majenta’s BodyBlog

Peanut butter and chocolate. Together… Why does it do this to me!?!?! I was so strong - so damn regimented with my eating plan - that’s why I haven’t blogged here for so long.

 I got sick a while ago - I felt so tired, my limbs were heavy and I was losing weight. I could FEEL my muscles deteriorating every day. I was losing half a kilo daily, and ended up weighing 43kg; I looked like Nicole Richie’s evil sister.  I thought I was dying, but doctors did every test you can imagine (i mean that) and told me I wasn’t.  I needed to gain weight - my months and months of hard work meant nothing; I had boney arms and hips, and hollow abs - back to square one. I gave in to a long-time fantasy of mine - I ate an entire 375g jar of (natural!) peanut butter using chunks of (sugar free!) chocolate as my spoons.  It took over a month to budge the scales. I still eat chocolate and peanut butter every day, but now I’m back to hard training and, although I don’t look too bloody bad, I know my results would be far more spectacular if I could just QUIT !!!   I plan to put a new pic on my profile shortly, so that should be motivation enough.

 My training plan now includes weights, running, (kick)boxing and bootcamp classes. I know I should get into yoga or something for my flexibility and balance, but I’m more of a combat girl.

 This weekend I plan to go for a beautiful scenic run in the grounds of the Western Plains Zoo !!  It will be great to actually sleep at the zoo accommodation and wake up to do the ‘feed the animals’ tour with the keeper (never mind they’re predicting sub-zero temperatures). I’m already planning my cooler pack contents, probably lots of healthy salads, fruits, veg protein, yoghurt, protein powder, H2O…and Darrell Lea Sugar Free Chocolate and 100%peanuts all-natural peanut butter.

The work I’ve been doing on my shoulders, chest and back has been paying off. Today just happens to be my Chest and Shoulders training day, so I’m looking forward to a good solid workout, consisting of:

d/b press, d/b pullovers, b/b bench press, pec flyes, lateral raises, behind-neck b/b press, upright rows, bent-over rows; usually do four sets of each with one set of 12 with lighter weights, then moving to the 8-10 rep range with more weight.

I’ve cut down my running to 4 mornings per week so I can save every bit of strength for building. My morning run makes me feel so damn good that I can’t go more than one day without it.

Nutrition has been good. I’ve turned into an eating machine, and I feel fantastic for it. It’s strange that it takes some of us so long to realise that the better your diet, the better you’re going to feel, the better you’ll function. Simple concept, really!

Went to the gym last night to do my back and abs. I find it funny that there’s a group of women there who want to lose weight, but they have the attitude that if they do a half-hour workout (which really means just stuffing around on a few machines), then they can reward themselves with a McCrap drive-thru meal on the way home!!! Then they whine when they don’t get the same results as the people who put in the hard work and dedication to health and fitness! Sheesh!!

Anyway, ’nuff for now. Next blog will have some updated stats! 

Cya

My legs are killing me today. Again. It’s a good feeling, and since I’m eating well and have loads of energy, I figure it can’t be bad. I’ve been running every morning, and did my leg work yesterday - I just wish someone would give me a massage!!

This afternoon, I did:

- 6 sets x 12 reps lateral raises
- 6 sets x 12 reps b/b press
- 6 sets x 12 reps bent rear delt rows
- 6 sets x 12 reps d/b press
- 5 sets x 12 reps concentration curls
- 5 sets x 12 reps d/b flyes

Nutrition has been good. Oats for brekkie; eggwhite omelette, low GI grain bread and a large green salad; marinaded grilled tofu, grilled medditteranean veges with lemon juice, cracked pepper, chillies and chopped pistachio nuts; fat-free yoghurt with protein powder and frozen mixed berries….

I was so happy to get back to my normal diet on Boxing Day!! I made a gingerbread house for the table centrepiece - it was absolutely smothered in lollies, chocolates (white, dark and milk) and royal icing. I managed to stay with the salads, natural nuts and other healthy stuff for lunch …. but ended up thinking ‘what the hell am I doing?  I’m not sticking to my usual diet on Christmas Day!!’. So I ate half the lollies from the gingerbread house roof…. then I ate all the lollies from the back wall….. ah well - I’m glad I did it!!

The time has come to reflect upon the progress that I’ve made during 2006. I realise that all this hard work has become ingrained in my lifestyle. I can’t imagine not being physically active. I can’t imagine shovelling sugar and bad fats into my digestive system now that I know what the consequences are. The hardest thing now, is trying to ignore people who try to make out I’m a fanatic because I eat clean.

Today, I’ll write down a draft Plan Of Action for 2007. I’m determined to keep going strong, and want to start pushing myself more with the weights … maybe cut back on cardio just a little bit.

I’ve notice my legs are shaping up now. I’m starting to get nice glutes and hamstrings, but I still have these little chicken-leg calves. More calf exercises needed!  I’ll have to research those today. I’m also trying to work harder on my shoulders; I’m following one of Monica Brant’s routines, so hopefully I’ll end up with her shoulders… lol.

I’m determined to get more sleep tonight!  I’ve been waking up at 0400 hours, waiting for it to get light enough to go out for my interval walk-run. I think I’ve gone bonkers.

ciao for now
x  

It has been a good week !

Ive managed to get out running at 0500 hours each morning (Sat and Sun too), and I still feel great afterward, even though the damn horrid swarms of flies envelope me in a black haze all the way. Every day, I pick up a dozen or so big black blow-flies two farms down the road, that buzz and circle around my head trying to get into my ears. I call them my Personal Trainers, because the faster I run, the more they leave me alone. Aussie summers are getting hotter and hotter - I need a treadmill.

Nutrition has been good and clean too. I didn’t even have my cheat day this week - I usually have some ice cream or chocolate. I noticed my energy levels were better the following morning too, instead of having the blood-sugar crash. I whipped up a couple of new recipes that worked out well; a few things that are still ‘clean’ but add some variety to my usual menu. The kumara and nut salad will be a regular, I think!

I’ve also been busy creating my ‘Clean Christmas Menu’. Luckily, my brothers and sisters won’t be at our Chrissy Dinner - they would think the dishes I’ve picked are ridiculously healthy. I can’t believe how much crap they can shovel into their bodies and not think twice about it - then they look at me as though I’m a fanatic for not devouring foods that are laden with saturated/trans fats, refined sugars and flours, and have ingredient listings as long as your arm (most of them chemicals/numbers/preservatives/colours/flavours).