newlyfe’s BodyBlog

Hit the gym after work this morning.  Have not done that in a while. It’s been so crowded at the Y.  Had a good Back and Bi workout.  I am 15 weeks away from my competition.  decided on the Level II NPC in Lakeland Florida in September.  With that in mind, I rocked the weights.  Now is time for a shower and bed.  I’ll hit the cardio when I get up this afternoon and start the day all over again.

Share a smile today.  It cost you nothing but has big pay offs.  Peace.  

Sleep is supposed to be good for recovery and for your brain.  I just do not get enough.  So I forced myself to stay in bed all day. I did dozed.  This is a long work weekend.  I have to really schedule sleep (believe it or not) better.  On my days, I’ll nap and get up and do things in between.  Not enough periods of long sleep, no more than 4 hours with 1 hour naps.

Well short on time today, have to go in early, now that I slept on and off all day.  I am committing to 30 minutes on the treadmill and abs.  You know what, no treadmill, Im hitting the streets for 30. 

Peace.

Minutes: 65 (10 @ Level 5, 30 @ level 10, 20 @ level 5, 5 @ level 4), Calories burned: 700 Miles: 6.14  Worked just above max heart rate for about 40 minutes.

Followed with 45 munites of Zumba, only because it started right as I was getting off the elliptical. 

Found some really good information by a girl named Michelle on You Tube.  Stuff on figure competition prep.  Taking notes.     

As I sit here eating steamed plain chicken breast and green beans at almost 2 in the morning,  I wanted to note my cardio today.  I read an article, in my pulled magazine clippings, about the elliptical and how to use it better to get better results.  First I must say I do use all the machines for variety.  I have been doing 35 minutes a day.  I did try 2 cardio sessions a day but I just do not have the time and do the strength training.  I work a 12 hour shift. I might be able if I only worked 8.  But I knew I had to step it up. So the stats for today.

Minutes: 65 Interval, Speed Level: 5 (I sprinted for 2 minutes), Work Level: 10, Calories Burned: 722, Distance: 6.19 miles  

So, now, if I do that everyday, I am hoping to be in the 160’s in June.

So clothing sizes, I had this conversation last night with another tall shapely young lady.  I can zip up a size 8 jean.  Now they would be stretch denim and I can’t breath but I can do it.  I wear comfortably now a size 10……at 170 lbs.  That’s alittle crazy.  At age 34, I got married in a lovey tailored suit, size 14.  I was 170 then and by all accounts slim. Anything I have now that is a 14 falls off.  So my argument was the clothing and fashion industry are making clothing larger.  I think they are screwing with us ladies.  I tested it.  I reached in the back of my closet today and pulled out the suit I got married in.  AND just as I thought, it was perfect fit.  So lesson here…..size is just a number and it is all in what you wear, how you wear it and how it looks and feels on you.

Peace to all my full size beautiful friends.       

For motivation, I go through all my fitness magazines, pull all the articles and exercises and trash the rest (ads).  Going through them makes me reread, then I have a file for the different body parts to exercise, or weight loss, or competition winners.  I get Oxygen, Muscle Fitness Hers and sometimes Fitness RX along with some others.

I worked yesterday, cardio and then trained shoulders. But last night after doing my magazine ritual, I did a lower body workout.

Step up on the bench 4×20 / lunges 4 x 20 steps / side squats 4 x 20 squats / deadlifts 4 x 20  and I did them crosstrain style, alternating through all 4.  This was at about 1 AM.

I am feeling it but I’m so glad for the motivation.  Prior to that I walked around in my pageant shoes and they are feeling better.  Just gotta take it slow. 

Preparing to order my suit.  Was going to buy it plain and bedazzle it but decided to get one of the less bling suits, more affordable and less bedazzle needed. ;0).  I was looking for the most modest suit.  I like the one with the halter type straps and the most coverage in the back.  I may feel young and strong but I have not forgotten my age.

   Simple with a little bling.

Nutrition for me is the key for my training.  I have got to buckle down and get that consistancy going.

Everyone enjoy your Memorial Day and remember those that have lost their lives fighting for our country.  Peace

I love my trainer, but I am in so much pain.  My chest, tris and the front of my shoulders are crazy tender.  I can do flyes all day long but that reclined chest press to work the upper chest, murder.  Practice, practice.  I am going to push past that pain because today it’s shoulders. I love training shoulders.  You never really pay attention to the look of the shoulder until you shape your own.  I now see regular women, they can be perfectly fit but not weight training with round shoulders.  I never want my shoulders to look that way again.  I like the more muscular looking shoulder on me.

I don’t know if I said this before, but I some times do not realize I am tall.  47 years, you think I’d be used to it.  In Zumba yesterday, of about 30, 40 plus people, I just looked oddly taller than everybody else, maybe because I am slimmer.  I am just imagining being at a show.  I feel I will be really large in comparsion to the other women.  It is a concern of mine.  Well it’s who I am.  Off to the gym.          

I started this journey at over 30% bodyfat.  I just stepped on the scale at my lowest measured bodyfat ever 12.5%.  I am 3.5% away from my goal.  I am still not sure how realistic 9% is.  But it’s a single digit and sounds good. Continuing to trim down the thighs, the largest deposit of fat for me, will get me to my goal.  Zumba this morning.  Always a good workout and cool moves.  I can always fake the funk for a minute and act like I know what I’m doing.  

I almost ran down the UPS guy when he rolled up to my house with my pageant shoes. I was so excited.  They are cute but how in the hell to you walk in them.  The highest heel I have ever worn was 2".  I slide them on like the glass slipper then stood up.  I’m about    6′3" in them.  Legs looked instantly better in them. But to move from point A to Point B…………..Much practice will be needed.   

I had to work finale night, so I just saw the show last night on demand.  The winner, Helen, was 3rd on the fan list of favorites.  But I just understood something last night.  I thought it was selfish of her to stay and send her daughter home as the other contestants did as well.  And I’m sure they thought Helen would be an easy beat.  Out of the 2, Helen was a surer shot to win the money.  So I’m thinking Mom’s thinking, if we are going to work our butts off to get this money, my daughter will not be able to do it.  She’s was probably right, her daughter would have been sent packing soon after Helen would have went home and they both would have missed out on the money.  Props to Helen at 48, lost the weight and won the money .  Still a Tara fan.  She rocked that show, and wasn’t Mike handsome.   

Now onto the summer, Big Brother.  I love TV. And I would in the past sat and ate and watched.  I sat last night with a gallon jug of water next to me sippin’ away, snacked on a couple of healthy oatmeal cookies, a large apple and a protein shake, not all at once, throughout the evening.  Down another pound.  

It is trully an uphill battle for me.  

Back with trainer, Rob, today after about a month.  Finances kept me away.  You all know how that is.  But I need him to push me beyond my abilities.  Learned a new leg/butt move today, side squats moving across the room with a medicine ball.  Deep squats elbows to knee and tighten the butt on the up.  I’m feeling a bit sore.  The concentration was on the upper thighs.   Good jump start into heavier training cause I have been going light as time went on away from him.