I made a mistake yesterday. I switched up a workout this past week and yesterday I was scheduled to end my week on Legs & Back and have today be a rest day.
I had plenty of time to do my workout but somehow I talked myself into doing it today. I remember sitting there talking it out with my boyfriend and how it seemed like a good idea.
Well, today is Monday and I know I have to do Legs & Back today but I don't think I thought this thru clearly enough.
Today was supposed to be my rest day. My one, single rest day for the week. But since I took it yesterday I don't get to rest today. Instead for the next SEVEN days, I have to do workouts. Oh, I could finagle the schedule again and move a day here or there but I feel like I've worked the system enough. I need to get back on course. And in order to do that, I NEED to just muscle thru the next seven days.
Unless of course, I do a doubles day. That's right, a doubles day. Two workouts in one day. Maybe I will and maybe I won't.
Ok, I probably won't.
Lesson learned. Stick to the schedule and don't allow yourself to think. You'll come up with crazy ideas that will end up being worse then just going into your workout room and doing the stupid workout.
Well, week 7 is proving to be interesting already.
As for week 6. It was ok. I'm still fighting with my calorie intake. I sincerely hope I win the battle this week. Weight loss is still almost non-existent. I think I finally hit the 2 pounds lost mark. WOO-HOO! Inches are still coming off but not as quickly as in the first phase. I will be posting the newest numbers at the end of this week. I wanted to wait two weeks this time around. Also my body fat percentage is showing a downward trend, so while I'm not exactly sure the number I'm getting is correct, it at least keeps going down at a slow rate. That's got to be something right?
As for my post title. I really believe this is the time where you need to figure out why you're doing this and why you want to continue. The workouts are getting more awesome because I can feel how strong I've become and how far I've progressed. However, the monotony is starting to show. The same workout for weeks on end would take its toll on ANYONE. For instance, talking myself out of Legs & Back yesterday was stupid. It's one of my favorite workouts and yet I am a little bored with it so I let that influence my decision. I have to remind myself that I committed myself to 90 days of doing this. After the 90 days if I want to switch it up I can, but for the next 6 weeks, I'm sticking to what's written on my schedule.
So in light of this, I'm really trying to keep mentally focused this week. I don't want to be this far into the game and then be one of those people that said "Oh, I had to start over".
Because in all honesty, if I had to start over I'm not sure I would see it through to the end.
Today's menu:
B: Protein Shake + Coffee
S: Turkey Jerky
L: Roasted Pork + Vegetables
S: Almonds
D: Hamburger on WW Bun + Salad
Monday, April 30, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Week 6 p90x and CALORIES
My apologies for not posting sooner.
I am officially in week 6 of p90x. Week 5 rounded out ok. I got 6 workouts in, 3 of which were p90x approved. I did all of the strength exercises and did my own cardio workouts for the week. I had to adjust due to time constraints/life, whatever you want to call it. I figure it was better to get in some kind of workout but in all honesty, none of the workouts were at the intensity they should have been. Which might explain why I've been in a rough patch these last few days.
I haven't felt like I'm making the progress I'm supposed to. I know I've lost inches, I THINK I look different in the mirror, but I think I'm in the mindset of MORE MORE MORE. I just want to wake up tomorrow morning and go "well, look at that, I lost 15 pounds overnight" ;)
I'm halfway thru and I'm sure this is the point where a lot of people lose their focus and give up but not to worry, that's not me. I'm going to finish this one.
So lets talk about things. So far this week has been amazing. I really tightened up on the logging of my food which is ever so useful. I write down EVERYTHING which is very important. I've got 2 workouts under my belt one which was new. I did the plyometrics last night. I was a little nervous because you hear things about these workouts. But I LOVED it. I was able to do the entire workout. I only had to modify a few moves but man was it a good workout. It was challenging but doable and I blasted over 500 calories according to my polar FT7. This morning my legs feel like jelly but that's ok.
Speaking of calories - I'm trying yet another calorie range. I'm trying to find that "sweet spot" because I have NOT lost any scale weight. My weight fluctuates between starting weight and it'll go up or down by 1 or 2 pounds, which I'm taking as maintaining. Now, before anyone spouts that since I'm losing inches I must be gaining muscle and losing fat I'm not going to dispute that theory but at some point my weight will HAVE to start going down. To give some insight, according to the calculations for the program I should be eating 1800 calories. I'm 5'2" and I started at 185. I had my RMR tested a few years ago and it was 1235 which at the time was 18% lower than what it should have been. EVERYBODY'S metabolism is different. So I was a little weary of eating 1800 calories therefore I set a goal of 1500. Fast forward 6 weeks and since I keep track of calories and such, I can tell you that I have been averaging 1770/day. WHAT?? That's not 1500.
I know right?
It's true, you do need food to fuel these workouts but you have to be careful cause there were days I just wanted to EAT. Obviously. So I looked over my numbers and found on the weeks I netted around 1250/day on average, I lost more. That's where we are today. I am aiming to have my daily net be 1250-1300. So for example, if I eat 1600 calories for the day but burn 375 during my Legs and Back routine, I NET 1225. Easy enough. Therefore on my rest day, I'll just eat 1250-1300 (god willing!).
Also, the calorie calculations for p90x say to add 600 calories per workout. I haven't found that to be the case so far. I wear my HRM every time and like I said above, that plyo was the first workout to hit over 500 calories. And even when I do legs and back (my favorite and I really hit it hard) I'm hitting under 400 calories for the workout. I feel like that's important info especially if any women are out there trying to figure out calories. HOWEVER, I do think that if this is your first time REALLY working out hard, then you'd probably burn more than me. I've already got a pretty good fitness base underneath me.
Today's Menu:
B: Shakeology (first time using!)
S: PR Bar
L: Turkey Burger
D: Maybe some sort of awesome mexican-like dish
I am officially in week 6 of p90x. Week 5 rounded out ok. I got 6 workouts in, 3 of which were p90x approved. I did all of the strength exercises and did my own cardio workouts for the week. I had to adjust due to time constraints/life, whatever you want to call it. I figure it was better to get in some kind of workout but in all honesty, none of the workouts were at the intensity they should have been. Which might explain why I've been in a rough patch these last few days.
I haven't felt like I'm making the progress I'm supposed to. I know I've lost inches, I THINK I look different in the mirror, but I think I'm in the mindset of MORE MORE MORE. I just want to wake up tomorrow morning and go "well, look at that, I lost 15 pounds overnight" ;)
I'm halfway thru and I'm sure this is the point where a lot of people lose their focus and give up but not to worry, that's not me. I'm going to finish this one.
So lets talk about things. So far this week has been amazing. I really tightened up on the logging of my food which is ever so useful. I write down EVERYTHING which is very important. I've got 2 workouts under my belt one which was new. I did the plyometrics last night. I was a little nervous because you hear things about these workouts. But I LOVED it. I was able to do the entire workout. I only had to modify a few moves but man was it a good workout. It was challenging but doable and I blasted over 500 calories according to my polar FT7. This morning my legs feel like jelly but that's ok.
Speaking of calories - I'm trying yet another calorie range. I'm trying to find that "sweet spot" because I have NOT lost any scale weight. My weight fluctuates between starting weight and it'll go up or down by 1 or 2 pounds, which I'm taking as maintaining. Now, before anyone spouts that since I'm losing inches I must be gaining muscle and losing fat I'm not going to dispute that theory but at some point my weight will HAVE to start going down. To give some insight, according to the calculations for the program I should be eating 1800 calories. I'm 5'2" and I started at 185. I had my RMR tested a few years ago and it was 1235 which at the time was 18% lower than what it should have been. EVERYBODY'S metabolism is different. So I was a little weary of eating 1800 calories therefore I set a goal of 1500. Fast forward 6 weeks and since I keep track of calories and such, I can tell you that I have been averaging 1770/day. WHAT?? That's not 1500.
I know right?
It's true, you do need food to fuel these workouts but you have to be careful cause there were days I just wanted to EAT. Obviously. So I looked over my numbers and found on the weeks I netted around 1250/day on average, I lost more. That's where we are today. I am aiming to have my daily net be 1250-1300. So for example, if I eat 1600 calories for the day but burn 375 during my Legs and Back routine, I NET 1225. Easy enough. Therefore on my rest day, I'll just eat 1250-1300 (god willing!).
Also, the calorie calculations for p90x say to add 600 calories per workout. I haven't found that to be the case so far. I wear my HRM every time and like I said above, that plyo was the first workout to hit over 500 calories. And even when I do legs and back (my favorite and I really hit it hard) I'm hitting under 400 calories for the workout. I feel like that's important info especially if any women are out there trying to figure out calories. HOWEVER, I do think that if this is your first time REALLY working out hard, then you'd probably burn more than me. I've already got a pretty good fitness base underneath me.
Today's Menu:
B: Shakeology (first time using!)
S: PR Bar
L: Turkey Burger
D: Maybe some sort of awesome mexican-like dish
Friday, April 20, 2012
Week 5 p90x
It's been an interesting week 5. I've learned one important thing this week: this program probably works best if you get adequate sleep. I know I mentioned earlier how I was running on fumes and that trend continued until last night. I went to bed at 9pm and slept like a log.
I WILL be working on getting adequate sleep starting Monday. I just need to figure out my workweek workout schedule better. In other words, I need to stop doing my workout at 11pm at night ;)
As for the first week of Phase 2, all I can say is so far so good. I'm on the classic schedule now so I've done two new strength workouts this week. Monday I did Chest, Shoulders, and Tris and Wednesday was Chest and Back. I'll admit, I felt like a beast after both of those workouts. Monday's was tons of pushups and Wednesday were the pull-ups so you can imagine. And when I say beast I just mean that by the end of both workouts my upper body was quite fatigued and the blood was pumping through my arms so mentally my entire upper body felt HUGE. I seriously felt like the incredible hulk, that at any moment I'd flex everything and rip my shirt. However, my boyfriend laughed at me when I pointed it out to him because apparently I looked the same.
Tonight is Legs and Back and I don't mind one bit because I actually like this workout. It's a killer for the legs and I definitely see a big difference in my legs, thighs and butt because of it. I actually just noticed yesterday that I'm starting to look much better in my jeans. The area that is lovingly referred to as saddlebags on women, that area is getting very narrow. I didn't have very pronounced saddlebags to begin with since I tend to carry my extra fat evenly all over my body so noticing that means that everything is probably shrinking. So, yay!
I haven't been very good with the other workouts. Tuesday was supposed to be plyo but as I said earlier, I skipped that day because I went running and I was so tired. And yesterday was supposed to be yoga. No need for me to express my sentiments on the yoga workout so all I will say is I went to the gym instead. So I DID workout I just didn't do the planned workouts. Next week I will DEFINITELY be doing plyo because I'm actually eager to try it out. I just need to learn not to go running on the day it's planned.
As for yoga. I'm honestly not sure if I'll ever do that one again. I know people tout left and right how great it is for you and how you need to just power through it but I don't see the point of forcing myself to do something I hate. I mean, you'll have a greater likelihood of sticking to a workout if you like it so I'd rather do something I like instead of forcing myself to endure 90 minutes of pure torture.
Just a thought.
This week's eating was not perfect but definitely pretty stellar. I did NOT hit my 50%/30%/20%. I tried and failed. I did, however, hit around a 30/30/30 most days of the week and that's honestly not too bad. Also, I lowered my calories. I had initially planned on getting 1500 calories per day. Well, I added up my calories for the first 30 days and realized I'd been hitting closer to 1750 calories per day. And with a margin of error that is BOUND to happen when one counts their calories - that number could be off by another 100 calories (give or take) per day.
So starting the 16th I started aiming for the 1350-1450 calorie range. I've also been making sure to log EVERY SINGLE thing I eat because honestly, those little bites add up quick. I hadn't been that mindful before so I really wanted to take some time to make sure I was being honest about how much I was eating. I mean, if I'm putting this much effort into my workouts I definitely don't want to sabotage myself by not putting equal effort into my eating.
Today's Menu:
B: 2 eggs, 3 slices of bacon, 2 pieces toast, coffee+creamer
Yeah, since I went to bed at 9pm last night, I woke up earlier than usual and had ample time to make breakfast, sit down with my coffee and watch some of my taped programming. It was quite nice. I wanted to eat a bigger breakfast this morning because I have been doing just a protein shake and I've been STARVING by 11am. So, I took some calories from my lunch and mid-afternoon snack to give to breakfast to see if it would hold me over better. Hopefully it wasn't in vain.
S: Buffalo jerky
L: Quinoa salad, Roasted Turkey Breast and Fresh Mozzarella roll-ups
D: Might be Shrimp and Vegetable Curry with Brown rice
I WILL be working on getting adequate sleep starting Monday. I just need to figure out my workweek workout schedule better. In other words, I need to stop doing my workout at 11pm at night ;)
As for the first week of Phase 2, all I can say is so far so good. I'm on the classic schedule now so I've done two new strength workouts this week. Monday I did Chest, Shoulders, and Tris and Wednesday was Chest and Back. I'll admit, I felt like a beast after both of those workouts. Monday's was tons of pushups and Wednesday were the pull-ups so you can imagine. And when I say beast I just mean that by the end of both workouts my upper body was quite fatigued and the blood was pumping through my arms so mentally my entire upper body felt HUGE. I seriously felt like the incredible hulk, that at any moment I'd flex everything and rip my shirt. However, my boyfriend laughed at me when I pointed it out to him because apparently I looked the same.
Tonight is Legs and Back and I don't mind one bit because I actually like this workout. It's a killer for the legs and I definitely see a big difference in my legs, thighs and butt because of it. I actually just noticed yesterday that I'm starting to look much better in my jeans. The area that is lovingly referred to as saddlebags on women, that area is getting very narrow. I didn't have very pronounced saddlebags to begin with since I tend to carry my extra fat evenly all over my body so noticing that means that everything is probably shrinking. So, yay!
I haven't been very good with the other workouts. Tuesday was supposed to be plyo but as I said earlier, I skipped that day because I went running and I was so tired. And yesterday was supposed to be yoga. No need for me to express my sentiments on the yoga workout so all I will say is I went to the gym instead. So I DID workout I just didn't do the planned workouts. Next week I will DEFINITELY be doing plyo because I'm actually eager to try it out. I just need to learn not to go running on the day it's planned.
As for yoga. I'm honestly not sure if I'll ever do that one again. I know people tout left and right how great it is for you and how you need to just power through it but I don't see the point of forcing myself to do something I hate. I mean, you'll have a greater likelihood of sticking to a workout if you like it so I'd rather do something I like instead of forcing myself to endure 90 minutes of pure torture.
Just a thought.
This week's eating was not perfect but definitely pretty stellar. I did NOT hit my 50%/30%/20%. I tried and failed. I did, however, hit around a 30/30/30 most days of the week and that's honestly not too bad. Also, I lowered my calories. I had initially planned on getting 1500 calories per day. Well, I added up my calories for the first 30 days and realized I'd been hitting closer to 1750 calories per day. And with a margin of error that is BOUND to happen when one counts their calories - that number could be off by another 100 calories (give or take) per day.
So starting the 16th I started aiming for the 1350-1450 calorie range. I've also been making sure to log EVERY SINGLE thing I eat because honestly, those little bites add up quick. I hadn't been that mindful before so I really wanted to take some time to make sure I was being honest about how much I was eating. I mean, if I'm putting this much effort into my workouts I definitely don't want to sabotage myself by not putting equal effort into my eating.
Today's Menu:
B: 2 eggs, 3 slices of bacon, 2 pieces toast, coffee+creamer
Yeah, since I went to bed at 9pm last night, I woke up earlier than usual and had ample time to make breakfast, sit down with my coffee and watch some of my taped programming. It was quite nice. I wanted to eat a bigger breakfast this morning because I have been doing just a protein shake and I've been STARVING by 11am. So, I took some calories from my lunch and mid-afternoon snack to give to breakfast to see if it would hold me over better. Hopefully it wasn't in vain.
S: Buffalo jerky
L: Quinoa salad, Roasted Turkey Breast and Fresh Mozzarella roll-ups
D: Might be Shrimp and Vegetable Curry with Brown rice
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Phase 2 p90x = Ouch
I've had a rough week thus far. My little brother is turning 30 this weekend and I had decided WEEKS ago to help his wife out with some of the party planning. Part of my responsibility was to make this photo montage thing. Actually it was my idea but I kind of put it off. His birthday is this weekend and so naturally Monday night I finally started piecing it together.
Long story short. I didn't get to my workout until 11:30pm on Monday night. I was DETERMINED not to miss it. I kept saying "I'll do it at 9:00pm" then "I'll do it at 10:00pm" and then finally I forced myself to put the computer down and just go do it. Surprisingly, I had a decent workout. This was the first time I've done the Chest, Shoulders and Tris workout. Unfortunately, it involved an incredible amount of push-ups. TONS. I did my best and finished.
Needless to say, I didn't get in bed until after 4am.
Then last night, I finished my project (which I think turned out great) and took a skip day for the plyometrics workout I was scheduled to do. I had already gone running on my lunch break and that coupled with the exhaustion and incredible soreness I'm still feeling in my Chest, Shoulders and Tris (naturally) were enough to make me take the pass.
However, I still didn't get to bed until after 3am.
I'm running on fumes. FUMES. My plan is to get home from work and just dive right in to tonight's workout. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure I'm going to pass out.
Today's menu:
B: protein shake
L: roasted turkey, tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, balsamic on bun
S: almonds
D: Beans and Brown rice (sounds boring but hopefully not - I'm going to cook some beans in taco seasoning with onion - put that on top of some brown rice and add greek yogurt (in lieu of sour cream), salsa, shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce - I'll let you know how it turns out.
Long story short. I didn't get to my workout until 11:30pm on Monday night. I was DETERMINED not to miss it. I kept saying "I'll do it at 9:00pm" then "I'll do it at 10:00pm" and then finally I forced myself to put the computer down and just go do it. Surprisingly, I had a decent workout. This was the first time I've done the Chest, Shoulders and Tris workout. Unfortunately, it involved an incredible amount of push-ups. TONS. I did my best and finished.
Needless to say, I didn't get in bed until after 4am.
Then last night, I finished my project (which I think turned out great) and took a skip day for the plyometrics workout I was scheduled to do. I had already gone running on my lunch break and that coupled with the exhaustion and incredible soreness I'm still feeling in my Chest, Shoulders and Tris (naturally) were enough to make me take the pass.
However, I still didn't get to bed until after 3am.
I'm running on fumes. FUMES. My plan is to get home from work and just dive right in to tonight's workout. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure I'm going to pass out.
Today's menu:
B: protein shake
L: roasted turkey, tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, balsamic on bun
S: almonds
D: Beans and Brown rice (sounds boring but hopefully not - I'm going to cook some beans in taco seasoning with onion - put that on top of some brown rice and add greek yogurt (in lieu of sour cream), salsa, shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce - I'll let you know how it turns out.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Day 26 - p90x Measurements
Today is:
Day 5 of Week 4 of Phase 1 or
Day 26 of 90
Either way, I'm almost 1/3 of the way thru the program!
I made a little chart of all of my measurements to date. Quick explanation: where you see hash marks means that I hadn't started taking measurements for that particular body part yet. And the ? means that I forgot to do that this morning so I will do it tonight!
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Even though I've been losing inches this whole time, I didn't REALLY feel it until this past week. I definitely felt FIRMER but also kind of bulky at the same time. This week though, I'm definitely feeling smaller all around.
As for my weight. I went up 0.4 pounds this week but am still down 1.2 pounds since the beginning. Honestly, as long as my measurements keep going down I'm not going to pay so much attention to the scale.
As for my body fat. I had taken a preview 2 days ago and it was down almost 2%. That's why I was so excited to post it. However, this morning crazy things were happening. I took it 3 times and I got these readings: 30.4%, 34%, 38% -- and I took them right in a row. I always take 3 readings for my body fat and just average them out but it usually only varies by 0.1 - 0.3. So, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe the batteries are going. I never thought of that - I'll change them out and try again tomorrow morning. I'll do the 3 readings, take the average and just right it down I guess.
Today's menu:
I'm out of food again!!!
B: ww english muffin +PB
S: Cottage Cheese
L: Tuna Fish + ww bread
That's all I got so far - I tried to make a protein shake but left my container somewhere and couldn't blend it.
Day 5 of Week 4 of Phase 1 or
Day 26 of 90
Either way, I'm almost 1/3 of the way thru the program!
I made a little chart of all of my measurements to date. Quick explanation: where you see hash marks means that I hadn't started taking measurements for that particular body part yet. And the ? means that I forgot to do that this morning so I will do it tonight!
-->
| Day | 1 | 8 | 18 | 26 | TOTAL LOST |
| Waist | 41" | 38.5" | 37.25" | 36.5" | 4.5" |
| Chest | 43" | 43" | 43" | ? | ? |
| Left Arm | 14" | 13.5" | 13.5" | 13.5" | .5" |
| Neck | - | 13.5" | 13" | 13" | .5" |
| Rib | - | 35" | 34.5" | 34.5" | .5" |
| Belly Button | - | 42.5" | 42.5" | 40" | 2.5" |
| Hip | - | 46" | 45.5" | 45" | 1" |
| Left Leg-Knee | - | 19" | 19.5" | 18.5" | .5" |
| Left Leg-Upper | - | 26.25" | 25.25" | 25.25" | 1" |
| 11" Lost |
Even though I've been losing inches this whole time, I didn't REALLY feel it until this past week. I definitely felt FIRMER but also kind of bulky at the same time. This week though, I'm definitely feeling smaller all around.
As for my weight. I went up 0.4 pounds this week but am still down 1.2 pounds since the beginning. Honestly, as long as my measurements keep going down I'm not going to pay so much attention to the scale.
As for my body fat. I had taken a preview 2 days ago and it was down almost 2%. That's why I was so excited to post it. However, this morning crazy things were happening. I took it 3 times and I got these readings: 30.4%, 34%, 38% -- and I took them right in a row. I always take 3 readings for my body fat and just average them out but it usually only varies by 0.1 - 0.3. So, I don't know what to tell you. Maybe the batteries are going. I never thought of that - I'll change them out and try again tomorrow morning. I'll do the 3 readings, take the average and just right it down I guess.
Today's menu:
I'm out of food again!!!
B: ww english muffin +PB
S: Cottage Cheese
L: Tuna Fish + ww bread
That's all I got so far - I tried to make a protein shake but left my container somewhere and couldn't blend it.
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Week 4 of p90x = Recovery Week
And I need recovery bad. I'm exhausted!! Between meal planning, finding time to work out, actually doing the work out, and just every day life, this program is very time consuming. Don't take that as any reason whatsoever to not do it if you're thinking about it. It's not an excuse, it's just a fact. Living healthy takes some work. But like all hard work, there are rewards:
1. Guess who can do real push-ups? I can! I'm starting out all push-up exercises on my toes and not on my knees and this is very exciting for me. I can't finish entire sets that way but I'm getting closer.
2. I've lost body fat. Real, actual body fat. I'll give the exact reading on Friday with the other stats but from what's been popping up on my monitor, I'm pretty excited.
3. I can feel my muscles in every single thing I do. Whether it's feeling the firmness in my legs while I'm just walking down the hall or how my back muscles tighten when I do something as simple as stretch, they're there and they are getting strong. It's kind of an awesome feeling. Do I look like I have ripping muscles? Nope. I still have an awesome layer of fat to work off but I definitely feel firmer all around.
4. I'm progressing. It always shocks me when I realize this too. My reps are getting higher and the amount I lift keeps going up. I mean, it makes perfect sense that this would happen but it's nice to see it on my workout sheets. It's real, actual proof that I'm improving.
Those are just a few things that I've noticed. Yes, it's hard. Yes, there are days I hate it but I can't deny the fact that it's pretty darn effective. Phase 2 for me begins on Monday. I'm switching over to the classic schedule just to see. It's supposed to be the more intensive of the 2 (lean vs. classic) and I'm intrigued to see how much so.
Also, I haven't been following the nutrition plan exactly. During the first phase I was supposed to be following the Fat Shredder eating plan - 50% Protein / 30% Carbs / 20% Fat. I have yet to hit that. I pretty much have been maintaining 40p/20c/30f. At the calorie level I'm using, 50% protein comes out to be about 187 grams of protein. That's a whole, whole, whole bunch. To put it in perspective - 3 ounces of a roasted chicken breast has about 25ish grams of protein. Therefore, I would need to eat about 1.5 pounds of chicken a day to eat my protein requirement. Yikes. I, of course, would not try to get all of my protein that way but that's a lot of bird. Anyway, while it seems difficult it's obviously not impossible to accomplish, so I have challenged myself to start Phase 2 trying to hold fast to the nutrition plan. I mean, on one hand I know it's the key to getting optimal results, its just the other hand is whining about how hard it's going to be ;)
Whatever, I'm doing it.
In other p90x news I still hate yoga.
Today's menu:
B: Coffee + Creamer + slice ww toast + 1 T PB + 1 c. cottage cheese
S: 1/2 ww english muffin + 1.5 ounces ham + 1/2 laughing cow wedge
L: 4 ounces Roasted Turkey + Laughing Cow + Stone Ground Crackers + Romaine + Carrots + Edamame + Ginger dressing
Ok, this is where I'm at in my eating day - - and for reference this is what I have so far:
22% fat
42.7% carbs
35.2% protein (I'm at 96.9g so far)
Eh, not too bad.
S: Maybe whey protein shake w/ some almond milk
D: Maybe some breakfast for dinner
Tonight's exercise is either Stretching or Kenpo - I haven't decided. Did I mention I'm running on 3 hours of sleep?
1. Guess who can do real push-ups? I can! I'm starting out all push-up exercises on my toes and not on my knees and this is very exciting for me. I can't finish entire sets that way but I'm getting closer.
2. I've lost body fat. Real, actual body fat. I'll give the exact reading on Friday with the other stats but from what's been popping up on my monitor, I'm pretty excited.
3. I can feel my muscles in every single thing I do. Whether it's feeling the firmness in my legs while I'm just walking down the hall or how my back muscles tighten when I do something as simple as stretch, they're there and they are getting strong. It's kind of an awesome feeling. Do I look like I have ripping muscles? Nope. I still have an awesome layer of fat to work off but I definitely feel firmer all around.
4. I'm progressing. It always shocks me when I realize this too. My reps are getting higher and the amount I lift keeps going up. I mean, it makes perfect sense that this would happen but it's nice to see it on my workout sheets. It's real, actual proof that I'm improving.
Those are just a few things that I've noticed. Yes, it's hard. Yes, there are days I hate it but I can't deny the fact that it's pretty darn effective. Phase 2 for me begins on Monday. I'm switching over to the classic schedule just to see. It's supposed to be the more intensive of the 2 (lean vs. classic) and I'm intrigued to see how much so.
Also, I haven't been following the nutrition plan exactly. During the first phase I was supposed to be following the Fat Shredder eating plan - 50% Protein / 30% Carbs / 20% Fat. I have yet to hit that. I pretty much have been maintaining 40p/20c/30f. At the calorie level I'm using, 50% protein comes out to be about 187 grams of protein. That's a whole, whole, whole bunch. To put it in perspective - 3 ounces of a roasted chicken breast has about 25ish grams of protein. Therefore, I would need to eat about 1.5 pounds of chicken a day to eat my protein requirement. Yikes. I, of course, would not try to get all of my protein that way but that's a lot of bird. Anyway, while it seems difficult it's obviously not impossible to accomplish, so I have challenged myself to start Phase 2 trying to hold fast to the nutrition plan. I mean, on one hand I know it's the key to getting optimal results, its just the other hand is whining about how hard it's going to be ;)
Whatever, I'm doing it.
In other p90x news I still hate yoga.
Today's menu:
B: Coffee + Creamer + slice ww toast + 1 T PB + 1 c. cottage cheese
S: 1/2 ww english muffin + 1.5 ounces ham + 1/2 laughing cow wedge
L: 4 ounces Roasted Turkey + Laughing Cow + Stone Ground Crackers + Romaine + Carrots + Edamame + Ginger dressing
Ok, this is where I'm at in my eating day - - and for reference this is what I have so far:
22% fat
42.7% carbs
35.2% protein (I'm at 96.9g so far)
Eh, not too bad.
S: Maybe whey protein shake w/ some almond milk
D: Maybe some breakfast for dinner
Tonight's exercise is either Stretching or Kenpo - I haven't decided. Did I mention I'm running on 3 hours of sleep?
Monday, April 9, 2012
Holidays and Bathing Suits
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I had a pretty good time but I really wish there was at least one holiday that didn't revolve around eating!
We were fortunate here in SoCal to have amazing weather so the holiday event I was attending naturally turned into a pool party. Good times. Once I found out, I honestly had no intention of participating in the swimsuit portion, but since I had just taken my measurements and was feeling pretty good I thought "Let's just see". So I got out my bathing suits and just stared at them. I haven't had one on since last August and even then it wasn't a pleasant event. I finally put one on and it wasn't so bad. And before I could let my thoughts get the best of me, I got ready and left for the party. I didn't get in the pool, the water was a little chilly, but I did take off my shorts and let the sun hit my legs. I probably would have gone further as I was feeling confident but one of my friends (a male no less) got out his camera. Men just don't think about things like unflattering pictures. EVER. They also don't blink before tagging you in something on Facebook.
Still, it was small victory for me indeed. One of the things I REALLY want to accomplish this year is going to the beach and pool more. The last 2 summers I've allowed myself to avoid being in a bathing suit because of my body and that's just not cool. I've always been a bigger girl but I've never allowed myself to feel uncomfortable in my bathing suit. Yes, there have been times when I've had to take a second or two before I removed my cover up but I always remind myself that there is nothing wrong with how I look. I'm constantly trying to get healthy and as long as I'm fighting the good fight I shouldn't be ashamed.
Right?
All in all it was a good weekend I indulged with my friends but I certainly plan to make up for it this week. I finished week 3 of p90x strong. Maybe too strong. I did legs and back on Saturday before the party and I am STILL feeling it.
Today starts day 1 of Week 4. I am pleased with how things are going so far but there is no doubt in my mind that I need to kick everything up a notch. This week I'm going to concentrate on hitting my calorie level (1500) and my calorie burn (400). I looked over the last 3 weeks and I have yet to hit that 1500 mark solidly so I want one good week in there.
Today's menu:
B: left it at home!
S: banana + PB
L: 1/2 turkey sandwich + salad
S: almonds
D: ham + green beans + roasted carrots
We were fortunate here in SoCal to have amazing weather so the holiday event I was attending naturally turned into a pool party. Good times. Once I found out, I honestly had no intention of participating in the swimsuit portion, but since I had just taken my measurements and was feeling pretty good I thought "Let's just see". So I got out my bathing suits and just stared at them. I haven't had one on since last August and even then it wasn't a pleasant event. I finally put one on and it wasn't so bad. And before I could let my thoughts get the best of me, I got ready and left for the party. I didn't get in the pool, the water was a little chilly, but I did take off my shorts and let the sun hit my legs. I probably would have gone further as I was feeling confident but one of my friends (a male no less) got out his camera. Men just don't think about things like unflattering pictures. EVER. They also don't blink before tagging you in something on Facebook.
Still, it was small victory for me indeed. One of the things I REALLY want to accomplish this year is going to the beach and pool more. The last 2 summers I've allowed myself to avoid being in a bathing suit because of my body and that's just not cool. I've always been a bigger girl but I've never allowed myself to feel uncomfortable in my bathing suit. Yes, there have been times when I've had to take a second or two before I removed my cover up but I always remind myself that there is nothing wrong with how I look. I'm constantly trying to get healthy and as long as I'm fighting the good fight I shouldn't be ashamed.
Right?
All in all it was a good weekend I indulged with my friends but I certainly plan to make up for it this week. I finished week 3 of p90x strong. Maybe too strong. I did legs and back on Saturday before the party and I am STILL feeling it.
Today starts day 1 of Week 4. I am pleased with how things are going so far but there is no doubt in my mind that I need to kick everything up a notch. This week I'm going to concentrate on hitting my calorie level (1500) and my calorie burn (400). I looked over the last 3 weeks and I have yet to hit that 1500 mark solidly so I want one good week in there.
Today's menu:
B: left it at home!
S: banana + PB
L: 1/2 turkey sandwich + salad
S: almonds
D: ham + green beans + roasted carrots
Friday, April 6, 2012
Friday Weigh In and Measurements: Day 18 p90x
I went home from work yesterday fully committed to not working out. I'm sure you can tell from my post yesterday that I'm having a rough go at the moment. I sat down, ate dinner and then prepared myself for a good run of The Big Bang Theory on TBS and NOT working out. Then out of nowhere I thought, "if I'm going to be sitting watching tv I might as well workout".
And so I did.
And it was amazing!!!
I did shoulders and arms. By the end of the workout I was so glad that I did it. I then took measurements and I got an even better boost.
Day 18 results:
Waist -3.75 inches
Chest no change
Left Arm -0.5 inches
Neck -0.5 inches
Rib -0.5 inches
Belly Button no change
Left Upper Leg -1 inches
Left Leg @ knee +0.5 inches
Hip -0.5 inches
Total lost: -6.25 inches
Not too shabby!
As for the number on the scale:
You know how I trend my weight loss numbers? For whatever reason, I did bad math. Like, really bad math. The fact of the matter is that I have been losing a small amount of week since the beginning of p90x.
Overall: -1.6 pounds total and in the last week -0.4
So I'm completely happy with all of that. The inches are what I feel the most. I can tell my pants fit differently. This is also a nice recharge since Monday will be the first day of week #4.
And so I did.
And it was amazing!!!
I did shoulders and arms. By the end of the workout I was so glad that I did it. I then took measurements and I got an even better boost.
Day 18 results:
Waist -3.75 inches
Chest no change
Left Arm -0.5 inches
Neck -0.5 inches
Rib -0.5 inches
Belly Button no change
Left Upper Leg -1 inches
Left Leg @ knee +0.5 inches
Hip -0.5 inches
Total lost: -6.25 inches
Not too shabby!
As for the number on the scale:
You know how I trend my weight loss numbers? For whatever reason, I did bad math. Like, really bad math. The fact of the matter is that I have been losing a small amount of week since the beginning of p90x.
Overall: -1.6 pounds total and in the last week -0.4
So I'm completely happy with all of that. The inches are what I feel the most. I can tell my pants fit differently. This is also a nice recharge since Monday will be the first day of week #4.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Week 3 of P90x = No Fun
Have I done the workouts?
Yes.
Are they becoming incredibly difficult?
In reality, no, but for whatever reason my brain is fighting me tooth and nail on this one, therefore they feel brutal.
It's true. I did my workouts on Monday and Tuesday kicking and screaming. I guess it's just one of those weeks where everything in my body is saying "sit down, eat this, you'll feel better". It's crazy how strong that impulse can be, and how incredibly difficult it is to fight it. I'm pretty sure hormones are playing a huge role in all of this too.
I took last night off but I feel ok about it. What I haven't been mentioning is that in addition to doing my scheduled p90x workouts, I have been working out on my lunch breaks. I have been doing this from the beginning because I wanted to reach a certain calorie burn (400-500 calories) per workout and I knew that the p90x workouts were hard and I might not be able to finish them before I hit my burn. So I've been walking in order to reach my goal. It's actually been a life saver. For instance, take last night. I was beat when I got home from work. Just tired to the bone. But I had actually had a decent lunch time workout and hit 50% of my calorie burn for the day so I chose to take the night off from p90x (I get one a week).
But in full disclosure, the workouts I have done this week were mediocre at best. I have to remind myself that in order to see any sort of results I just can't phone in these workouts. They're tough for a reason. They're tough because they get the job done. And knowing how hard they are makes me want to do them even less.
It's a double edged sword. Take Monday night for instance. Truly a tough time getting motivated to workout. For whatever reason I was just feeling completely down on myself. You know the drill - looking in the mirror and not seeing any sort of progress, clothes feeling like they were 2 sizes too small and while it seems counter-intuitive, the last thing on earth I wanted to do was workout because I felt disgusting. Truly insane I know - I mean, the only way to combat those things is working out and getting in better shape!! So, I huffed and puffed my way through the workout that night til I hit my burn and I collapsed. And I guarantee you I whined through the whole thing. I'm sure if anyone had been watching me they would have been laughing because I probably looked like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum.
In addition, my eating has been less than stellar. I felt it coming. I mean if I was feeling that way about working out imagine the eating portion. So instead of giving up or giving in, I compromised with myself. I have allowed myself to eat at maintenance this week. If I eat less great, but definitely no more. I knew that if I tried to restrict my calories I would have, at some point, gone crazy. So, I'm eating what I'm supposed to, I'm just allowing myself to have maintenance calorie levels. And you know what, it's the best idea I've had in a long time. It allows me to have some sort of control when every other function in my body feels out of control.
And that's been my week 3 thus far.
Hopefully I will have a different tale to tell tomorrow.
Today's Menu:
B: Protein Shake
S: Turkey Jerkey
L: Italian Stew + slice ww bread
D: unplanned thus far
Tomorrow is check in day. Weighing in and measuring for the week. Here's hoping ...
Yes.
Are they becoming incredibly difficult?
In reality, no, but for whatever reason my brain is fighting me tooth and nail on this one, therefore they feel brutal.
It's true. I did my workouts on Monday and Tuesday kicking and screaming. I guess it's just one of those weeks where everything in my body is saying "sit down, eat this, you'll feel better". It's crazy how strong that impulse can be, and how incredibly difficult it is to fight it. I'm pretty sure hormones are playing a huge role in all of this too.
I took last night off but I feel ok about it. What I haven't been mentioning is that in addition to doing my scheduled p90x workouts, I have been working out on my lunch breaks. I have been doing this from the beginning because I wanted to reach a certain calorie burn (400-500 calories) per workout and I knew that the p90x workouts were hard and I might not be able to finish them before I hit my burn. So I've been walking in order to reach my goal. It's actually been a life saver. For instance, take last night. I was beat when I got home from work. Just tired to the bone. But I had actually had a decent lunch time workout and hit 50% of my calorie burn for the day so I chose to take the night off from p90x (I get one a week).
But in full disclosure, the workouts I have done this week were mediocre at best. I have to remind myself that in order to see any sort of results I just can't phone in these workouts. They're tough for a reason. They're tough because they get the job done. And knowing how hard they are makes me want to do them even less.
It's a double edged sword. Take Monday night for instance. Truly a tough time getting motivated to workout. For whatever reason I was just feeling completely down on myself. You know the drill - looking in the mirror and not seeing any sort of progress, clothes feeling like they were 2 sizes too small and while it seems counter-intuitive, the last thing on earth I wanted to do was workout because I felt disgusting. Truly insane I know - I mean, the only way to combat those things is working out and getting in better shape!! So, I huffed and puffed my way through the workout that night til I hit my burn and I collapsed. And I guarantee you I whined through the whole thing. I'm sure if anyone had been watching me they would have been laughing because I probably looked like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum.
In addition, my eating has been less than stellar. I felt it coming. I mean if I was feeling that way about working out imagine the eating portion. So instead of giving up or giving in, I compromised with myself. I have allowed myself to eat at maintenance this week. If I eat less great, but definitely no more. I knew that if I tried to restrict my calories I would have, at some point, gone crazy. So, I'm eating what I'm supposed to, I'm just allowing myself to have maintenance calorie levels. And you know what, it's the best idea I've had in a long time. It allows me to have some sort of control when every other function in my body feels out of control.
And that's been my week 3 thus far.
Hopefully I will have a different tale to tell tomorrow.
Today's Menu:
B: Protein Shake
S: Turkey Jerkey
L: Italian Stew + slice ww bread
D: unplanned thus far
Tomorrow is check in day. Weighing in and measuring for the week. Here's hoping ...
Monday, April 2, 2012
Sad News and Week 3 of p90x
It is with a heavy heart that I must announce that I did not win the lottery. Such a shame too. I could've done some great things with that money ;)
Today marks Day 1 of Week 3 of p90x. Honestly, it went by really fast. And in full disclosure, week 2 was a little weird for me. I did 4 out of the 6 planned workouts. As I mentioned before I missed YogaX on Thursday and instead of doing KenpoX on Sunday I went hiking instead. And for whatever reason it makes me feel like I ruined something. I'm sure it's ok. I hit my calorie burn and more importantly it was nice to be outside.
I feel good about this week. I'm ready to keep moving forward because the workouts are making me feel stronger. The only complaint I have is about the level of cardio. When I was hiking on Sunday I noticed that it was a little harder than I anticipated. My muscles were ready and willing but my breath was more labored than I was used too. So I MIGHT switch out a cardio workout. I'm not positive yet. For instance, there is one workout of pure cardio in this program (CardioX) and I might switch that out for running (which I love). I will do a little internet research and see what other people say about the situation. I mean, maybe there's a method to the madness that I'm not aware of. I've noticed people like to be all mysterious about this program - they like to say "oh just wait until Day 68 and you'll understand"
Well, why not tell me at Day 15 what that thing is and let me decide if it's what's right for me. Why waste 40 some days? In any case I'll look.
My eating for week 2 didn't feel ideal either. Monday - Friday were pretty good. No real complaints there but I ran out of food earlier than normal which did cause some problems for the weekend. Also, my cheat meal (which I had on Saturday this week) was way out of control. I definitely need to set boundaries for that, so lesson learned.
I did a little more planning for this week and have already made some dishes for the week. I cooked up some Italian Beef Stew.
Today marks Day 1 of Week 3 of p90x. Honestly, it went by really fast. And in full disclosure, week 2 was a little weird for me. I did 4 out of the 6 planned workouts. As I mentioned before I missed YogaX on Thursday and instead of doing KenpoX on Sunday I went hiking instead. And for whatever reason it makes me feel like I ruined something. I'm sure it's ok. I hit my calorie burn and more importantly it was nice to be outside.
I feel good about this week. I'm ready to keep moving forward because the workouts are making me feel stronger. The only complaint I have is about the level of cardio. When I was hiking on Sunday I noticed that it was a little harder than I anticipated. My muscles were ready and willing but my breath was more labored than I was used too. So I MIGHT switch out a cardio workout. I'm not positive yet. For instance, there is one workout of pure cardio in this program (CardioX) and I might switch that out for running (which I love). I will do a little internet research and see what other people say about the situation. I mean, maybe there's a method to the madness that I'm not aware of. I've noticed people like to be all mysterious about this program - they like to say "oh just wait until Day 68 and you'll understand"
Well, why not tell me at Day 15 what that thing is and let me decide if it's what's right for me. Why waste 40 some days? In any case I'll look.
My eating for week 2 didn't feel ideal either. Monday - Friday were pretty good. No real complaints there but I ran out of food earlier than normal which did cause some problems for the weekend. Also, my cheat meal (which I had on Saturday this week) was way out of control. I definitely need to set boundaries for that, so lesson learned.
I did a little more planning for this week and have already made some dishes for the week. I cooked up some Italian Beef Stew.
And I fixed a seafood chowder for lunch and made sure that I was covered for almost every meal. I usually give myself some more leeway but I guess it's better to be safe than sorry.
Today's menu:
B: Egg Sandwich + Coffee + Creamer
S: Cottage Cheese + Chopped Tomato + Basil + Balsamic Glaze
L: Chowder + Garden Salad + Dressing
S: Almonds
D: Italian Stew
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