Breenee's BodyBlog http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee My Awesome Bodybuilding.com BodyBlog Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:43:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=0.32 en Support from a friend and the real reason for joining Bodyspace http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/10/17/support-from-a-friend-and-the-real-reason-for-joining-bodyspace/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/10/17/support-from-a-friend-and-the-real-reason-for-joining-bodyspace/#comments Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:43:24 +0000 Breenee Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/10/17/support-from-a-friend-and-the-real-reason-for-joining-bodyspace/ Today I met my bodyspace friend Wicked_Witch at Lake Eola park in Orlando, Florida.  We had a great time while walking around the park a couple of times.  We talked about our nutrition, our exercise, our families, our jobs…basically a little of everything that shapes us and makes us who we are as people.  It was a great motivational moment for me, because with all challenges I’ve experienced in the past couple of months,  I was really feeling my motivation go down.  With no support from ANYBODY around me, it’s hard not to get down because you try to explain what you’re doing but unless the people around you can relate to it, they just seem to look at you like you’re crazy….crazy for eating six small meals every 3-4 hours…crazy for drinking mega amounts of water…crazy for getting up at 4:30 to get the gym and exercise….crazy for eating so much chicken, veggies, fruit and taking supplements on top of that….crazy for not eating greasy, fat filled foods or lots of sugary snacks/desserts…..well the reason this "crazy" opened a Bodyspace account was to get support and valuable information for all those other people that have gone through, are going through or are getting ready to go through this part of our lifestyle change.  Honestly, without the support of all the friends I’ve made on Bodyspace, I think I would have fallen back into a complacent, unhappy lifestyle and would have given up…..

 So to Wicked_Witch:   thanks for an awesome Saturday pow wow and we’ve definitely got to schedule some more of these!  You’re an inspiration to me and a very positive influence…keep up the good work!

and to all my other Bodyspace who are not as close but always are encouraging me through their comments and private messages…….

THANK YOU AND YOU ARE ALL VERY VALUABLE TO ME!

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]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/10/17/support-from-a-friend-and-the-real-reason-for-joining-bodyspace/feed/ Reflecting on Week Ending 10/10/09 http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/10/11/reflecting-on-week-ending-101009/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/10/11/reflecting-on-week-ending-101009/#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 18:40:19 +0000 Breenee Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/10/11/reflecting-on-week-ending-101009/ This week I was finally able to incorporate both cardio and weight lifting, but very light resistance.  I want to just go right ahead and jump to where I was at before the back injury and it takes all my strength to stop myself from doing so.  I know that will only lead me back to a longer recovery period and I definitely don’t want that.  It was scary and exciting to lift again, and I took my time and focused on the area I was working on while still analyzing any problem my back might give me.  I used only 5lb weights (wow, that makes me feel like I’m back at the kiddie pool instead of the adult one), and I did get a good workout because I hadn’t lifted in so long.  So I continued with the 5lb for the whole week.  I did cardio as well, but mostly yoga type and pilates.  I finally did a higher intensity cardio on Saturday by doing a bellydancing workout.  I probably shouldn’t have because of all the hopping and jumping, but it felt sooooooooooooooooooo good to move around and get my heart rate up that high.  It’s a great leg workout, not just the hips, but my calfs were burning afterwards which was great being I don’t feel I work them that much.  I won’t do this every day, so as not to create any problems for my back. As I’m writing this my biggest goal is to finally return to the gym.  UPDATED comment 10/12/09:  on Tuesday will be my first day back at the gym.  I will do only machine assisted exercise because my chiro said that would keep stress off my back.  He said I can finally return to the elliptical for cardio, which I have to take slow.  (I was already at level 8…now I’ll have to go back down and gradually go back up.  Here’s to another week…

]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/10/11/reflecting-on-week-ending-101009/feed/ Last few days of September… http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/27/last-few-days-of-september/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/27/last-few-days-of-september/#comments Sun, 27 Sep 2009 20:41:43 +0000 Breenee Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/27/last-few-days-of-september/ Thoughts to reflect on (this is a long blog):

 - this month has been full of challenges and obstacles:  Not as much time to dedicate to the exercises as during the summer due to returning to work after vacation plus taking online classes; then my back/sciatic nerve sidelined me from the very beginning of the month caused me to halt my exercise routine.  Last week I was in a car accident, no one hurt but my car is in the shop getting fixed, so no car to get to the gym!  Of course, there’s always my ongoing metabolic health issues…

- Surprisingly, my motivation hasn’t gone down that much.  I’ve followed my doctor’s orders and have recovered 90-95%.  Started with light activity last week and will progress with light weightlifting this week.

- Body finally reacted by showing more weight loss and muscle definition, even though I hadn’t been working out in 3 weeks.  Upped my calories for 3 weeks to start getting my metabolism going again.

For October my goals are:

- Keep progressing to where I was at, routine wise, before my back problems.

- Obviously, get my car back soon so I can return to the gym.  I’m working out at home in the meantime, but just cardio as I don’t have any weightlifting equipment at home.

- Super clean my diet - I do follow my nutrition but I have learned new things on this website like chicken breast that is injected with a solution to make it bigger, so I’m going to use all natural and look for foods without any of that stuff. Plus I’m planning on cutting down on dairy, mainly the low fat/no fat cheese I use in some of my recipes; also caffeine and sugar, which I usually take with my coffee (the source of my caffeine!).  Carb wise I’m going to cut down on the rice and try to add more vegetables instead. Will also try cycling my calories every 2 weeks or so.

I hope to see significant changes in October due to the "resting period" I had in September.  I won’t say how much I hope to lose because I’ve learned that with my body and all its complexities, its not as easy for me to pinpoint how much of a loss as well as others do.  But any change is fine, I’ll just be glad to be back to lifting again!

]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/27/last-few-days-of-september/feed/ Lost 4 pounds even though I had sciatica… http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/19/lost-4-pounds-even-though-i-had-sciatica/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/19/lost-4-pounds-even-though-i-had-sciatica/#comments Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:33:34 +0000 Breenee Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/19/lost-4-pounds-even-though-i-had-sciatica/ Thoughts to reflect on….

….yep, I couldn’t believe it because I was afraid I would gain because I haven’t been to the gym.  What’s even more puzzling is I lost bodyfat and have gotten more definition as well.  Makes me think two things occurred:  1.) I was getting more calories in so my body got out of its deficit and 2.) apparently my body needed a small break to recuperate.  I don’t know much about the physiological aspect of it.  I wasn’t able to see my regular chiro to get the ok to exercise, but I have been trying, for the past few days, certain movements to see how far I can go.  I will have to lay off any exercises that use dumbbells or barbells and stick mainly to machines for the time being and I can’t do any overhead lifting as that causes too much stress on my lower back.  Cardio will be restricted as well…starting off at 20 minutes until I build up to where I was before and am well enough to do more.  I’m just glad I’m not in any more pain and am able to start exercising again…

 

]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/19/lost-4-pounds-even-though-i-had-sciatica/feed/ Sciatica… http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/09/sciatica/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/09/sciatica/#comments Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:11:31 +0000 Breenee Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/09/sciatica/ …is what I was told today was causing the pain shooting down my leg from my glute to my calf.  It started yesterday when I got home from work.  The pain was so severe each time I bent my right leg or tried to move it that I would almost pass out before it went away.  I had my regularly scheduled visit with the chiropractor today who checked me and said it was a clear sign of sciatica.  He prescribed that I take anti-inflammatory medicine to help bring the swelling down and told me to return on Friday.  I have to take it easy for the next few days to help it some, even though the chiro said the best thing for it is complete bed rest for 10 days!  I told him I was going to try everything before that, I can’t afford to be on bed rest I have a job, my classes that I take at night and my children to care for.  So I took the anti-inflammatory when I got home and have been taking it easy.  So far the pain has gone down a lot and I can move my leg freely without discomfort.  I have to laugh….last week I complained about not seeing the scale go down….I should have kept my mouth shut because you never know how worse it could actually be for you….and now I know!

]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/09/09/sciatica/feed/ Funny thing….it’s not easy adding more food http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/29/funny-thingits-not-easy-adding-more-food/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/29/funny-thingits-not-easy-adding-more-food/#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2009 21:29:47 +0000 Breenee Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/29/funny-thingits-not-easy-adding-more-food/ Thoughts to reflect on…

I thought it would be easy to up my calories and really it is.  The problem lies in how much more food I have to eat.  It’s funny how when you’re eating unhealthy foods, you can max out or go over your caloric limit quickly and never even feel full. But when you’re eating healthy foods that is not the same issue.  You actually get to eat more quantities because they aren’t that high in calories.  Where am I going to fit all that food???  I got back from the gym today and started preparing my meal….I measured everything, weighed it, logged the calories that I had set aside for this meal and proceeded to feast…..I couldn’t finish it…. I just couldn’t, my stomach was starting to hurt and I still had more veggies and meat to eat….I had to laugh when this happened.  The clueless people around me looked at my meal and said, "aren’t you eating too much?  Didn’t you go to the gym?  you should have a small salad…"…..LOL…if only it was that easy…..so I saved what I couldn’t eat for my next meal…but I still have so many calories left to get in to meet my limit…never thought I’d say….I’m dreading my next few meals!!!  LMAO!!

]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/29/funny-thingits-not-easy-adding-more-food/feed/ Recovering and diet changes http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/29/recovering-and-diet-changes/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/29/recovering-and-diet-changes/#comments Sat, 29 Aug 2009 15:06:48 +0000 Breenee Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/1969/12/31// Thoughts to reflect on:

Today is Saturday the 29th of August and it is exactly 1 week since I had gotten sick.  Recovery has taken a whole week, but except for a bad cough, I’m fully recovered.  Finally, I’m heading to the gym.  I know I shouldn’t overdo it the first day back, but I will push myself as much as I can.  Being sick made me realize two things:  I’ve got to be more consistent with my supplements and my diet has been wrong.  I believe the slow recovery was due to hitting my body hard at the gym, but not getting enough of the nutrients needed to recover.  I have been very inconsistent with my supplements, which include a lot of vitamins/minerals such as B12, multi, glucosamine sulfate, chromium piccolinate, magnesium, potassium and so on.  I have a medical condition that makes it very easy to lose a lot of these vitamins/minerals, so that is why I have to take the supplements.  It’s a drag when I look at 13 pills to drink; I consider that a meal in itself.  (No, a multivitamin alone does not contain all the things I need, so just taking a multi is not an option).  While I was sick, I started tracking my diet and I was surprised to find out that I’ve been eating around 1500 calories!  This makes sense to me when I think of my progress and how I’ve stopped losing any weight.  I’m going to up my calories to 1800 as of today to help with it.  This whole week while I’ve been recovering, I’ve been consistent with my calories at 1500 so my body is ready for the additional amount.  Hopefully, this will help or if not, at least will get me fully operational at a 100% healthwise.

]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/29/recovering-and-diet-changes/feed/ End of Summer Wrap-up http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/19/end-of-summer-wrap-up/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/19/end-of-summer-wrap-up/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:39:42 +0000 Breenee Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/19/end-of-summer-wrap-up/ Thoughts to reflect on..

I took my progress pictures yesterday and I was blown away!  It’s hard to believe what a difference a few weeks of consistent weight training and cardio can do.  As I’ve mentioned before, injury to my back had me sidelined for a long time.  My nutrition was already adjusted to healthy eating due to me being a Celiac (gluten intolerant), but I had already had plateaued with weight loss.  I needed exercise, but each time I’d be 2 weeks heavily into my routines, my back would sideline me again.  Then I’d have to wait a few weeks or months before I could continue.  The doctor was even talking about surgery, but then I decided to visit a chiropractor.  That’s the best choice I could have made.  With their help, within a week I was ok’ed to start lifting again.  Why am I writing all this?  Because the progress in my pics are varied; they are sporadic and time had passed in between some of them.  But the recent ones have been accomplished ever since I started lifting again this summer….roughly in an 8 week period!  Now, I know I’m still so far from where I want to be and some people might not even notice or think I’ve done anything that significant….but for me, its a BIG change and the spark that I needed to keep me working hard towards my goal…finally, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel….and as my daughter would say……SWE-E-E-E-E-E-T!

]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/19/end-of-summer-wrap-up/feed/ Returning to work… http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/17/returning-to-work/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/17/returning-to-work/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 10:11:45 +0000 Breenee Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/17/returning-to-work/ Thoughts to reflect on…

I can’t believe the summer is "over"…I return to work officially this Thursday, but starting tomorrow I will no longer be on vacation.  I can’t believe how fast the time has gone by and yet how long it seems.  The person I was at the start of the summer is not the same person typing this.  I have grown and changed so much with regards to my physical well-being.  Oh, I know I still have a long way to go before I can call myself a "bodybuilder" physically…..but mentally I’m already there.  My nutrition and workout routine are constantly being tweaked by me to obtain the best advantage for my strength and physical goals; I can no longer live without the gym, in fact more than a day and I get so cranky with everyone that I sense that need and desire to be there.  It is now an addiction for me; I love the way I feel while I’m working out and afterwards it makes me more calm.  I officially left the lady’s section at Gold’s Gym and am now working out in the regular "open" area (mainly the gym has two free weights area, the regular one and the advanced).  It sort of happened by accident, all the benches were taken in the lady’s area…so I had to either wait, go home or workout where the big boys work out…so I said to hell with my fears and just grabbed a bench and some weights and started my routine…felt right at home…truth be told there were only 2 big boys at 5am, so it wasn’t THAT intimidating, lol…this is huge especially since at the beginning of the summer I was working out at home because I was too self-conscious to go to the gym….my next goal will be to take off my long pants and workout in my shorts….yes I work out with two pants on and its very uncomfortable…I’ve had the support of the community here, especially my bodyspace friends to motivate and help me, but now I will not be on as much and so I must learn to sink or swim on my own….

]]> http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/17/returning-to-work/feed/ Progress is… http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/13/progress-is/ http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/13/progress-is/#comments Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:16:48 +0000 Breenee Training http://blog.bodybuilding.com/Breenee/2009/08/13/progress-is/ Thoughts for me to reflect on…

Progress is…going up on cardio equipment: from a level 3 to a level 7…from 20 minutes to 60…from holding the stationary bar to using the moving arm handles…from a maximum heart rate of 142 to 172 without struggling…

Progress is….noticing that my stomach finally showing the division of my upper and lower abs…

Progress is….holding the fridge door open and noticing that my arm is showing bicep definition and my triceps are firmer…

Progress is….looking in the mirror and noticing a new birthmark….only to realize it’s the one I’ve always had but instead of having to look over my shoulder to see it, the fat loss has moved it to the top of my shoulder…

Progress is….thinking my lingerie had stretched out…..when after trying on the fifth pair it finally hit me….they’re big because I’ve lost a LOT of inches and my thighs/butt are firmer…..

Progress is….my collarbone(clavicle) finally showing again…

Progress is….staring at myself in the mirror for a long time, looking at all the areas that have improved and figuring out how to improve it more…instead of running away from the mirror after a few seconds…

Progress is…finally accepting this way of life and no longer stressing about how long it’s going to take….loving the gym and not wanting to leave…

Progress is….taking the battery out of the scale, no longer weighing myself because I FINALLY don’t care about the number on the scale and refuse to let it affect me……(betcha liked that one CARTER!! LOL…)

Well, what more can I say?  Progress is….definitely being MADE!!  :)

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