Steph’s Space

Howdy all! Everyone enjoying the fine May weather?? (I love spring, it’s such a beautiful and exciting time of year as the weather warms up and we all start thinking about summer fun!) A coworker of mine rushed into the office last week and rhymed, "hey hey, it’s the first of May- outdoor screwing starts today!"  Crude, but hilarious none the less!

I’ve cleaned up my diet in a big way in the last two weeks and I’m loving the results:

I snapped these photos this morning- I just got home from the boyfriend’s and am about to hit the shower, but see the shorts I’m wearing? Last night was the first time I’ve worn shorts in two years !  I felt self-conscious and naked all night, but it was still sweet triumph none the less. I’m down to 151lbs now and feeling pretty awesome!! I’d like to get down to 145lbs this summer, and maintain from there.

Exercise is still the same, (starting to get bored with cardio though, gonna have to switch it up soon.) I’ve added a fitness class with a coworker once a week- I’m not wild about group classes, I prefer to work out alone and focused vs. social and instructed, but I’m doing it for her, and it’s still pretty fun- one of the classes we took was pole dancing!  Ladies, let me tell you- those strippers have to be in FANTASTIC shape to do what they do! That pole beat me up!
 

Sorry I haven’t posted in two weeks, I’ve been extremely busy! Thank you for all your updates and pokes to get my ass back on here!!  How is everyone doing? Hope you’ve all been working hard this winter, because spring is here and those layers of clothes are coming off! 

Well, yesterday was April 25th- my goal date. I said I wanted to weigh 145lbs, and…well, I’m 155lbs, which means I only dropped 10lbs, but I’ve lost a lot of inches, so I am closer to my goal than what that rotten stinking liar, The Scale, says.

APRIL 2007 (ONE YEAR AGO) 

I’m noticing changes and feeling great this week; while I have a lot of work left to do, I am finally in a body I feel more comfortable in, and that helps in the motivation dept!  April 25th is a mere two weeks away, and I am within reach of my goals, very exciting. I will sit down soon and map out what I want to do with my body/training this summer.  I’m already trying new things; a co-worker and I have signed up for a fitness studio (offering classes ranging from pole-dancing to yoga, to kickboxing)  and my boyfriend and I are joining a boxing club together! (Yay! A new venture, and another thing to add to my resume!! Let’s see…I’ve been a model, a reporter, a plumber, a bodybuilder…and now a boxer!)

I do have to admit…I’ve taken up a bad habit again…damnit, I’ve started drinking Diet Ginger Ale…I just love my aspartame-laced, sodium-filled diet drinks   I have a notorious sweet tooth! I had successfully kicked the Coke Zero habit about a month ago, but then a week of tummy aches had be reaching for the Diet Canada Dry, and now…cravings!

Here are the photos for today- I’ll try to use the same bikini every time, but it’s getting a bit big, so…well there’s a mole on my chest, and I always wear that necklace that my boyfriend gave me for Christmas, so I guess that’s how you’ll know it’s me!

 Zee Front:

Zee side:

I’m REALLY happy with my shoulders right now:

Biceperoos:

I have stayed true to my last post and increased my weight training in both intensity and frequency. I have only shaved off 5 minutes from each of my cardio sessions, and I’m pretty fatigued, so I will have to negotiate that, and be careful not to overtrain. 

I hadn’t weighed myself for about a month- I think I was 153lbs last time, so I was terribly shocked/upset when I tipped the scales at 160lbs! (I re-weighed myself for a few days in a row, desperately hoping I was holding water or something, haha. Pathetic.)   However, I’ve recieved many compliments from friends and family on my physique, and my pants are so loose that I have to go buy new ones this weekend (showing buttcrack at work is none too professional.) sooo…it’s 7lbs of muscle, I hope…I am three pounds HEAVIER than when I started, but this was me at 157lbs:

Even I, with my body dysmorphic little mind can see there is a difference, so I’m not going to sweat the numbers. It’s a silly girl thing that we’re trained to do since birth- everyone has a NUMBER. 

No other news, really. Just hard work!

I thought I was going to have a terrible workout today- I’d been awake since 4:00am, unable to sleep because I caught the dreaded "Office Cold"; a small tickle that turned into a barking cough overnight…not good news for someone on a cut. I realized quickly that I could not do cardio with a runny nose and a cough, so I had to adapt to my situation and come up with some creative solutions, which turned out to be pretty hilarious- the sleep deprivation and feeling poorly had my motivation at zero: I tried music: no.  Turned on a movie: no.  I ended up doing cardio with scented candles burning on the table!! Don’t ask me why, but I found it comforting!  As for cardio itself- I cranked up the resistence almost as high as it would go, and used the Elliptical as if it were a Stairmaster!  I figured a slower pace so I could breathe, with higher resistence for the cardio component, as well as getting a good quad burn going!

I also figured I’d be able to keep it up for 20, 30 minutes, max.  I ended up lasting 50 minutes, and here’s my advice to you: instead of saying "I can’t do this, this sucks, it’s horrible, I wanna go back to bed",  say, "I did it!"  Surprise yourself- it’ll definately help you the next time(s) you’re having one of those days where you just don’t want to work out.

Since candles were more soothing than music or television, I had a good 50 minutes to think; to think about adapting to situations/obstacles, and about adaptation itself; I realized that my body responds better to weight training than it does to cardio, yet I cling to cardio like a life preserver (most likely because that is how I lost 80lbs in the first place!)  With one month to go to my goal, and some seriously lagging body parts, it would be wise for me to start focusing more on weights; I’m just afraid to make that leap, terrified that knocking off some cardio time will result in weight gain, which is foolish- was I not just preaching about surprising oneself? LOL

 As it stands now, I do 55 minutes of cardio, 5-6 days a week, and 30 minutes of weight training, 4 days a week.  I think I will cut cardio down to 30-40 minutes, and increase weight training to 45-60 minutes, and see what that does. If I don’t reach my goal by April 25th, then oh well, at least I tried, and I can go back to what I’m doing now, and reach my goal by the end of May instead, but I have the feeling that I will be successful.  Every BODY is different, everyone responds to training methods uniquely, and if I already KNOW my body responds more quickly to weight training, why am I wasting my time doing what the magazines all say I "should" be doing for exercise?  Silly cardio rabbit!

I just moved into a new space (basement apt…very weird to live without natural sunlight! I find it disorienting to go outside and it’s sunny and 2pm, when it feels like eternal 7pm in my room, haha.)  And BOY!  Lugging furniture and boxes down two flights of stairs for six hours is a great workout!  I had a couple of guys move the heaviest stuff, but a lot of it I did on my own- bookcases, my bed, etc. Storing my treadmill in a storage closet was TOUGH WORK- it’s a 300lb treadmill and I had a 2" clearance through the storage closet door, and again, doing it on my own…there was a lot of grunting and terrible language, but by gum! I sure felt accomplished once it was in!

Anyways, I apologize for the extreme closeups and brightness, but I only have a digital camera and my laptop hooked up right now.  I haven’t made much progress these last couple of weeks, and it’s my own fault- the medication side effects were BRUTAL- I was so dizzy, drowsy and nauseous, and while I *did* fulfill my promise to myself not to let feeling sick interfere with my training,  I totally slacked on my diet for the past two weeks. (Well, not complete failure: I wasn’t eating burgers and chocolate wrapped in bacon, but I was having 3 cups of broccoli instead of one, and eating at maintenence instead of cutting calories.)   I feel even worse because the medication causes constipation and bloating (too much information, sorry!)   so I’m uncomfortable and feel like I’ve gained weight, even though I haven’t.  FORTUNATELY, the side effects seem to be subsiding, and I have actually felt HUMAN for the past five days!   I’m cautiously optimistic that the worst is over, so now I will be cracking the whip and implementing some DISCIPLINE!   I have just over one month left to go, and 8lbs left to lose, so now is not the time to be fooling around.

 Flexed and unflexed:

Arms:

Side View:

People in my personal life are starting to notice that I’ve made some changes, and I’ve had a lot of  questions about dieting and food choices. I get quite frustrated, because they ask for my advice, and then whine that it’s too hard, or they don’t want to give up their crap. It is absolutely SHOCKING what people consider healthy- both a friend of my boyfriend as well as a coworker asked if they could still have melted cheese or margerine on their green beans because, “well it’s healthier than butter!” 
Everyone agrees that they LOVE oatmeal for breakfast, but then I learn that they’re either eating the packaged flavoured kind OR they’re eating the plain stuff but dumping spoonfuls of sugar into it!

At work, the girls love to play this game, where they list off three of their favourite snack choices, and ask me which one is the best/healthiest choices. I swear to you on my LIFE, I’ve been asked this question twice:

“So here are my options for lunch today, and I know they’re bad for you, but which one would you say is better for me? Pizza or fish and chips?”   

I’m just like…I can’t help you. I can’t even REMEMBER the last time I had steak, white rice or chicken fingers! If you do not want to give up mayonnaise, butter, cream, and white bread (one of my coworkers’ favourite dinner is pasta and rice TOGETHER!) you’re on your own. I provide suggestions and alternatives, and I just get attitude.  It’s so frustrating!

I have had one success story, though- a friend’s Mom asked me to help her, and she’s actually recording all her calories, and sticking to her allotted 1800-1900 calories a day, and lost 4 lbs already!

Anyways, I hope to be back in a couple weeks with some better results  Lord knows moving bookcases, beds, and boxes down two flights of stairs for six hours was a great workout 
 
 

Hey all!

 Thanks for all the training tips and check-ups!    Don’t you worry, just because I don’t get on here every day doesn’t mean I’m slacking off- I’ve been working my little booty off all week!  I am in the process of moving all my belongings two floors below, so I’m getting some extra cardio hauling all those boxes up/down two flights of stairs! Phew!  I realized with mounting horror that today was a really bad day to do legs, since tonight is the night that the junk truck comes to take away all my old couches and unneeded items…that means ol’ Jelly Legs Steph has to carry the heaviest pieces of furniture down two flights of stairs tonight, hee hee!

 I will post progress pics sometime next week, when I’m all settled in my new digs. Sadly, I’m selling my treadmill and bike to make room. The elliptical and freeweights will all stay though.

I have recieved so many messages lately, both here on Bodybuilding.com and from acquaintances in my real life, asking for my help, and pouring out their own stories and struggles. I feel so frustrated and so heartbroken for them- some cannot find the initial drive to get started, too overwhelmed by their own failures, or by the amount of work they have ahead of them. I know what that feels like, and I want to help so much, but motivation seems to be a highly personal and customizable condition.  I can lay out the diet plan, from macros and caloric intake estimations to exact recipies- I can recommend articles and strategies, and I can show them how to do certain exercises; in short, I can give them the tools they need, but they have to find the passion, the drive to try new things and stop relying on destructive patterns that only provide short-term pleasure. I only know what has worked for me, but you have to discover what drives YOU. It should be a joy, and adventure, but too many of us fear change, or simply feel defeated before we even begin.

My main obstacle is self-esteem, motivation has never been a problem for me. If you want something badly enough, you will not stop until you get it. If you’re not willing to do whatever it takes, then you don’t really want it. It’s not supposed to be easy!  If it is handed to you- if you magically wake up with a six-pack, are you truly going to appreciate it, or are you going to continue to eat that donut for breakfast because, meh, you’ve already got the six pack, so you can "get away with it" ?  If it is handed to you, then where is your motivation to keep going? Where does the opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and test your limits come from after that?

I am not writing this out of annoyance; in my head, I am divided between trying to understand motivation, and feeling helpless for all the lovely people who are brave enough to admit their most personal failures to me. I do wish I could help them, if only to give them that feeling- and every bodybuilder knows what feeling I’m talking about- is it passion? I’m not sure, I’ve never been good at communicating my feelings.  I suppose there are no answers, I can only continue to help as much as I can, sharing the benefits of my experience, successes, and failures, and hoping that others can pick up one or two of those tidbits they relate to, and can use them on their journey. I am not a super power, I cannot magically solve their problems, however much I wish I could.   I can only share what I’ve learned, and the rest is up to you. Cliched as it is, fitness truly is a journey, not a destination.

Hello everyone  

Well, this week was certainly a learning experience. I have now been on prescription medication for two weeks, and the side-effects are not entirely pleasant, but it’s been my goal from the start to not let it hinder my day-to-day life, (or complain too much!) and for the most part I’ve kept my promise, and remind myself that it’s only temporary. 6:00 a.m. cardio sessions are sometimes a drag when you feel so drowsy or nauseous, but a strong cup of coffee helps!  I felt really rotten on Wednesday morning, and while I climbed onto that elliptical like a champ, it lasted all of 2:46 min, and I wussed out and went back to bed! I intend to make it up tomorrow morning (Sundays are usually an off-day for me!)

 There are good side-effects too- I have only been dizzy twice since I started taking the medicine (down from two times per DAY!) and I am sleeping very deeply! The fatigue has diminished greatly, and I have enough energy to move, and get things done again, which has enabled me to increase my weight during workouts! 

I’ve been feeling more like myself for the last couple of days, however I am bloated and extremely uncomfortable (I can actually feel subcutanous water if I press on my tummy!)  so I cannot give you guys an accurate weigh-in today. I think I reported earlier this week that I weighed in at 152-153lbs, so I’m assuming I am still around there!

Here are some photos I took today:

Next week I’m going to focus on my upper body more, it’s definately lagging. I’ve always had big arms, regardless of my fitness level, but they are too "meaty" for my liking, and I’d like to get more definition at least. Otherwise, I’m happy with my current progress and program, and will continue that.

 Happy training, folks!

I am sorry I haven’t written in some time, I’ve been very busy, but I will post progress photos this weekend. (I’m currently blogging on my lunch break!)

Training is going really well, I’m actually further ahead than expected! Yesterday I weighed in at 153lbs!  That means only 7 more pounds to go! [April 25th] 

This week I’m not feeling too hot- I’ve been struggling with some dizziness and lethargy since January; last Tuesday I finally sought medical attention, (I am the type of person who will go to the doctor only if a limb needs to be reattached, but I’ve missed two days of work due to these "fainting" spells, and that’s unprofessional, so I conceded!)   and was diagnosed with a chemical/hormonal imbalance in my brain! This means I have to take medicine for a minimum 18 months to correct the problem, and the medicine has some unpleasant side effects for the first 2-4 weeks. 

Currently, I have been taking the drugs for one week, and it’s not been great, but I find that exercise (especially cardio) alleviates some of the symptoms. Today, however, I got on the elliptical, realized it just wasn’t going to happen, and went back to bed.  If I am feeling better this weekend, I will make up today’s lost cardio session on my off day.  In the mean time, I’m making sure to keep my diet clean- too many people give up completely, using black-and-white thinking (I’m guilty of this myself at times)  Just because you miss a workout doesn’t mean you have to blow your diet that day too- mitigate your losses by keeping your diet clean!

On a final note- who is ready for spring!?  I have been thinking about morning walks through the woods, birds chirping, green grass, and driving with the windows down. Unfortunately, I woke up to 10cm of snow, with another 10-15 due to fall today- oh, Canada!

Are you excited for spring? What are your favourite outdoor activities?