lorelei729’s BodyBlog

"Training is principally an act of faith. The athlete must believe in its efficacy; he must believe that through training he will become fitter and stronger; that by constant repetition of the same movements he will become more skillfull and his muscles more relaxed…He must be a fanatic for hard work and enthusiastic enough to enjoy it.”

Franz Stampfl from On Running, 1955

It looks like I am finally figuring out what works for my body and what works for my life.  I weighed in this morning at a nice 135.5 lbs.  Which makes me ECSTATIC because I’ve been playing around with my nutrition and workout for the last month because the scale wasn’t budging.  I obviously have some fat to lose, so that put a damper on my motivation.  This week, though, I made several productive changes.

1. I switched from soy protein to whey protein.

2. I made sure my post-workout snack was one such whey protein "meal".

3. I added glutamine in the mornings.

4. I increased the weight I am using in my exercises so I am challenged more.

5. I started using a "Priorities" planner, complete with workout times and meal times and it also includes any non-workout related priorities that I need to get done in a day.

Right now I am writing in a planner everything that I need to accomplish for the next week.  Including my workouts, (planned times of them and what body parts) as well as any priorities I have to complete.  I need to get my absent-mindedness under control and list-making has been effective for me in the past. 

Also, Here is the training split I began this week:

Sunday - Day off (Completely-I’m forcing myself) Plan and prepare for the next week.

Monday - Shoulder’s and Triceps, 15-40 minutes cardio 

Tuesday - Legs, 15-40 minutes of cardio

Wednesday - Pilates

Thursday - Chest and Biceps, 15-40 minutes cardio

Friday - Back, 15-40 minutes cardio

Saturday - Dance workout (one of my favs)

Cardio will vary day-to-day and I have made myself "cardio cards" which are basically a bunch of ideas on index cards of what I enjoy doing cardio-wise.  Draw a card and that’s your workout for the day.  They vary in intensity and length.

Through much trial and error, I have found that my own biggest issue isn’t a lack of will or knowledge, or even applying that knowledge.  My big problem is my absent-mindedness.  And while it permeates all of my life, it’s only recently that I have come to the conclusion that I have control of it.  My absent-minded habits have led me in the past to several fitness occluding things, including:

1. Munching when I’m bored, not hungry, and sometimes very uninterested in the food that is in front of me. 

2. Not keeping track of what I am eating, what weights I used last week, or when the last time I had a day of rest.

3. The inability to stop from eating all the munchies that my co-workers bring in on a very regular basis.  I wouldn’t even feel tempted…but (believe it or not) I’d pass by a pizza box, grab a slice and start eating before I even knew I had a slice in my hand.  (The happened at work the other night.  I stopped dead in my tracks, asking myself "What and I doing?  I don’t even want this and I’m getting ready to eat my own dinner.") 

4. I also have the typical "girl" problem.  Heavy weights.  Not that I didn’t think I was using them.  But I wasn’t.  I don’t increase my weight very often, and I didn’t pay enough attention to the fact that you aren’t lifting heavy… if you can do 15 reps of your "heavy weights."

5. I have had a hard time taking a day off from working out.  I would always say that I would, only to end up going ahead and working out anyways. (this I attribute to my over-active tendancies - which my husband refers to as ADHD.)

But how do I overcome the absent minded thinking?  It should be so easy.  In order to not be asent minded, one must be present in the moment.  But to be present in each and every moment when my whole life has been sporatic and spontaneous is no easy task.  It is a task which I will be constantly working on.  But now that I have descried the problem, I can at least start to fix it.

Knowing is half the battle.

In order to get somewhere…

you have to do things you have never done.

You have to take risks.

You have to take chances.

You have to challenge everything you are…

to become someone you never thought you could be.

Develop the strength, courage and faith -

train your body, mind and spirit -

BE everything you never thought you could…

And eventually you will become somebody you never thought you could be.

Okay, for the forth week in a row my weight is about the same.  I feel like I look good, I’m getting compliments, my clothing is fitting better, but the d*mn number on the scale isn’t budging!  I’ve been running 5 days of the week before breakfast, and including 3 days a week of weight lifting exercises.  My diet is the only thing I have yet to get completely under control, and I feel that this is the problem area.  I know people argue over the "will power" debate, but I just can’t seem to be consistent..mostly when I’m at work!  I hate to give excuses, as the only person I am hurting is myself… but I get to work and, just like every other day, they have tons of snacks.  Brownies, candy, doughnuts, Someone brought in goughlash.  And at first I was fine.  Then I opened up my shrimp, rice and veggies with tomato sauce on top (it sounded good when I threw it together) it tasted like cr*p.  I ate the shrimp out and had some goughlash, ate a few pieces of candy and a piece of a doughnut!  WTF?!  I was disgusted at myself and I ended up feeling sick.  But while I was eating, I felt like I didn’t even have control over what I put into my own mouth.  It sucked.  Then I weighed myself today and the same old number…138.  Of course, my sensible mind is telling me that I am probably bloated by the carbs I over-ate last night, but when I have 2 or 3 days a week that it happens, of course I’m not going to lose any fat.  I need to find out how to control this food-wandering-eye of mine, and get my eating under control.  I have also been encouraged to cut out wheat and milk for a week (which I suppose might be hard… considering how much I enjoy those foods) but my family has known food allergies to them.  So perhaps me cutting them out will aid in my fat-loss and maybe decrease cravings, too.  All I know is that I WANT to do this, I CAN do this!  I just have to find it within myself. 

I will be starting to write down everything I eat and applying the accountabuddy principles, as stated by Kris Gethin.  As well as keeping track of my calories/carbs/protein/etc. in fitday.com to make sure I am eating what I really think I am.

The next challenge?  I am going to cedar point on sunday.  I have decided to eat the best that I can while I’m there.  Here’s my plan:

7am-Wake and have egg beaters and veggie scramble. Get ready

8am-leave for Cedar Point

10am- Arrive at cedar point, have a protein bar. Ride rides.

12n-Have a sensible grilled chicken salad-available at their restaurants.  Walk around for a short time to look at shops and then ride more rollercoasters.

3p-Allow myself some-icecream-they do have sugar free options. Ride more rides.

6pm-Eat another protein bar and ride more rides

9pm-Leave the park, Eat the "shrimp Key West" option at TGI friday’s (on the lighter side list)

And come home to get some sleep for an early work day on monday.