lorelei729’s BodyBlog

It starts tomorrow.  Body for life 2008.  I needed something to spark my motivation and here it is.  My husband even bought me the supplements to go with the program as a birthday present!  I won’t let him down.  And I won’t let myself down.  This is my chance to show myself what I can do.  I even found a gym in my area that I can afford so I can do everything I need to get the best results I can.  I have a long way to go, but I am confident that this is what I needed to get me there.

:)

"…to bend all the energies to one point, and to go directly to that point, looking neither to the right nor to the left." - William Matthews

Yesterday was another great day.  My only snack outside of my eating plan was a sugar free fudgebar (40 calories), so I’ve been doing quite well.  I faced a challenge that I often fail to: making cookies (for my husband-he takes them to work as a snack) But once again, I was fine.  They were soft molasses cookies and not only did I not even taste the batter (or lick the beaters), I didn’t (and won’t) have any of the cookies.

My workout was another success.  That’s why I love kickboxing.  You can only be in there for 10 minutes and you’re drenched in sweat.  I did a 30 minute kickboxing workout, focusing on general moves, then upper body punches and light weights, and finishing off with an ab routine.  All that after my back and tricept weight routine.  I feel great right now!  Today’s workout: shoulders and a dance workout.  I think I am going to do bellydance. 

Consistency is key and I plan to do everything that I can to encourage my own consistency.

I had forgotten the feeling your body has when you have eaten clean for even a few days.  My skin is clearing up, I have more energy, I just feel on overall calm.  My hasband told me last night that he can tell already that I have been working out, too.  My pilates session was great.  The workout the day before was great.  Now I need to start building in continued consistency, dedication and focus.  They are all star attributes that I will need to succeed.  I’m going to go through the motivation pages here on bodybuilding.com and see what I can do to improve and encourage myself.

I’m so proud.  I didn’t even consider the doughnuts that my teacher brought into class today.  I was amazed that noone else tried to make me eat one, but I didn’t need it at all.  Pretty cool.

Yesterday was a really good day, I started my new 4 day-split and ate very well.  But already the temptation was knocking.  At college, we had a field trip and the girl who drove thought we could get McDonalds for lunch.  As I looked at the menu… cripsy chicken and burgers and fries… Suddenly nothing looked better than a grilled chicken salad.     Later on, at work, my temptation wasn’t so easy.  Diane, I nurse that I work with, brought fresh baked chocolate chip cookies (which I love, I’m not really a big fast food fan, anyways.)  So I sat there, eating my cottage cheese as my evening snack, with my back turned to the cookies.  For a short time it was like they were calling my name.  And then Diane offered me to help myself.  So hard to decline, but my goals are much more important than a moment of warm chocolate on my lips.  It’s really the first hugely successful self-restraint I’ve shown in a long time, but I know I can do it.  And I have to if I’m going to reach my goals.  So long, fresh baked cookies!

This is the workout plan that I have devised for myself.  Let me give a tiny bit of back info.  I used to be very active and much more fit than I am currently.  I have been on a workout hiatus for almost a year and a half until very recently.  I began working out again and have been slowly re-introducing a solid workout plan. (as well as a solid eating plan and increasing my motivation/drive.) 

I have chose a four day split for weight lifting, but I currently have a limited supply of home equipment and no gym membership at this time. (though I am seriously considering picking it back up if I can find the finances, or slightly building up my home gym.) I want to be realisitc, and I want to challenge my body.  I intend to start quite light to make sure that I don’t overdo it, but will progress as quickly as my body feels ready.  Please give me any advice or constructive criticism.  I’m very serious about this. TIA

My plan is as follows:

Monday - Chest and biceps
Jump rope warm up 5 minutes
Bench press - 2×6-10
Incline dumbbell press - 2×8-10
Flat dumbbell flyes – 2×8-10
Barbell curls - 2×6-8
Dumbbell curls - 2×8-10
Hammer curls - 2×6-10
Cardio: Interval run for 30-60 minutes
 

Tuesday - Pilates 30-60 minutes
 

Wednesday - Back and triceps
Jump rope warm up 5 minutes
Bent Barbell Rows - 2x 6-10
Bent one arm dumbbell rows - 2 x 8-10
Dead lifts - 2×6-8
Bench dips - 2×10-12
Tricep extension - 2×6-10
 Cardio: Kickboxing 30-60 minutes
 

Thursday - Shoulders
Jump rope warm up 5 minutes
Front laterals - 2×6-8
Side laterals - 2×6-8
Dumb bell presses - 2×8-10
Dumb bell shrugs - 2x 10-12
Cardio: Dance 30-60 minutes
 

Friday – Yoga 30-60 minutes
 

Saturday - Legs, abs
Jump rope warm up 5 minutes
Sit ups - 2×25
Crunches - 2×30
Twisted crunches - 2×25
Inclined sit ups - 2×15
Dumbbell squats - 2×6-10
Leg extension - 2×8-10
Leg curl - 2x 6-10
Cardio: Steady-state run for distance
 Sunday - Rest

Tip to the women: Don’t weigh yourself if you feel bloated and you started your time of the month.  Today’s weigh in: 143. Yuk.  I almost didn’t post it, but really… who would I be lying to?  Just myself.  And I need to be honest. Even though it may just be water weight (I know I didn’t eat THAT poorly) This has already helped me put a lot into perspective. 

This ugly, 2 pounds higher number makes me see a couple of things.  First off, I do need to be more consistent in my diet!  I was finally able to eat near perfect yesterday, I wrote down everything I ate, and it was all protein rich and natural fibers.  I even drank plenty of liquids.  My only problem time was dinner, which I had run to go shopping after my 3pm meal and didn’t get home until 6:30.  For some reason I was ravished, and after my grilled chicken, rice and lima beans, I still felt hungry.  I topped it off with some peanuts and a cup of green tea and I was good to go.

The second thing my ugly number today shows me: I need to get more serious with my training.  I had some really good workout sessions, but in complete honesty, there was really only one EXCELLENT day and the rest were kinda sub-par.  I didn’t try to hugely challenge my body.  My new-found extra time in my schedule will help with any excuses I have, I just need to start taking myself seriously. 

I need to be motivated. 

I need to be disciplined.

I need to re-find my passion in fitness.

I need to focus on a goal.

And it’s going to take a lot of hard work to get there.  Now I’m ready.

Over this weekend I am going to write up a new challenging exercise program and a weekly goal, which I will post on Monday.  I will be keeping track of my daily diet on my little notepad and posting any difficulties and/or progress.

“Every day we are all closer to the person we were meant to become.”~Maria KangAs a side note, exciting things are happening in the lives of many people around me.  My cousin just had her first baby.     I’ll be in wedding number three this year (my sister’s in April, a friend in May and now my best friend in June) and my husband is going through a course to get motorcycle endorsement.  I have my own challenges and excitement (outside of three weddings in one year!) I’m finishing up summer college classes and preparing for my final semester.  We will be going to 40 hours/week of fieldwork experience.  Where we go out into the work world and start basically learning-on-the-job…only we don’t get paid.  I will be working every weekend, but there will be no double days like I’ve been doing for the last month (college all morning and work all night).  I also have a blissful month off between the end of summer classes and the beginning of my final semester.  Yes!  I need it.  It’s going to feel like a vacation.  But I intend to do a lot of strong training then, and really see what I can do.

Now that I have made it through some rough, busy days, my scedule will be lighting up quite a bit.  I still have my four days of college 9-3 monday through thursday, but work is down to 2 or 3 days per week. Whew!  What a relief.  Though I liked the pay checks, all the work/college combo was draining me beyond belief. 

This week, though, I’ve had more time to train!  Yesterday I had an excellent interval run on my treadmill.  I worked for 35 minutes, with a 5 minute warm up, 1 minute intervals of running as I raised the speed for each interval.  I had about 2 minutes of rest between each speed interval and my final speed-spirt was at 7.5mph.  I burned approximately 350 calories in 35 minutes.  And while I know I could do better at my pinicle a year and a half ago… I have to start somewhere and that’s not bad at all.

I was also practicing my basic calisthenics with my husband… He always criticizes my push ups.  I’ve been doing "real" push-ups for quite a while, and he actually gave me credit for getting my arms to 90 degree angles, but still said that I needed to straighten my body more.  The only good thing about him being so critical is that it challenges me to show him that I can do better.  I also tried to purchase a door exercise bar because I am dying to try pull ups and our house has no where to practice them.  But the bar I bought had to be screwed in.  I didn’t know they had to be, but my husband doesn’t want screw holes in our door ways, so that’s out for now anyways.  I wonder if there is any other way…

Then about my obstacle…  As I posted before, I’ve always struggled with my eating habits and though I can eat healthy in an all-around sense, I always seem to snack or eat at an unscheduled time.  Hence my problem now.  I can’t seem to make it through lunch on the meal I’ve planned for myself without boredom of the food  or wanting something else to go along with it.  Also, at college, the girls typically bring in lunch and all eat together.  There are typically snacks and al sorts of junk food.  And though they’ve all decided to start "dieting", I can see all of the failure they’re setting themselves up for, but I know they aren’t receptive to advice and don’t really have true motivation.  Packing lunch for college isn’t very realistic as we have the tiniest fridge in our classroom and it’s already crammed.  How can I make it through lunch?  Here’s what my current plan is:

Meal 3 / Lunch:

• 1 cup lettuce
• 2 TBSP salsa
• ½ cup Red pepper slices
• 3 oz. tuna
• ½ cup broccoli  

I’m considering starting to write a daily journal on paper to carry with my of what I eat, when I eat it, and how I feel when I’m done.  I also want to keep track of my H2O intake.  I think that may be part of the problem.  If I’m not fully hydrated I may just think I’m hungry when all I need is water.

I’m afraid I’ll set myself back a lot if I don’t nip problem quickly. 

Yesterday was the most exhausted day I think I’ve ever had. 

I hadn’t slept well the night before, or for the last couple of weeks in all honesty.  I tossed and turned before I finally fell asleep and then I awoke several times throughout thie ngiht.  I had to wake up early because I had to finish a paper I was writing for college, then I had college all morning from 9-2:30.  We had a lecture, watched a movie and had a group, all of which I was almost nodding off through.  I was able to  come home for about 1/2 hour before I had to head to work. I tried to do some exercises but I couldn’t even hold myself up.  I rested for a few minutes in my chair and then headed in to work for eight hours.  It was an extrememly slow night, which was not helping my sleepiness.  I tried to get up every few minutes to do something, but before long I couldn’t find anything else to do.  I was on coffee cup number three and tried a cup of tea instead.  (I usually only have one cup of each a day or less.)  When it was apparent how slow we were, they began sending a few staff members home.  Yes! A chance to go get some rest!  But, no.  A friend of mine had left her kids home alone and she got to go instead of me.  I had to keep myself from crying.  I had four more hours and I felt like I was already on barrowed energy.  The night dragged on and finally it was 11:30 pm and time for me to head home.  A friend of mine advised me to drink a glass of milk before bed, and I found myself very glad that my drive home was so short.  I did my evening routine, shower, brush my teeth, and layed down in bed next to my husband. 

I was out.

And I had the best night of sleep in at least the last week or two.  I actually awoke feeling rested, thank God!  and today, after college, I was the one who got to have some time off from work.    More time to relax, and maybe a little more time to spend in my workout tonight.

This was my last day of work before a little stretch off and only 2-3 days a week around college instead of 5, so hopefully this is the first of many well-rested days. 

Cheers!

:D

Today I am starting to take CLA’s.  Super CLA Lean to be exact.  I bought a two weeks supply and if I like the effects of it I will continue to keep it in my daily regimen.  So far this week is going well.  I traded yesterday and today workout-wise because we celebrated father’s day (and my mother’s birthday).  I also allowed myself a reasonable "cheat meal" of one slice of pizza and a couple of honey mustard chicken wings. Then I followed my plan for the rest of the day.

I hope this week continues to go so well.

June 13: 141.0 lbs.

Well, Not bad for a week when i started late and couldn’t work out as much as I’d like because my body reminded me that I am out of shape.  I’m down another half of a pound.  It’s a start anyways.

So my goal for this next week?  Stick to my plan through the whole week with reasonable accomodation (like sore days).  We’ll see where I am next friday.

:)