FeralGoth’s BodyBlog

So, I was training one of my very first clients today when someone also working out in her apt. complex’s gym asked me (my client had stepped away for a bathroom break) "I noticed you’re a trainer, can you tell me some good snack ideas for trying to lose weight?"

EEEEEEEE!!!!!! :)

And I could tell he wasn’t just trying to hit on me or anything, but was genuinely interested in some suggestions.  I mentioned some of the basics like low fat/ fat free cottage cheese, low fat string cheese (and other low/no fat dairy snacks), as well as a few tips on how to choose a protein bar or shake to help meet your goals.  Made sure to stress the importance of high protein snacks for their hunger satisfaction in a lower calorie package and directed him to some articles on here for beginners.   I was just so thrilled that someone asked me something!  HAHA!!  I know, its silly… but its a start!

And gleefully eating it all!

Do you like guacamole?  Tuna?  You might dig this then, I know I do - I’m probably going to be tempted to make this again and again and again!  Seriously I ate this at noon and I’m still full - its 4pm!  Normally I burn through things in a couple of hours!

If you’d like a nice organized, printable version of the recipe with my nutritional approximations in somewhat of detail, check it out on my fledging new website: GiryaGirl.com

Collect the following:
1/2 Florida Avocado, cut into small cubes
1/2 small tomato, seeded and cut into small pieces
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
2 green onions chopped small
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 15oz can Westbrae Naturals mixed salad beans rinsed and drained (you could probably substitute some other beans if you wish)
1 5oz can tuna (I’m an albacore snob and like the low sodium ones as well)
Adobo seasoning to taste, or just salt and pepper to taste

put everything except for the seasoning in a large bowl and mix to combine evenly - taste and season accordingly.

Comes out to about 650 calories for the whole thing (you could share half of it for a mini meal) with 56g of protein!  Yum yum!   If you try it, please tell me if you enjoyed it.

Got asked last minute to participate in a promo video for Tim Shuman’s (RKC) upcoming fitness camp here locally - so yeah, going to get to try a new cool circuit style workout and help out by filling space in a video!   Hopefully they will edit/post it quickly on youtube so I can share it.  Its in the middle of the heat of the day (again) in sunny Florida, so I’ll be slathered with SPF70 yet again - trying to pick out what the heck to wear….   Hopefully my face won’t glow beet red the whole time… cross your fingers for me!     I’ve already packed a cooler for tomorrow - it was THAT hot last time - better safe with extra water/sportsdrink/fruit/etc. than sorry!

First off, its funny, but working out at this particular gym has resulted in workouts that are noticeably LESS INTENSE than what I do at home.   Though tonight should be the big pay off - I’m going to hold off on other exercises (other than a warm up) before doing the bench press - and hopefully come up with a new 1RM calculation.   I like working out with this particular couple of friends because they are not afraid to go a little heavy themselves, and are trusted spotters, they do tend to do a lot less stuff per session though - and well, I hate to say it, but I’m looking forward to getting back to my crazy kitchen-timer-dictated home kettlebell stuff….    in the spirit of fun and balance though, I added a power rack and adjustable weight bench to my Amazon Wishlist…. as if someone would ever surprise me with something like that….  oh well, I’ll buy one myself someday, when I have space for a "facility" of my own.

A friend of mine was laid off of work a few weeks ago and is still searching for a job - when she’s not furiously interviewing or trying to get an interview, she’s working on a novel and trying to keep up her spirits.   For now she’s my workout partner on some days - since there is a very nice park by her house with one of those fitness trails (yay chinup bar…) etc.    So we haul a bunch of workout stuff out there at least once a week.  Luckily, we are in Florida so we can do this this time of year without our hands freezing to the handles of the kettlebells…  This last time was extra fun though - I had just gotten the "Advanced Russian Kettlebell" DVD with Phil Ross and was itching to try out the Swing to open hand catch move that was NOT ABOUT TO HAPPEN in my condo on the 3rd floor… the neighbors like me and I want to keep it that way - I also don’t want to make big craters in the floor!   The swing to catch is WAY too much fun, btw - I tried it with one of the babies - the 8k just to make sure I had the right idea - then moved up to doing this with the 12k - which was a little easier since the bell part was larger and easier to catch.  I’m pretty sure I can do it with the 16 and will try that next time - if not, it can just fall to the ground safely, no big deal - not like at home…  Proud to say that I have officially moved up to doing multiple sets of 3 pistols/side with the 16k kettlebell - which is a big accomplishment to me at least…
I’m really proud of my friend though, she made some great progress with her Turkish Get Up (and I figured out a few new ways of explaining some of the movements to people…) and her general flexibility has improved a whole lot over the past few weeks - she can now squat a lot deeper for instance.

A funny thing, she went to find the water fountain and I somehow ended up doing cartwheels in the grass, just for the hell of it - and I have to say - it is the weirdest thing if you haven’t done them since childhood - part of your body remembers being smaller for a split second - so yeah, for all the big burly fitness talk I sometimes do, I end up doing cartwheels and jumping rope in the park.  Its good stuff though, and a little cardio fun between sets never hurt anybody…
I finally posted a couple new pictures!!   I need to take some at the park during one of our crazy times - you will be amused.

Hello there, Tendinous Inscriptions, its so nice to see you again, and just in time for my 32nd birthday next week - so good of you to show up for that. :)

I was thinking the other night, while re-watching Pitch Black for the 1,000th time of something VERY VERY silly: the fact that the Riddick Trilogy motivated me to do something (a few years ago and continuing to the present day)… and that is to train my upper traps.

I know… its not the most feminine thing in the world, but I think a defined neckline looks nice - on me at least, its probably not for everyone, and I’ve had to cut the neck binding off of a few band t-shirts so that they don’t get all tight and annoying, but these are small sacrifices…

What is something silly like that which has motivated you to train a particular muscle group, or adopt a new method of training/eating/etc. etc.???

But I’m still keeping up with the workouts - if not more so…. traded in some jogging (sooo boring) and elliptical (see jogging) training for a little cardio kettlebell circuit I came up with, I say little because I’m using "the small one" (12k or 26lbs) and the main goal is a whole lot of sweating and leg work (hince the pistols break) - I’ll do anything to get off those darned machines:

Do the circuit at least 3 times:

40 1 hand swings (10 then switch hands)

12 snatches on each side (24 total)
12 overhead lockout squats each hand  (24 total)

Pistols - 2 per side while holding kb.

30 Seated (well leaning back but keeping back straight) twists while holding kb

Figure 8 (30 counts, switch directions in middle)

150 turns of the jump rope

As long as you don’t rest too long between them, this gets the heart going!

I need to update my stats and pictures on this thing…. the tiniest hint of a 6-pack is showing in certain types of light, but I’m so pale I don’t know if it would show up for the camera!  Oh well :)

Yay for alternative fashion, where short, 31 year old people like me can actually be of use… well, I was wearing the patent leather version of these, so I think that makes me 5′8.5″ which is fun for an evening.  OK, enough about shoes…

Everybody together now:

Makeup - but after the show and in questionable air conditioning - normally I am not so very shiny.

On Stage, mid turn

Backstage, just before the “oh $#!#, is this shrug going to fit?!?!” moment. Thank goodness it was stretchy…

In other news, I got my CPR training/certification yesterday so I’m one step closer to sitting for the big test! :)

When I was a kid, I spent a lot of time in the backyard hanging from monkey bars, climbing trees, hanging on to trapese swings, climbing rope ladders, accidentally doing a lot of what essentially were wacky forms of chin ups.   Recently I’ve discovered that through some of my training I am getting close to what I as a tiny 60 lb kid used to be able to do.  Thats right, chinups.  Most adults can’t do them, especially women, which of course means that I am morally obligated to work on such things, because I’m wired that way.   About 6 months ago I could do 2, 3 on a good day, Monday I did 9.  Wednesday I managed to squeak out another one for an even 10.  After jumping up from the ground to grab the bar (been working on vertical jump as well - YAY PLYOMETRICS) - that was really funny because I wasn’t honestly expecting to be able to reach it, I jumped from a squat position and the next thing I knew the bar was in my hands and I was off the ground.  Crazy stuff!!!   Now I’m trying to remember what else I used to be able to do - I will say this though, when you’re a kid, skipping rope is waaaay easier than it is now - seriously, it seems like jumping rope will KILL YOU the first few times.