lapetitemort’s BodyBlog

So, I began respiratory therapy school about 2 months ago.  In order to make changes because I knew that I would be spending even more hours just sitting, I am ditching the car.  So far, two days a week my husband drops me off in the morning and I walk the 5/6 miles home, up and down some nice size hills.  The plan is to eventually increase the days walking home and in the end walk both to and from.  At least then, I will be getting in cardio that I usually avoid.  I have to say it is a great stress relief as well.  It’s time to unwind and unload, relax.

• 8:30am 1 egg white, 1 whole egg over 1/2 diced avocado
• 8oz black coffee
• 8oz water

• 12:30 pm Lunch
• 2 cups salad greens, 1/4 cup diced cucumber, 1 teaspoon diced jalapeno, 1 teaspoon diced onion, 1 tablespoon organic lowfat plain yogurt, 1/4 cup black beans, 4 bite sized tortilla chips
• 1 mini chocolate, iced cupcake (2″ - yeah, I know)
• 16 oz water

• 3:30 pm 1 medium apple
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter

Tonight for dinner I plan to have

• 8oz grilled tilapia with yogurt dill (2 tablespoons organic lowfat plain yogurt mixed with dill from the garden and garlic)
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1 cup steamed green beans or broccoli
• some other steamed vegetable or 1/4 black beans

If I need a night snack it will more than likely be hot tea with a boiled egg, 10 raw almonds or a small kiwi.
I make my black beans from scratch with only other veggies cooked in and herbs and some spices.  I also plan on making a batch of the Clean-Eating applesauce oatmeal muffins tonight to have as part of breakfasts or snacks.  I think that I am going to make my own torilla chips in the oven from a whole wheat tortilla too.  I got my newest Clean Eating magazine today, and just doing a quick flip, I saw all sorts of interesting recipes that my have to go on the list to try.

I did get in a very short workout today.  Hopefully, I can at least squeeze in some sets of something tonight.

I am trying to make a plan with small goals to accomplish.  At least if I have a small goal that I reach weekly, monthly, I will feel some sense of achievement.  I find that I tend to make long term goals that I never reach.

I have decided that I just have to make the commitment to get up at least an hour early in the morning to do my workouts.  Getting my workouts completed before my day starts leaves me with no excuses for putting them off and not working out.  Starting back to school only puts more on my plate later in the day.  I can already hear myself saying, "I just have no time with work, classes and homework.  Plus, I have the housework and blah, blah, blah."  The sensible choice is to make time before everything snowballs.

Second I am making meal plans for the week.  Planning on making some big dishes on the weekend that allows for less stress during the week.  Plus, having big dishes leaves leftovers for no worry dinners.  I have picking out recipes from this site and Oxygen, Muscle & Fitness Hers and even some of the men’s muscle magazines.

I will allow myself a cheat meal on the weekend when we go to brunch.  I have read people do this and eventually just realize that they don’t even need that.  I do not want to go all or nothing.  When I do go in all or nothing, I usually tend to go insane when I allow myself indulgences after about three weeks of "perfect" living.

I am sure that there will be changes in my plan along the way, just as there are changes in workouts and diet.  Hopefully, starting over in this way will strengthen my commitment and lead me on the path to wonderful results in the future.

I was doing so well.  Eating clean, working out, lifting, I did this for about a month.  Then, my birthday rolled around.  I promised myself that I would not over-indulge.  Then, we went to dinner with friends. I actually did fine.  Then, over to a crazy show, drinks flowed.  From that day on it was a downward spiral of bad treats and an extra drink here and there with friends. That was a week ago.  My workouts have become at best sporadic.  Then, last night, fried chicken. This morning a cinnamon raisen bagel with a maple pork link and egg whites. I feel incredibly guilty.  How did I fall and stray for so long?

I know that I will get back on track today.  I will plan my meals, follow my plans and begin my workouts again, today.  How do I stay on the straight and narrow, and not go overboard with crazy eating and putting exercise to the wayside?

I need to find more motivation.  I have the desire.  I visualize myself with muscle, fit, healthy.  I even have begun to see results.  It seems continual self-sabotage.  I am going to spend some time reading transformation stories and looking through my back issues of Oxygen & Muscle & Fitness Hers.  Hopefully, I will get inspired again.

I was having dinner with some girlfriends over the weekend.  When I went to lift and pass something across the table, one actually gasped, "Jen, you have muscles!"  I then, in a cheesy fashion, flexed my arms, hahahaha.  They went on to ask about it, and I told them that I had bought weights and was working out.  =)  I explained my novice routine and change in eating habits.  They were kind of impressed, and I felt really good and motivated.

I know that I have made some progress just by the way my clothes are fitting and visible results.  You know, I see tiny muscles when I flex, and I can actually see some of my delts without doing anything.  I can pinch less fat around my hip and back area.  Good stuff.  My digital fat calipers came in, and it tracked me at 25.5% fat.  That was surprisingly better than I thought.

I am thinking that tomorrow, I want to take some actual pics to track my progress.  I am thinking that I will squeeze myself into the bikini’s that I bought last year and have never worn.  Then, I will humiliate myself by taking pictures.  At least then I will have a pictorial record of changes.  Perhaps that will motivate me a little more.

I ordered the digital fat caliper.  I think it will help me measure a little better and figure my fat percentage better.  I use all the other ways and calculations, but I like the idea of having the calipers.

I am really bad at logging my workouts and my measurements too.  I really should be more diligent about that.

I hate doing cardio.  Now that the weather is better, I think I will be taking more advantage of outside workouts.  Walking more places, biking (on a retro with one speed).  I have to learn to love cardio again.  I really used to enjoy running.  Maybe eventually, I will embrace it again.

I ordered the digital fat caliper.  I think it will help me measure a little better and figure my fat percentage better.  I use all the other ways and calculations, but I like the idea of having the calipers.

I am really bad at logging my workouts and my measurements too.  I really should be more diligent about that.

I hate doing cardio.  Now that the weather is better, I think I will be taking more advantage of outside workouts.  Walking more places, biking (on a retro with one speed).  I have to learn to love cardio again.  I really used to enjoy running.  Maybe eventually, I will embrace it again.

I have been reading and reading and reading.  I want to have a set weekly meal plan so that I do not have to think at all.  I would like to be able to prepare as much as possible in advance so that all of my meals are already available and within reach.  I am just overwhelmed at all of the information.  I think I may play with different sample plans that I have found and try a different one each week.  Maybe that will help me define one that will be perfect for me.

Wow, I just spent a week with head and chest funk.  Yesterday was the first day that I did not hack up a lung, so I did a nice easy walk and some short arm exercises with a few yoga poses.  It really stinks not being able to do much of anything for a week but lie in bed hopped up on cold medicines.  Hard cardio at this point is still on the back burner because of the chest cold lingerings.  Out damn cold, out!