Making_A_Change’s BodyBlog

This morning I worked biceps and triceps. The elbow is still bothering me, darn it. But I am learning to adjust. I can do curls with a 20 bb and short pulses with the cables. Kickbacks aggravate my elbow a little bit, but working on the cables are fine. My workout was short and sweet. My eating was horrible today. Started with a few cookies and a sliver of apple pie this afternoon from the teacher’s table. I had my food, I just wanted something sweet. Today was a weak day, tomorrow will be better I will not give into the Carb/Cookie table; I am so close to my initial goals! I did get 1/2 a gallon of water down, though. Not the greatest, but better than I have been doing. When life picks up the pace it becomes more difficult to really stick to the plan, but I’m determined to fiure out how to make it work. I think tomorrow I am going to try to run for 4.5 miles and then do some abs.

This morning I worked biceps and triceps. The elbow is still bothering me, darn it. But I am learning to adjust. I can do curls with a 20 bb and short pulses with the cables. Kickbacks aggravate my elbow a little bit, but working on the cables are fine. My workout was short and sweet. My eating was horrible today. Started with a few cookies and a sliver of apple pie this afternoon from the teacher’s table. I had my food, I just wanted something sweet. Today was a weak day, tomorrow will be better I will not give into the Carb/Cookie table; I am so close to my initial goals! I did get 1/2 a gallon of water down, though. Not the greatest, but better than I have been doing. When life picks up the pace it becomes more difficult to really stick to the plan, but I’m determined to fiure out how to make it work. I think tomorrow I am going to try to run for 4.5 miles and then do some abs.

I got in another leg day and I was very, very pleased with it. Once again I snoozed several times before I got up. I’ve got to stop doing that. I walked for 10 minutes on the treadmill to warm-up, then:

twist walking lunges with 10 pound plate: 3 passes across the aerobic studio, 2 passes (w/ alt front/side raises); 2 passes with 10# plate; laying ham curls with ball:15, 20, 25

leg press: 90# 10, 10, 10; calf raises: 20, 20, 20

leg extensions:105#/10, 12; 45#/38; dead lift 50#/15,15,15

seated calves: 45#/ 20, 16, 16 (love these!)

full squats: 10#, 10

I just realized that I if I lose 5 more pounds that will: (1) put me in the 160’s which is pretty exciting and (2) put me at the halfway point of reaching my  initial goal weight of 150! My weight has been fluctuating from around 173-172 for the past few weeks so I have been changing up a few things in my workouts and I am trying whey protein. That realization, I think is going to keep me a bit more focused. I have been fighting cravings because of my lady time. So, I have taken in a few more carbs, in the forms of breads and cereals, that I would like.

I had such a hard time getting up this morning. I didn’t get to the gym until 5:40; I like to be there at around 5-5:10 a.m. This gave me around 40 minutes. I decided to do cardio and figured the stepmill would give me a workout in a short amount of time. And at least I wouldn’t feel like I wasted my time. I was on for 30 and stretched for around 10–I need to stretch more at some point today. I got plenty of sleep, I was just lazy and didn’t want to get up. But I knew I would have been more annoyed if I would have had to go to the gym tonight. Overall, I feel really good. I was doing shoulers yesterday and they look really good. I can’t wait to see what the end of the summer brings. I have been better about drinking water the past couple of days. I purchased some Cookies ‘n’ Cream Whey Protein powder. It’s okay. Would probably taste better with an actually oreo in it. It’s not digusting, it’s just drinkable. My BSN Banana Nut Bread is still the winner in my book.

There are several things happening, right now. While I am still in the same clothes (but looking better in them) there are a few really promising things happening. First, I can’t keep my glasses on my face. Everytime I look down or turn my head too fast my glasses come flying off. My face is finally slimming down. I wear glasses all day, everyday, I can’t function without them. While this is exciting, it’s also a nuisance and expensive. Also, I noticed that my bras were fitting horribly. On my last run, my size L sports bra was slipping off of my shoulders, not staying put under my chest,  and not holding my mp3 player (that’s were I stick it; I broke the hook that allows it to be worn with the arm band).  Well, I have been wearing and buying my post-nursing size, a large B-cup-medium C-cup (depending on the brand and style) and never bothered to change. While at target I decided to get some bras that fit–I am an A-cup, now. I don’t mind the shrinkage, I would like some of my volume back. I’ve been doing chest presses, incline presses, and cable presses. I would like to do more push-ups, but it hurts my elbow. I will say that, my new bras are quite comfy and I am sure they will hold my mp3 player.

I woke up about 10 minutes before the alarm went off, but went back to sleep for 10 minutes. I got up and did back, delts, and abs today. My legs are still a bit stiff, but they should be good by Thursday. I figured Sunday and Thursdays can be leg days; with Thursdays being the day that I focus on lunges squats. My elbow is still bothering me, so I still have to adapt alot of my workout. I didn’t realize how much it was connected to everything. When doing db rows I was killing it with the 20 pound dbs on the right side, but really had to take it slow on the left. I could have done so much more, but I have to make sure eveything to balanced. And so, I guess I wait some more. I have been icing it at night and taking glucosomine. I also did the ab workout on iNatalia’s blog. It’s no joke. I love the seated v-sits. I was surpised that I could do them. I am now up to 25 reps for handing knee raises. As soon as this bodyfat goes down, there may actually be something there. I am definitely stronger–love it. I ran out of time and didn’t get around to doing my full hack squats. I may do full squats tonight with my 8 lb. db, but there is something about being at the gym. I am just more focused and work hard.

I ran around the lake (3 miles) in under thirty minutes! I felt really good, I got a bit tired, but way later into the run than usual. I could tell from the very beginning that it was going to be a good. I had a protein shake a few hours before and was going to eat dinner, but decided to run first. That way I wouldn’t have to wait several hours for my workout to feel comfortable. I am glad I did. I came home ate a chicken breast and some brocolli. And I am going to have a shake before bed. I have ordered some whey protein and I am going to add that to my regime. I am going to change small things and see if it makes a difference for me. My legs were a bit sore, but the run warmed them up and allowed me to get a good stretch in. My daughter also helped me stretch my hamstrings today; it was like she was my little trainer. Tomorrow morning is back and biceps, and I a going to add some full squats at the end. My hamstrings, inner thighs, and calves are sore; but my glutes and quads aren’t. Seems like lunges and squats are what get them best.

This was the first day back after a four day ‘haitus’ and it felt so good! I did legs today, and it was nice to actually feel the muscles that I was working and get a good sweat going. I was even able to do almost four sets of leg extensions. Today I did: 

Leg press with calf presses (45#) 20 sets for presses/25 sets for calves; legs extensions (drop sets) 105#, 90#, 75#/10,15,20, 15; deadlifts (40#, 15, 15, 15, 15); hamstring curl (60#) 10, 10, 10; unfortunately the seated ham curl machine was out of order, I really like that one; seated abduction (75#, 20, 20, 20); seated calf raise (45#, 20, 20, 20)-really burned; full hack squats (no weight) 5, 5, 5-these feel good, but I felt wobbley. I think I just need practice; hanging ab raises 2×20, crunches (center, L,R) 2, 20; leg lifts on bench 3×15. 

 The rest time was absolutely worth it, but it was hard to stay out of the gym. My biggest fear was losing the abilities and stamina that I have built up over the last few months. But I really came back refreshed. I have to remember to institute some ‘active breaks’ very 4-6 weeks or so; maybe 4-7 days. 

So, I have been out of the gym since the 3rd. I have come to a new challenge with my body. I have talked to some of my BodySpace friends and I appear to be exhibiting  alot of the signs of one of two things (1)overtraining: lack of motivation (which I worked through but it was a struggle), loss of muscle tone (over the course of the last few weeks my firmness has all but disappeared, and not being sore after many of the workouts I have had. Do I need more protein? (2) It is also possible that my body fat has decreased and my skin has yet to catch up. I wish that there was a way to know exactly what was happening so I can just fix it! So, this is Day 3 or my time off and the first time in this ‘journey’ where I am going to have to reevaluate what I am doing and try something a new. Do I need to increase my calories? Do I need more carbs? I am finding that I am alot less focused and disciplined away from my routine. I have grown accustomed to my 1 1/2 hour workouts, and I ate to fuel those workouts. In the past three days, I have had ice cream and brownies. Those days have also included my birthday and a ‘holiday’ so that didn’t help either. Okay, maybe they were pity snacks because I am a tad frustrated.

We are currently moving and cleaning the new school that we are opening in the fall and that has allowed me to be physical outside of the gym with all of the lifting and everything., But I think that come Saturday morning–oh-wee–it’s on! I am to look at this as a learning experience, though. All of the phsyiques on this site that I admire come from people trying new things, being congizant of their bodies, and making adjustments as they go. Of the regular blogs that I read, noone has been doing the same routine or eating the same thing over a long period of time. Some people what to add size, change the shape of their body, or get leaner and all of that requires change. So, while I am dissapointed that I am not shrinking as drastically as before; as I write this I am becoming excited that I may be on the cusps of change. The challenge, then, becomes being patient with myself, continuing the good habits that I have developed, and moving forward. It becomes so easy to expect adn demand your body to do these amazing things within weeks or months and forget that you have neglected it over a long period of time, and that there are things going on within your body that you aren’t aware of.

 Geesh, got that off my chest…moving on….

The last couple of days have consisted of a leg workout, arms/shoulders, a cardio and strength session (in one day), and I worked my back today. My calves are still sore, this is great! I have been increasing the weight and typically do alot of reps, but they are rarely sore. I did 5 sets on the seated calf press with a 45 lb. plate and moved really slow and tried to squeeze at the top. I also did one legged calf raises with a 20 lb. dumbell and that burned! I do full squats holding plates. I can’t do them with a barbell on my shoulders, it really puts me off balance. But I’m working on it. Eating has been good, I just haven’t been able to do my fitday log. In someways it is a relief not to log everything, but I also was to know exactly what I am taking in and be able to pinpoint what’s working. For now, the scale is going down and I continue to feel stronger so I know I am doing something right. I wrote in my last blog that I am now at 173. (1) I am going to make it to the 160’s by the end of the month and (s)take an inch off my waist. Those are short-term goals that I think I can meet. I just realized that I need to go grocery shopping. I guess I’ll stop by the store before work in the morning. I just need some fruit for my cottage cheese and some salmon for my salad.