or sick of this by now but I really don't mind it. I feel more alert and I'm sleeping better (my Fitbit says my sleep efficiency is at 99%). The only thing I really miss is cardio and that will be coming back soon. I may begin to add a few miles warm up pre-lifting in week two. I know I won't get optimal muscle gain but I also have a 5k and 50k that I'm registered for!

I've also improved my overall habits. I upgraded to a 40 oz water bottle to aid with hydration. My Fitbit is motivating me to move more. (I still can't get 5 full lights without cardio!) My grocery bill has actually gone down now that I buy produce, meat, and a small amount of other things and then do an entire week of food prep in a day. Eating out has also become a thing of the past for the most part. The one time I was out for a meal I had a salad with oil and vinegar and then ate my protein and starch when I got home.

40 ounces of awesome!

 

There's really no physical changes to report yet other than being sore. I was up 0.5 pounds when I weighed in today which I expected. Inflammation, better hydration, and being stuffed full of fish and veggies will all add some weight. All in all, I'm excited to keep trying to improve as I go and see what happens over the next few weeks.

 

 

 

How are your goals coming so far this year? Do you have any tips for avoiding temptations?

Planning Ahead

It's a new year and the resolutions are rolling in. We're all either setting goals publicly or bragging about our lack thereof. I've seen it all. "I'm going to run more miles." "I'm going to lose X pounds." "I'm going to do everything everyone else says they're going to do for two weeks then give up and get fat." Blah, blah, blah...

Not me. Not this year. (credit: survivingcollege.com)

I really don't care what you call it: Dreams, resolutions, goals, an action plan....  We all have things we want to accomplish. I've decided on my goals for the coming year and I want to share them here. For accountability, or for inspiration, or for me to laugh at later when life throws me a curve ball and everything I write today goes out the window (again).

Maybe you've heard of Jamie Eason and her LiveFit Trainer. Maybe you haven't. It's a popular (and free program) on Bodybuilding.com designed by one of the top fitness models in the world. It includes exercise plans and nutrition guidelines as well as supplementation advice. It's supposed to be able to transform a normal or average person to fairly fantastic in just 12 weeks.

I've spent the last five years focused purely on running. If I did weights it was to improve my power. If I did plyo it was to improve my speed. If I changed my diet it was to try to reach a 'racing weight'. Everything has been completely centered around running and racing for the last half decade and I'm a little burnt out. So I thought I would try something new and decided this was it.

It's always about the run... and the clock

Don't get me wrong. I'm not giving up running. I'm still going to try to stay in 5k to half marathon shape. And I'm still going to try to walk/jog my way through the 50k I'm signed up for. I'm just not going to make running the center of my world for at least the next 12 weeks.

So on to the embarrassing fun stuff. Where am I starting off on this grand journey?

 

 

Stats:
Neck - 13.5"
Chest - 33"
Waist - 28"
Hips - 38"
Bicep - 11"
Thigh - 20"
Calf - 13.5"
Weight - 137 lbs.

I'd love to get another BodPod reading done before I get too far into this journey but I'm just not sure it will happen. Hopefully the pictures and measurements along the way will show my progress (or lack thereof) just as well.

So I hope you'll follow along and maybe even commit to your own life changing journey. And maybe, just maybe I won't have spaghetti noodle arms by 2015....

The Age Game

Another year has gone by and I am another year older. I celebrated my 29th birthday shortly after Christmas. Along with the holidays and another notch in my belt came the typical indulgences. Food, desserts, alcohol, and a lack of time for the gym.

Ugly sweaters and alcohol

This year I chose to stop kicking myself for every excess and lazy day. Instead I focused on enjoying my time with family and friends. There were dinners and parties and baking marathons. I spent days driving from one home to another for feast after buffet after brunch/lunch/dinner. And I took part in every last one of them.

These moments are worth so much!

 

Now the holidays are winding down and I'm less than a year from the big 3-0. I'm also almost 10 pounds heavier. And I don't care one bit. Everything in moderation, including moderation.

 

I have a plan and I have my support team. Paul and I have agreed to be 'those people', aka resolutioners. On January 1st we start fresh. We won't beat ourselves up over the seconds and thirds or desserts we enjoyed so thoroughly. We'll do the work and make the right choices and soon enough we'll see the results.

 

So I'll see you (and your hangover) in the gym on Wednesday!

 

 

 

Did you overindulge this holiday season? Do you have a plan in place to get back on track?

 

 

 

The Weight of the World

I've been thinking a lot about my diet (as in my nutritional intake, not some fad plan) and I know it hasn't been up to par. However, our scale went bonkers a month or two ago so I haven't been paying too much attention to anything but the fact that I can still get my jeans on.

EatSmart Products offered to send me one of their Precision Digital scales for review so I happily accepted. These scales feature 'step on' technology which basically means they zero/calibrate themselves and don't get all wacky like my old scale did. I can't do a full review yet as I just got mine today but I like it already. It's a stylish glass and metal construction with a back lit screen that makes it easy to read. And it measures down to a tenth of a pound which makes it a great tool for a numbers geek.

The only thing I was unhappy with was the number I saw when I stepped on it. It's hard to believe that I, or anyone, can run an average of 40+ miles per week and still gain weight but I'm proving it's possible. My next steps are to track my diet for a week or ten days and then consult a nutritionist or dietitian. I need a PLAN. I also need to make an appointment for a check up and make sure my body is working the way it should. I haven't had a doctor's visit in several years and it's about time I take care of myself outside of the gym too.

So here's to baby steps and making a plan to reach your dreams. What are your goals for this spring? And what are you going to do to get there?