Okay so allow me to vent today. Feeling discouraged, seriously. I'm in my 6th week, following nutrition better than I've followed anything I've ever done (and for longer by far), doing the workouts. .... . and visually? NOTHING. Or, if it's anything it's barely barely visible! I mean SIX WEEKS people - how is it that nothing has changed on my body in six flippin' weeks of working out 6 to 7 days a week and eating 'right'?! Am I some sort of damn mutant or what? I feel the old frustration creeping in - the same frustration that has led me to give up in past (though much quicker than this, admittedly).
I tell myself that it took me a long time to get OUT of shape, so it will naturally take a long time to get into shape. But please - a LITTLE reward for the effort?!?! Is that SO MUCH to ask? I'm feeling so incredibly frustrated today, if not for the habit of eating a certain way, I could so easily fall right out of this.
Ok time to regroup a little. I'll start with the positive. .....
My rewards so far are:
Feeling stronger
More energy
Having a 'purpose' and something to focus on and work at
Feel healthier overall
Rewards I'd LIKE to see (for the effort) but so far have not seen any or barely any of:
VISIBLE results
Clothes fitting differently
I keep hoping that one of these days the changes will start to be obvious, or the weight will just start falling off. My body can't be this stubborn FOREVER, right?! Something's gotta give at some point..... . I just get to be more patient than most. :) Lucky me!!
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Huh?!
Well, somehow I have lost track of where I am actually at in the process. I thought I was a week behind. .. . as in, I'm thinking I'm starting week 5 and I looked at the calendar, and I am actually (today, July 26th) starting week 6!! Wow, that never happens to me! ha
So, I'll wrap last week, which was week 5. Because I was thinking that I was on week 4, which is a rest & recovery week on the lean plan (though still working out). . .. I did week 4's workouts on week 5, and will start week 5's workouts today which is actually week 6. Confusing?! Um, yeah!! Which is why the title to this post is 'huh?!'
Furthermore, I am probably just going to stick with the fat shredder eating for this week. I know it changes slightly (or is supposed to) at the 30 day point and again at the 60 day point for your last thirty. .... I'll have to take some time to look at the nutrition guide and figure out what is different. From what I recall you're allowed more carbs and more fruit. But, I think it is not going to hurt me to stay on the fat shredder an extra week! :)
Last week went well also. I think what I am most excited about sometimes is that this way of eating and thinking about my eating (food as FUEL for my body) has become a habit for me, and that's pretty cool. B/c I've never really fully realized that in past. I've been more in touch with my 'you only live once, indulge' side in past - and the evidence definitely showed up on my body! Ugh! Now don't get me wrong, there are still times when I'm tempted to eat a little off plan (like an extra carb/snack or something, over the weekend while I'm hanging out at home watching a movie or whatever). But for the most part, this is fast becoming a way of life, the 'norm' - and that's awesome!
Does anyone realize how FATTENING bacon is?! Holy smack!!!! I was cooking breakfast for the hub Saturday and frying up some bacon (b/c he, blessed with a fast metabolism AND a physical job that keeps him in good shape, can eat like a flippin' hoover - in fact, my nickname for him sometimes is Hooverville) and I looked at the ingredients/nutrition info. ONE SLICE is 9 grams of fat!!! Geeeeeeeeeez, what a rip! One measly slice? Seriously. I know, you're thinking 'why not turkey bacon'. You don't know my husband. He has this thing about poultry (as in, he is against eating it b/c he grew up raising beef and pigs). So yes, I also realize that I could cook separate things for myself - and I do a lot of the time. But I draw the line with frying two different kinds of bacon in two different skillets (if I were avoiding the grease and fat of the pork bacon, of course).
Just had to get that off of my chest.
So anyway. I am also excited to say that I went for a long walk and included running yesterday! Because I'm paranoid about taxing my knees too much, I refuse to jog on pavement or asphalt right now. .. so I just do it on the gravel portion of my route, which is about a mile long. I walked the gravel mile on the way out, and then continued to walk for another mile out on an asphalt road which had some pretty hefty hills! Then, on the way home I jogged the whole mile on gravel (which, also has a hill or two in there, though not as intense as the asphalt road hills). It felt AMAZING! Even on the hill! I would have gone on longer, even - but my IPod froze and totally distracted me thinking it was broken so I headed on home instead of turning around to run some more. But the awesome thing is I felt so strong! - like I'd been running and had the conditioning already - which I do have the conditioning from the P90X program but not specifically from running. My form was great, I can totally tell that my strength has grown a LOT! I just LOVE it, and I can't wait to run again. I want to start putting an extra cardio session or two per week in - again, probably only on the weekends tho with my schedule being what it is during the week right now (with two jobs and fitting an hour workout into a very short evening).
Update on weight - I actually thought to weigh myself this morning, just to see where I'm at. So I was using the weight I got from the health screening as a starting point (even tho that was only a little over a week ago). . and I'm down about .5 pound from that. Not much. But - I feel slimmer, truly. Less gooey and flabby. I HAVE to be, considering the strength gains I've noticed!! And I think I can see it in the mirror also - I feel less lumpy as far as my silhouette goes. All good things!!! This program is awesome! So I'm going to keep on pushing play and 'BRINGING IT'. I've heard that days 60-90 are really when things start to rock and roll as far as visible results - I'm hoping that is the case! I don't have that far to go, so I'm pumped! And what about after the first 90 days? Well, I can see myself keeping it up actually - too bad I don't have the time to train for the October 1/2 marathon . . .. .. ......
OR DO I!?!?!? :>
So, I'll wrap last week, which was week 5. Because I was thinking that I was on week 4, which is a rest & recovery week on the lean plan (though still working out). . .. I did week 4's workouts on week 5, and will start week 5's workouts today which is actually week 6. Confusing?! Um, yeah!! Which is why the title to this post is 'huh?!'
Furthermore, I am probably just going to stick with the fat shredder eating for this week. I know it changes slightly (or is supposed to) at the 30 day point and again at the 60 day point for your last thirty. .... I'll have to take some time to look at the nutrition guide and figure out what is different. From what I recall you're allowed more carbs and more fruit. But, I think it is not going to hurt me to stay on the fat shredder an extra week! :)
Last week went well also. I think what I am most excited about sometimes is that this way of eating and thinking about my eating (food as FUEL for my body) has become a habit for me, and that's pretty cool. B/c I've never really fully realized that in past. I've been more in touch with my 'you only live once, indulge' side in past - and the evidence definitely showed up on my body! Ugh! Now don't get me wrong, there are still times when I'm tempted to eat a little off plan (like an extra carb/snack or something, over the weekend while I'm hanging out at home watching a movie or whatever). But for the most part, this is fast becoming a way of life, the 'norm' - and that's awesome!
Does anyone realize how FATTENING bacon is?! Holy smack!!!! I was cooking breakfast for the hub Saturday and frying up some bacon (b/c he, blessed with a fast metabolism AND a physical job that keeps him in good shape, can eat like a flippin' hoover - in fact, my nickname for him sometimes is Hooverville) and I looked at the ingredients/nutrition info. ONE SLICE is 9 grams of fat!!! Geeeeeeeeeez, what a rip! One measly slice? Seriously. I know, you're thinking 'why not turkey bacon'. You don't know my husband. He has this thing about poultry (as in, he is against eating it b/c he grew up raising beef and pigs). So yes, I also realize that I could cook separate things for myself - and I do a lot of the time. But I draw the line with frying two different kinds of bacon in two different skillets (if I were avoiding the grease and fat of the pork bacon, of course).
Just had to get that off of my chest.
So anyway. I am also excited to say that I went for a long walk and included running yesterday! Because I'm paranoid about taxing my knees too much, I refuse to jog on pavement or asphalt right now. .. so I just do it on the gravel portion of my route, which is about a mile long. I walked the gravel mile on the way out, and then continued to walk for another mile out on an asphalt road which had some pretty hefty hills! Then, on the way home I jogged the whole mile on gravel (which, also has a hill or two in there, though not as intense as the asphalt road hills). It felt AMAZING! Even on the hill! I would have gone on longer, even - but my IPod froze and totally distracted me thinking it was broken so I headed on home instead of turning around to run some more. But the awesome thing is I felt so strong! - like I'd been running and had the conditioning already - which I do have the conditioning from the P90X program but not specifically from running. My form was great, I can totally tell that my strength has grown a LOT! I just LOVE it, and I can't wait to run again. I want to start putting an extra cardio session or two per week in - again, probably only on the weekends tho with my schedule being what it is during the week right now (with two jobs and fitting an hour workout into a very short evening).
Update on weight - I actually thought to weigh myself this morning, just to see where I'm at. So I was using the weight I got from the health screening as a starting point (even tho that was only a little over a week ago). . and I'm down about .5 pound from that. Not much. But - I feel slimmer, truly. Less gooey and flabby. I HAVE to be, considering the strength gains I've noticed!! And I think I can see it in the mirror also - I feel less lumpy as far as my silhouette goes. All good things!!! This program is awesome! So I'm going to keep on pushing play and 'BRINGING IT'. I've heard that days 60-90 are really when things start to rock and roll as far as visible results - I'm hoping that is the case! I don't have that far to go, so I'm pumped! And what about after the first 90 days? Well, I can see myself keeping it up actually - too bad I don't have the time to train for the October 1/2 marathon . . .. .. ......
OR DO I!?!?!? :>
Week 4
This week went good for the most part. At the end of the week came a hiccup, and then I was off the weekend too b/c I had a dear friend visiting/staying with me (and my husband was off of work also, which throws a wrench in the 'normal' schedule to have him around while I try to work out). Silly, I know, but when your workout area is the middle of the living room in the middle of the whole house. .. . well, I'm sure you can understand.
But first. .. . . I participated in a health screening this week at my work. Originally I wasn't going to, but they offered an incentive and I figured why not!? Really, I have to say I am thrilled with the results!! NOT that I was worried or that I had any reason to believe I wouldn't fall in the normal range (other than a thyroid imbalance which is regulated with medication, I have always been extremely healthy and don't really have anything in the way of hereditary risk factors either). Anyway - it consisted of being measured and weighed, calculate BMI and body fat %, along with evaluation of blood cholesterol and glucose etc. Then a big long questionaire about habits and lifestyle etc., to which you then are 'graded' with a Wellness Score.
I'll just say right off that I am not happy with the weight, BMI, or body fat. Though I am in the normal range in these areas, I don't like any of the results one bit!! To my mind, they are not good b/c I sooo want them to be better! :) BMI is actually a bit out of range, but the gal told me that if I was muscular (which I am, under all the goop) then sometimes that will skew the BMI. I'm only 1.8 out of the normal, so it's not so bad and I'm truly betting that building muscle is having something to do with that. The weight tho?! Oh wow. See, here's the thing. I didn't weigh myself before I started. I've never been one who obsesses about weighing myself (even when trying to lose weight). There are so many factors that can affect your weight from day to day - what time of day you do it, if you've eaten anything, what you ate the night before, sodium intake, whether you've had a bowel movement yet, etc. - seriously! To me, obsessing over every ounce or weighing yourself several times a day (or even daily?!) is overboard. I'm sure I weighed myself a week or two before I began, so I knew my weight was getting 'up there' as far as what it had been before in my life and what my 'OH DEAR LORD IT IS TIME TO DO SOMETHING' limit was. Suffice it to say that my weight is in the 'Oh Dear Lord' range. But the good thing? I'm already doing something about it, so it's not like I'm pre-step 1 in the journey, ya know? I'm in process!!
Anyway. So the rest of the results. .... . all of my cholesterol levels are better than good (which is actually an improvement from the last bloodwork done on me, when I last went for my annual checkup and had blood drawn for my thyroid levels) and my blood pressure is spot ON! My blood sugar wasn't, but that was b/c I usually have my snack at 10 and I didn't before the screening (not sure if you were supposed to eat or not) so it was kind of a fast level for me, but normal for the amount of time since I'd last eaten. Overall, my Wellness Score was 98%. So that's good! Evidently I should go to the doctor more often. . ... that was my 2% deduction. I guess b/c I am getting into the mammogram age range, and haven't had one yet. Hmmmph. One thing at a time people! geez.
So . . .. Friday the hiccups began. Got an invitation to go out later that evening. ... .initially I thought maybe I would have time to bust my workout. .. . then once I realized that I still had a ton of stuff to do to ready the house for company. ... I realized I didn't. So I had made up my mind to skip the workout, and was feeling pissy about that anyway and beating myself up about it. THEN, my husband brings home a Blizzard for me (one of my fave things) BUT, he had gotten one for himself and another woman friend/neighbor of ours (yes, I know - I'm not sure why he is buying ice cream for other women either?! except I guess he thought he was being nice) . . .. .and gave her my flavor and brought home hers and didn't realize the mistake til he was home. Ugh. But ya know, this worked out well, b/c I didn't really want the other flavor, at all! So I was less tempted to have it - and since I wasn't working out that night it's good that I didn't ingest an unecessary 30 grams of fat, ya know?
Then of course I had a couple of beers while we were out. Mich Ultras, which are less calories and carbs and all that. .... . but still. Beer isn't really part of the P90X nutrition plan.
So then I had a wonderful weekend with my friend, sans working out or eating according to plan. I try to keep up with the principles of lean protein and healthy stuff - just didn't track it throughout the day, for instance. I didn't go CRAZY with eating bad stuff, per se, but I did indulge a little. And we went to yoga class on Sunday, so I guess I did get one workout in. (and, incidentally, for not having gone to actual class in several months and the only yoga I've done being Yoga X on the plan - I kicked butt. Like seriously - I felt awesome and didn't have any trouble with anything!! So we know it works - as if we had doubts!).
Anyway, about going off plan for 3 days. Here is how I see it. .. ..I see this friend once a year at best, so it's not like I'm going to be all strict and no fun while she's here. While some may say this is just an excuse - I beg to differ. In my opinion, going off the plan for a few days in the grand scheme of things isn't going to be that big of a deal. I can always just get right back on, and I did. But this friendship is WAY more important to me than staying on a diet plan - know what I mean?! I wanted my friend to have fun and not worry about if her being there was 'wrecking my plan'. At ALL! She would feel bad, too - and I was not about to let that happen. We had an amazing time, and were both so flippin' sad when she left (b/c we just both miss so much being able to hang out more often!). I am not worried one bit about getting back 'on plan'! Just a blip on the radar. :)
I cannot believe I am going on week 5 already!! I am almost caught up to 'real time' with the blog now, too - so instead of reflecting back on the experience I will be blogging more as it happens now. Thanks for coming along on this journey with me and thanks for reading!
But first. .. . . I participated in a health screening this week at my work. Originally I wasn't going to, but they offered an incentive and I figured why not!? Really, I have to say I am thrilled with the results!! NOT that I was worried or that I had any reason to believe I wouldn't fall in the normal range (other than a thyroid imbalance which is regulated with medication, I have always been extremely healthy and don't really have anything in the way of hereditary risk factors either). Anyway - it consisted of being measured and weighed, calculate BMI and body fat %, along with evaluation of blood cholesterol and glucose etc. Then a big long questionaire about habits and lifestyle etc., to which you then are 'graded' with a Wellness Score.
I'll just say right off that I am not happy with the weight, BMI, or body fat. Though I am in the normal range in these areas, I don't like any of the results one bit!! To my mind, they are not good b/c I sooo want them to be better! :) BMI is actually a bit out of range, but the gal told me that if I was muscular (which I am, under all the goop) then sometimes that will skew the BMI. I'm only 1.8 out of the normal, so it's not so bad and I'm truly betting that building muscle is having something to do with that. The weight tho?! Oh wow. See, here's the thing. I didn't weigh myself before I started. I've never been one who obsesses about weighing myself (even when trying to lose weight). There are so many factors that can affect your weight from day to day - what time of day you do it, if you've eaten anything, what you ate the night before, sodium intake, whether you've had a bowel movement yet, etc. - seriously! To me, obsessing over every ounce or weighing yourself several times a day (or even daily?!) is overboard. I'm sure I weighed myself a week or two before I began, so I knew my weight was getting 'up there' as far as what it had been before in my life and what my 'OH DEAR LORD IT IS TIME TO DO SOMETHING' limit was. Suffice it to say that my weight is in the 'Oh Dear Lord' range. But the good thing? I'm already doing something about it, so it's not like I'm pre-step 1 in the journey, ya know? I'm in process!!
Anyway. So the rest of the results. .... . all of my cholesterol levels are better than good (which is actually an improvement from the last bloodwork done on me, when I last went for my annual checkup and had blood drawn for my thyroid levels) and my blood pressure is spot ON! My blood sugar wasn't, but that was b/c I usually have my snack at 10 and I didn't before the screening (not sure if you were supposed to eat or not) so it was kind of a fast level for me, but normal for the amount of time since I'd last eaten. Overall, my Wellness Score was 98%. So that's good! Evidently I should go to the doctor more often. . ... that was my 2% deduction. I guess b/c I am getting into the mammogram age range, and haven't had one yet. Hmmmph. One thing at a time people! geez.
So . . .. Friday the hiccups began. Got an invitation to go out later that evening. ... .initially I thought maybe I would have time to bust my workout. .. . then once I realized that I still had a ton of stuff to do to ready the house for company. ... I realized I didn't. So I had made up my mind to skip the workout, and was feeling pissy about that anyway and beating myself up about it. THEN, my husband brings home a Blizzard for me (one of my fave things) BUT, he had gotten one for himself and another woman friend/neighbor of ours (yes, I know - I'm not sure why he is buying ice cream for other women either?! except I guess he thought he was being nice) . . .. .and gave her my flavor and brought home hers and didn't realize the mistake til he was home. Ugh. But ya know, this worked out well, b/c I didn't really want the other flavor, at all! So I was less tempted to have it - and since I wasn't working out that night it's good that I didn't ingest an unecessary 30 grams of fat, ya know?
Then of course I had a couple of beers while we were out. Mich Ultras, which are less calories and carbs and all that. .... . but still. Beer isn't really part of the P90X nutrition plan.
So then I had a wonderful weekend with my friend, sans working out or eating according to plan. I try to keep up with the principles of lean protein and healthy stuff - just didn't track it throughout the day, for instance. I didn't go CRAZY with eating bad stuff, per se, but I did indulge a little. And we went to yoga class on Sunday, so I guess I did get one workout in. (and, incidentally, for not having gone to actual class in several months and the only yoga I've done being Yoga X on the plan - I kicked butt. Like seriously - I felt awesome and didn't have any trouble with anything!! So we know it works - as if we had doubts!).
Anyway, about going off plan for 3 days. Here is how I see it. .. ..I see this friend once a year at best, so it's not like I'm going to be all strict and no fun while she's here. While some may say this is just an excuse - I beg to differ. In my opinion, going off the plan for a few days in the grand scheme of things isn't going to be that big of a deal. I can always just get right back on, and I did. But this friendship is WAY more important to me than staying on a diet plan - know what I mean?! I wanted my friend to have fun and not worry about if her being there was 'wrecking my plan'. At ALL! She would feel bad, too - and I was not about to let that happen. We had an amazing time, and were both so flippin' sad when she left (b/c we just both miss so much being able to hang out more often!). I am not worried one bit about getting back 'on plan'! Just a blip on the radar. :)
I cannot believe I am going on week 5 already!! I am almost caught up to 'real time' with the blog now, too - so instead of reflecting back on the experience I will be blogging more as it happens now. Thanks for coming along on this journey with me and thanks for reading!
Week 3
Pretty uneventful, really. I have kept up with the workouts (aka: kept pushing play) and the nutrition. Definite strength gains, and I can actually do all the pushups while doing the vinyasas in Yoga X! Yay me!
I went for a walk on Sunday and actually also broke into a jog! I can't tell you how much I am pleased with this, as I thought my running days were over with. Usually my knees just creak too much and I can tell they are not happy with me when I try to run or jog, but they were okay! I miss running - it's hard to explain why. I guess it can be such a solitary, personal thing - just you and your mind and your body, out on a (preferably) quiet road, pushing yourself to go a little further, stick it out a little longer. As much as I feel empowered when I have a good run, I admit it can also be so much annoyance for me sometimes b/c I kind of let the little things start to bug me (too much rock on the road and my feet slip..... or, my headphones keep coming out of my ears b/c I'm sweating or bouncing too much. ... can't find a comfortable spot for my ipod without it slipping around or bouncing around too much... ..shorts keep bunching up in the front from my fat legs rubbing together. .. you know, all that stuff). I know, right? How dumb for getting so distracted by such stupid things. I can usually reign myself in and try to focus instead on my breathing and how I feel. I think yoga has definitely helped me with that mind control, but it's not always an easy day of reigning the mind in (in yoga or in running). Today, I felt awesome! Felt like I could have gone on much longer, but I stopped b/c I truly would like to end on a 'good feeling' note - meaning maybe I'll be that much more jazzed to do it again next time b/c it felt so good! Though weekends are going to be my only time to go running with my schedule - otherwise it is too late in the evening/getting dark etc. if I'm to fit my daily P90X workouts in also.
One wierd thing about me, I notice, is that I tend to be sore, not in the usual quads or calves, but in what I consider to be a sort of strange place. I say strange b/c I don't remember ever having this when I was training for the 1/2 marathon. ... . maybe it's b/c I'm 'getting older' or something. I guess the best way to explain this is to think about what happens when you walk or run - the muscles and tendons that lift your legs UP and FORWARD as you step, where your legs meet your body (aka: the groin area). I don't know what the name for those muscles and tendons are, but on me I always get sore afterwards nowadays. Hip flexors tight? Inner thigh muscles too tight? I didn't stretch out afterwards so maybe this is the case, and I will remember to stretch better in future to see if that makes a difference. But the night after a walk or run, I have soreness every time I go to move these muscles (as in, lift my legs or whatever). Wierd. It never lasts more than a day, really. Almost like aching versus sore muscles. Just, hard to explain.
But anyway. So ....an uneventful but good week. I have to say I wish things were happening faster as far as weight changes. And I don't really notice clothing fitting much differently yet. Again, the same old struggle with wanting things to happen, wanting to see results for my efforts! I just can't let myself fall into that same old trap tho - of getting discouraged and quitting b/c nothing seems to be happening. What else would I be doing if not this? Nothing positive, and feeling all the worse for it - that's what!!
I do have to say I FEEL stronger and tighter tho. ... even if nothing is obvious visually yet. I feel great, and that's pretty encouraging! :)
So I trek onward. .. . Week 4 coming up - going strong!
I went for a walk on Sunday and actually also broke into a jog! I can't tell you how much I am pleased with this, as I thought my running days were over with. Usually my knees just creak too much and I can tell they are not happy with me when I try to run or jog, but they were okay! I miss running - it's hard to explain why. I guess it can be such a solitary, personal thing - just you and your mind and your body, out on a (preferably) quiet road, pushing yourself to go a little further, stick it out a little longer. As much as I feel empowered when I have a good run, I admit it can also be so much annoyance for me sometimes b/c I kind of let the little things start to bug me (too much rock on the road and my feet slip..... or, my headphones keep coming out of my ears b/c I'm sweating or bouncing too much. ... can't find a comfortable spot for my ipod without it slipping around or bouncing around too much... ..shorts keep bunching up in the front from my fat legs rubbing together. .. you know, all that stuff). I know, right? How dumb for getting so distracted by such stupid things. I can usually reign myself in and try to focus instead on my breathing and how I feel. I think yoga has definitely helped me with that mind control, but it's not always an easy day of reigning the mind in (in yoga or in running). Today, I felt awesome! Felt like I could have gone on much longer, but I stopped b/c I truly would like to end on a 'good feeling' note - meaning maybe I'll be that much more jazzed to do it again next time b/c it felt so good! Though weekends are going to be my only time to go running with my schedule - otherwise it is too late in the evening/getting dark etc. if I'm to fit my daily P90X workouts in also.
One wierd thing about me, I notice, is that I tend to be sore, not in the usual quads or calves, but in what I consider to be a sort of strange place. I say strange b/c I don't remember ever having this when I was training for the 1/2 marathon. ... . maybe it's b/c I'm 'getting older' or something. I guess the best way to explain this is to think about what happens when you walk or run - the muscles and tendons that lift your legs UP and FORWARD as you step, where your legs meet your body (aka: the groin area). I don't know what the name for those muscles and tendons are, but on me I always get sore afterwards nowadays. Hip flexors tight? Inner thigh muscles too tight? I didn't stretch out afterwards so maybe this is the case, and I will remember to stretch better in future to see if that makes a difference. But the night after a walk or run, I have soreness every time I go to move these muscles (as in, lift my legs or whatever). Wierd. It never lasts more than a day, really. Almost like aching versus sore muscles. Just, hard to explain.
But anyway. So ....an uneventful but good week. I have to say I wish things were happening faster as far as weight changes. And I don't really notice clothing fitting much differently yet. Again, the same old struggle with wanting things to happen, wanting to see results for my efforts! I just can't let myself fall into that same old trap tho - of getting discouraged and quitting b/c nothing seems to be happening. What else would I be doing if not this? Nothing positive, and feeling all the worse for it - that's what!!
I do have to say I FEEL stronger and tighter tho. ... even if nothing is obvious visually yet. I feel great, and that's pretty encouraging! :)
So I trek onward. .. . Week 4 coming up - going strong!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Week 2
Monday of this week was my birthday, which was also the holiday observed so I was off of work. My sister-in-law and nephew were flying in to KCI from TN and were then travelling to the western part of the state, and my mother-in-law was picking them up at the airport and asked if I wanted to ride along so I could see them. Since I wouldn't have the chance otherwise (or didn't think I would) I said yes. Some fun retail therapy rounded out the late afternoon before we all parted ways . .. . and then my husband was taking me out for my birthday to dinner. So I didn't get my workout in that day. I toyed with the idea of getting up early Tuesday morning to fit in Monday's workout, and then do the regular Day 2 workout that evening......but anyone who knows me knows that I'm not much of a morning workout person! SO. That didn't happen, big surprise.
Other than the biscuits at dinner and the NON low-fat salad dressing, I didn't really have anything too bad for dinner (oh yeah, and the melted butter for dipping my crab legs in - ooops). So chalk that day up to being off for my birthday!
Tuesday I picked right up where I left off, no problem at all. And let me just tell you - DEFINITE strength gains from the first week! Part of it was probably being a little more familiar with the moves, being the second time of doing them. But I was able to keep up better and finish more of things/more reps, and that felt GREAT! So in short I FEEL great. I feel stronger, more energetic, and just. .. . .well, good. Who doesn't want that!?
One gripe I have is that I don't have enough space to do these rolling "Superman - Banana" things that they do. I feel like I'm moving my mat around 20,ooo times! Warm up with the mat, now move it out of the way, now pull it sideways to do this move, okay move it out of the way again, now move it the other direction to do the rolling moves. Ugh! What I wouldn't give for a nice, big, uncluttered space to jump around and work out in! BUT, since I don't have a lot of options I'll just make do. And gripe. Okay enough griping! :)
So I had my chin-up bar put together by the time the Legs & Back workout rolled around. ... . and I'm not proud to say that I was totally right about how many (orrrr should we say LACK OF) pull ups I was able to do. Geez, are you kidding me?! Who does this?! Obviously, Tony and the World Famous Dreya are able to do a ton - there must be SOMETHING to this strength building thing. As in, I'll get there someday, right?! And how long is it going to take me? B/c it kinda feels like I'm at the bottom of the mountain huffing and puffing - and someone is telling me that in a few weeks I'll be able to make it to the summit. As I huff and puff and strain and try to heft myself up without using my feet on the chair. .. .. my brain just isn't computing that at some point I'll be able to do one of these unassisted (meaning, no chair). But we'll see. I suppose since I seemed to gain strength pretty quick even after only one week - there is a good possibility this will happen quicker than I think! Uh. Huh. The jury will be out on that. .. .. .
Nutrition went well this week also - no slip-ups! Oh wait, I had half of an ice cream sandwich at work on Friday afternoon I think. Now, in the grand scheme of things this was only about 70 calories and 1.5 grams of fat (ice cream sandwiches are really not bad at all considering they have ice cream in them and we all know ice cream is pretty much a big ol' load of fat!). I was really beating myself up about it, but then someone made me look at the ingredients and nutrition info. So, it could have been a LOT worse. Could have been a Krispy Kreme or something - now THAT would have been bad! :)
Sunday I took the day off from working out. I could have done X Stretch (they say you can do either one) but decided to just hang out and rest. I also cooked up a bunch of food and portioned it all out for the week ahead (WEEK THREE COMING UP!! I'm so proud of myself for making it to day 14 already!!) just to see if this makes things way easier.
So far other than feeling more energetic and noticing my strength gains, I don't notice any visible changes. YET. I've always heard that it really does take 4-6 weeks for any program to start yielding visible results. And also again, I have told myself to have patience and not expect things to happen immediately!
Like any human, my motivation and drive vacillates on occasion. So far in this process I am feeling very focused and motivated, very 'into' what I'm doing. I am not naive enough to believe that I will feel like this every day forever! There will be times when I'm not as strong, or life circumstances that will hinder eating just the right things (ummm, can we say husband bringing home ice cream!?!? Yikes). I have to make a promise to myself to not let a small deviation derail me completely. A little detour now and then isn't going to kill me, and I allow myself to have that flexibilty on occasion. Call it what it is and then jump right back on the plan. The plan is kind of becoming the norm now, so that's good. They say it takes 21 days to make a habit. .. . I'm 2/3 of the way there! Awesome!
Keep bringing it!
Other than the biscuits at dinner and the NON low-fat salad dressing, I didn't really have anything too bad for dinner (oh yeah, and the melted butter for dipping my crab legs in - ooops). So chalk that day up to being off for my birthday!
Tuesday I picked right up where I left off, no problem at all. And let me just tell you - DEFINITE strength gains from the first week! Part of it was probably being a little more familiar with the moves, being the second time of doing them. But I was able to keep up better and finish more of things/more reps, and that felt GREAT! So in short I FEEL great. I feel stronger, more energetic, and just. .. . .well, good. Who doesn't want that!?
One gripe I have is that I don't have enough space to do these rolling "Superman - Banana" things that they do. I feel like I'm moving my mat around 20,ooo times! Warm up with the mat, now move it out of the way, now pull it sideways to do this move, okay move it out of the way again, now move it the other direction to do the rolling moves. Ugh! What I wouldn't give for a nice, big, uncluttered space to jump around and work out in! BUT, since I don't have a lot of options I'll just make do. And gripe. Okay enough griping! :)
So I had my chin-up bar put together by the time the Legs & Back workout rolled around. ... . and I'm not proud to say that I was totally right about how many (orrrr should we say LACK OF) pull ups I was able to do. Geez, are you kidding me?! Who does this?! Obviously, Tony and the World Famous Dreya are able to do a ton - there must be SOMETHING to this strength building thing. As in, I'll get there someday, right?! And how long is it going to take me? B/c it kinda feels like I'm at the bottom of the mountain huffing and puffing - and someone is telling me that in a few weeks I'll be able to make it to the summit. As I huff and puff and strain and try to heft myself up without using my feet on the chair. .. .. my brain just isn't computing that at some point I'll be able to do one of these unassisted (meaning, no chair). But we'll see. I suppose since I seemed to gain strength pretty quick even after only one week - there is a good possibility this will happen quicker than I think! Uh. Huh. The jury will be out on that. .. .. .
Nutrition went well this week also - no slip-ups! Oh wait, I had half of an ice cream sandwich at work on Friday afternoon I think. Now, in the grand scheme of things this was only about 70 calories and 1.5 grams of fat (ice cream sandwiches are really not bad at all considering they have ice cream in them and we all know ice cream is pretty much a big ol' load of fat!). I was really beating myself up about it, but then someone made me look at the ingredients and nutrition info. So, it could have been a LOT worse. Could have been a Krispy Kreme or something - now THAT would have been bad! :)
Sunday I took the day off from working out. I could have done X Stretch (they say you can do either one) but decided to just hang out and rest. I also cooked up a bunch of food and portioned it all out for the week ahead (WEEK THREE COMING UP!! I'm so proud of myself for making it to day 14 already!!) just to see if this makes things way easier.
So far other than feeling more energetic and noticing my strength gains, I don't notice any visible changes. YET. I've always heard that it really does take 4-6 weeks for any program to start yielding visible results. And also again, I have told myself to have patience and not expect things to happen immediately!
Like any human, my motivation and drive vacillates on occasion. So far in this process I am feeling very focused and motivated, very 'into' what I'm doing. I am not naive enough to believe that I will feel like this every day forever! There will be times when I'm not as strong, or life circumstances that will hinder eating just the right things (ummm, can we say husband bringing home ice cream!?!? Yikes). I have to make a promise to myself to not let a small deviation derail me completely. A little detour now and then isn't going to kill me, and I allow myself to have that flexibilty on occasion. Call it what it is and then jump right back on the plan. The plan is kind of becoming the norm now, so that's good. They say it takes 21 days to make a habit. .. . I'm 2/3 of the way there! Awesome!
Keep bringing it!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Wrap up Week 1
So let's recap here. Sore and more sore. That's pretty much the story! Though I will say that upon posting on my facebook that I seemed to be accumulating soreness from day to day (which was definitely true come Tuesday and then more so on Wednesday) I got a good tip from a couple of people about recovery drink and glutamine, which helps with muscle soreness. I got this great stuff at GNC called Endurox R4 - it has protein and carbs in it and also glutamine. I started taking it Wednesday night after my workout. Yummy orange flavor, too. (It's like my little 'treat', really!) But waking up Thursday morning was NIGHT and DAY from how I felt Wednesday morning. Wed morning I was tired, like I hadn't gotten enough sleep, on top of being sore. The kind of sore where it feels like it wears you out to move? So then waking up Thursday, after using the recovery drink I was still sore of course, but I wasn't so tired and dragging. I actually had ENERGY! Like normal, like I had gotten a full night's sleep and was all set to go. So I highly recommend a recovery drink! I haven't bought the one P90X sells so I can't compare exact ingredients but I would think they formulations are pretty similar as far as the protein/carb/glutamine.
The workouts.. .. due to my work schedule, I am doing the workouts in the evenings - which is challenging to fit in. I'm usually working out later, like 7:30 or 8 by the time I get home and get started. I have to be careful what I eat at my 5 p.m. meal, so I have enough energy to carry me through the workout without bonking!
Love the Shoulders and Arms workout. Ab Ripper? Not so much. It's only a 15 min workout (tacked on after the Shoulders/Arms and Legs/Back, twice a week) but it's pretty intense! And I am WEAK in the abs! Hoping to gain some strength there, that's for sure. I mean, there's this boat/v-up move that my body just said, 'Uh uh, no way. Not happenin' - and that was that! Like my stomach hit a cement wall.
Chair kicks during the Cardio X workout - holy smokes! Start off great, then my saddlebag/glute area starts to just flag OUT! But hey, this is precisely where I need some fat-burning shape up. ... so I soldier on. With lots of grunting and groaning from effort, of course. :)
Yoga X. LOVE it! Since I've done yoga before, none of the moves in this workout are new to me. However, since I am so out of shape, there are certainly strength issues in keeping up. And it's 90 minutes! Whew, that is a long, tough workout - especially with flat-out all vinyasas for the first 45 minutes straight. The pushups between each vinyasa? Will have to work up to all of those. The balance moves are tricky when I'm already tired, too. But I will persevere!!
Legs and back. Hello, killer. !! Those wall sits with alternating leg raise? FEEL THE BURN. Really have to breathe to get through that, or the burn takes over the mind and makes me want to flag on out. I didn't have my pull-up bar put together yet so I wasn't able to do those moves this week (note to self: get chin-up bar together this weekend!). There are a LOT of them, too - wow, if I can ever keep up with that Dreya chic I will feel like a flippin' rock star! Dang that girl is fit! She can do millions of chin ups. I know from past experience (once, when I had a chin-up bar) that I am not going to be able to heft my bulk all the way up even once unassisted for a while. I can just see me now . ... hopping up in order to give myself a 'boost' each time I do one. But they recommend the 'chair assist', where you keep a foot on a chair or whatever until you're strong enough to pull yourself all the way up. Yep, that's going to be me - using the chair for a while!
This weekend was the 4th of July weekend. I ended up trading Saturday's workout for Sunday's rest day (aka: I didn't work out Saturday, but did the Kenpo X workout Sunday instead b/c we had less going on Sunday even tho that was the holiday). Kenpo is fun, I enjoyed it. The X jumps are killer for keeping the heart rate up!
Nutrition was great this week, I really did good. Not even tempted to cheat, so that's awesome! Maybe getting the 'eating junk before I start' plan was just my ticket. I feel like I'm eating a lot of food! I made up little colored index cards, with a box for each portion type of food I'm eating - so I just check off the box as I eat whatever - which also helps me keep track of what else to fit in for meals as the day goes on. I also log what I'm eating in the daily journal provided in the nutrition guide book. I have a little portfolio/padfolio that I keep a small tablet in - with pockets and the index cards etc. so it's all in one spot.
I'm resigned mentally to having to wait longer than normal to see any results on myself. My body is about as insanely stubborn as it gets. As much as this completely infuriates and frustrates me, it is just going to take time. I can't get discouraged if I don't see something after a week or two (which is what usually happens in past - don't see results, get mad/frustrated, quit what I'm doing, feel awful). NOT THIS TIME. Again, going back to my motivating quote. .. .. If I don't do something different, I'll keep getting what I've been getting. Which in my case is more and more unhappy with how I look!
NO MORE of that! The time for being complacent and frustrated is OVER.
Love these workouts, they're fun and interesting and varied, and I do love that I am DOING something positive for myself! Great wrap of week 1! Bring it!! :)
The workouts.. .. due to my work schedule, I am doing the workouts in the evenings - which is challenging to fit in. I'm usually working out later, like 7:30 or 8 by the time I get home and get started. I have to be careful what I eat at my 5 p.m. meal, so I have enough energy to carry me through the workout without bonking!
Love the Shoulders and Arms workout. Ab Ripper? Not so much. It's only a 15 min workout (tacked on after the Shoulders/Arms and Legs/Back, twice a week) but it's pretty intense! And I am WEAK in the abs! Hoping to gain some strength there, that's for sure. I mean, there's this boat/v-up move that my body just said, 'Uh uh, no way. Not happenin' - and that was that! Like my stomach hit a cement wall.
Chair kicks during the Cardio X workout - holy smokes! Start off great, then my saddlebag/glute area starts to just flag OUT! But hey, this is precisely where I need some fat-burning shape up. ... so I soldier on. With lots of grunting and groaning from effort, of course. :)
Yoga X. LOVE it! Since I've done yoga before, none of the moves in this workout are new to me. However, since I am so out of shape, there are certainly strength issues in keeping up. And it's 90 minutes! Whew, that is a long, tough workout - especially with flat-out all vinyasas for the first 45 minutes straight. The pushups between each vinyasa? Will have to work up to all of those. The balance moves are tricky when I'm already tired, too. But I will persevere!!
Legs and back. Hello, killer. !! Those wall sits with alternating leg raise? FEEL THE BURN. Really have to breathe to get through that, or the burn takes over the mind and makes me want to flag on out. I didn't have my pull-up bar put together yet so I wasn't able to do those moves this week (note to self: get chin-up bar together this weekend!). There are a LOT of them, too - wow, if I can ever keep up with that Dreya chic I will feel like a flippin' rock star! Dang that girl is fit! She can do millions of chin ups. I know from past experience (once, when I had a chin-up bar) that I am not going to be able to heft my bulk all the way up even once unassisted for a while. I can just see me now . ... hopping up in order to give myself a 'boost' each time I do one. But they recommend the 'chair assist', where you keep a foot on a chair or whatever until you're strong enough to pull yourself all the way up. Yep, that's going to be me - using the chair for a while!
This weekend was the 4th of July weekend. I ended up trading Saturday's workout for Sunday's rest day (aka: I didn't work out Saturday, but did the Kenpo X workout Sunday instead b/c we had less going on Sunday even tho that was the holiday). Kenpo is fun, I enjoyed it. The X jumps are killer for keeping the heart rate up!
Nutrition was great this week, I really did good. Not even tempted to cheat, so that's awesome! Maybe getting the 'eating junk before I start' plan was just my ticket. I feel like I'm eating a lot of food! I made up little colored index cards, with a box for each portion type of food I'm eating - so I just check off the box as I eat whatever - which also helps me keep track of what else to fit in for meals as the day goes on. I also log what I'm eating in the daily journal provided in the nutrition guide book. I have a little portfolio/padfolio that I keep a small tablet in - with pockets and the index cards etc. so it's all in one spot.
I'm resigned mentally to having to wait longer than normal to see any results on myself. My body is about as insanely stubborn as it gets. As much as this completely infuriates and frustrates me, it is just going to take time. I can't get discouraged if I don't see something after a week or two (which is what usually happens in past - don't see results, get mad/frustrated, quit what I'm doing, feel awful). NOT THIS TIME. Again, going back to my motivating quote. .. .. If I don't do something different, I'll keep getting what I've been getting. Which in my case is more and more unhappy with how I look!
NO MORE of that! The time for being complacent and frustrated is OVER.
Love these workouts, they're fun and interesting and varied, and I do love that I am DOING something positive for myself! Great wrap of week 1! Bring it!! :)
Friday, July 16, 2010
The Beginning - Week 1
Monday: First workout later today.
So my eating whatever I wanted over the weekend went fine. It was fun Thursday and Friday (not having to worry about, 'should I be eating this? I feel guilty for eating this' and all of that) and even a little bit Saturday - but by Sunday, surprisingly, I got a little bit bored with it! Like to the point where I was like, huh, I can't even think of what it is that I want to be 'bad' and eat right now (while I can). I was ready to get going on the program! The sooner I start, the sooner I get results, right?!
Looks like the first 30 days is the 'fat shredder' phase. After doing my calculations for myself I'm in the level II group, so this means I will eat the following each day:
7 protein portions (yikes, that seems like a lot of protein!)
4 veggies
1 fruit
1 carb
3 dairy
1 fat
2 condiments
3 snacks
and, of course, my 8 glasses of water.
Went shopping yesterday (Sunday) and got my food staples . .. .. I'm doing the portion plan of the Fat Shredder first 30 days because I just don't have the time to compile big shopping lists and follow recipes every day! Portion approach seems soooooo much easier to me. Plus, the majority of food I will be eating will be at work during the day - so I would have to make everything up ahead of time if I was doing the meal/recipe approach.... no thanks!
I've even already come up with a little recipe that I love and found out that it's one of the most filling things I've ever eaten! Smoked tuna quesedilla. ... whole wheat tortilla, smoked tuna (in the packages you tear open), some low-fat shredded mozarella, and seasonings I like (red pepper flakes, garlic powder). Use non-stick spray on the outside of the tortilla, put in a skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle some moz, then lay out the tuna, season, sprinkle more moz, then the top tortilla. Heat til ingredients are melted/warmed together, turn once to brown/crisp the opposite side. Cut into 4's. I save mine overnight and bring for my lunch, then just toast them up in a toaster oven where I work. YUM! There's one carb and one protein for the day - plus I added a portion of veggies and glass of water for lunch and this had me so full I didn't want to eat for hours and hours - I had to choke my 3pm snack down, wasn't hungry at all.
Okay while I have a chance, I'm going to expound to you upon the awesomeness of Ezekhial bread. I discovered it a while ago when I was trying to do 'raw' eating for a while (really, it's not as gross as it sounds, unless you're thinking of all meat, which is NOT all you eat people! or is it?! Well, it's not all I eat anyway). Ez bread (as I call it, easier to shorten it) is basically sprouted grains and legumes instead of cooked/baked flour and all the nasty ingredients that aren't so good for you that are found in your regular store-bought 'whole wheat bread' or (gasp) white bread, etc. So the result of sprouted grains and legumes is that this bread is much higher in protein and fiber (tho it is still considered a carb) - sooooo much better for you! And organic, too, all-natural ingredients. Basically you buy it in the frozen foods section, and I've only found it at Whole Foods so far (or other type of health-food store). You keep it frozen, and just thaw however much you want at a time. You can toast it from frozen too. It's a good, dense bread that actually tastes like heavy-grain bread you may have had before. Not as chunky as rye (ugh, not a fan of rye). They also have english muffins and flatbread, in addition to several flavors of the bread (including cinnamon raisin - which is AWESOME with goat cheese, I might add - as goat cheese is higher in calcium, lower in fat and calories than cream cheese or cow's milk cheese).
I can only do one carb a day on the first 30 days/fat shredder though - so quesadilla, sandwich, or oatmeal are my choices/preferences for carbs so far.
So I can tell I'm definitely going to rely on string cheeze! Though dairy and protein are two different things on here (unlike South Beach, in which cheese consitutes a protein). Really? It doesn't get much easier and more portable than string cheese! Also low fat cottage cheese, though sometimes I have to force myself to eat it b/c it's so bland. Wait - put a bit of V8 low sodium into it, or even a couple drops of hot sauce - that spices it up a bit. :) I also made these little 'quiche cups'. Take a 12-muffin or cupcake pan, spray non-stick spray in each cup. I used the southwest blend egg beaters (for a little more flavor, but if I've used the regular EB's, I just add a drop of hot sauce in each cup). You can also chop up whatever kind of veggies you like - onions, peppers, tomatoes (drained, or they are too watery), spinach - whatever you like. Fill each cup about 1/2 full, then top with about a Tbs of low fat shredded moz cheese, or low-fat cheddar if you like. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 375. They'll pop right out of the pan after cooled a bit. I put two in a snack size ziploc - b/c one protein portion on the P90x plan is 6 egg whites (seems like a lot) so two of these quiche cups is about right. You can eat them cold like finger food, or you can cut them up and warm them up in the microwave too.
I will continue this post later, after the first workout.....
HOLY SMACK! As in, my body feels like it has had the smackdown put upon it! Since I'm doing the lean program, my day 1 workout was Core Synergistics. Seriously - someone bring me a bed, I am so tired I'd like to just crash on it right this minute. First I have to shower the 25 layers of sweat off of me tho... . am thinking that hot water in the shower is going to feel goooooooood on this tired body!
We'll see how sore I am tomorrow. This is gonna be fun. But . ... . Rome wasn't built in a day, and this body isn't going to improve in a day. ... so c'est la vie!! Okay so I'm in no shape to seize any more days til I've had some sleep. More.. .. . . .later. .. .. . zzzzz.
So my eating whatever I wanted over the weekend went fine. It was fun Thursday and Friday (not having to worry about, 'should I be eating this? I feel guilty for eating this' and all of that) and even a little bit Saturday - but by Sunday, surprisingly, I got a little bit bored with it! Like to the point where I was like, huh, I can't even think of what it is that I want to be 'bad' and eat right now (while I can). I was ready to get going on the program! The sooner I start, the sooner I get results, right?!
Looks like the first 30 days is the 'fat shredder' phase. After doing my calculations for myself I'm in the level II group, so this means I will eat the following each day:
7 protein portions (yikes, that seems like a lot of protein!)
4 veggies
1 fruit
1 carb
3 dairy
1 fat
2 condiments
3 snacks
and, of course, my 8 glasses of water.
Went shopping yesterday (Sunday) and got my food staples . .. .. I'm doing the portion plan of the Fat Shredder first 30 days because I just don't have the time to compile big shopping lists and follow recipes every day! Portion approach seems soooooo much easier to me. Plus, the majority of food I will be eating will be at work during the day - so I would have to make everything up ahead of time if I was doing the meal/recipe approach.... no thanks!
I've even already come up with a little recipe that I love and found out that it's one of the most filling things I've ever eaten! Smoked tuna quesedilla. ... whole wheat tortilla, smoked tuna (in the packages you tear open), some low-fat shredded mozarella, and seasonings I like (red pepper flakes, garlic powder). Use non-stick spray on the outside of the tortilla, put in a skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle some moz, then lay out the tuna, season, sprinkle more moz, then the top tortilla. Heat til ingredients are melted/warmed together, turn once to brown/crisp the opposite side. Cut into 4's. I save mine overnight and bring for my lunch, then just toast them up in a toaster oven where I work. YUM! There's one carb and one protein for the day - plus I added a portion of veggies and glass of water for lunch and this had me so full I didn't want to eat for hours and hours - I had to choke my 3pm snack down, wasn't hungry at all.
Okay while I have a chance, I'm going to expound to you upon the awesomeness of Ezekhial bread. I discovered it a while ago when I was trying to do 'raw' eating for a while (really, it's not as gross as it sounds, unless you're thinking of all meat, which is NOT all you eat people! or is it?! Well, it's not all I eat anyway). Ez bread (as I call it, easier to shorten it) is basically sprouted grains and legumes instead of cooked/baked flour and all the nasty ingredients that aren't so good for you that are found in your regular store-bought 'whole wheat bread' or (gasp) white bread, etc. So the result of sprouted grains and legumes is that this bread is much higher in protein and fiber (tho it is still considered a carb) - sooooo much better for you! And organic, too, all-natural ingredients. Basically you buy it in the frozen foods section, and I've only found it at Whole Foods so far (or other type of health-food store). You keep it frozen, and just thaw however much you want at a time. You can toast it from frozen too. It's a good, dense bread that actually tastes like heavy-grain bread you may have had before. Not as chunky as rye (ugh, not a fan of rye). They also have english muffins and flatbread, in addition to several flavors of the bread (including cinnamon raisin - which is AWESOME with goat cheese, I might add - as goat cheese is higher in calcium, lower in fat and calories than cream cheese or cow's milk cheese).
I can only do one carb a day on the first 30 days/fat shredder though - so quesadilla, sandwich, or oatmeal are my choices/preferences for carbs so far.
So I can tell I'm definitely going to rely on string cheeze! Though dairy and protein are two different things on here (unlike South Beach, in which cheese consitutes a protein). Really? It doesn't get much easier and more portable than string cheese! Also low fat cottage cheese, though sometimes I have to force myself to eat it b/c it's so bland. Wait - put a bit of V8 low sodium into it, or even a couple drops of hot sauce - that spices it up a bit. :) I also made these little 'quiche cups'. Take a 12-muffin or cupcake pan, spray non-stick spray in each cup. I used the southwest blend egg beaters (for a little more flavor, but if I've used the regular EB's, I just add a drop of hot sauce in each cup). You can also chop up whatever kind of veggies you like - onions, peppers, tomatoes (drained, or they are too watery), spinach - whatever you like. Fill each cup about 1/2 full, then top with about a Tbs of low fat shredded moz cheese, or low-fat cheddar if you like. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 375. They'll pop right out of the pan after cooled a bit. I put two in a snack size ziploc - b/c one protein portion on the P90x plan is 6 egg whites (seems like a lot) so two of these quiche cups is about right. You can eat them cold like finger food, or you can cut them up and warm them up in the microwave too.
I will continue this post later, after the first workout.....
HOLY SMACK! As in, my body feels like it has had the smackdown put upon it! Since I'm doing the lean program, my day 1 workout was Core Synergistics. Seriously - someone bring me a bed, I am so tired I'd like to just crash on it right this minute. First I have to shower the 25 layers of sweat off of me tho... . am thinking that hot water in the shower is going to feel goooooooood on this tired body!
We'll see how sore I am tomorrow. This is gonna be fun. But . ... . Rome wasn't built in a day, and this body isn't going to improve in a day. ... so c'est la vie!! Okay so I'm in no shape to seize any more days til I've had some sleep. More.. .. . . .later. .. .. . zzzzz.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
I got it I got it I got it!!
So as you can tell I'm not one bit excited, huh? Got my P90X system today!! I descended upon it like a hungry animal. I read the nutrition guide and looked at the workout manual...... I basically read every letter published in the kit. I'm just that excited to get started.
EXCEPT, it looks like you start at the beginning of the week, on Mondays. .. and it is Thursday. Well Poo. That means I have about 4 days to wait (and get more excited while I arrange my plan of attack). Oh well, this is probably a good thing for me. I can figure out what foods I need to shop for, and plan what I'll eat. There is no half-assing this thing. There is no "I'm sorta going to be doing P90X". I'm either All In (poker reference), or I'm not In at all! I've sort of done things in the past, and look where it got me. It got me fat and sassy is where it got me. I'm going to rock this thing like heavy metal. ha! I'm going to get in shape and that's THAT. I'm so serious. I like that the motto on this thing says, "Decide. Commit. Succeed." I am DECIDING to COMMIT to this program, and therefore I will SUCCEED. How's that for positive thinking?
I'm allllll over it!! :) Except I have to take 'before' photos. Oh ugh - serious? THAT'S gonna be fun. Fun like having a root canal fun. But hey, those before photos are going to be some serious motivation, I have a feeling!
I'm kind of scared tho. I mean, I've heard the workouts are killer. I watched the 'How to Bring It' intro dvd and thankfully Tony says, "Do your best and forget the rest". Um, pretty sure that's going to have to be my motto the first few weeks, til I gain some strength. B/c I am not in good shape right now by any stretch. The point is to fix that though, right?
Lemme at it! I've even told a few people at work to not tempt me with doughnuts and other baaaaaad things starting next week - b/c I'm going to be doing P90X!
So since I can't start til Monday I guess I'll do one final hurrah and not worry about what I eat until then. Not saying I'm going to go nutso, but IF I feel like eating it this weekend - whatever 'it' is - ice cream (ooooh, Snickers Blizzard!), candy (hello One Hundred Grand), bbq ribs, Popeye's spicy fried chicken, Pepperjax cheesesteak philly and fries *YUM!* - then I will indulge. But ONLY til Monday. Come to think of it, maybe that will actually help me get all of that bad eating out of my system - so I'll be less tempted to cheat on the nutrition plan once I get started.
Oh, and PS.....these blog posts are obviously not in actual time. It took me longer than a day to order and get my P90X of course. ... I am working my way backward from where the journey started until the present day. But the posts are in sequential order as far as the process from decision to get in shape, to ordering, receiving and starting etc. Hopefully I'll be caught up in the next few posts.. ...
Happy reading! :)
EXCEPT, it looks like you start at the beginning of the week, on Mondays. .. and it is Thursday. Well Poo. That means I have about 4 days to wait (and get more excited while I arrange my plan of attack). Oh well, this is probably a good thing for me. I can figure out what foods I need to shop for, and plan what I'll eat. There is no half-assing this thing. There is no "I'm sorta going to be doing P90X". I'm either All In (poker reference), or I'm not In at all! I've sort of done things in the past, and look where it got me. It got me fat and sassy is where it got me. I'm going to rock this thing like heavy metal. ha! I'm going to get in shape and that's THAT. I'm so serious. I like that the motto on this thing says, "Decide. Commit. Succeed." I am DECIDING to COMMIT to this program, and therefore I will SUCCEED. How's that for positive thinking?
I'm allllll over it!! :) Except I have to take 'before' photos. Oh ugh - serious? THAT'S gonna be fun. Fun like having a root canal fun. But hey, those before photos are going to be some serious motivation, I have a feeling!
I'm kind of scared tho. I mean, I've heard the workouts are killer. I watched the 'How to Bring It' intro dvd and thankfully Tony says, "Do your best and forget the rest". Um, pretty sure that's going to have to be my motto the first few weeks, til I gain some strength. B/c I am not in good shape right now by any stretch. The point is to fix that though, right?
Lemme at it! I've even told a few people at work to not tempt me with doughnuts and other baaaaaad things starting next week - b/c I'm going to be doing P90X!
So since I can't start til Monday I guess I'll do one final hurrah and not worry about what I eat until then. Not saying I'm going to go nutso, but IF I feel like eating it this weekend - whatever 'it' is - ice cream (ooooh, Snickers Blizzard!), candy (hello One Hundred Grand), bbq ribs, Popeye's spicy fried chicken, Pepperjax cheesesteak philly and fries *YUM!* - then I will indulge. But ONLY til Monday. Come to think of it, maybe that will actually help me get all of that bad eating out of my system - so I'll be less tempted to cheat on the nutrition plan once I get started.
Oh, and PS.....these blog posts are obviously not in actual time. It took me longer than a day to order and get my P90X of course. ... I am working my way backward from where the journey started until the present day. But the posts are in sequential order as far as the process from decision to get in shape, to ordering, receiving and starting etc. Hopefully I'll be caught up in the next few posts.. ...
Happy reading! :)
The Moment of Truth
Not sure it is possible to ever really explain to you what kind of trauma it is to see a 'before' photo of yourself and realize how AWFUL you really, actually, TRULY look in a swimsuit.
One word: Yikers. No, make that two words: COMPLETE yikers. I mean, I avoid being seen in a swimsuit at all costs these days (like actually turn down invitations to anything that involves removing clothing in public/in front of anyone but my husband, no matter how fun those invitations may sound) - and now I can see PRECISELY why!! O. M. G.
Don't EVEN think you're going to get a picture of this hideousness up on this blog. NO. WAY. :) You can see my 'after' picture all you want (when I get where I want to be, that is) but just resign yourselves to an ice cube's chance on a crazy hot Kansas summer day of seeing my before pictures!
Okay so it's not as bad as I make it sound FROM THE WAIST UP. However, the lower half . ... is just criminal. How did I ever let myself get this way????
So my husband took them with his PHONE (not the household camera, don't ask why b/c I really have no idea). Just imagine me standing over him (frying pan in hand - JUST KIDDING, no frying pan, but still standing over him) verifying that he did, INDEED, delete this evil evidence from his phone. I mean, not that my husband would do anything with the photos - he wouldn't. But what if his phone got into the wrong hands?!?! I am not taking chances with that mess. NONE!
I'll just tell you now that if seeing this isn't enough to motivate me once and for all, FOREVER, then I'm not sure what else could. Yes, it's that bad! This is precisely why I am doing P90X and making a permanent change in my life!
Licking my seriously wounded pride wounds now.. .. . . . ..
Seriously? I can't wait to get started!
One word: Yikers. No, make that two words: COMPLETE yikers. I mean, I avoid being seen in a swimsuit at all costs these days (like actually turn down invitations to anything that involves removing clothing in public/in front of anyone but my husband, no matter how fun those invitations may sound) - and now I can see PRECISELY why!! O. M. G.
Don't EVEN think you're going to get a picture of this hideousness up on this blog. NO. WAY. :) You can see my 'after' picture all you want (when I get where I want to be, that is) but just resign yourselves to an ice cube's chance on a crazy hot Kansas summer day of seeing my before pictures!
Okay so it's not as bad as I make it sound FROM THE WAIST UP. However, the lower half . ... is just criminal. How did I ever let myself get this way????
So my husband took them with his PHONE (not the household camera, don't ask why b/c I really have no idea). Just imagine me standing over him (frying pan in hand - JUST KIDDING, no frying pan, but still standing over him) verifying that he did, INDEED, delete this evil evidence from his phone. I mean, not that my husband would do anything with the photos - he wouldn't. But what if his phone got into the wrong hands?!?! I am not taking chances with that mess. NONE!
I'll just tell you now that if seeing this isn't enough to motivate me once and for all, FOREVER, then I'm not sure what else could. Yes, it's that bad! This is precisely why I am doing P90X and making a permanent change in my life!
Licking my seriously wounded pride wounds now.. .. . . . ..
Seriously? I can't wait to get started!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
The "Ah-Ha" Moment
My 37th birthday was approaching fast. Not that I'm hung up on numbers (I'm not) but I guess it finally started to hit me, "I'm not getting any younger, OR in any better shape". It's not going to get any easier to get in shape, either, as age works against a woman's metabolism. Great news huh? I hated that it was true.
But here's the bottom line (sort of like reaching rock bottom, but really, it's simply reality): To get in shape, one has to MOVE. Muscles don't define themselves. You don't get muscles from inactivity. They just don't grow themselves! (Kind of like money doesn't grow on trees - but boy, do we wish it did!!!) Sitting on the couch eating my supper and watching TV every evening was not going to ever, under any circumstances, get me anywhere positive in how my body looks. E.V.E.R.
I knew a couple of guys who had done Crossfit workouts. One got in awesome shape - I think he got down to like 7% body fat! Granted, it's way easier for men to lose fat/weight - we all know that. But the same underlying theme was there - intense workouts combined with proper nutrition get results. From what I understood, this was pretty intense activity - a combination of resistance/weights and cardio, such that you're never really doing the same stuff very often. The thought behind it being that your body doesn't adapt or adjust to the same activity and 'plateau' with weight or fat loss. And, I'd heard, your body also tends to feel like upchucking from the sheer badassedness of these workouts. WELL. That part doesn't sound so fun (and hopefully it would go away after you acclimated and gained some endurance and strength) - but the part about getting in crazy good shape was definitely appealing. I did some checking into trainers or classes in the area. Hello, way too expensive for me. Besides, when was I going to fit travel time, workout time, and shower time into my schedule?
Here's the other thing. I am not a gym-goer. Never have been, it's not my thing. I'm just not into the whole working out around other people (people I don't know) thing. I feel self-conscious. It distracts me. I feel bad about taking up a machine if someone else is waiting to use it. I feel like I'm 'on display' somehow, and everyone is evaluating my fitness ability or how I look. I see myself in the hideously bright, bad lighting and the umpteen gym mirrors and it seriously depresses me. AND distracts me, worrying about how awful I must look (or stupid, if I don't know what I'm doing). I feel grossed out by other people's sweat on machines, and I'm generally not a fan of public locker rooms. At least in the yoga studio, you have your own mat, with your own sweat (past and present) and you don't have to come in contact with surfaces others have left their DNA on. Plus, the lighting is more flattering! ha
The other thing I'd heard mentioned by a few people who had gotten in shape or had done it in past.... .was P90X. I'd heard it was also tough, like Crossfit, but that you could do it in the privacy of your own home. Hey - bonus for me - considering I don't like other people seeing me work out. Especially when I'm obviously out of shape and REALLY don't like the way I look right now! (Hell, I even get self-conscious about people seeing me outside running or walking! I'm just wierd that way, I fully admit this. The other day I went out for a walk/jog. It was a nice, hot, steamy, sunny day. I saw about 5,214 cars on the gravel road that is normally very quiet - or HAD been in past. All I could think of was that the only thing these people saw as they drove past was the bright sun glaring off of my nasty white pitted thighs - like Twighlight's Edward sparkling in the sunlight, only WAY less attractive. See? Told you I'm wierd that way.)
So I started looking around online for reviews of P90X, and 'success stories'. Found a lot, actually, and plenty of them not immediately linked to their site (aka: possibly biased to try to sell you). People seemed to be really into this thing. But honestly, with results like some of these - how could you not be pretty jazzed about what you're doing?
On that same day and completely randomly, I ran across a quote I had written down a while ago but forgotten about - it just jumped out at me like it was meant exactly for me and this situation. It said:
You cannot alter your life if you don't do something different. Remember, if you keep doing what you are doing, you will keep getting what you are getting.
That same night or just a couple of nights later, I caught one of their 30 minute infomercials. It kinda sold me. (Obviously, this is what they want to do - it's not like they are putting these things out there for non-profit ya know?) But I thought to myself, I can do this! Yes, I really CAN. I stewed on it another day or so and then ordered it. The same day I ordered, I saw a post on facebook that my cousin had started it also. I thought "Yay! A P90X buddy!". After that, I heard from several people who were thinking about it etc. P90Xers were coming out of the woodwork, so-to-speak. Some had actually done it, others just had it and hadn't ever gotten farther than a week or even a few days in.
Ok so truly, my thoughts on this subject were:
What do I have to lose?
Nothing except weight and fat. Do I LIKE either one of these? Ummm, no. Nuff said.
What is the alternative to trying this?
Continuing to be depressed and unhappy with how I look, as well as disgusted with myself that I could keep letting it happen. No change = same ol same ol. Gain weight, feel depressed. Yay.
So that quote inspired me. It really struck a nerve with me. To me, it illustrated the overall attitude that had gotten me where I was at the present moment. .... . completely unhappy with how I looked. I'm someone who *enjoyed* being fit (when I was in the past, that is), being in good shape, having strength and energy. I felt like a complete slug for letting myself get so sedentary!!
If I kept doing what I'd been doing (aka: nothing) then I would keep getting what I was getting. You get the picture.
So this was it. This was my Ah-ha moment (or several)! There was no way around it. If I wanted to bring about change, I had to change. My habits, my thinking, my activity. I think I was finally ready. Correction: I KNEW I was finally ready!
I couldn't WAIT for my P90X to arrive, so I could get started!!!!!!!
But here's the bottom line (sort of like reaching rock bottom, but really, it's simply reality): To get in shape, one has to MOVE. Muscles don't define themselves. You don't get muscles from inactivity. They just don't grow themselves! (Kind of like money doesn't grow on trees - but boy, do we wish it did!!!) Sitting on the couch eating my supper and watching TV every evening was not going to ever, under any circumstances, get me anywhere positive in how my body looks. E.V.E.R.
I knew a couple of guys who had done Crossfit workouts. One got in awesome shape - I think he got down to like 7% body fat! Granted, it's way easier for men to lose fat/weight - we all know that. But the same underlying theme was there - intense workouts combined with proper nutrition get results. From what I understood, this was pretty intense activity - a combination of resistance/weights and cardio, such that you're never really doing the same stuff very often. The thought behind it being that your body doesn't adapt or adjust to the same activity and 'plateau' with weight or fat loss. And, I'd heard, your body also tends to feel like upchucking from the sheer badassedness of these workouts. WELL. That part doesn't sound so fun (and hopefully it would go away after you acclimated and gained some endurance and strength) - but the part about getting in crazy good shape was definitely appealing. I did some checking into trainers or classes in the area. Hello, way too expensive for me. Besides, when was I going to fit travel time, workout time, and shower time into my schedule?
Here's the other thing. I am not a gym-goer. Never have been, it's not my thing. I'm just not into the whole working out around other people (people I don't know) thing. I feel self-conscious. It distracts me. I feel bad about taking up a machine if someone else is waiting to use it. I feel like I'm 'on display' somehow, and everyone is evaluating my fitness ability or how I look. I see myself in the hideously bright, bad lighting and the umpteen gym mirrors and it seriously depresses me. AND distracts me, worrying about how awful I must look (or stupid, if I don't know what I'm doing). I feel grossed out by other people's sweat on machines, and I'm generally not a fan of public locker rooms. At least in the yoga studio, you have your own mat, with your own sweat (past and present) and you don't have to come in contact with surfaces others have left their DNA on. Plus, the lighting is more flattering! ha
The other thing I'd heard mentioned by a few people who had gotten in shape or had done it in past.... .was P90X. I'd heard it was also tough, like Crossfit, but that you could do it in the privacy of your own home. Hey - bonus for me - considering I don't like other people seeing me work out. Especially when I'm obviously out of shape and REALLY don't like the way I look right now! (Hell, I even get self-conscious about people seeing me outside running or walking! I'm just wierd that way, I fully admit this. The other day I went out for a walk/jog. It was a nice, hot, steamy, sunny day. I saw about 5,214 cars on the gravel road that is normally very quiet - or HAD been in past. All I could think of was that the only thing these people saw as they drove past was the bright sun glaring off of my nasty white pitted thighs - like Twighlight's Edward sparkling in the sunlight, only WAY less attractive. See? Told you I'm wierd that way.)
So I started looking around online for reviews of P90X, and 'success stories'. Found a lot, actually, and plenty of them not immediately linked to their site (aka: possibly biased to try to sell you). People seemed to be really into this thing. But honestly, with results like some of these - how could you not be pretty jazzed about what you're doing?
On that same day and completely randomly, I ran across a quote I had written down a while ago but forgotten about - it just jumped out at me like it was meant exactly for me and this situation. It said:
You cannot alter your life if you don't do something different. Remember, if you keep doing what you are doing, you will keep getting what you are getting.
That same night or just a couple of nights later, I caught one of their 30 minute infomercials. It kinda sold me. (Obviously, this is what they want to do - it's not like they are putting these things out there for non-profit ya know?) But I thought to myself, I can do this! Yes, I really CAN. I stewed on it another day or so and then ordered it. The same day I ordered, I saw a post on facebook that my cousin had started it also. I thought "Yay! A P90X buddy!". After that, I heard from several people who were thinking about it etc. P90Xers were coming out of the woodwork, so-to-speak. Some had actually done it, others just had it and hadn't ever gotten farther than a week or even a few days in.
Ok so truly, my thoughts on this subject were:
What do I have to lose?
Nothing except weight and fat. Do I LIKE either one of these? Ummm, no. Nuff said.
What is the alternative to trying this?
Continuing to be depressed and unhappy with how I look, as well as disgusted with myself that I could keep letting it happen. No change = same ol same ol. Gain weight, feel depressed. Yay.
So that quote inspired me. It really struck a nerve with me. To me, it illustrated the overall attitude that had gotten me where I was at the present moment. .... . completely unhappy with how I looked. I'm someone who *enjoyed* being fit (when I was in the past, that is), being in good shape, having strength and energy. I felt like a complete slug for letting myself get so sedentary!!
If I kept doing what I'd been doing (aka: nothing) then I would keep getting what I was getting. You get the picture.
So this was it. This was my Ah-ha moment (or several)! There was no way around it. If I wanted to bring about change, I had to change. My habits, my thinking, my activity. I think I was finally ready. Correction: I KNEW I was finally ready!
I couldn't WAIT for my P90X to arrive, so I could get started!!!!!!!
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Well, here I am - Post #1 and background.
Being a blog newbie, and this being my first blog attempt (ackk! I'm admitting it!?) we'll see how it goes. I'll probably get wordy and you'll just have to live with that - if you want the 'scoop', that is!
I've always admired fit, lean bodies. Not crazy huge muscles and all of that business (because I tend to favor healthy doses of things, and, really? roids don't seem particularly healthy to me! Hello overboard), but FIT bodies. Nice muscle tone, but still lean. HEALTHY. Strong. Just. .... . FIT!
Okay so that's some people's thing, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that! I just don't want to look like that. Mmmm K?! :)
So really? I'm not that different than anyone else, and I recognize that I was probably luckier than most in that I didn't have more than 25 or 30 pounds to lose. But my 25 or 30 are the most stubborn kind... .. reducing that fat covering up those muscles. I'm one of the millions who is simply overwhelmed with the choices and the hype. Who wants to waste their time on something that won't work? Who wants to waste their time and money trying a billion different things in hopes of finding one thing that works?! Who has time and energy for that? What if nothing works, how frustrating is that?!
So what did I do and how did I do it? Check out my next posts and you'll find out! :) Hope you've enjoyed my blog so far. .. and that you'll come back to find out what happens next!
So here's it is. If you're anything like me, you'll know what I mean when I say I'd spent several years in a curious state of apathy and disgust about my body and the 'shape' it was in. Maybe shape isn't the right word, unless you mean lack of shape? Let me define what I mean by shape. .. .. I mean fitness, like 'being in good shape', not my body's silhouette shape. :) People would tell me I had a nice figure, that I had great curves, or a 'nice shape'. That's all well and good (like they're going to really say, 'hey, you could stand to lose some weight'?!) but, when what YOU really want to see in the mirror is a lot less jiggles and a lot more fit, having 'good curves' just feels more like blob than anything else. Most especially when the clothing begins to get tight in places that just don't look good. I am just NOT one of those who embrace my jiggly parts!
I've always admired fit, lean bodies. Not crazy huge muscles and all of that business (because I tend to favor healthy doses of things, and, really? roids don't seem particularly healthy to me! Hello overboard), but FIT bodies. Nice muscle tone, but still lean. HEALTHY. Strong. Just. .... . FIT!
Fit like this:
Most definitely NOT like this:
Okay so that's some people's thing, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that! I just don't want to look like that. Mmmm K?! :)
Anyway. I've never been obese by any stretch, but over the past 5-7 years I'd say that a good 25 pounds have settled their way onto my lower half (aka: booty, thighs), arms (hello thick and shapeless), and more recently, my stomach - which until recently I was always lucky to have had stay relatively flat with a small waist. And for the first time in my life, I was seeing pooch belly coming on, and it was starting to flat out scare me. Don't get me wrong - this insidiousness didn't just happen on it's own - I was pretty helpful in that I had turned into a couch potato. I'm not going to deny it. LACK. OF. ACTIVITY. What did I expect? But that didn't mean I had to like it!
I absolutely adore springtime. .... the flowers, everything growing and new, the sunshine and the warmth. But the past few years spring (and later, summer) was nothing more than a double-edged sword to me because though I adore the time of year. .. . warmer weather means less clothing. Less clothing means exposing . . . . well, all the yuk. It's either reveal the pasty, cottage-cheeseness. ... or sweat to your death in too much clothing (and if you live in Kansas, well, you know what humid, HOT summers are like!). Short sleeves? Arrrghh! Unless you want to wear granny short sleeves, it's all about the cap sleeve.... which actually accentuates my Lunchlady arms. Shorts? Even worse. What I wouldn't give for slim legs. ... but in my family, it is just not to be. Even my legs have too many 'curves' for me. And veins. And cellulite. Seriously. Ix-nay on the Horts-say. It's capris for me. Period. And God forbid there be an occasion to wear a swimsuit - oh, pure, unadulterated torture! Especially when you feel like your fat jiggly thighs could start a fire from the friction caused by them rubbing together when you walk.
Verrrry graceful walking down the beach, wouldn't you say?
I was big into yoga (and still love it though only do it once a week now) for about two years. I was in great shape and could handle a LOT of punishment. .... hot yoga, hot vinyasa, hard classes! Bring on the torture! :) Mind over matter - I had it DOWN! But on top of all that capability and strength and endurance was . .. . . well, the usual goo in the usual places. It just WOULDN'T go away! I love yoga for how it makes me feel physically and mentally, but you would think all that work and activity would pay off over two years, wouldn't you? So I must just have the most stubborn metabolism known to this earth or something. How is THAT fair? The answer: it's not. Or else there was some key component (nutrition, maybe?) that was lacking.
Incidentally, I also was training for a half-marathon about 4 years ago. I went running at least an hour or more, 4 times a week! Cardiovascularly I was great...... . but I didn't lean down one bit, and I didn't lose one pound. Serious! And if I tried to eat less to burn more fat, I would just bonk during my workouts, for lack of energy.
A good guy friend of mine who was in super great shape and with whom I had discussed my woes (somewhat) delicately put it to me this way, "How bad do you want it?" (to be in shape) Wellllll, I wanted to lose weight and get in shape. ... but some silly part of me thought that it should be easy and happen without much effort I guess (mental Obstacle 1). I still couldn't get motivated enough to make myself work out regularly (mental Obstacle 2). And another part of the problem for me (besides wanting to indulge in my sweet tooth when the urge struck me - I mean hello? Who wants to deny themsleves!? Umm, mental Obstacle 3) was not knowing WHICH kind of exercise I should be doing to get results. Should I do more cardio to burn fat? (that didn't work with running). Or more weights because muscle burns more fat(I tried weight lifting at one point in my late 20's.. ... got strong, didn't lean down one bit)? What should I eat? All protein and not care about fat (Atkins, tried it)? More protein and healthy carbs (South Beach, tried it), or a Zone of protein and carbs? And I knew I didn't want to be one of those people who obsessively count calories and grams of protein and spend crazy dollars on supplements and eat meat til they puke to 'build'. No thanks!
Short of actual plastic surgery (aka: lipo). .... what was the answer?
So really? I'm not that different than anyone else, and I recognize that I was probably luckier than most in that I didn't have more than 25 or 30 pounds to lose. But my 25 or 30 are the most stubborn kind... .. reducing that fat covering up those muscles. I'm one of the millions who is simply overwhelmed with the choices and the hype. Who wants to waste their time on something that won't work? Who wants to waste their time and money trying a billion different things in hopes of finding one thing that works?! Who has time and energy for that? What if nothing works, how frustrating is that?!
I guess something finally clicked with me one day. Maybe it was a culmination of being so fed up for so long, and being so disgusted with how I looked. Maybe part of me FINALLY realized that it takes a mental committment to make a change, and that change doesn't happen overnight. So much of our culture is instant gratification - we want the results overnight versus working for them..... and I'm no exception to that secret wish! Well, I guess I finally realized that thinking that way wasn't getting me anywhere positive. In fact, it was severely holding me back!
So what did I do and how did I do it? Check out my next posts and you'll find out! :) Hope you've enjoyed my blog so far. .. and that you'll come back to find out what happens next!
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