Snarf99’s BodyBlog

Errgh, today was a blah day.  I so didn’t want to go running tonight.  I was supposed to run 3 miles.  I totally didn’t feel like it, so I made a deal with myself. I agreed to run 2 miles instead of 3.  So I walked the dog for a mile, ran 2, then walked the dog a little more. I am so glad I did it.  And actually, by the time I finished, I didn’t feel blah anymore. I felt more alert and happier.

I also told myself that after the run I’d get to write a blog post. That was my reward. I get to write about how I went running when I really didn’t want to.  Hey, that’s a major accomplishment. In the past, I would have said the hell with it.

So yesterday I was doing my usual Tuesday routine, one arm rows, pullovers, arm side raises, tricep extensions, and bicep curls . . . and I felt like adding something. I added some upright rows and some back hyperextensions. And MAN, am I sore today!  It’s amazing, the parts of me that already know the old routine, they’re fine. Even when I increase the weights, I only get a little sore. But the parts of me that felt the new exercises were in for a major surprise apparently. My back muscles are SORE. I can tell exactly which muscle groups those two movements targeted.  So that’s neat.

I have to figure out what "traps" are. (Because I suspect that’s one of the things that’s sore). I’m going to google it right now.

It could be my imagination, but I think I saw a faint ripple of definition on my shoulder today that I had never noticed before.  How Awesome!

And the other day in the shower, I noticed some muscle near my arm pit that I had never felt before.  Whoa!

Today has been a good day so far.  I managed to cook up a large acorn squash that I bought last night. I wasn’t sure how to cook it, but I did what my mom told me. I put it in the microwave for about 15 minutes. Half way, I took it out and cut it in half so it wouldn’t explode. As it cooks, it softens, and then it’s easy to cut it.  I wouldn’t want to hack at a fresh squash with a knife like I have done in the past. This is much easier.  When it seemed to be fully cooked, I scooped its contents out and put them in a plastic container. Ready for the next several meals.  I will eat it with meat or some other source of protein.

By tomorrow, I will figure out how to cook sweet potatoes.

While I’m on the topic of food, I am going to share some meals that have been working really well for me lately.

green apple and almonds

green apple and low-fat muenster cheese

cottage cheese along with a sugarless apple cake that I made out of lots of cubed fresh apples and cake batter (flour, butter, 2 eggs, baking powder).

sauteed yellow squash with romano cheese and small sourdough roll

slow-cooker beef with cooked vegetables (I give the broth to my dog. She loves it!)

fresh baked salmon and salad

Quiche made of cottage cheese, mozarella, and eggs with mushroom inside and red onions on top and fresh challah bread.

turkey burgers and fresh squash or sweet potatoes

roast beef in a sandwich with a green bell pepper or a cucumber or tomatoes or all of the above

quiche with rice and cooked zucchini

large tomato stuffed with rice and zucchini

vegetable soup

cheese lasagna (moderate amount) with salad and garlic bread

everything bagel with a slice of provolone, a slice of American, cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, and red onions

7-grain oatmeal cereal with flax seed oil and half a piece of fruit or an orange

seafood with brocolli in a nice sauce that comes in the package with the frozen brocolli. I don’t know how to make the sauce and I wouldn’t eat this kind of meal too often, because god knows what is in that sauce.

protein shake

lean beef burgers in half the bread with fresh tomato, ketchup, and relish and mushrooms on the side.

What do you think of these meal ideas?  Am I on the right track?  If you have any meal ideas to share, I would love the input!

I have been learning so much lately.  I am becoming aware of some myths I had been holding onto. For example, I had this funny idea that I could plan for a weekend of working out, where I would do obstacle courses, run, swim, rockclimb, all in one day.  Now I realize how quickly I become fatigued when I work out, and how unrealistic this exercise spa fantasy really is. It actually takes a lot of work just to get in shape enough to work out adequately.

It’s not like I can wake up one morning after years of moderately sedentary behavior and just start working out vigorously. Apparently, it requires some building up.  The same goes for running. I had this fantasy once, when I was out of shape. I told myself that anytime I wanted to I could just start running 10 miles every day and then I’d be in shape.  How funny that I even thought this. Seriously, the things we tell ourselves! It’s taken me over a month to get in shape enough to run five miles slowly.

I look forward to a time when I am strong enough to work out more intensely and run faster for longer. I especially look forward to a time when running feels good, like flying. And I can’t wait for lifting to feel invigorating. I have gained some strength in the last 5 weeks, and lifting is more enjoyable than it was initially. But I’m not there yet.  

I am so impatient. I check my muscles for growth every few hours. I know I should not expect much after only 5 weeks.  I need to settle in for the long haul.  I still have a hard time believing that I can keep this up, and that’s part of the reason that I want results Right Now, because who knows how much longer I will stay consistent.  Okay, gotta stay positive.

My eating is changing. I am gravitating toward six small, high protein, low carb meals a day. And I’m staying away from high sugar and caffeine, mostly because I’m aware of how bad they make me feel.  This is so weird.  I’ve never eaten this clean before. Wonder how long that will last.  I WANT it to last, but it never has before, and I’m afraid once I get busier, this is the first thing that will go.

So here’s the lowdown. I bought a body composition scale today. YIKES! This is the beginning of Week 6 of my weight training, and now I have some baseline figures.  

Okay, here they are. (Creeporama)

My body fat is at 30.4%.  This was a shocker. I had no idea it was so high.  
My muscle mass is at 34.9%.  I guess that’s good. I don’t know how I compare to other 33 yr old females. At least I have more muscle than fat. That’s encouraging.
My weight in pounds is 159.2.  
My bone mass is 3.3% which is apparently really good according to the reference charts.
My body water is at 50.1%.  I need to drink more water.

The scale recommended a daily calorie intake of 2757.  That seems really high to me. I doubt I eat that much. Yet I’m not dropping any weight.  But I am making a lot of changes these days, both in diet and exercise. So we have nothing to do but wait and see. I will check my stats again in one month.

I am getting stronger.  I am now curling 20 lb dumbells and pressing 85 lbs unassisted.  I can take 35 lb dumbells and do 12 reps of dumbell bench presses with those.

Monday - ran 4 miles
Tuesday - doubled up and did Sun/Tues weights
Wed - ran 3 miles
Thurs - ran 3 miles
Friday - circuit weights
Saturday - 5 miles

On Saturday morning, Elia and I met with our friend J and her friend M and we ran 5 miles for the first time.  We did it by running 8 minutes and walking 2 minutes, and continued to alternate run/walk until we were done. We also stopped for water and for stretching.  All told the 5 miles took us about 70 minutes due to all the walking and the stretch break.  But it was an enjoyable run and that’s what counts. It was E’s first time ever running 5 miles.

I have to admit that the reason I am able to stick to my program so well these days, besides using a self-hypnosis CD to inspire motivation, is that I don’t currently have a job. I finished my graduate internship three weeks ago, and ever since then, I have been juggling working out with my job search and a few classes.

Because I don’t have to get to work by 9am any more, I have the freedom to sleep in and then work out. Or I can work out late in the evening, when it’s cool outside, because I’m not exhausted from a day of work.

I expect that Getting A Job is going to be a major setback. Or let’s say challenge. Obstacle. I mean, look, there’s a very good chance I’m going to be doing 4 ten-hour shifts a week. So let’s say I have to be at work by 10am and I’m done at 9pm.  Okay. I get home at 9:30pm exhausted as usual. I do a few chores. Bam, it’s 11:30pm. I go to bed.  I’m going to want to sleep a full 8 hours. So the earliest I’ll get up is 7:30am.  I have two hours. It takes me an hour to get ready for work, including the packing of the lunch. That leaves one hour for the workout, which is enough time. But dude, what about hobbies, calling friends, updating this blog, washing the dishes, etc.? I guess all that other stuff that makes up a life has to happen on the three days I’ll have off.  Is anybody feeling me?  I think it is INCREDIBLY difficult to stay on task with a workout program when you spend 40+ hours at work. How do you working people deal with it?

I think I will join 24 Hour Fitness, so at least I’ll have flexibility when it comes to workout times.

I’m not so excited about the fact that anyone who sees my profile gets to see me standing in my skivies. But initially I really wanted to see exactly how I looked. I didn’t want anything to be covered or hidden by clothing. The next round of photos I think I’ll do what most of the guys do on this site, which is to focus on the upper body and wear shorts. The women always show it all, and the men show it from the waist up. What’s up with that?

Today, I ran 3 miles during the warmer part of the day. Man, the heat makes a big difference in how well I run.  The other night I ran long after sunset, and I was making good time and felt like I could run even 5 miles.  Weight lifting has been going well, too.  I am on Week Five of my program, and I haven’t missed many workouts at all. This is the best I’ve ever done.

I’m using Strength for Life as a guide. I do my upper body push exercises on Sunday, upper body pull on Tuesday, and a circuit on Friday.  I am not doing legs right now, because I am running four days a week.  The last time I lifted legs, my legs were cement the following Saturday, and it was a painful long run.  If I wasn’t training for a half-marathon, then I would lift legs.

I wonder if I will gain any muscle with all the cardio I am doing. I have a lot of fat to burn around my middle, so I don’t plan on focusing on bulking up anytime soon. But I do want to build muscle and lean mass — is that possible to do while running four days a week?

I have been debating a lot about my diet, too.  I would like to lose fat, however I don’t think it makes sense to avoid carbs when I’m running regularly. How much should I limit my carbs? How much protein should I aim for?  I’ve been reading other people’s blogs, trying to get some ideas about what to eat. Today, I bought sliced bread, cottage cheese, sliced turkey, sliced roast beef, and cheese. I also got a 3 lb brisket which is currently simmering on the stove with a lot of vegetables. I am planning on making a low carb lasagna with broccoli and mushrooms next.

I think I might try to cycle my carbs. Maybe I could eat medium carbs on the days I run, and low carb / high protein on the days I lift.

Here’s another debate I’ve been having. A couple of years ago I went to see a nutritionist. I asked for help with losing weight. She taught me to focus on loving myself just as I am, which I think is a really important lesson, and one I am grateful for as I continue to strive for consistent self-acceptance. So how do you love yourself as you are and yet strive to change your body?  It seems like a paradox.  My nutritionist was not at all interested in food restriction. She helped me recall that every time I restrict, I end up feeling deprived and want to binge. Restriction does not work for me. Instead, I have to think about replacement. Replace nutrient-poor food choices with nutrient-rich food choices. And of course, leave some room for dessert.

Writing about this has helped me gain some clarity. I love my body the way it is, and that’s part of the reason I go to the gym, because I want to give my body the attention it deserves, so that it gets stronger and stays strong my whole life.  And I don’t restrict my diet, I re-design it, replacing certain food with other foods depending on what I think my body needs most.

Hhm. That’s good. Writing is such an amazing process. I often get the answers I need. Hey, it’s easy to fall into negative thoughts when I’m so focused on how I’d like my body to look. I have to remind myself every day to think positively and to thank God for the marvelous body I already have. I love this body just the way it is, and I’m going to keep giving it the attention it deserves.

Another good week.  

Sun - lifted
Mon - ran
Wed - ran 3 miles on treadmill and lifted
Thurs - ran
Friday - lifted  

On Tues, usually a weights day, I went in for acupuncture. I decided it was better to rest afterwards than to lift. I had to restore my Chi.  On Wed, I was in the gym about 2 hours, including lunch and hanging out with my friend W.  On Friday, I went to the gym again, and I did three circuits instead of two, for the first time.

Accomplishment of the week: Wed, I ran 3 miles with no break, not even to stretch, in just under 34 minutes, at 11 min/mile pace.

This Saturday (today), I did not do my long run.  I took an exam this morning, and have been taking it easy and resting since then.  I will pick it up again tomorrow.

Okay, one more entry and then I’ll quit for tonight.

I’ve always wanted to get strong.  Okay, I’ll come out and say it, ever since I was a young girl, I wanted big muscles. Is that weird?  Maybe so. But that is what my 14 year old self wanted more than most things, biceps, a wide developed chest, lats, pecs, and a small waistline. I wanted to look like a superhero.

Needless to say, that’s never happened.

Right now, I am 33, and I am realizing that life goes by very quickly. If you’ve got a dream, this is the time to chase it. The time is now.  Of course, I can be realistic — I’m not going to look like the Hulk. I know that.  But I do want to find out just how strong can I get, how lean, and how good can I feel.  I want to give myself that gift. To get as good as I can get.  

Right now, since I am doing a lot of running, I guess I can’t expect too much strength gain or gain in size. I don’t mind. I need to cut fat. That’s more important right now. And I am getting stronger. Already, I am curling with 20 lb dumbells, when 15’s used to be a challenge just a month ago.  The most important thing right now is to develop good habits. Consistency, good eating habits, and the motivation to train with intensity.  Everything else will fall into place.

I also lift weights. I lift weights on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday, and I run the rest of the days. No rest day for the Snarf.  That’s just how it has to be right now.

Let me tell you, I haven’t always been a consistent exerciser.  In fact, I have only managed to stay consistent for three weeks and four days.  Yes, I am on Week 4 of the first time in my life that I have ever been consistent about lifting weights and running.  Now, if I can just clean up my diet . . . that’s the next phase, which started today.  Today I started to eat lean. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes.  I have to admit I was most inspired by MQuang’s blog and pics. Wow. You are amazing, MQuang. And double wow for FitJeff. You seem like a neat guy. So, clean eating it is.

Besides your wonderful blogs that I have been reading for months now, my other motivation is . . . Self-Hypnosis.  I got a self-hypnosis CD on Amazon, and I love it.  It puts me into a trance, aka something indistinguishable from a nice restful sleep, and suddenly I find that I am no longer being a whiny baby when it comes to doing my workouts.  It’s not like every day it’s a piece of cake, but for four weeks I’ve been doing it instead of making excuses.  My mind gives a lot less time to the old debate "should I get up or sleep in" - which is what used to get me in the past.  If you haven’t tried self-hypnosis, try it out. It’s a beautiful thing.