jcorbett’s BodyBlog

Today my trainer measured my body fat and much to my surprise my BF is 20%. Not as bad as I thought–in fact I’m encouraged to keep going. My thighs are where the greatest percentage of the BF remains so I’ll have to target that area by training legs twice weekly along with additional cardio. I had a great workout today; did shoulders, back and lunges and leg curls. I also walked five miles and rode the stationary bike for 35 minutes. I’m glad I invested in those Glutamine, BCCA & Antioxidant Suppliments. Hopefully, they will aid in the recovery. I want to reduce my body fat by 5% within the next 4 months and believe it is a realistic goal.

I guess the party is over and now the true work and struggle begins. For the first time since I began this lifestyle change (Nov. ’07) I felt discouraged b/c of no weight loss last week and thought, “what’s the point of all this”. The weight training is harder and the scale is no longer my friend. The only evidence of progress is the photos and loose jeans. Am I really committed to this physique transformation? After all my physique has improved somewhat and I’m 45—what do I have to prove? The reality is I don’t have anything to prove to anyone, I’m in this for myself and after trying on a newly purchased bikini, the answer is “I want a fabulous physique and I can do it”.  Maybe that means getting in shape enough so that I don’t gross myself out in the bikini? I have been focusing on keeping my diet clean but have polluted it with alcohol on New Years and I’ve had a couple of drinks this week. I may also have been eating too many mixed nuts (20 grams each day) for snack so I have to cut down on the mixed nuts and alcohol.

Here’s my sample menu:

Meal 1: 1 egg, 3 egg whites & oatmeal or wheat toast

Meal 2: Luna Bar & apple

Meal 3: Tuna, mixed greens or arugula, & fruit

Meal 4: Whey Protein drink & fruit (20 gram of mixed nuts on days I train)

Meal 5: Fish & cooked vegetables

On Sunday I may have a baked sweet potato, some brown rice, or black bean for a treat.

I usually walk 12 to 15 miles (3 to 5 miles, 4 days per week) weekly, but didn’t work last week so I did 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer 3 days and only walked about 9 miles. Additionally, I do 60 minutes of weight training on M & F.

In my quest to create a fabulous physique my goal is to shed torso fat and firm up the thighs so I need to continue reducing body fat. This week I will have my body fat measured and identify a realistic percentage that I can lose within four months. I have been trying to find a way to increase gym days by two; it’s a problem with childcare and parental responsibilities. The best I can do is to add intense cardio on the days I weight train and hope that I don’t over train or injure myself.

Suggestions, condolences, and encouragement welcomed!

I started Lipo 6 and Whey protein last week. I’d like to lose 10 more pounds and see more definition. The Lipo gave me the jitters, but I’m used to it now. I do have more energy for workouts, but it doesn’t seem to curve the appetite–my stomach actually growels. I try to stay within the 1600 calorie range, but the last couple of days, I’ve been really hungry so I just have another piece of fruit.

The Now Sports Whey Protein Vanilla is gross, but I drink it anyway b/c I needed to increase my protein intake and didn’t want to eat more food. I’ve read it has many nutritional benefits for women and this site has a lot of articles about the correlation between muscle mass and whey.

My trainer is turning up the heat. I have to take advil after each workout. He has me doing one legged squats, lunges in combo with shoulder press, twist shoulder raises, etc.–to name a few. He claims I needed more of a challenge. This is why I chose to work with him in the first place.  Additionally, I am doing more cardio. Thought I could run again, but just don’t like it anymore so I do the elliptical machine; boring, but different from walking. We’ll see what happens in the next 30 days.

I think the best compliment I received (since on this weight loss mission) happened this week when someone I hadn’t seen since Nov. ‘07 said on Tues., "you look really fresh & fit". She couldn’t pinpoint the change at first, but realized it was the weight loss. I am so pleased with my progress in light of the fact that almost one year ago I had a conversation with my paramour (at the time) about surgery and told him how much money I needed. I was convinced that my thighs were hopeless due to bad genes and that I was so undisciplined when it came to eating that a diet would never work. I’ve surpassed my original Nov. ‘07 weight loss goal, which was 12 - 13 pounds. I’ve lost several inches and I’m not done yet.  Additionally, I am no longer dependent on blood pressure meds b/c my pressure is under control. I have a dr’s appt. this week to check the cholesterol which was 260 and I am expecting a good report. Another bonus is the fact that my skin looks great b/c of diet and hydration.  The positive feedback and results keep me motivated to stay "fresh & fit":)

As I continue to pursue my goal to decrease body fat and increase muscle mass, I have noticed that there are many temptations that have the potential to derail progress. Temptation 1: Schedule glitches–because of the holiday (my kids were out of school), I was not able to keep my regular work out schedule–I did some work, but it was somewhat frustrating to make such great progress and then come to a screeching holt. It’s almost like I have to start over, however, I’ll stop whining b/c I’m back on schedule. Temptation 2: Overcompensating for time lost. Last week I jogged, ran, did the elliptical machine, and weight training all in one day. It’s amazing I didn’t hurt myself. In addition, I’ve spent too much time reading articles about “losing fat” and “cuttin up”, then obsessing how much work needs to be done.  Seeking information can be helpful, but it can also be distracting and cause me to lose focus. I have to remember that this fat didn’t just show up yesterday so it will take time.  Furthermore, I’m not twenty something so it won’t happen in a month. I have to always be conscious of what I eat–I believe that this is 80% of the battle. I don’t want to set unrealistic goals, then get discouraged and quit so sometimes I have to live in the moment–just for today…. I’m telling you this weight training thing is addictive and I wish I had more time to lift, but I don’t (I am making progress; more definition in arms & back)–I digress. 

My trainer always says to me, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. In other words don’t sabotage my success by not sticking to the plan. I want to lose two more inches on the waist and I want more definition. I will be evaluating my overall progress in March (after 4 months of working with my trainer) and set new goals. I will be bikini ready this summer:)