Making_A_Change’s BodyBlog

Last summer I bought this cute, a-line, black knit dress with roucheing at the hips in a medium. I didn’t try it on. The price was right and it was a nice basic peice. I got it home and it looked bad. I thought the roucheing would camaflouge my ‘problem areas’ but it didn’t. So, I put it on a hanger and forgot about it. This morning, I was looking for something to put on that I wouldn’t have to iron and I ran across the dress. On a whim I put it on and it looked great. It hit the right places and laid nicely. I was thrilled not to have to iron and to have another cute easy outfit to wear. But more than that, it was really nice to see yet another benefit of trying to take better care of myself.

the battle. I feel weak and sweaty–ew!!So that would make two missed workouts and one half-hearted one in the past three days. It also doesn’t help that it is really hot tonight. Upper and lower body is sore from previous workouts, so I feel pretty good about that. I’ll get to bed early tonight and HOPEFULLY I will be fine tomorrow and can do a good workout.

Well, I think my body is fighting a bug, again. The Little One is all crusty and snotty and she loves to love and be loved when she is under the weather. I had a GREAT run on Monday. I didn’t workout on Tuesday. I wasn’t sore, but I was extremely achy and stiff. But I figured that was from pushing myself the day before. Last night, I was sweating buckets and hot as heck!! I just kept tossing and turning. I kept insisting that the window needed to be opened and it was burning up; but Husband kept saying, it’s really not that hot! Maybe that was a pre-menapausal hot flash. I dragged my butt to the gym this morning and was not feeling it at all. I only managed to stay for 30 minutes, did 2 excercises and 3 sets for my shoulders, calves, and some ab work. And I yawned the whole time–that was really odd. I am used to the ups and downs, now. Some days you are on it, most days you get through it, and some days are just awful but you try and do something. I pushed myself has hard as I could. Today, I’ll make sure I am hydrated and see if I can hit the gym tonight. Otherwise, the gym will see me bright and early tomorrow. Yesterday, a co-worker called me "skinny". Of course, I am not going to the skinny-look my any means. But I did take that to mean that now others can see my progress–with clothes on. It’s nice to be able to just put my clothes on and not have to make the shirt gather a certain way, or wear a blazer even though it’s hecka hot. It’s nice to put on a nice knit shirt or jersey dress and go. I went to target and noticed ALOT of this summer’s fashion is knit. I saw alot of cute little skirts and dresses. For the last couple of years I strayed from knit, but not this summer. Guess that also means I need to invest in the proper undergarments. That’s kind of fun now, too.

At least that is how I felt last night. I ended working out late, at around 10 p.m. I determined not hte let the day end without me in the gym. I decided to give running a try and, man, did I run. I ran for 30 minutes straight at around 5.2 mph then, the kicker is, I sprinted at 7 mph. My goodness, I felt like a gazelle running through the brush…okay maybe not a gazelle, but I have never done that. I colled for for 15 minutes then attempted to pick up the pace again, but couldn’t do it. I felt to stiff and quite heavy. Now, I know I shouldn’t stop until I just can’t go anymore!!! But wow, it was great! Maybe my aerodynamics came from the s’mores.

 Tonight will be a calf, shoulder, and possible biceps day. My elbow has been sore, so I have been trying to lay off of it until it stops. I’ll throw in some squats at the end of my workout for good measure.

Today’s (6/10) WO was cut in half because I was running late this morning:

a.m.-wide grip row: 80#, 12, 12, 12; calf raise: 135#, 20, 20/165#, 20/225#, 16; lat pull down: 80#, 12, 12, 12; back extention: 10#, 12, 12, 12

p.m.-rotary upper machine NEW!-40#, 12/50# 8, 8; rotary lat machine NEW! 60# 12/70# 12, 12; lat pull down 80#, 12, 12,12/90#, 6; unilateral lat pull down: 40#, 8; abs: cable crunch 110#

 Well, I’m ovulating. I know this because I can’t stop thinking about sweets; hence the cheesecake the other day and several s’mores today. My goodness, who is the brilliant mind behind s’mores!?!?! Man, those things are delicious. Anyway, I think it is out of my system. Tonight, I am cooking chicken for tomorrow’s lunch and dinner. I felt really strong at the gym. My weights have increased on every machine. On lat pull downs I am up to 80-90lbs. and on leg extentions I can do 90-100 lbs. It is such a great feeling. I look in the mirrors and can flex a little, it is definitely not the body that I had before and that is really exciting to me! It makes me want to try harder. Over the past few weeks, I have been trying to see how far I can increase the weights and see where I can challange myself. I did calf raises @ 225# and did 16 repetitions! I never would have tought I could do that, but I did. I have also decided to apply the discipline that I have been putting forth in the health and fitness realm of my body to other areas, specifically the financial area. Can I make similar sacrifices? Do without? Make different choices. Of course I can. If I can go to the gym 6 days and week, surely I can stop spending, save more, etc. To some the comparison may be far off. But for me, the discipline aspect is the same. I am making better decisions in the present to make long term gains.

The family went out to dinner. Husband wanted waffles and I was looking forward to snarfing down some flaky, buttery goodness myself. But when we got to the restaurant at around 7 p.m., I couldn’t bring myself to have something that wouldn’t work for me. I ended up getting the chicken breast with mushrooms, sauteed stringbeans and carrots, and rice pilaf. I gave most of my rice to my daughter. I told him if we were early in the day I probably would have had some. The treat turned out to be a slice of cheesecake. I’ll have to hit the cardio hard tomorrow. But overall, I decided that I wanted some food that was going to work more in my favor, thus the chicken and veggies. After making out with my cheesecake, I feel good.

This afternoon I had a great leg workout:

10 min. warm-up (walking to the gym)

leg press: sets #1-2 70#, 20, 20; calf presses on press machine (70#, 20, 20)

bb deadlift: 60#, 15, 15, 15, 15; leg extension: sets #1-2/90#, 8,8, sets #3-4/105 8,12; 120#, 1

Cables with ankle cuffs (curcuit) 4 sets: glute kickback: 30#, 12; adbduction: 20#, ; adduction 20#, 12

seated leg curl: set #1/60#, 12; sets #2-3/70#8,6

full squats: 10#, 10, 10, 10

 My back is sore from yesterday’s workout even though I focused on triceps and chest. I love that, means that I got a two for one so to speak. I am really trying to kick it up a notch and se wht kind of improvements I make by the end of the June. I can’t believe that it’s summer. I remember when summer felt like FREEDOM! Being an adult suck sometimes. I still have to go to work, and pay bills, and clean, etc. etc. I am thankful that I don’t have to work on Saturdays anymore; that sucked!!! I have purchased a few dresses and skirts, now I just need some t-shirts, tank tops, and a a pair of sandals or two. Then I am ready. I went to bb.com in search of a new glute/leg routine. I found something I liked and modified it a bit. I had so much engergy today; I love workouts like that. I am dripping sweat and able to push myself. I find that it is helpful if I eat a little bit before my workout of leg days. On other days, I can get it done on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. I am finally one inch down in the hips! Finally! I seem to be holding alot of bodyfat in my midsection and I didn’t anticipate that; I thought that it would be more difficult to slim down my thighs. I have been pleasantly surprised my my led development. I just need to figure out what is going to get the middle going. Right now, the experiment is the weighted ab work.

Looks like tonight is going to be my cheat day. My husband has been craving waffles for weeks now; so we are going to go to a local diner and have waffles for dinner.

Tuesday’s WO: bicep and back (elbow is sore making curls more difficult on left arm)

Yesterday’s WO: 50 min. cardio on recumbant bike, 20 min. abs (weghted and unweighted)

Today’s workout: triceps and chest (incline chest press 15#db, 12, 12, 12; tricep kickback 8#, 15, 15, 15); (chest press 15#db, 12, 12, 12; tricep dips on bench), (cable chest press 30#12, 12, 12; 20# 12, 12, 12 set #2-3); single arm tricep pressdown (30# 12, 12, 12,); single arm underhand 20#, 12, 12, 12)

As I continue to workout and work towards my goals everyday, I think about where I was mentally when I began this blog in March. Among my goals, then, was to loose approximately 30 pounds and fit into a size 10. My goals were, I think, reasonable and practical. Frankly, I don’t think I would have cared about bodyfat as long as I reached that goal of a size 10. I had little vision about my actual body; but I thought alot about the clothes that I would put on it. Since then, I have begun to think beyond those goals; and I have developed a curiosity about what is it my body can truly become. I have been at the gym 6 times per week, eating 5-6 times per day, drinking protein shakes, taking a multivitamin and flaxseed oil (nasty stuff). I have been showing my body a level of commitment and care that I have never shown it. And it makes me think about the future. How much can I change my body? How much muscle can I put on? I have read magazines like M&F Hers and Oxygen for years and was always amazed by the physiques on the women; a body that I was sure than I would never attain. Then this site introduced to me a polethra of women–different builds and ages–who had a vision for their bodies and brought it to fruition. Health and fitness wasn’t a full-time job either, it is being pursued between jobs, with several children, managing chronic conditions, and others challenges. It made me realize that if I truly want to achieve my goals, I have to make time. It just became a simple matter, for me, of do or don’t do. Now that working out and eating well is  not a chore but a part of my routine, I can focus more on how I feel. I feel like I am getting to know my body is such a new way. I am amazed at how my body is responding to the weights and the eating. I get rewarded weekly with a new muscle, increased firmness, feeling more attractive, a new ability, etc. I feel like my body recipricates; everything that I give her she gives back tenfold. I am excited about what is to come in 3 months? 6 months? A year? Several years. It is an exciting notion…

Today is a no-gym day. I will be spending the day spring cleaning! Yeah! Seems like you get so caught up with everyday life that your living space gets dusty and cluttered. I am looking forwad to giving everything a good scrub down, organizing closets, sorting through clothes, etc. Then I am going to spend the latter part of my day grocery shopping and cooking. I’ll do a short cardio session tonight after the Little One goes to bed. Nothing new is going on the fitness front, with the exception of adding the ankle cuffs to my workout and trying to go a little heavier on some of my excercises. I also know I need to add more squats and lunges. They are not my favorite to do, but I get a nice soreness. I am finding that I am getting hungry later in the evening. I have been eating an egg, a shake, drinking water, or eating a piece of fruit. Is there someting else I should be doing?