sherrygenet’s BodyBlog

This will be my last post for a month.  I’m heading down to the beach in Costa Rica for almost a month with my whole family (my husband, my 3 year old daughter and  my 4 year old daughter).  I’m a little nervous because my training is going really well, I’m feeling much more conditioned, making progress and stronger.  I’m motivated and things are going in the right direction.

This is all about to change.  New environment, different diet, different exercise, different everything.  My goal is to do Bikram Yoga (1.5 hrs in a 105 degree room!) MWF, run 2-3 miles TThSat, surf everyday possible, and I also brought my exericse bands and sparring pads to use with my husband.  Who knows?  Maybe a change in routine will actually be a good thing and a shock to my body.

I’m excited for the adventure, but also worried because I’ve been doing so well and have been so motivated.  I’ll be strong!  If possible, I’ll check in a couple times a week.  If anything, maybe a darker tan will make me LOOK leaner, even if I’m not !

 Pura Vida!!

I had my last BF measurement this morning before I go away for almost a month. 

Beginning stats:  146.5 lbs, 32.4% + BF (Jan 10 2007), was 153 lbs Dec 2006

New stats:  139.5 lbs, 23.38%BF (May 24 2007)

Since last week, I lost 1.5 lbs and 2.13% BF!!!!  Yeah.

I’m pretty excited and am approaching one of my short term goals of being less than 20% BF.  Since Jan, I have lost 7 pounds overall (actually 14 pounds total since December 2006, but I didn’t do my bodyfat or photos back then, so I’m starting in Jan with my transformation), GAINED 7.17 lbs LBW, and LOST 14.17 lbs of fat. 

I’m pretty psyched when I look at my overall progress.  I still have a long way to go but I’m really happy to be getting the results that I am.

I have to go, but will write more later.

Ran 3 miles tonight.  Felt pretty good.  It’s all relative, you know?  I did 3 miles in 35 minutes, which is amazing for me!  A few months ago I wouldn’t have been able to run 1 mile!  It helps to run at night.  That 90 degree mid-day Florida heat is a killer,  can’t wait for summertime!

• I’ve been REALLY tired lately.  And, having a hard time pushing hard with cardio.   Sunday was my cheat night and for workout I did 1 hour of cardio.
• Yesterday (Monday) I worked out with my trainer in the am (was WAY tired in the beginning but felt good afterwards), eating was ok, not great, not totally bad, and didn’t do a second workout in the evening.  I have to get my motivation going again, eat much cleaner, and start my two-a-days.
• I’m feeling stronger, in much better condition, but definitely not feeling the fat coming off as quickly as I would like.  Slow and steady at this point, I guess.  It’s just always nice to have the little jump where all of a sudden 3 pounds comes off practically overnight and it stays off!
• Getting my body fat done Thursday, so we’ll see how I did this week.
• Plan for today:  workout during the day (cardio, weak body parts in the gym, or yoga), and this evening I need to run.

Did 1 hour cardio this am.  Ate clean all day.

Hubby and I decided to have a cheat night tonight. 

Pizza, ice cream, potato chips, and brownies!!!!!!!!!

It was awesome!!!!!!

It’s funny how I feel guilty about NOT working out twice a day and not eating clean, when for years I didn’t work out consistently at all AND ate like that almost every night.

Sometimes you just need to go for it.  As long as I’m not pre-contest.

Back on the wagon tomorrow.  One more week and I’m off to Costa Rica.  I get my bodyfat checked on Thursday.   Hoping for a couple pound fat loss. 

After being consistent and running 3 miles two nights ago, I finally rewarded myself with a new pair of running shoes.  A pair of Nike Shox.   I’m very excited.  I did my first run in them last evening, but started to get blisters after running two miles, so I had to stop, walked 0.5 miles, ran another 0.5 miles, had to stop from the blisters, then walked another 1 mile.  4 miles total, with 2.5 miles of running.  Not bad for someone who is absolutely not born to run.

I went to the gym yesterday morning to do a boxing class, but it was cancelled. Second week in a row .  Anyway, my trainer was there and we worked out shoulders together, which was fine with me since it is one of my weakest body parts.  It was actually nice to be able to do a regular old weight workout with 8-12 reps, 4 sets each exercise, and actually rest in between sets.  I’ve been doing a lot of supersets and circuit training for conditioning, so this was almost like a rest.  Plus, hopefully my shoulders will grow!!

 I ate pretty clean yesterday.  I had a mom/daughter day with my 4 year old at the mall yesterday and she wanted pizza for lunch.  We got one slice with loads of mushrooms on it, cut it in half, and I took all her mushrooms.  So, a cheat meal, but not too bad as far as I’m concerned.

 I feel like I’m just STARTING to turn the corner.  I’m feeling stronger, tighter and my conditioning is the best it’s been in years.  I’m pretty psyched.  My weight is 139.8 lbs today, down from 142!!! two days ago.  I thought I was going to

I just hope I can keep it up on my trip.  In one week my whole family is going to Costa Rica for 3.5 weeks.  I’m going to bring my bands, try to surf everyday (that is my goal!), do yoga 3 times a week (1.5 hour Bikram classes), and run at least 3 times a week.  I’ll see if I can run on the beach instead of the road.  I’ve never done it so it’ll be an adjustment.  And, as long as I can control my partying, and eat pretty clean I should be okay.  Eating clean down there is much easier, I think, because there isn’t the convenience and abundance of processed food like there is here.

Not sure what I’m going to do for workouts today.  I’ll try to do some cardio this am, but I like to do it before it gets too hot and my husband just left for a couple hour bike ride so I’ll play it by ear.  And, I’ll probably do 45"-60" of some sort of cardio tonight.

Just a quick update on my progress. 

I got discouraged last night, so I over ate while watching tv (bad, bad, bad).  It was clean food, though.  At least it wasn’t a dark Milky Way bar like I used to eat.

I ate pretty clean today.  Feeling a little better.

I did a 60" spin class this morning and just got back from a 3 mile run!!!  Yeah!  I haven’t run 3 miles without stopping in over 5 years.  I feel pretty good about my workouts, just still have to work on that diet thing.  Sucks.

I got my body fat done today.  It is good, but not what I was hoping for.  Sometimes this process takes so much patience, especially when you are working so hard.  Anyways, here it is.

From 1 week ago:

Gained 0.2 lbs (from 141 to 141.2:  not too bad, I basically consider that the same)

Gained 1.05 lbs lbw

Lost 0.85 lbs fat

Went from 26.15% to 25.51%  BF since 1 week ago. (-0.64%)

 I know this is still going in the right direction, it’s just that I have been eating pretty clean (at least 80% - 90% or more of the time), have been doing crazy amounts of cardio, and working out HARD.  I thought I’d be doing more dropping of body fat than gaining of muscle.  I’m not trying to complain, because I know things could be worse, but my goal at this point is just to maintain my muscle mass and drop another 10-15 lbs of fat.

Fortunately, and unfortunately, I know what needs to be done.  I was hoping that I could drop fat pretty quickly by eating clean 80%-90% of the time and increasing my cardio.  I was hoping to not have to do a pre-contest diet at this point, but I’m not sure what else to do.  I have to clean my diet up even more and keep working out the same, because I don’t think the problem lies in my workouts.

I obviously have to turn the corner somewhere soon, because I know that I can’t keep putting on 1 lb of lbw every week.  It just won’t be physically possible.  In 5 weeks I put on 3.37 lbs of lbw and lost 4.17 lbs of fat.  Since Jan (about 4 months), I put on 6.16 lbs lbw and lost 11.46 lbs of fat.  (and actually even more fat, since I lost 7 pounds before I even started recording everything)

Okay, so looking at this posting and reading it myself, I do see that I am actually TRANSFORMING my body.  That is awesome, but sometimes it is so hard not to see the scale drop in pounds, because I know that it has to in order for me to really be lean.  I mean, come on.  There is no way that at 5′4.5" I can be lean at 140 lbs.  If I am, you are going to have to throw me on stage in some bodybuilding show!!  Ripped at 125 lbs I can handle.  Ripped at 140 lbs is not what I am shooting for.

Okay, one hour of cardio tonight and I’ll see how I feel in the morning.  I am eating totally clean today!!  In my boxing class last night, I actually jump roped for 5 minutes straight without stopping, and I wasn’t dying.  When I did the class for the first time a few weeks ago, I don’t even think I could go for 1 minute, and I was dying.

I have also noticed my CV endurance improving.  I can go longer, harder, maintain a good heart rate, and my heart rate recovers much quicker and goes lower.  I’ve noticed my shoulders starting to come in, getting bigger and leaner.  Sometimes I can even see them when I am relaxed!!  Awesome!  Still have a gut when I sit down.  God, I hate that feeling.  But, my upper abs are starting to show through.

And, last but not least, my lower body.  My legs will not lean out until my upper body is shredded.  That is just how I am.  Sucks, but true.  At least I know it and can expect it.  I carry a lot of muscle AND a lot of fat on my legs.  I guess it’s genetics and 10 years of gymnastics.  Oh yeah, and maybe the heavy squats I did for so many years (no more of that )  Man, I miss heavy squatting.

I must forge ahead.  I know it can happen.

Okay, so 20 min power walk, 24 min run, and 18 min power walk.  I am one of those people who looks like they are running in place (or even backwards!), that’s how slow I run.  I will never be built like a long distance runner, oh well.  I’d rather look like an Olympic Sprinter anyway.  When I walk I’m pretty much doing a fast modified lunge, I swear squeezing every ounce of fat out of my body   Total of 62 minutes outside in the freaking heat of day, and with black leggings on.  What was I thinking?  I’ll tell you what I was thinking.  That I am tired of my fat ass being out of shape.  One more hour of boxing tonight and I am done till BF% measurements and workout tomorrow morning.

This is my first post and I absolutely LOVE this site.  My friend Doneker King turned me onto it…  Check out her page - her name here is dfitnesss24.  She looks and is amazing.

Everyone here has been so nice and encouraging.  It was getting really hard to stay motivated while hitting a scale plateau.  But then I actually posted my photos and I couldn’t believe that I saw a difference in less than two weeks, but not much difference on the scale.  Just a testament that it is always hard to judge yourself.  Sometimes you have to take a step back and look at yourself objectively.

Now back to eating cleaner and my two cardio sessions today.