Dare to Soar BodyBlog

Todays cardio was good.  I am still feeling yesterdays run so I took it a little easier today.  I feel energized and ready to face today.  Tonight I am going to hit a light full body workout.  All exercises are 3 sets of 10 light weight:  Incline bench, Incline db fly, seated db shoulder press, seated db front raises, seated db side raises, rear raises, wide grip lat pulldown, seated row, one arm incline db curls, dips, one legged squats, step ups, leg extensions, leg curls, and calf raises. 

Tomorrow is my kids first football game of the season.  I plan on cheering his team on victory and watching him tackle some poor kid on the other team.  I also plan on cleaning out my closet the rest of the way.  Goodbye, super fat clothes.  That way I have room for some new smaller clothes.  My husband has to work all weekend so if I want to hit the gym any, I will have to take the kids.  I may just use a yoga tape for Saturday and do a little tae bow on Sunday to get the blood pumping.

I recently read an article in ironman about Arnold and his success.  It was pretty good.  He would plan his workouts at the end of each month for the next month.  I have been doing it weekly. I may switch to monthly.  It would certainly save some time.   I could also plan the months menus also.  Then I just have to do the shopping. I am starting a new program next week.  Been doing the same program for the last seven weeks.  Its time to switch things up.

I started taking Lipo 6 today.  We will see if it makes any difference.  Have a great weekend and happy training.

I have been having trouble commenting on posts.  I can create a post and particpate in a forum thread but I cant comment to offer encouragement or give my 2 cents on someone elses post.  I sent an email.  Hope it gets fixed soon.  Dont want my friends to think I have given up on them.

Got up this morning and conquered a few excuses not to workout.  Made to gym and did a wonderful sprint/recovery program on the treadmill.  I felt so good.  I usually limit the time I actually spend running (do a lot of speed walking) because it messes with my knees.  Today I felt like running and I did great.  I can tell the muscles around my knees are getting stronger and it wont be long til I can incorporarte some running in every cardio session.  Then I can work on my goal of a seven minute mile again.  I am so hopped up.  What a great day!

I realized I have not be typing in my diet.  I do have them logged in my workout journal. Anyway, here is today menu

meal1: 1 cup Fiber on raisin bran, 1/2 cup skim milk, 1/2 cup blackberries

meal 2:  banana protein shake

meal 3:  grilled burger (made from 93% lean meat), 2 cups salad greens, 1/2 cup heart of palms, 1/2 cup tomato, 1/4 cup feta cheese with a spritz of vinagarette

meal 4:  turkey and mozzerela rollups

meal 5:  salmon, 1/2 cup rice, 1 1/2 cup mixed vegetables

meal 6: 1/2 cup cottage cheese and 1/2 cup pineapple

Tonight I will be doing abs at the gym.  I dont have a lot of time due to school orientation.  I may hit the gym at lunch time so I make sure I have enough time to cook dinner and eat at a reasonable hour.

Anyway, I am feeling great.  I hope everyone else is too.

I did the measurements and I am down 5% BF and 1.25 inches overall.  I feel so much better.  In four weeks I know the progress pictures will show some changes. 

Sometime it’s a Bitch, sometimes it a breeze

I was feeling pretty down when I posted my progress pictures this morning.  I dragged myself to gym anyway.  I told myself sitting here and doing nothing about it is not going to make those pictures change in four more weeks.  It was going to be one of those days.  So as I am trying to get in my grove on the treadmill, I thought I would try some new “old” music.  I was not feeling like hip hop and I needed something to get me out of the black cloud I was under.  I was flipping through my array of cds and found Steve Nicks.  The first song, Sometimes it’s a bitch.  That was exactly how I was feeling. 

Now that my workout is over (2.27 miles and 343 calories burned), I feel so much better.  I was going to wait until Monday to take my measurements but I think I will do it today.  If there are anymore disappointments I want them done and over with.  I also need them for the 35 and over biggest loser challenge that starts on Friday.  My commitment is still strong.  I may stumble but I won’t lose this race.

I will post my new stats this morning.  Thanks to all of you who offered words of encouragement.

Transformation Recipe

1 part vision

1 part desire to change

1 part passion

1 part determination

motivation (as needed)

1 part support

To make a true body transformation, you must add vision to the mixing bowl.  You need to be able to see what you want.  If you want to look great in a swimsuit, see yourself walking on the beach at sunset barefoot.  Feel the sand between your toes, the waves splashing around your ankles, smell the salt in the air, and see the shells hiding in the sand up the way.  Picture yourself looking great or even turning a few heads when you walk by.  Visualize it.  If you are competing visualize yourself on stage, going through the poses.  See your great tan and muscles.  Picture the judges scoring you high.  See yourself react as your name is called as the winner.  Add these visions to the bowl.

Next mix in “desire to change.”  This needs to be really strong and fresh.  It is the take off energy for the potion.  Your desire to change must be greater than your desire to stay the same.  Lots of people want to be thin or bigger but they don’t want it enough to look at their current lifestyle and habits and change them to reach their dream.  Their desire is old and weak.  “Desire to change” is a short burst of energy so you want it to be as strong and as fresh as possible.  This is why the people who say they are going to start working out on Monday, never actually start.

Gently stir in the passion.  Passion is slow burning energy that sustains you through the transformation.  It is the real drive behind the change.  The reasons that are deep down in your soul. This is not passion from others.  You can’t substitute your best friend’s, husband’s, or wife’s passion.  It must be yours. It may be your need to be a good role model for your kids, the ability to do or reach your personal life goals and adventures, or the ability to practice what you preach.  This is what keeps your going.

Add determination.  Determination will give you the tools.  It is what keeps you learning. Keeps you changing bad habits into good ones.  It is the one that makes you take an hour on the weekend to plan your meals and workouts for the week.  It makes you find ways to overcome excuses. 

Motivation needs to be folded in to the mixture periodically.  It can come in the form of many things.  The scale may read lower.  The new fitness magazine arrived in the mail.  A guy or girl hits on you at the grocery store.  Your clothes are fitting different.  The workout and the meal plan that you created the night was perfect.  You overcome an excuse.  You feel and look sexy in lingerie.

The last item is support from others.  This needs to come from people who are willing to make constructive critisms.   These are people who are willing to cheer you on as you over come the obstacles that are in your way.   They are the ones that are truly happy when you reach a goal.  They celebrate with you. They help you problem solve.  They help you to succeed.  They are not jealous of your successes.

Bottle all this up and you will have a successful transformation.  Leave out an ingredient, you wont reach your dream.    

I arrived at the gym at 5 minutes to 5am.  I waited and waited.  The owner did not show.  I waited 25 minutes thinking to myself the entire time, am I going to let this excuse ruin my cardio session?  Am I going to let it set the pattern for my day?  Am I going to give up so easily with a small speed bump?  I could use work as an excuse but it would be just that.  My schedule is fairly flexible.  May be those other people who waited three minutes and left don’t have that privilege or maybe they were just looking for an excuse.  I could go back to work and walk the trails for an hour but then I would need a shower. Again another excuse if I wanted to take it.  I work two minutes from the gym, so I left and did my am reports.  I returned in under 15 minutes, the gym was open and I felt great.  No excuses for me today.  I did a great treadmill hill program for 30 minutes (normally 45), went 1.59 miles and burned 287 calories.  So I had to shorten my time, I still got in some great cardio and I know I will be back in the gym tonight for lower body. If I really start to feel guilty about those last 15 minutes, I can make them up then.  Right now, I am feeling pretty good about my choices today.  Small speed bumps won’t slow my progress down. 

Last night was chest and shoulders.  It was a good workout although my numbers were down some.  By the time I left the gym, I could feel the burn in my shoulders. 

chest

Flat bench db press 20x 25, 15×25, 12 x 25

Flat bench barbell press 3 sets of 10 @ 105

Incline Bench 1 set of 10 at 95, 2 sets of 10 at 85

Pec Dec 3 sets at 85

DB Flatbench fly 3 sets @ 10

Shoulders

Arnold press 3 sets of 10 @ 10 (note to self go up next week)

Alternating DB front raises 3 sets of 10 @ 10

Cable lateral raise, cable front raises, bentover cable raise supersetted together for 3 sets of 10 at 5lbs

Reverse pec dec 3 sets of 10 @ 55

Diet was ok.  Fell of the wagon and ate a rice crispy treat.  Will make sure things are clean today.

meal 1: Strawberry melon smootie (199 calories, 9 g protein, 39 carbs, 2 g fat)

meal 2 1/4 cup mixed nuts and a rice crispy treat

meal 3: small salad no dressing and  1oz mozzerella, tomato slices, 4oz turkey on a whole grain roll.

meal 4: Strawberry Melon smoothie

meal 5:  1 cup of lasagna and 1 cup green beans

meal 6:  100 calorie ice cream bar (skinny cow)

Challenge is going well so far.  I am keeping the diet clean and kicking butt in the gym.  Motivation and attitude is back on track (thanks for the adjustment).  I guess you could say I am winning so far.  I am down a 1/2 pound.  Everyone else is up.  I sure wish the weight would start dropping off a little faster.  I am making sure I am planning my week and working the plan. 

On another note, my clothes feel like they are fitting differently.  That is probably a good sign.  I wont do measurements for another week.  I am sure the last four weeks of more focused weight training and cardio is working.  I read that it takes 12 weeks for big changes to really take hold.  I am counting down the weeks. 

I recently switch gyms.  I think it may have been one of the best moves that I could have made.  Because I was at my old gym for so long, I made too many "friends"  I think it prevented me from getting good workouts in.  Yea, I was going through the motions but I had more rest time because someone was always talking to me.  I feel a lot more focused here.  I have made a few new friends but we all have the same objective in mind- too work hard at it.  I hate to say but I have actually been avoiding some groups.  Some days I feel like a snob but then I remind myself that I am there for one reason- to get fit.  Luckily this gym is not for everyone.  It is not designed with circuit machines and a pool.  It does not offer classes.  It is free weights and hammer machines with a few cardio machines thrown in.  Nothing fancy but plenty of places to work up a sweat.  I feel great results coming on.