No, I didn't drop off the face of the earth, I just kinda... went away for a while. I've needed to regroup myself. The good news is I kept up with my strength training and ate... okay. Not great, but just okay.
Week 4 Summary
Eating Goals:
Paleo 95% - I really only ate non-paleo one day. I consider this a win.
Fruit 1x a day - This averaged out. There were days I didn't have fruit and a day or two where I had 2 servings.
Dairy 2x a week - This is going better. I got rid of the cheese in the house and am going to use Crooked's suggestion going forward that I have my cheese when I eat out, if I want it.
Exercise Goals:
RSG Dumbbell Division 4x a week: Done. I'm making amazing gains in my strength exercises. For deadlifts at least, I'm one set of dumbbells away from outlifting what the gym has.
2 hours of cardio: I got one good day of walking in and I cut the grass, that counts, right? I didn't reach 2 hours though, I got 1.75 hours in.
Life Goals:
Basement: No work done. This past weekend I couldn't gather the desire to do anything other than watch Grey's Anatomy online.
Explore new places: I did explore a couple new places on my walk this past week. Walking along the river is new for me as was exploring the marina a bit.
Budget: Other than getting new shoes this past week, I've stuck to the budget I made. Now, I need to work on decreasing some of the expenses so things aren't so tight.
Stats n Stuff:
I'm down 5.4 pounds in this past month, 9.75 inches and 4% body fat (according to my scale). Whee :)
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Friday, June 24, 2011
TGIF
It's Friday! 
So what happened on Thursday in my challenge life? I worked out. Not only that, I kicked my ass during that workout! After working out, I participated in my work's wellness seminar and did some yoga... in jeans. And socks... which during one pose caused me to go into the splits cuz my feet slid on the carpet. That was funny. More awesome was the fact I went almost all the way down in those splits... in my jeans!
Anyway! Strength workout was Workout B, front squats, deadlifts and planks. For the front squats I had noticed that I've been using 40lb dumbbells for most of the workouts. I tried using the 45s, however my arms yelled at me after the first set. It's not my legs that can't handle it, it's getting the dang dumbbells up to my shoulders! LOL! Deadlifts. I went up with these again to the 75lb-ders. I've got one more set of dumbbells before I out lift the gym. I may look into bringing my own bar in and using the weights for the smith machine... Whee! Oh... those deadlifts were difficult. My hands had a hard time towards the end holding the weights. I paused a couple times between the last few reps just so I could get em all out. Planks were utterly perfect in form. In other news, my back is a little sore today. I think it's from how I was trying to get the 45s up to my shoulders for the front squats and not wholly from the deadlifts, though, that might have had a little to do with it too.
RSG Dumbbell Workout B:
Front Squats 5x5: 45,40,40,40,40
Deadlifts 5x4: 75,75,75,75
Planks Max x3: 90,90,90
I had a bad eating day yesterday. It was good up until 1:30, when I wanted nut butter... and I wanted it with a spoon. Only, the almond butter I had went bad (which I realized after I had some)... and I had peanut butter at my desk. So, I dug into it. After a few hours of my stomach hurting, you would think I'd have been good. Nope, I picked up a salad from Wendy's on the way home and some fries... and then on top of that, had a bit of popcorn before bed.
Am I going to be hard on myself for this? Not at all. I am being accountable to myself. I documented everything I put in my mouth and will just chalk it up to monthly cycles creating havoc in my body.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Bacon & Eggs
AM Snack - Frozen Blueberries (these were really good, I may have to do this again), Zucchini Sticks
Lunch - Tuna Salad on top of Zucchini Rounds, Green Beans
PM Snack - Peanut butter (about 1/2 cup, thankfully the jar wasn't full)
Dinner - Berry Almond Chicken Salad from Wendy's & Value Fry
Snack - Snack-size bag of popcorn, almonds & dark chocolate chips mixed into a trail mix
This weekend, I am making a promise to myself to take all of the foods I don't want in the house (popcorn, for example) and take it to my mom's for my son to have when he's there, or my parents to eat if they want it. Either way, it's leaving.
So what happened on Thursday in my challenge life? I worked out.
Not only that, I kicked my ass during that workout! After working out, I participated in my work's wellness seminar and did some yoga... in jeans. And socks... which during one pose caused me to go into the splits cuz my feet slid on the carpet. That was funny. More awesome was the fact I went almost all the way down in those splits... in my jeans!Anyway! Strength workout was Workout B, front squats, deadlifts and planks. For the front squats I had noticed that I've been using 40lb dumbbells for most of the workouts. I tried using the 45s, however my arms yelled at me after the first set. It's not my legs that can't handle it, it's getting the dang dumbbells up to my shoulders! LOL! Deadlifts. I went up with these again to the 75lb-ders. I've got one more set of dumbbells before I out lift the gym. I may look into bringing my own bar in and using the weights for the smith machine... Whee! Oh... those deadlifts were difficult. My hands had a hard time towards the end holding the weights. I paused a couple times between the last few reps just so I could get em all out. Planks were utterly perfect in form. In other news, my back is a little sore today. I think it's from how I was trying to get the 45s up to my shoulders for the front squats and not wholly from the deadlifts, though, that might have had a little to do with it too.
RSG Dumbbell Workout B:
Front Squats 5x5: 45,40,40,40,40
Deadlifts 5x4: 75,75,75,75
Planks Max x3: 90,90,90
I had a bad eating day yesterday. It was good up until 1:30, when I wanted nut butter... and I wanted it with a spoon. Only, the almond butter I had went bad (which I realized after I had some)... and I had peanut butter at my desk. So, I dug into it. After a few hours of my stomach hurting, you would think I'd have been good. Nope, I picked up a salad from Wendy's on the way home and some fries... and then on top of that, had a bit of popcorn before bed.
Am I going to be hard on myself for this? Not at all. I am being accountable to myself. I documented everything I put in my mouth and will just chalk it up to monthly cycles creating havoc in my body.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Bacon & Eggs
AM Snack - Frozen Blueberries (these were really good, I may have to do this again), Zucchini Sticks
Lunch - Tuna Salad on top of Zucchini Rounds, Green Beans
PM Snack - Peanut butter (about 1/2 cup, thankfully the jar wasn't full)
Dinner - Berry Almond Chicken Salad from Wendy's & Value Fry
Snack - Snack-size bag of popcorn, almonds & dark chocolate chips mixed into a trail mix
This weekend, I am making a promise to myself to take all of the foods I don't want in the house (popcorn, for example) and take it to my mom's for my son to have when he's there, or my parents to eat if they want it. Either way, it's leaving.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
A lovely walk
Yesterday was a rest day for my RSG workouts. It was a pretty day out, so I decided to trek it around the city. I explored new things (Chicago's Riverwalk and the various sites around it including some pretty parkland) and was gone for just over an hour! I did get caught in a bit of rain, but it only lasted a couple minutes and I was under some trees, so I didn't end up too wet. Funny thing was, I had paused to take a picture of a park, turned around and looked down Lake Shore Drive and saw the line of rain coming right at me and thought, "Oh bloody hell!" Lol! I was trying to figure out if I'd be sitting at my desk soaking wet for the afternoon or not.
Here's a picture of Lake Michigan and the marina right where the Chicago River and Lake Michigan meet.
Something I've noticed in the past couple of days... I'm not hungry. I go through phases, and I'm not worrying about eating every couple hours. Instead, I'm eating when I'm hungry. The one thing I'm wondering about, and I think I know the answer, is getting enough calories. I know a couple days won't harm me, that it's more the over the course of the week average that I'm needing to be concerned about. Right? It's what I keep telling myself anyways.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Western Omelet, Bacon
Lunch - Steak Salad from Chipotle with Guac! (Yum! Thanks for the gift-card, work!)
Snack - Dark Chocolate Almonds
Dinner - Green Beans, Turkey Burger topped with bacon, egg & homemade ketchup
Snack - Turkey Jerky & Almonds
Here's a picture of Lake Michigan and the marina right where the Chicago River and Lake Michigan meet.
Something I've noticed in the past couple of days... I'm not hungry. I go through phases, and I'm not worrying about eating every couple hours. Instead, I'm eating when I'm hungry. The one thing I'm wondering about, and I think I know the answer, is getting enough calories. I know a couple days won't harm me, that it's more the over the course of the week average that I'm needing to be concerned about. Right?
It's what I keep telling myself anyways.Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Western Omelet, Bacon
Lunch - Steak Salad from Chipotle with Guac! (Yum! Thanks for the gift-card, work!)
Snack - Dark Chocolate Almonds
Dinner - Green Beans, Turkey Burger topped with bacon, egg & homemade ketchup
Snack - Turkey Jerky & Almonds
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Sleep Does Wonders
Last night, I got home from work, watched about 40 minutes of TV and then I fell asleep. Yep, about 7:30. And I slept right through until 5:30 this morning. I feel SO much better today!
Yesterday's workout was Workout A. I decided to keep my weights for the push-press the same. For the pull-up movement I did seated cable rows. Hee, I used all the plates on the one side of the cable machine. Seated rows might be done... For the push-ups... I have been working on my form for full push-ups for the past week. Last week, I went down until my tummy hit the floor (I have a ton of extra skin from all my weight loss). The issue is, I would sometimes pause there and then gather strength to push back up. While this worked, I wanted to not pause and use all my upper body strength instead of feeling like I was "cheating". So yesterday I went until right before my tummy touched and then went back up. There was no resting at the bottom. Did I go until my arms were at 90 degrees, no, but I think I got a much better workout. Side planks, I decided to try doing full, hand on the ground instead of forearm, side planks. I held each side for about 20 seconds in full form and about 50 with one knee on the ground. Today? I'm sore!
RSG Dumbbell Workout A
Push-Press 5x5: 30,30,30,30,30
Seated Rows 5x3: 97.5, 97.5, 97.5
Push-Ups Max x3: 6,7,8
Side Planks: 70s, 70s, 80s, 60s
Before I put what I eat, let me say... Yes, it's low in calories and everything else... I wasn't hungry and was drinking a lot of coffee to stay awake through my work day.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Eggs, Cheese & Bacon
Lunch - Ground Meat & Broccoli Slaw
PM Snack - Dark Chocolate w/ Ground Coffee, Green Peppers, Sugar Snap Peas
Dinner - Chicken Sausage & Green Peppers
And I slept right through until 5:30 this morning. I feel SO much better today! Yesterday's workout was Workout A. I decided to keep my weights for the push-press the same. For the pull-up movement I did seated cable rows. Hee, I used all the plates on the one side of the cable machine. Seated rows might be done...
For the push-ups... I have been working on my form for full push-ups for the past week. Last week, I went down until my tummy hit the floor (I have a ton of extra skin from all my weight loss). The issue is, I would sometimes pause there and then gather strength to push back up. While this worked, I wanted to not pause and use all my upper body strength instead of feeling like I was "cheating". So yesterday I went until right before my tummy touched and then went back up. There was no resting at the bottom. Did I go until my arms were at 90 degrees, no, but I think I got a much better workout. Side planks, I decided to try doing full, hand on the ground instead of forearm, side planks. I held each side for about 20 seconds in full form and about 50 with one knee on the ground. Today? I'm sore! RSG Dumbbell Workout A
Push-Press 5x5: 30,30,30,30,30
Seated Rows 5x3: 97.5, 97.5, 97.5
Push-Ups Max x3: 6,7,8
Side Planks: 70s, 70s, 80s, 60s
Before I put what I eat, let me say... Yes, it's low in calories and everything else... I wasn't hungry and was drinking a lot of coffee to stay awake through my work day.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Eggs, Cheese & Bacon
Lunch - Ground Meat & Broccoli Slaw
PM Snack - Dark Chocolate w/ Ground Coffee, Green Peppers, Sugar Snap Peas
Dinner - Chicken Sausage & Green Peppers
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Week 3 Summary
Today is summary day. Overall, how did the week go? Emotionally. While I didn't sit down and emotionally eat something, I didn't eat 100% healthy and on plan either. This is reflected in my measurements. I'm not stressing about it though.
Vitals:
The weight went back up. It's been slowly creeping back on over the past couple of days. I'm still at a loss for the challenge, so I'm cool with that. Inches went down a little bit from last week, which tells me that some of the weight is muscle. Of course, weight might be off too because I slept 2 hours last night. :/
Diet Goals:
Overall:
I'm not stressing about everything that happened over the past week. I knew life was going to get difficult and I tried to prepare for it the best I could. I am sad though that my weight crept up a bit. This tells me that over the last 3 weeks of the challenge I'm just going to need to pay close attention to the food I take in, because I'm exercising plenty enough. :)
Vitals:
The weight went back up. It's been slowly creeping back on over the past couple of days. I'm still at a loss for the challenge, so I'm cool with that. Inches went down a little bit from last week, which tells me that some of the weight is muscle. Of course, weight might be off too because I slept 2 hours last night. :/
Diet Goals:
- 95% Paleo - I did eat 3 non-paleo meals this week, and a few pieces of candy late one night...
- Diary 2x per week - Cheese is STILL a weakness. Maybe I should find a home for the cheese that is left so I stop eating it.
- Fruit 1x per day - I actually didn't have fruit every day this past week, mostly because I didn't have much in the house.
- RSG Dumbbell Workouts Rank 1 4x per week - I wasn't at work for the 4th workout and without heavy weights at home I did a kettlebell workout instead.
- 2 Hours Cardio - Bike, Cardio with Kettlebell Workout and Yoga met this goal...
- Pulling Basement Tile - No movement on this. I did look at it this past week and think "I gotta get this done!" LOL!
- Budgeting - I've got the budget set up on mint.com minus the tv which I think I'm going to cancel this week.
- Explore 3 New places - Nothing explored this past week. My lil one comes home on Sunday, hopefully we'll get to do some exploring together.
Overall:
I'm not stressing about everything that happened over the past week. I knew life was going to get difficult and I tried to prepare for it the best I could. I am sad though that my weight crept up a bit. This tells me that over the last 3 weeks of the challenge I'm just going to need to pay close attention to the food I take in, because I'm exercising plenty enough. :)
Monday, June 20, 2011
Exhausting day!
Today was exhausting! I had the day off for a doctor's appointment so I couldn't do my normal weight routine. I was going to ride my bike, however, rain kept me away. So what did I do?
Home Workoutyness!
50 minute Kettlebell Sculpting video with Bob Harper
4 hours of cleaning and rearranging my son's room
30 minutes of heavy lifting at my parents (Mom got herself a tanning bed, lol!)
1 hour of yoga with Bob Harper
I somehow think I will be sleeping extra well tonight.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Wasn't hungry, slept in had coffee before doctor appointment
Lunch - Out with sister for a couple (2) pieces of pizza and salad
Dinner - Chicken, Sausage, Bell Pepper & Tomato skillet thingy
I just finished the yoga video. I'm up later than I wanted to be, but I wanted to get that yoga video in to relax my muscles after today. Quick shower and then I'm off to bed. Tomorrow, measurements and week 3 check-in!
Home Workoutyness!
50 minute Kettlebell Sculpting video with Bob Harper
4 hours of cleaning and rearranging my son's room
30 minutes of heavy lifting at my parents (Mom got herself a tanning bed, lol!)
1 hour of yoga with Bob Harper
I somehow think I will be sleeping extra well tonight.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Wasn't hungry, slept in had coffee before doctor appointment
Lunch - Out with sister for a couple (2) pieces of pizza and salad
Dinner - Chicken, Sausage, Bell Pepper & Tomato skillet thingy
I just finished the yoga video. I'm up later than I wanted to be, but I wanted to get that yoga video in to relax my muscles after today. Quick shower and then I'm off to bed. Tomorrow, measurements and week 3 check-in!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Two Day Catch-up
Y'know, I had grand plans to get tons done this weekend. Granted it's only Saturday, but today I did not a whole lot. I actually napped, twice. Let's go through a 2 day update since I didn't do my Friday update, shall we?
Friday:
Work is super slow on Fridays which is great, doubly when the gym is dead! My workout was Workout C. This workout, every week has kicked my ass to a point I've laid on the floor of the gym before my cool down to catch my breath. I did pull-downs for my pull-ups again... Good news here! I tried doing a flexed arm hang using my band on my home pull-up bar and I could hold myself there, where previously I just fell... big WIN! I did full push-ups again, better form than last time, great feeling! Side planks... I saved these until the end of my workout, not incorporating them into the circuit. Oddly enough, I hurt my foot right foot when on the right side enough that the second set on each side, I just couldn't hold.
RSG Dumbbell Workout C Stats:
Pull Downs 5x5: 135,130,125,120,115
Push-Ups Max x3: 7,6,6
Bent Over Rows 5x3: 45lbs
Side Planks Max x4: 60,60,30,30
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon & Cheese + Nutty Cookie
Lunch: Chicken Sausage mixed with Mixed Steamed Veggies + Nutty Cookies (I threw them away at this point; paleo or not, I didn't need them around)
Dinner: Salad, Bacon, Italian Beef
Saturday:
Today, I slept in, watched some movie and then decided I need to do something, so I hopped on my bike, took the long way to the Farmer's Market got some veggies, took the long way home and then fell asleep in the sun. Came inside to shower my stink off, turned the AC on and made lunch. Watched another movie, took another nap. Just finished watching Steve's google presentation and now I'm here. Dunno what I'm making for dinner yet. I'm thinking some green bean, carrot, chicken thing.
Biked: 41 minutes; 6.2 miles
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast: The usual - Bacon and Eggs with Cheese (I really should give up the cheese)
Lunch: Bacon Cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce, green onions and green beans
Snack: Roasted Almonds & Apple
Dinner: TBD
Friday:
Work is super slow on Fridays which is great, doubly when the gym is dead!
My workout was Workout C. This workout, every week has kicked my ass to a point I've laid on the floor of the gym before my cool down to catch my breath. I did pull-downs for my pull-ups again... Good news here! I tried doing a flexed arm hang using my band on my home pull-up bar and I could hold myself there, where previously I just fell... big WIN! I did full push-ups again, better form than last time, great feeling! Side planks... I saved these until the end of my workout, not incorporating them into the circuit. Oddly enough, I hurt my foot right foot when on the right side enough that the second set on each side, I just couldn't hold.RSG Dumbbell Workout C Stats:
Pull Downs 5x5: 135,130,125,120,115
Push-Ups Max x3: 7,6,6
Bent Over Rows 5x3: 45lbs
Side Planks Max x4: 60,60,30,30
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast: Eggs, Bacon & Cheese + Nutty Cookie
Lunch: Chicken Sausage mixed with Mixed Steamed Veggies + Nutty Cookies (I threw them away at this point; paleo or not, I didn't need them around)
Dinner: Salad, Bacon, Italian Beef
Saturday:
Today, I slept in, watched some movie and then decided I need to do something, so I hopped on my bike, took the long way to the Farmer's Market got some veggies, took the long way home and then fell asleep in the sun. Came inside to shower my stink off, turned the AC on and made lunch. Watched another movie, took another nap. Just finished watching Steve's google presentation and now I'm here. Dunno what I'm making for dinner yet. I'm thinking some green bean, carrot, chicken thing.
Biked: 41 minutes; 6.2 miles
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast: The usual - Bacon and Eggs with Cheese (I really should give up the cheese)
Lunch: Bacon Cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce, green onions and green beans
Snack: Roasted Almonds & Apple
Dinner: TBD
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Monumental Deadlift
I was doing my dumbbell workout b when one of the guys in the gym says to me, "You're going to use the 70s today? Didn't you just do the 65s Monday?" I of course, nodded and said, "Yep, I'm ready for it!"
After that, the next set I was getting in position to lift them when I realized... I was lifting the number of pounds (well, minus a couple) that I've lost to date.... 140 pounds. I picked them up and walked around a little and almost cried. How could I have done that to myself? I could I have carried that around for so long? I stopped and looked into the mirror and grinned. I wasn't that person anymore. I am a healthier happier person. I plowed through the rest of my workout!
Speaking of the rest of the workout, today was front squats, deadlifts and planks. My planks were perfect, lovely planks that made me drip sweat onto the mat. The front squats, those are difficult, the most difficult part is getting the right weight dumbbells and hoisting them up on my shoulders.
RSG Dumbbell Workout B Stats:
Front Squat 5x5: 40,40,40,40,35
Deadlift 5x4: 70,70,70,70
Planks Max x3: 70,50,60
Eats today... Today I focused on veggies and protein for breakfast and lunch. I took the easy route and protein shakes, added fat by putting in some ground almonds I made. I was good until about 2:30-3pm when I was my normal hungry-snacky-I want to be anywhere but at work self. I allowed myself to have 1 dark chocolate almond.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Protein Shake with blueberries, coconut milk & ground almonds
AM Snack - Cucumber
Lunch - Protein Shake with ground almonds
PM Snack - Sugar Snap Peas, Carrots & Dark Chocolate Almond
Dinner - Chicken Sausage, Mixed Veg (cauliflower, carrot, broccoli or something)
Dessert - Nutty Cookies made with ground almonds, coconut flour, banana, apple and coconut milk (yum?)
After that, the next set I was getting in position to lift them when I realized... I was lifting the number of pounds (well, minus a couple) that I've lost to date.... 140 pounds. I picked them up and walked around a little and almost cried. How could I have done that to myself? I could I have carried that around for so long? I stopped and looked into the mirror and grinned. I wasn't that person anymore. I am a healthier happier person. I plowed through the rest of my workout!
Speaking of the rest of the workout, today was front squats, deadlifts and planks. My planks were perfect, lovely planks that made me drip sweat onto the mat. The front squats, those are difficult, the most difficult part is getting the right weight dumbbells and hoisting them up on my shoulders.
RSG Dumbbell Workout B Stats:
Front Squat 5x5: 40,40,40,40,35
Deadlift 5x4: 70,70,70,70
Planks Max x3: 70,50,60
Eats today... Today I focused on veggies and protein for breakfast and lunch. I took the easy route and protein shakes, added fat by putting in some ground almonds I made. I was good until about 2:30-3pm when I was my normal hungry-snacky-I want to be anywhere but at work self. I allowed myself to have 1 dark chocolate almond.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Protein Shake with blueberries, coconut milk & ground almonds
AM Snack - Cucumber
Lunch - Protein Shake with ground almonds
PM Snack - Sugar Snap Peas, Carrots & Dark Chocolate Almond
Dinner - Chicken Sausage, Mixed Veg (cauliflower, carrot, broccoli or something)
Dessert - Nutty Cookies made with ground almonds, coconut flour, banana, apple and coconut milk (yum?)
2 Day Catch-up
I realized I didn't do my update the past couple of days...
Workout was Dumbbell Workout A. I forgot to write down the previous weight I used for the push-press so I guessed. I tried to do them with the 35s but after one I was like, uh not so much. I went down to 30s and completed all of the sets with that. Struggled a bit on the last rep of the last 2 sets, so I figure I'll use that weight next time I do this workout. For the pull-ups I did pull-downs again. I waffled with doing the seated rows from the cable machine, but someone else was using that, so I went and did pull-downs. I did two of the sets underhanded, one overhand. Underhand is definitely easier! Push-ups... I was thinking about these before the workout. I've been aiming to do 20 reps each set... starting with as many as I could full (or kinda more I'd go and then sorta fall to my tummy and push back up in good form) and then go to my knees. I decided I wasn't going to do that this workout. I was going to pay very close attention to form and just do fulls. I did sets of 6 and I'm proud of that! Side Planks - Finally feel good (well, as good as one feels holding a side plank) about how my feet were stacked with my hand up the the air. Still reminds me of half and airplane!
RSG Dumbbell Workout A Stats:
Push-Press 5x5: 30lb-ders
Pull-Down 5x3: 130lbs
Push-Ups Max x3: 6,6,6
Side Planks 2 sets each side: 60s, 60s, 60s, 60s
Food... since I didn't really have a cheat meal on Sunday... I decided we were going to go out to dinner and I had a taste for chicken wings. Do you know how many calories those things have in them once they're all good and deep fried? A lot. But, I'm not stressing about it. I enjoyed myself and didn't overdo it. I even brought leftovers to my pregnant sister
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs scrambled with a bit of leftover filling from stuffed zucchini boats
Lunch: Rest of leftover filling from stuffed zucchini boats
PM Snack: Turkey Jerky & Almonds
Dinner: Soft Pretzel and Chicken Wings
Yesterday was a rest day. I had pondered moving my workout up a day so I would do 5 days of workout this week due to my being off on next Monday without access to a gym to do my 4th workout of this week. However, given everything going on at home, I decided instead to have some me time. I went off and got my hair washed (which I LOVE when someone else washes my hair) and trimmed during my lunch time. When I driving home, I SO wanted to just order a large pizza and have that. Yep, that emotional eating bug was coming. I told myself no. I'll make something at home.
What did I make? Bacon & Eggs. Not my normal 2 slices of bacon. Nope, I made up the rest of the package of bacon and had my eggs with cheese. I also had some almonds... I ate while I picked up a new book that I started reading when I got home.
Yep, that did it. I ate food that wasn't going to do me any harm to my goals and filled me so I didn't feel that emotional need to order pizza.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast: Bacon & Eggs
AM Snack: Sugar Snap Peas & Almonds
Lunch: Broccoli Salad w/ Canned Chicken
PM Snack: Dark Chocolate covered Almonds
Dinner: Bacon, Eggs, Cheese & Almonds ... oh and strawberries while bacon was cooking.
Since my eating yesterday wasn't my ideal eating day, I decided that today would consist of veggies and protein shakes. I got some new protein powder yesterday for my desk at work. I had a blueberry/almond one at home this morning. We'll see how this goes today. I'll make myself a good dinner tonight when I get home. Hopefully it's not raining and I can get in a bike ride too (plus my scheduled strength workout!)
Tuesday:
Workout was Dumbbell Workout A. I forgot to write down the previous weight I used for the push-press so I guessed. I tried to do them with the 35s but after one I was like, uh not so much. I went down to 30s and completed all of the sets with that. Struggled a bit on the last rep of the last 2 sets, so I figure I'll use that weight next time I do this workout. For the pull-ups I did pull-downs again. I waffled with doing the seated rows from the cable machine, but someone else was using that, so I went and did pull-downs. I did two of the sets underhanded, one overhand. Underhand is definitely easier! Push-ups... I was thinking about these before the workout. I've been aiming to do 20 reps each set... starting with as many as I could full (or kinda more I'd go and then sorta fall to my tummy and push back up in good form) and then go to my knees. I decided I wasn't going to do that this workout. I was going to pay very close attention to form and just do fulls. I did sets of 6 and I'm proud of that! Side Planks - Finally feel good (well, as good as one feels holding a side plank) about how my feet were stacked with my hand up the the air. Still reminds me of half and airplane!
RSG Dumbbell Workout A Stats:
Push-Press 5x5: 30lb-ders
Pull-Down 5x3: 130lbs
Push-Ups Max x3: 6,6,6
Side Planks 2 sets each side: 60s, 60s, 60s, 60s
Food... since I didn't really have a cheat meal on Sunday... I decided we were going to go out to dinner and I had a taste for chicken wings. Do you know how many calories those things have in them once they're all good and deep fried? A lot. But, I'm not stressing about it. I enjoyed myself and didn't overdo it. I even brought leftovers to my pregnant sister
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs scrambled with a bit of leftover filling from stuffed zucchini boats
Lunch: Rest of leftover filling from stuffed zucchini boats
PM Snack: Turkey Jerky & Almonds
Dinner: Soft Pretzel and Chicken Wings
Wednesday:
Yesterday was a rest day. I had pondered moving my workout up a day so I would do 5 days of workout this week due to my being off on next Monday without access to a gym to do my 4th workout of this week. However, given everything going on at home, I decided instead to have some me time. I went off and got my hair washed (which I LOVE when someone else washes my hair) and trimmed during my lunch time. When I driving home, I SO wanted to just order a large pizza and have that. Yep, that emotional eating bug was coming. I told myself no. I'll make something at home.
What did I make? Bacon & Eggs. Not my normal 2 slices of bacon. Nope, I made up the rest of the package of bacon and had my eggs with cheese. I also had some almonds... I ate while I picked up a new book that I started reading when I got home.
Yep, that did it. I ate food that wasn't going to do me any harm to my goals and filled me so I didn't feel that emotional need to order pizza.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast: Bacon & Eggs
AM Snack: Sugar Snap Peas & Almonds
Lunch: Broccoli Salad w/ Canned Chicken
PM Snack: Dark Chocolate covered Almonds
Dinner: Bacon, Eggs, Cheese & Almonds ... oh and strawberries while bacon was cooking.
Since my eating yesterday wasn't my ideal eating day, I decided that today would consist of veggies and protein shakes. I got some new protein powder yesterday for my desk at work. I had a blueberry/almond one at home this morning. We'll see how this goes today. I'll make myself a good dinner tonight when I get home. Hopefully it's not raining and I can get in a bike ride too (plus my scheduled strength workout!)
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Challenge #2 - Week 2 Summary
So this morning I did all of my measurements. To say I'm excited and inspired by myself is an understatement.
Vitals:
I've lost 9.6 pounds since I created my goals for this challenge. Yep, nearly 10 pounds in two weeks. I'm amazed by that. I've also lost 6.75 inches in my overall measurements.
Diet Goals:
- 95% Paleo - Met without issue. Realized yesterday that I'm not craving carbs anymore. AMAZING feeling. I'm also not stress eating, also AMAZING.
- Diary 2x per week - Cheese is a weakness. I think I counted up six servings of cheese this past week…
- Fruit 1x per day - Done! This one I thought would be harder, but it's not too bad at all.
Fitness Goals:
- RSG Dumbbell Workouts Rank 1 4x per week - I've continued to blow myself away with this. Nearly every time I workout I'm increasing the amount of weight I'm lifting or my form on push-ups, etc.
- 2 Hours Cardio - I biked 2 hours in one stint, that counts, right? Heh, my total for the week was actually 2 hours 26 minutes… 23.79 miles, for biking. I also did a walk this week coming in a total cardio time of: 3 hours 17 minutes, 26.45 miles. Nice!
Life Goals:
- Pulling Basement Tile - No movement on this. I'm going to start the final stretch of removing the tiles tomorrow evening then talk my parents into buying me the paint I need so I can start that this weekend. :)
- Budgeting - This is going to be in the process of being reworked. I'll be looking at all of the budgeting stuff, cutting out amenities and reworking the budget over the next couple of weeks.
- Explore 3 New places - I'm counting my walk to Buckingham Fountain as exploring a half a place. While I've never really been there to enjoy the city from that angle, there isn't much to do at the fountain. I want to explore places that let me spend more than a few minutes enjoying them. SO I'm at 1.5 places explored.
Overall:
Like I stated in the beginning, I'm excited and inspired by myself. I realized yesterday that I've not been emotionally eating. That is HUGE in my book. I'm excited for the next 4 weeks and to see what they bring.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Boats of Meat!
Whee! Final day of week 2 has come and gone. In spite of my personal life being in shreds right now, I've maintained my workouts. So, I'm an emotional eater. So it has surprised me that through all of this, I've reversed that and in the past couple of days haven't eaten emotionally once. I'm pretty darn proud of that. Willpower, to the rescue? :) I think the fact that I generally emotionally eat carbs and the fact that I've not really craved any carbs in a while has helped. :) I mean, who wants to emotionally eat a bag of baby carrots?
Today's workout was the RSG Dumbbell Workout D. I upped the weight on the deadlifts again. Although I might have to keep it there for the next workout while my arms catch up. Not sure I can lift 5lb heavier dumbbells that much. Maybe I'll try one set at the heavier weights! Lunges, same weight as last time, same feeling of "omg gonna die" on the last couple reps of each set. Planks... I gotta stroke my feathers, these were PERFECT form!
Workout D Stats:
Deadlift 5x5: 65lb dumbbells
Lunges 8x3: 30lb dumbbells
Planks Max x3: 65s, 65s, 73s
On top of that, I went for a 3 mile bike ride tonight!
Tried a new recipe today! Stuffed Zucchini Cheeseburger Boats. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef... but omg, these were SO good... and quite easy.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Eggs & Bacon with 1 strawberry (lol, dunno why I just had one)
AM Snack - Dried Berry Almond Trail Mix, Sugar Snap Peas
Lunch - Grilled Chicken Breast, Salad (didn't eat it all, I musta forgot to was the lettuce in my early AM lunch readying... it tasty gritty)
PM Snack - Cucumber, Carrots & Turkey Jerky
Dinner - Stuffed Zucchini Cheeseburger Boats (2 of em, omg full... but only like 280 calories!)
Snack - Protein Shake!
Today's workout was the RSG Dumbbell Workout D. I upped the weight on the deadlifts again. Although I might have to keep it there for the next workout while my arms catch up. Not sure I can lift 5lb heavier dumbbells that much. Maybe I'll try one set at the heavier weights! Lunges, same weight as last time, same feeling of "omg gonna die" on the last couple reps of each set. Planks... I gotta stroke my feathers, these were PERFECT form!
Workout D Stats:
Deadlift 5x5: 65lb dumbbells
Lunges 8x3: 30lb dumbbells
Planks Max x3: 65s, 65s, 73s
On top of that, I went for a 3 mile bike ride tonight!
Tried a new recipe today! Stuffed Zucchini Cheeseburger Boats. I used ground turkey instead of ground beef... but omg, these were SO good... and quite easy.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Eggs & Bacon with 1 strawberry (lol, dunno why I just had one)
AM Snack - Dried Berry Almond Trail Mix, Sugar Snap Peas
Lunch - Grilled Chicken Breast, Salad (didn't eat it all, I musta forgot to was the lettuce in my early AM lunch readying... it tasty gritty)
PM Snack - Cucumber, Carrots & Turkey Jerky
Dinner - Stuffed Zucchini Cheeseburger Boats (2 of em, omg full... but only like 280 calories!)
Snack - Protein Shake!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
A Day of Rest
Today's rest day was good for both my mind and my body. I didn't totally sit on my butt and read all day, even I wanted to. I'm in the middle of these Vampire Academy books that my sister-in-law let me borrow. I may have read 1.5 of the books this weekend though... I have a love/hate relationship with book series. I love the development of the characters but hate that there are so many books that I feel compelled I have to read them all, right... NOW. Anyway, 4 down, 2 more to go :)
I got out and some grocery shopping today. My parents took me to Costco (and paid, SCORE!) and I got some chicken breasts, ground turkey, turkey burgers, turkey jerky, lettuce, sugar snap peas and almonds! I also did some grilling and Cinderella duties around the house.
While today I was going to have some sort of cheat meal, I had a few things over the course of the day instead. My stomach got full quickly today after yesterday's fasting, and I just wasn't hungry much. Perhaps I'll treat myself to pizza one day this week.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Sunday Morning Breakfast @ Parents with Parents & Siblings - Eggs, Hashbrows, Sausage
Snack - Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels
Lunch - Steak & Shake Small Fries and Burger w/o Bun
Snack - Almond, Dried Fruit Trail Mix
Dinner - Grilled Chicken Breast & Green Beans, Carrots, and Red Pepper Veggie Mix
I got out and some grocery shopping today. My parents took me to Costco (and paid, SCORE!) and I got some chicken breasts, ground turkey, turkey burgers, turkey jerky, lettuce, sugar snap peas and almonds! I also did some grilling and Cinderella duties around the house.
While today I was going to have some sort of cheat meal, I had a few things over the course of the day instead. My stomach got full quickly today after yesterday's fasting, and I just wasn't hungry much. Perhaps I'll treat myself to pizza one day this week.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Sunday Morning Breakfast @ Parents with Parents & Siblings - Eggs, Hashbrows, Sausage
Snack - Dark Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Pretzels
Lunch - Steak & Shake Small Fries and Burger w/o Bun
Snack - Almond, Dried Fruit Trail Mix
Dinner - Grilled Chicken Breast & Green Beans, Carrots, and Red Pepper Veggie Mix
Friday, June 10, 2011
Half Airplanes!
Interesting. That is one word to describe today. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?
My morning was pretty busy. I actually got everything accomplished before 10:30 that I wanted to do all day. So I decided, what better way to celebrate than to head down to the gym and get my workout on.
I've researched, and asked some questions of people on the thoughts of doing pull downs to help build strength since I can't really do negative pull-ups and I don't have bands to help me do assisted ones right. (Thanks Spezzy & Vic) So I put those in place of my pull-ups of workout C. The last time I attempted them, I did 100lbs pretty ok, so I decided I was going to up it. Mmm, yeah, I don't calculate the whole 10% well and aimed for 120. Bent over rows, didn't quite know where to start so I guestimated. Push-ups, I was determined to do full push-ups. The last couple of times my "full" push-ups were only going about halfway down. I figured if I went all the way and came back up slowly, evenly, I'd be doing better than halfways. So I did those. For my side planks, I really paid attention to stacking my feet and put the top hand up in the air like I was half an airplane.
Workout C Stats:
Pull-downs 5x5: 2 @ 120, 3 @115
Push-Ups Max x3: 5 full, 15 knee for all 3 sets
Bent Over Rows 5x5: All 5 @ 40lb dumbbells
Side Planks Max x4: 45s for all 4 sets
Yeah so I do my workouts circuit style. One set of each then rest. After the 4th round, I laid on the gym floor. It was great!
After reading all the awesomeness in the NerdFitness forum, I decided to look and see if there were any CrossFit places nearby. I found one within 8 miles and talked to the owner via e-mail. I decided today I'd go in when I got home from work to check everything out, see if it would be a fit, etc.
Let me tell you, I felt like I was going on a first date. My stomach was all a-flutter, I was nervous as all get out! I went in, the guy instantly made me feel at home. He congratulated me for my weight loss to date and told me, "You do know that this won't be easy. It'll be hard. I'll expect you to bring it 100% every time you train. But it will be rewarding, not only in what you gain physically, but what you gain on the inside." I knew right then, I was sold. (Even though today's WOD scared me... 100 air squats, 90 doubleunders (or 360 singles), 80 sit ups, 70 wall balls, 60 kb swings, 50 push-ups, 40 pull-ups, 30 burpees, 20 toes to bars, 10 handstand pushups). We talked some more and he invited me to workout with them next week before officially signing up so he could evaluate me.
Anyways... onto the foods. Good eat day!
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Western Omlette & Bacon
AM Snack - Almonds
Lunch - Double Steak Naked Burrito Bowl from QDoba with Guac
PM Snack - Apple
Dinner - Salmon, Bell Pepper, Onion & Egg Scramble Thingie
My morning was pretty busy. I actually got everything accomplished before 10:30 that I wanted to do all day. So I decided, what better way to celebrate than to head down to the gym and get my workout on.
I've researched, and asked some questions of people on the thoughts of doing pull downs to help build strength since I can't really do negative pull-ups and I don't have bands to help me do assisted ones right. (Thanks Spezzy & Vic) So I put those in place of my pull-ups of workout C. The last time I attempted them, I did 100lbs pretty ok, so I decided I was going to up it. Mmm, yeah, I don't calculate the whole 10% well and aimed for 120. Bent over rows, didn't quite know where to start so I guestimated. Push-ups, I was determined to do full push-ups. The last couple of times my "full" push-ups were only going about halfway down. I figured if I went all the way and came back up slowly, evenly, I'd be doing better than halfways. So I did those. For my side planks, I really paid attention to stacking my feet and put the top hand up in the air like I was half an airplane.
Workout C Stats:
Pull-downs 5x5: 2 @ 120, 3 @115
Push-Ups Max x3: 5 full, 15 knee for all 3 sets
Bent Over Rows 5x5: All 5 @ 40lb dumbbells
Side Planks Max x4: 45s for all 4 sets
Yeah so I do my workouts circuit style. One set of each then rest. After the 4th round, I laid on the gym floor. It was great!
After reading all the awesomeness in the NerdFitness forum, I decided to look and see if there were any CrossFit places nearby. I found one within 8 miles and talked to the owner via e-mail. I decided today I'd go in when I got home from work to check everything out, see if it would be a fit, etc.
Let me tell you, I felt like I was going on a first date. My stomach was all a-flutter, I was nervous as all get out! I went in, the guy instantly made me feel at home. He congratulated me for my weight loss to date and told me, "You do know that this won't be easy. It'll be hard. I'll expect you to bring it 100% every time you train. But it will be rewarding, not only in what you gain physically, but what you gain on the inside." I knew right then, I was sold. (Even though today's WOD scared me... 100 air squats, 90 doubleunders (or 360 singles), 80 sit ups, 70 wall balls, 60 kb swings, 50 push-ups, 40 pull-ups, 30 burpees, 20 toes to bars, 10 handstand pushups). We talked some more and he invited me to workout with them next week before officially signing up so he could evaluate me.
Anyways... onto the foods. Good eat day!
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Western Omlette & Bacon
AM Snack - Almonds
Lunch - Double Steak Naked Burrito Bowl from QDoba with Guac
PM Snack - Apple
Dinner - Salmon, Bell Pepper, Onion & Egg Scramble Thingie
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Get Yer Ass Down!
On Monday I had done a leg workout and announced that I needed to lower my ass during my planks. My ass now hates me. :) But it's not due to the planks. I did a rock awesome workout today!
In typical She-ra fashion I decided I'd up my weights on both the front squats and deadlifts today. Rawr! The front squats... yeah, around the 4th set I had a hard time lifting the dumbbells to my shoulders to do the squats. I think I may have done some weird contortion thing to get them up there for the 5th set. Deadlifts? Well I owned those too. Then we finished up with some planks in which I paid close attention to my form and lowered my aforementioned ass down.
The Workout B Stats:
Food today? Eh. I'm not happy with what I ate. I went over my calorie goal. Not having prepared meals sucks. I grabbed lunch out today and then had to grab dinner because I was driving for 2 hours to take my son to his dad. I didn't have time to make anything between getting home and taking him. It was one day though, it ain't gonna screw up everything.
Noms Nommed:
In typical She-ra fashion I decided I'd up my weights on both the front squats and deadlifts today. Rawr! The front squats... yeah, around the 4th set I had a hard time lifting the dumbbells to my shoulders to do the squats. I think I may have done some weird contortion thing to get them up there for the 5th set. Deadlifts? Well I owned those too. Then we finished up with some planks in which I paid close attention to my form and lowered my aforementioned ass down.
The Workout B Stats:
- Front Squats 5x5: 40lbs dumbbells
- Deadlifts 5x4: 60lbs dumbbells
- Planks Max x3: 60s each
Food today? Eh. I'm not happy with what I ate. I went over my calorie goal. Not having prepared meals sucks. I grabbed lunch out today and then had to grab dinner because I was driving for 2 hours to take my son to his dad. I didn't have time to make anything between getting home and taking him. It was one day though, it ain't gonna screw up everything.
Noms Nommed:
- Breakfast: Eggs & Bacon
- AM Snack: Beef Jerky
- Lunch: Beef Roti Salad
- PM Snack: Protein Shake
- Dinner: Sonic Bacon Cheeseburger without the bun, 1/3 order of tater tots
- Post Dinner: Dark Chocolate Almonds, hot dog thingy from gas station w/o bun
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
My Feet Are Sad Feet
I learned something today. That being that if I go for a walk, I must wear proper footwear. Wearing canvas mary jane shoes without socks is not proper footwear. They will give me blisters! Blisters, mind you, not on my heels, not on the tops of my feet... nope, blisters the size of quarters on the balls of my feet such that every step I take is painful!
I posted a picture earlier of the fountain I walked to... I love looking at the picture, remembering my trek out and just the joy of getting out and being active.
Food Today was non-inspirational and a little fruiter than normal. (hah! I crack me up)
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Bacon and Scrambled Eggs
AM Snack - Protein Shake
Lunch - Chicken & Strawberry Salad, Apple
PM Snack - Dark Chocolate Almonds
Dinner - Roasted Broccoli & Mexican Chicken Skillet
I posted a picture earlier of the fountain I walked to... I love looking at the picture, remembering my trek out and just the joy of getting out and being active.
Food Today was non-inspirational and a little fruiter than normal. (hah! I crack me up)
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Bacon and Scrambled Eggs
AM Snack - Protein Shake
Lunch - Chicken & Strawberry Salad, Apple
PM Snack - Dark Chocolate Almonds
Dinner - Roasted Broccoli & Mexican Chicken Skillet
Hot & Pretty Walk
Just a short update right now. Today is a rest day for my workout program. I decided that I really wanted to get outside and enjoy some of this weather. Hot? Yes. But it was really pretty.
For those who don't know, I work downtown Chicago right in the loop. I decided I would hoof it over to Grant Park and Buckingham Fountain.
Look at the gorgeous scene that I saw halfway through my walk!
The weather was 97 degrees and sunny! The walk there, I wasn't feeling too hot. On the way back though is when I started feeling it. Didn't stop me, I just kept right on trekking on.
Total walk was 2.6 miles at a slow leisurely pace. I completed it in 50 minutes. :)
For those who don't know, I work downtown Chicago right in the loop. I decided I would hoof it over to Grant Park and Buckingham Fountain.
Look at the gorgeous scene that I saw halfway through my walk!
The weather was 97 degrees and sunny! The walk there, I wasn't feeling too hot. On the way back though is when I started feeling it. Didn't stop me, I just kept right on trekking on.
Total walk was 2.6 miles at a slow leisurely pace. I completed it in 50 minutes. :)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Week 2 Begins
Today was an interesting day. I was fairly busy at work today but something set me off around 11am. I thought, "Boy, I should go take that anger out during my workout!" And did I! Today was workout A again. I upped the push press weights and opted to do pull downs for the pull up exercise. I wonder if it's a good replacement. I figure if I can do pull downs and go up in weights until I get around my weight, then I should be able to do a pull-up, right? I did push-ups in sets of 20... I did as many as I could as full and then went to my knees. Side Planks? I kept my top arm in the air!
The Workout A Stats:
Push Press 5x5 @ 25lbs
Pull Ups/Pull Downs Max x3 @ 100lbs - 5,5,8
Push Ups - 4/16, 3/17, 4/16
Side Planks - 40s, 40s, 40s, 40s
The bonus of my day? Someone came up to me in the gym and said, "I've been watching you workout over the past few months, you are looking really good! Keep up the great work!" I also took a picture I had taken last challenge and changed my facebook profile picture. I've gotten a bunch of compliments on it and my progress! BONUS!
Eating today... Again, it was a bit on the light side. Combination of being busy and just not overly hungry... well until about 8pm when I wanted a snack... and had some dark chocolate almonds, which are addicting!
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Eggs & Bacon wrapped in lettuce
AM Snack - Pear & Beef Jerky
Lunch - Leftover Chicken Nuggety Goodness & Salad
PM Snack - Protein Shake
Dinner - Steak & Veggie Mix (Green Beans, Carrots, Red Peppers) Couple of Strawberries
Dessert - Dark Chocolate Almonds
The Workout A Stats:
Push Press 5x5 @ 25lbs
Pull Ups/Pull Downs Max x3 @ 100lbs - 5,5,8
Push Ups - 4/16, 3/17, 4/16
Side Planks - 40s, 40s, 40s, 40s
The bonus of my day? Someone came up to me in the gym and said, "I've been watching you workout over the past few months, you are looking really good! Keep up the great work!" I also took a picture I had taken last challenge and changed my facebook profile picture. I've gotten a bunch of compliments on it and my progress! BONUS!
Eating today... Again, it was a bit on the light side. Combination of being busy and just not overly hungry... well until about 8pm when I wanted a snack... and had some dark chocolate almonds, which are addicting!
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Eggs & Bacon wrapped in lettuce
AM Snack - Pear & Beef Jerky
Lunch - Leftover Chicken Nuggety Goodness & Salad
PM Snack - Protein Shake
Dinner - Steak & Veggie Mix (Green Beans, Carrots, Red Peppers) Couple of Strawberries
Dessert - Dark Chocolate Almonds
Challenge - Week 1 Summary
Oddly, something I was thinking would be cool that I can't do... take one of those pictures of me in my biggest pair of jeans. I actually threw them out. I've been getting rid of clothes as they get too big. Figuring if I have them, I might be OK going back to them someday... Let me tell you, I am NOT OK going back to them... ever.
Anyway, first week went pretty darn good :)
Diet Goals:
Fitness Goals:
Life Goals:
Vitals:
Anyway, first week went pretty darn good :)
Diet Goals:
- Eat Paleo save for 1 meal per week on Sundays: Check!
- Diary - 2x per week: Eh, I ate a little more than this due to the amount of meals I ate out.
- Fruit - one serving per day: Did good for this goal all but one day where I ate a bit more than one serving of watermelon.
Fitness Goals:
- Dumbbell Division Workout of RSG 4x per week: DONE!
- 2 hours cardio: Done! 170 minutes, 17.2 miles
Life Goals:
- Tile in Basement: Carted out the boxes of stuff I pulled up Memorial Day weekend.
- Budget: Added my additional checking account to mint.com and modified existing budget stuff. Need to still clarify that in the coming weeks.
- Explore 3 new places in Chicago: 1 down! We went to Lincoln Park Zoo this past week.
Vitals:
- 7.2 lbs lost (When I made my goals)
- 4 lbs lost (Official first day weigh in)
- 4.85 inches lost
Monday, June 6, 2011
Exciting Day 7
Day 7... a wrap up to week 1 of this challenge. (Week 1 summary will come later)
I was so excited this morning! I realized that the week ended today and I could still do my 4th and final workout! I nearly danced my way down to the gym when it came time for working out. Today was Workout D, legs! I upped the dumbbells for the deadlift to 55lbs. I know my legs can do more, but I'm not sure about my arms! Surely, they'll catch up, right? Lunges, wasn't sure where to start, weight wise for this one, so I just picked a weight and went for it. The last 2 reps of each set were a bit difficult to get out, but I got them. Not sure, but I think I'll up the weight next time. Finished off the workout with some planks. While I held them for 2 minutes each, I got to thinking the last set, "Is my ass too high?" I'm going to aim to lower my ass next time and see how that hurts, I mean, works my abs out.
Workout D Stats:
Deadlift: 5x5 @ 55lbs
Lunges: 8x3 @ 30lbs
Planks: Max x3 - 120 seconds each
Eating today was a little on the light side. I'm completely OK with that considering the bit heavier weekend. I didn't feel hungry so it's all good.
Dinner wasn't the planned steak & broccoli. :( My son broke out in a rash over the weekend and it spread today. So as soon as I got home we got to visit urgent care. Thankfully (?) it's just a contact dermitits. He's on some hefty drugs to help it heal.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Eggs, Bacon & 2 strawberries
Lunch - Salad with left over chicken "nuggety" goodness, 2 strawberries
PM Snack - Apple
Snack later - 3 Dark Chocolate Almonds
Dinner - BLT Salad from Wendy's without dressing
I was so excited this morning! I realized that the week ended today and I could still do my 4th and final workout! I nearly danced my way down to the gym when it came time for working out. Today was Workout D, legs! I upped the dumbbells for the deadlift to 55lbs. I know my legs can do more, but I'm not sure about my arms! Surely, they'll catch up, right? Lunges, wasn't sure where to start, weight wise for this one, so I just picked a weight and went for it. The last 2 reps of each set were a bit difficult to get out, but I got them. Not sure, but I think I'll up the weight next time. Finished off the workout with some planks. While I held them for 2 minutes each, I got to thinking the last set, "Is my ass too high?" I'm going to aim to lower my ass next time and see how that hurts, I mean, works my abs out.
Workout D Stats:
Deadlift: 5x5 @ 55lbs
Lunges: 8x3 @ 30lbs
Planks: Max x3 - 120 seconds each
Eating today was a little on the light side. I'm completely OK with that considering the bit heavier weekend. I didn't feel hungry so it's all good.
Dinner wasn't the planned steak & broccoli. :( My son broke out in a rash over the weekend and it spread today. So as soon as I got home we got to visit urgent care. Thankfully (?) it's just a contact dermitits. He's on some hefty drugs to help it heal.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Eggs, Bacon & 2 strawberries
Lunch - Salad with left over chicken "nuggety" goodness, 2 strawberries
PM Snack - Apple
Snack later - 3 Dark Chocolate Almonds
Dinner - BLT Salad from Wendy's without dressing
Sunday, June 5, 2011
I got a new bike!
Day 6
Sundays are always interesting days. Every Sunday my family, as in parents, siblings and their clans, get together and make breakfast. Generally dad and I cook. I make the pancakes. He makes eggs, sausage and/or bacon, hash browns, biscuits & gravy. Since changing my eating, I've gone to eating eggs, sausage and/or bacon with some hash browns. I'm so thankful that my family doesn't look at me strange and in fact are very supportive of my change of eating and how I'm bettering myself.
After breakfast I took my son and nephew to a beach along Lake Michigan. It was quite a bit cooler out today than it was yesterday, but that didn't stop them from hopping into the water. Me? I relaxed in the sand, soaking up the rays.
On the way home from the beach I got a call from my mom telling me that she found me a new (used) bike at a garage sale today! It has shocks AND brakes that work! (My bike is less than ideal). I was so excited! I went over to her house after we all got cleaned up and boy is the new bike pretty!
So, kiddo and I came home and hopped on our bikes to ride over to my parents to switch to my new bike. It's about 3.5 miles round trip, so it was a nice 35/37 minute ride. My new bike was awesome. I'm so excited to be able to go out on my own next weekend and enjoy a speedy ride!
Today was my designated non-paleo meal day. I did have one meal non-paleo and it was a doozy. McDonalds... with fries. I did take the top of the bun off, which made me feel a little better. I need to figure out a good drive-thru type of meal that I can eat while driving.
I made up for it by making a kick ass dinner. I call it the "Sausage, Chicken, Veggie Skillet Noms." Basically... cook up some bacon to get some fat. After that, cook some cabbage, onions, carrots & zucchini that have been chopped up. I took it out of the pan when cooked to my liking, then cooked up some mild italian sausage and chicken. When it was cooked, I combined everything together and it ended up making about 6 servings.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Hash Browns with a bit of salsa
Snack - Beef Jerky
Lunch - Bacon Angus Burger without top bun, small fry
Snack - Dried piece of mango
Dinner - Sausage, Chicken, Veggie Skillet Noms
Workouts Today:
3.5 Mile Ride with kiddo -- 37 minutes.
Total Bike Time for Week (thus far): 2 hours, 1 minute
Sundays are always interesting days. Every Sunday my family, as in parents, siblings and their clans, get together and make breakfast. Generally dad and I cook. I make the pancakes. He makes eggs, sausage and/or bacon, hash browns, biscuits & gravy. Since changing my eating, I've gone to eating eggs, sausage and/or bacon with some hash browns. I'm so thankful that my family doesn't look at me strange and in fact are very supportive of my change of eating and how I'm bettering myself.
After breakfast I took my son and nephew to a beach along Lake Michigan. It was quite a bit cooler out today than it was yesterday, but that didn't stop them from hopping into the water. Me? I relaxed in the sand, soaking up the rays.
On the way home from the beach I got a call from my mom telling me that she found me a new (used) bike at a garage sale today! It has shocks AND brakes that work! (My bike is less than ideal). I was so excited! I went over to her house after we all got cleaned up and boy is the new bike pretty!
So, kiddo and I came home and hopped on our bikes to ride over to my parents to switch to my new bike. It's about 3.5 miles round trip, so it was a nice 35/37 minute ride. My new bike was awesome. I'm so excited to be able to go out on my own next weekend and enjoy a speedy ride!
Today was my designated non-paleo meal day. I did have one meal non-paleo and it was a doozy. McDonalds... with fries. I did take the top of the bun off, which made me feel a little better. I need to figure out a good drive-thru type of meal that I can eat while driving.
I made up for it by making a kick ass dinner. I call it the "Sausage, Chicken, Veggie Skillet Noms." Basically... cook up some bacon to get some fat. After that, cook some cabbage, onions, carrots & zucchini that have been chopped up. I took it out of the pan when cooked to my liking, then cooked up some mild italian sausage and chicken. When it was cooked, I combined everything together and it ended up making about 6 servings.
Noms Nommed:
Breakfast - Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Hash Browns with a bit of salsa
Snack - Beef Jerky
Lunch - Bacon Angus Burger without top bun, small fry
Snack - Dried piece of mango
Dinner - Sausage, Chicken, Veggie Skillet Noms
Workouts Today:
3.5 Mile Ride with kiddo -- 37 minutes.
Total Bike Time for Week (thus far): 2 hours, 1 minute
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Biking on a Hot Day
Is today day 5 of my challenge already??
I looked at my 20 lb dumbbells today and laughed. Today's workout was supposed to be lunges & deadlifts. Considering I wrote on my paper that the 50s were too light, I opted to just make this a 3 workout week for strength. Doesn't mean I won't still do my cardios!
The Tour de Highland bike ride went well. It was about 95 out, so we were all hot. My 9 year old was experiencing the start of heat exhaustion (his little face was near to purple and his whole body was red) so we stopped at the halfway point (Kudos to the town for making it a figure 8 for parents with kids who might need to stop). He apologized for not finishing the 8 miles... meanwhile I'm trying to get the kid to drink water! With the ride to/from the park where the race started/finished, we got in 5 miles in just over 45 minutes. A bit after we got home we decided the day called for a good dip in a pool and went swimming. :)
Yesterday, my kid decided he wanted to try eating paleo with mom. He turned down bread and chips today... twice. I was very impressed, and proud. :) He had leftover beef kebabs for breakfast, with some bacon and watermelon. The kid does not like eggs... I gotta figure out breakfasts for him!
Noms Nommed:
Oooh! Let me tell you about those "Fried" chicken nuggets... I cooked up bacon so I'd have some fresh bacon fat. I cut up chicken into strips. I made some nut "flour" and coconut "flour" using my food processor. I mixed the two together. Tossed the chicken with some chili powder and garlic. Dipped in egg, dredged in my nut/coconut "flour" and then fried it up in the bacon fat. My kid and nephew LOVED these!
I ate more than one serving of fruit today, but I figured if that's as off plan as I go... it's okay! :)
I looked at my 20 lb dumbbells today and laughed. Today's workout was supposed to be lunges & deadlifts. Considering I wrote on my paper that the 50s were too light, I opted to just make this a 3 workout week for strength. Doesn't mean I won't still do my cardios!
The Tour de Highland bike ride went well. It was about 95 out, so we were all hot. My 9 year old was experiencing the start of heat exhaustion (his little face was near to purple and his whole body was red) so we stopped at the halfway point (Kudos to the town for making it a figure 8 for parents with kids who might need to stop). He apologized for not finishing the 8 miles... meanwhile I'm trying to get the kid to drink water! With the ride to/from the park where the race started/finished, we got in 5 miles in just over 45 minutes. A bit after we got home we decided the day called for a good dip in a pool and went swimming. :)
Yesterday, my kid decided he wanted to try eating paleo with mom. He turned down bread and chips today... twice. I was very impressed, and proud. :) He had leftover beef kebabs for breakfast, with some bacon and watermelon. The kid does not like eggs... I gotta figure out breakfasts for him!
Noms Nommed:
- Breakfast - Eggs, Bacon, Peppers & Watermelon
- Lunch - Hamburger Patty with All the Veggies
- Post Bike Snack - Fudgsicle (I was damn hot)
- Post Swim Snack - Hot Dog & Green Beans with Chili Tomatoes
- Dinner - Bacon, Paleo "Fried" Chicken Nuggets, Green Beans, A spoonful of corn & Watermelon
- Dessert - A bit of dark chocolate
Oooh! Let me tell you about those "Fried" chicken nuggets... I cooked up bacon so I'd have some fresh bacon fat. I cut up chicken into strips. I made some nut "flour" and coconut "flour" using my food processor. I mixed the two together. Tossed the chicken with some chili powder and garlic. Dipped in egg, dredged in my nut/coconut "flour" and then fried it up in the bacon fat. My kid and nephew LOVED these!
I ate more than one serving of fruit today, but I figured if that's as off plan as I go... it's okay! :)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Cauliflower Candy
Today was a good busy day. We headed off to Lincoln Park Zoo this morning, stopped off at a beach on the way home to walk along Lake Michigan and dip our toes in the water. That means I can check one off the life goal of exploring 3 new places in Chicago this challenge. We spent around 3.5 hours walking around the zoo today in the sun. Needless to say, I was wiped out!
However, when we got home, after a bit of rest, Jonas and I headed out for a 3.5 mile bike ride. This brings my weekly total to 1 hour 22 minutes. I shouldn't have any issues meeting the 2 hours as tomorrow is the Tour de Highland family 8 mile ride. Tomorrow evening I'll do my 4th strength workout of the week.
Tonight for dinner I decided to cut a cauliflower up into what best can be described as cauliflower steaks and put them on the grill. Jonas came out while I was cooking and took a piece that had fallen off from the "steak" and ate it. He said, "Mom! This tastes so good, like candy!" Score! The kid loves veggies!
So what else did I eat today?
Noms Nommed:
However, when we got home, after a bit of rest, Jonas and I headed out for a 3.5 mile bike ride. This brings my weekly total to 1 hour 22 minutes. I shouldn't have any issues meeting the 2 hours as tomorrow is the Tour de Highland family 8 mile ride. Tomorrow evening I'll do my 4th strength workout of the week.
Tonight for dinner I decided to cut a cauliflower up into what best can be described as cauliflower steaks and put them on the grill. Jonas came out while I was cooking and took a piece that had fallen off from the "steak" and ate it. He said, "Mom! This tastes so good, like candy!" Score! The kid loves veggies!
So what else did I eat today?
Noms Nommed:
- Breakfast - Whopper with no Bun, Beef Jerky (on way to zoo)
- Lunch - Spinach Apple Almond Salad, 1/2 Apple & Nuts (lunch at zoo)
- Snack - Apple & Nuts (on ride home from zoo)
- Snack - Meatloaf (pre bike ride)
- Dinner - Lebanese Ground Beef Kebabs, Grilled Cauliflower, Onion & Zucchini
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Busy Busy Bee
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." - Lou Holtz
Today was a pretty relaxing day. I started the morning making some breakfast for Jonas and I. We sat together, ate and chatted before his last day of school. After walking him to school I came home to chill out and shower before my eye doctor appointment. All is well with the eyes, got new glasses then spent some time with my mom until I walked to get Jonas from school.
After school we went for a walk with the dogs and then it was time for my workout. Today I bought something called Pullup Revolution to see if it could help me with pullups. I watched the video first and it did slow my negatives a bit, but I still feel like I just jump up and fall... this at least helped me fall slower. I also realized my 20lb dumbbells just won't cut it for heavy lifting. Heh. For my push-up sets today I did as many full ones as I could do then finished with knees until I hit sets of 20. For the last set of bent over rows I went until exhaustion since the weights really were too light. Side planks? I did them with the top hand in the air!
Workout C Stats:
Eating today? Yeah, very low... Combination of not hungry, and being too busy to think about eating... until dinner. Then I was famished and didn't feel like cooking. LOL!
Noms Nommed:
Today was a pretty alright day overall.
Today was a pretty relaxing day. I started the morning making some breakfast for Jonas and I. We sat together, ate and chatted before his last day of school. After walking him to school I came home to chill out and shower before my eye doctor appointment. All is well with the eyes, got new glasses then spent some time with my mom until I walked to get Jonas from school.
After school we went for a walk with the dogs and then it was time for my workout. Today I bought something called Pullup Revolution to see if it could help me with pullups. I watched the video first and it did slow my negatives a bit, but I still feel like I just jump up and fall... this at least helped me fall slower. I also realized my 20lb dumbbells just won't cut it for heavy lifting. Heh. For my push-up sets today I did as many full ones as I could do then finished with knees until I hit sets of 20. For the last set of bent over rows I went until exhaustion since the weights really were too light. Side planks? I did them with the top hand in the air!
Workout C Stats:
- Pull-Ups (Neg Assisted) 5x5 -- Slower Negatives?
- Push-Ups Max x3 -- 2/18, 3/17, 3/17
- Bent Over Rows 5x5 -- 20lb, 20lb, 20lb+10 Reps
- Side Planks -- 30s,30s,30s,30s
Eating today? Yeah, very low... Combination of not hungry, and being too busy to think about eating... until dinner. Then I was famished and didn't feel like cooking. LOL!
Noms Nommed:
- Breakfast - Bacon & Fried Eggs
- Lunch -- Carrots, Italian Beef w/ Mozzerla in a bowl
- Snack -- Couple slices deli turkey
- Dinner -- Steak & Shake burger no bun, side salad, side of oranges, bit of fries.
Today was a pretty alright day overall.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Interesting Title Goes Here
So, counting down days as titles would be a very easy way to do titles for my log posts. However, I'm not sold on doing something like: NF Challenge #2 Day #2. So, I'm pondering how to make the titles more random using google searches. But what exactly should I do? Any suggestions?
Let's start today with a quote from a "Top 25 Fitness Motivation Quotes" list I came across.
"Strive for progress, not perfection." -Unknown
Today I completed Workout B of the Dumbbell Division workout. I had a brief thought earlier, "When tracking weight for dumbbell workouts, do you track the weight of one dumbbell... or both together?" I asked the authors of the RSG workout and Vic suggested one dumbbell, but either way, be consistent. So, that's how I'm tracking my workouts!
Today's workout was front squats, deadlifts, planks and squat thrusts! I decided to do squat thrusts instead of the burpee finishing move. Why? I can't really do a push-up, so squat thrust sounded better. Besides, I've only ever done like 4 before.
Workout Stats (Reps x Sets):
- Front Squat: 5x5 @ 35lb dumbbells
- Deadlift: 5x4 @ 50lb dumbbells
- Planks: Max x3 - 90s, 60s, 90s
- Finishing Move: Squat Thrusts! 20 Reps.
I also remembered today that when I first started Paleo at the beginning of the last challenge, there were a few days where I just wasn't hungry. I'm dealing with that now. Just haven't felt the desire or need to eat. So, my calories have been a little lower the past couple of days, but that's all good.
Noms Nommed:
- Breakfast: Fried Eggs, Bell Peppers & Bacon
- AM Snack: Cherries
- Lunch: Pork Chop, Green Beans, Carrots, Cabbage & Onion
- Dinner: Egg Scramble with Bell Peppers, Cheese & Leftover Paleo Meatloaf
I have the rest of the week off. Tomorrow is is eye doctor appointment and Jonas' last day of school. Friday I took a vacation day off. We're going to take the train into Chicago, rent bikes and bike to Lincoln Park Zoo. Saturday we have a Tour de Highland bike ride (8 miles!)I still plan on doing my workouts and staying on track with my eating. Should be interesting!
Keep Pressing On!
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