i’ve been tracking my calories on thedailyplate.com and i have to say that it’s amazing.  i’ve never been so conscious about what i’ve put into my body before.  the 2 things i love the most are that i can add workouts, which deduct calories from my overall caloric intake, and that i can plan the food i eat for the rest of the day based on what i’ve consumed and based on the caloric, fat, sodium, and protein intakes.

as a reward to myself, today i treated myself to chik-fil-a: a southwest chargrilled chicken salad, waffles fries, and water.  i also had a square of ghiradelli chocolate with caramel and a cup of hot tea with sugar and hazelnut creamer…i did all this and still have over 400 calories left to consume for the day (yay!).  tomorrow’s a new day and i’m back to 100% clean foods again, but i figured i deserved it since i’ve followed my plan so diligently and can visibly see the results, particularly in my stomach/abs and upper back.

i have drill this weekend.  the challenge for me will be to eat healthy while staying at a hotel and working like a madwoman.  i consciously made the decision NOT to bring or buy any clean foods.  i’m going to force myself to make reasonable choices at the dining facility so i can test my discipline under circumstances that are not conducive to healthy eating.  

what i find extremely interesting throughout all this is how a week of eating this way leaves me feeling very little temptation to eat crap food…i see the results and i want to see more.  i want to be dangerous…the only way i can do that is through the discipline of eating right and working out.  i’ve made it through a week and my plan is viable…i can probably beef it up in another few weeks.  for now, i’ll stick with the original plan and see where the results are.

Workout Schedule:

Monday: PT at 1530
15 minutes stairs
30 minutes walk/run
30-45 minutes weights

Tuesday: PT at 0500
30 minutes cardio (walk/run/bike)

Wednesday: PT at 0700 (run at 0530)
20 minutes calisthenics
30 minutes run
30-45 minutes weights

Thursday: PT at 0500
30 minutes cardio (walk/run/bike)

Friday: PT at 0700 (run at 0530)
20 minutes calisthenics
30 minutes run
30-45 minutes weights

Saturday/Sunday:
Leisurely bike ride

Weight Training Routine (thanks to ChickenTuna):

Monday: Back/Biceps
Pullups: 4 sets of 5 (unassisted)
Lat pulldowns: 3 sets of 8-10
One-armed dumbbell rows: 3 sets of 8-10
Seated rows: 3 sets of 8-10
Bicep curls: 3 sets of 8-10
Hammer curls: 3 sets of 8-10

Wednesday: Chest/Shoulder/Triceps
Bench press: 3 sets of 8-10
Dips: 3 sets of 8 (unassisted)
Shoulder press: 3 sets of 8-10
Pec deck flys: 3 sets of 8-10
Chest press: 3 sets of 8-10
Dumbbell skull crushers: 3 sets of 8-10

Friday: Legs
Squats (ass to grass): 3 sets of 8-10
Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10
Walking lunges: 3 sets of 20 steps
Leg extensions: 3 sets of 8-10
Leg curls: 3 sets of 8-10

Abs: Hold abs/core tight during ALL weight training exercises.

Cardio: 5x a week for 30 minutes

i did the exact monday workout today and it hurt.  i usually don’t have a problem with 30 minutes of cardio (i ran a 15k about 3 months ago) but i was struggling this afternoon.  i alternated between 5.5 and 6 mph, which is on the slower end for me.  i did the stairstepper for 15 minutes (i’ve done 30/30 between stairs and treadmill with no problem in the past few weeks), and that about killed me, and i was only on level 6/7 (i usually run it at 9/10 or on fat burn).  i’m hoping i feel better in the coming workouts.  maybe the week of vacation i just returned from put me back a few steps…oh well, it only gets better from here, right?

this is the initial plan i have set forth…it is subject to change as a i see what works and what doesn’t.  the key thing for me is to wake up early, which i HATE doing.  i get up fairly early for work in general (5:30 am), so any earlier generally kills me.  sigh…let’s see how disciplined i can be!

i go back to work tomorrow for the first time in 6 weeks.  i think the routine of balancing work, eating right, and working out will get me back on track (besides, my fat ass goes crazy with food in the cupboard at home…i have better control over what i eat when i don’t have cupboards with food i don’t want around. BTW, when deployed, you don’t have constant access to food unless you venture to the dining facility…this simple state of living has made all the difference in my weight and self-control).

so here i am…i’ve committed myself to a clean diet and exercise program that entails cardio 5 times a week, strength training 3 days a week, and unit physical training twice a week.  within the next few months, i hope this blog will show evidence of extreme hardcore progress.  i’d love to compete…i love weight training and the feeling of control i have over my body.  i am currently at 163 lbs.  my goals are 150 (my original starting weight), 140, and 135.  i think for my body type and goal, 135 is an appropriate weight (for now).  my husband is also working with a similar diet and exercise plan, although his transition is less extreme than mine.  i’ve done straight up clean eating before and the transition is easily achievable for me (although it sucks, because i LOVE food and i’ve never really had to worry about my weight before, even after the birth of my son).  

so here it goes, the story of how this girl will chase the fat, and how she will succeed with accountability, persistence, and discipline.