SweetNightshade’s BodyBlog

So, I kind of got sucked into the weekend. I was barely home, but I did my best to stay on track with nutrition. Working out was harder, though I did get to play some laser tag. I’ll be out of town again this weekend, and it would have been real easy for me to not post for quite some time, but I didn’t want to get that far off track again. Staying accountable to you guys keeps me going.

Exercise: Moving boxes, hanging heavy pictures
Liquid: 4 cups
B: Oat bran w/cinnamon, honey, soy milk
S: Peaches, PB
L: 2 soy patties w/BBQ sauce
S: Apples, PB
D: Pancake, soy & egg hash

And every muscle in my body was sore when I woke up. It’s good though; it means that I’m pushing myself for my body to change itself. Had to take a major dose of Advil to do it again today, but I’m sure that’ll change with time. Just need to keep up with it and give my body time to adapt. Also went to a party last night. Everyone was drunk and there was a lot of free alcohol. I didn’t have any though. I just kept thinking, "How would that affect my muscle development and my ability to workout tomorrow?" My body is so much more important than booze.
Exercise: Power Shred Lvl. 1
Liquid: 5 cups
B: Oat bran w/cinnamon, honey, soy milk
S: PB
L: BBQ veggies & couscous
S: Skinny cow
D: Soy patty w/bbq sauce & couscous
S: PB & honey sandwhich

As I’m sure you can tell from my food log, yesterday was grocery shopping day. It was also the first rest day I’ve had in a while. I was actually itching to workout, but the soreness in my muscles hasn’t eased up and I figure I need to ease back into my routine. If I pull a muscle, I’ll be resting much longer than one day. It feels good to be craving it again, though.
Exercise: Rest day
Liquid: 5 cups
B: Raisin Bran
S: PB
L: Raisin Bran
S: Raisin Bran
D: 2 soy patties & BBQ sauce
S: Skinny cow

Those of you who’ve been reading my blog for a while know that report deadlines and I don’t get along. I usually end up staying up late jacked up on coffee, eating horribly all night and the next day, not to mention skipping workouts to get my work done. I’m happy to report that that was not the case last night! I was up semi-late, but not ridiculously so, and I snacked on fruits and veggies when I got hungry. Plus, I got my workout in, even though it was 1:30am when I finished working. Now that my internship is over, I can set my own schedule (I work from home) and can start upping my workouts. I’m feeling pumped.

Exercise: Abs
Liquid: 5 cups
B: Raisin Bran
S: PB
L: Steel-cut oats w/honey, cinnamon, soy milk
S: Smart pop
D: Alfredo pasta, cake
S: Fruits, veggies

So, since I’ve gone back to tracking my food, I’ve noticed how many sweets there are to pull me off track. You wouldn’t know it, but I don’t even buy myself baked goods. It just seems that everywhere I go this summer, someone has cupcakes, brownies, or a whole freakin’ cake. Sometimes it’s for birthdays or barbecues, sometimes it’s for no reason at all. It’s difficult to turn them down when I’m offered them nearly every day. On the other hand, knowing that they’re available pretty much every day, I don’t feel as desperate to take one when it’s offered.

Exercise: Arms
Liquid: 6 cups
B: Steel cut oats w/cinnamon, honey, soy milk
S: PB
L: Pasta & veggies in olive oil
S: Raisin bran
D: Black bean soup, cake

Yesterday was a good day. I went out to eat with a bunch of friends at Red Robin’s. They have endless fries, so if anyone in the group orders fries, they bring out several baskets for the table. I didn’t have a single one. What’s more, I ordered my veggie burger without a bun and without sauce. It was a proud moment; my lifting goals are once more a higher priority than what might be tastiest. 
Exercise: Legs
Liquid: 5 cups
B: Steel-cut oats w/honey, cinnamon, soy milk
S: PB
L: Pasta salad
S: PB
D: Lettuce-wrapped veggie burger, melon, fruit smoothie

Yesterday was a bad day for nutrition and a good day for working out. I went to a barbecue AND a friend’s birthday party. Knowing that I had to report back to you all kept me from the Doritos, pretzels, potato chips, and soda. But I did end up indulging in some sweets. At least you guys kept me behaving better than I might have otherwise. I’m excited about my workout yesterday though, because I had very little free time and yet I squeezed it in anyways, between events nonetheless. What’s more exciting is that I squeezed it in because I WANTED to, not because I felt I had to. I feel like I’m starting to get back on track, even if it is a slow process. Today I’ll be focusing on getting the nutrition back on track and continuing to up my liquid intake.

Exercise: Ab work
Liquid: 7 cups (so close!)
B: Steel-cut oats w/honey, cinnamon, & soy milk
S: Potato
L: 2 soy patties w/BBQ sauce, apple
S: Cookies
D: Pasta & green beans in olive oil, slice of bread
S: Cupcakes

I bought a little black dress yesterday while I was out - size 5. It’s a great reminder of how far I’ve come. When I was in middle school, I was a size 16. Besides, since I’m trying to focus on toning up my limbs, I decided I needed something to show them off when I reach my goal. It’s all about keeping up the motivation.
Exercise: Quick weight set, lower-body focus
Liquid: 4 cups (I’m going to get 8 today!)
B: Steel cut oats w/honey, cinnamon, & soy milk.
S: PB
L: 2 soy patties w/BBQ sauce, bell peppers, & onions.
S: PB
D: Spaghetti
S: PB (up late, needed more food)

I did some arnolds last night before bed and woke up feeling my biceps and pecs. I’ve been reading a lot about mindfulness in my efforts to improve my mood, and physical mindfulness feels just as rewarding. Being aware of my muscles when I stretch at the office, feeling my legs burn when I walk up the stairs to my apartment - it reminds me that I did a good job yesterday; it reminds me that I’m alive.

To keep up the momentum, I’m going on a little fitness shopping spree after work. I need supplements, an exercise ball to replace my desk chair, a yoga dvd for cool-down, and a cute new workout outfit for my progress pics at the end of each month, starting in August. Getting back to recording everything also helps me keep focused. I can see where I need to focus (water, lighter snacks) and where I’m doing well (breakfast, weights). I don’t intend to let myself fall back in a slump again, so I’ve made a promise to myself to post here every day, even if it’s just my log. I need to keep myself surrounded by positive people. If you guys can get ripped, with jobs and families and obligations, so can I!

Exercise: Quick weight regimen, upper-body focus.
Liquid: 3 cups.
B: Steel-cut oats w/honey, cinnamon, and soy milk.
S: PB
L: 2 soy patties w/bbq sauce, carrots.
S: PB
D: Veggie & cheese panini, broccoli slaw, small cupcake.

I’ve decided that I need a major check-in with myself. I’m going back to basics and will be keeping a calorie/nutrient content log of every thing I put in my mouth. I’m using the food tracker over at SparkPeople.com, so I probably won’t be posting my logs here anymore, but I’ll still be checking in. I’ve never received more support and positive attention on any health site than I get here at BB; I don’t intend to abandon you guys. (Which, by the way, I’m eternally thankful for.)
I’m also working on getting mini-workouts in throughout the day: weights while I watch TV, invisible jump-rope while I wait for my oatmeal to cook, etc. All of that will go into a Spark log as well.

I think that if I can focus on making small changes and being completely honest with myself, I can start seeing some serious changes again and get past my plateau.