singer1961’s BodyBlog

Here’s my Friday update.  It’s been crazy with camping and lots of performing.  I’m finally mostly over my cold/sinus infection.  My singing voice is mostly back to normal.  I’m just trying to do the best I can until Monday, when my schedule will finally be back to normal.  I gained a half pound this week.  Not too bad considering how little I’ve worked out due to camping and illness.  I’ll get back to work next week. 

It’s been nice to relax a little and I think the break will help my body and attitude.  But I actually look forward to getting back to work.

Have a great weekend!

It’s my regular Friday weight update, but today is anything but regular.  I’m sick - who gets sick in the end of August?  I missed yesterday’s workout and will miss today, too.  Then we’re going camping Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.  It’ll really mess up my workout plan.  I’ll do well on the diet though, I can only eat what I bring with me when we’re camping. 

I had a gig with the jazz band last night.  I was pretty worried about being able to sing.  I rested most of the day and had to suck on cough drops between songs, but I made it, and I sounded normal.  I didn’t feel normal, but it obviously wasn’t on my vocal chords last night.  It is a little bit today, though.  I feel a bit "froggy".  I have two gigs tomorrow.  One with the acoustic group and one with the jazz band.  Oh, dear!  I’ve asked my singing students to perform during my time tomorrow morning, so I don’t have to sing too much.  That will help.  And we’ll be doing all the instrumentals that we know.  Tomorrow night’s gig is mostly oldies and our keyboard player sings a lot of those songs.  It won’t be a sit down concert performance, more background music, so I don’t think people will be listening as much as they did last night.  I hope it works out!

My weight is down, or not, depending on which scale I use.  We got a new one, pretty cool and high-tech.  It says I’m down to 152.2.  The old one says 153.  I think I’ll use the new one.  I am really beginning to notice that my new workout program is making a difference!  My trainer checked it out and recommended a minor change, but thought it looked pretty good.  I’m actually starting to like some of the running!  Wow, that’s amazing.  I am enjoying being able to run fast.  After all my injuries and weight gains, running was not something I could do.  Now I’m doing interval running and so my last interval ends with 30+ seconds of really running, not jogging.  It’s actually fun!  For a short, chubby, old lady, I can really go.  My 20 year old son had to really work to keep up!  Granted, he wasn’t up to his normal speed that day, but still…… I think for kicks I want to time myself doing a 200 meter run.  Could I train for one of those all-comers, masters track meets???  You never know!  That’s sounds a lot more fun that a 5k run.  Long runs sound so boring to me. 

I hope everyone is feeling better than I am!  Have a great weekend.

I know I promised new pictures last weekend.  We took pictures at the gym and had a renewed realization that neither of us are very good photographers!  Awful pictures!  I got some advice from someone who knows more than we do and we are hoping for new pics soon.  

Have a great week! 

I did pretty well this week.  I started a new exercise program on Wednesday.  It’s a pretty ambitious one!  I’m excited about it.  I did very well on my diet this week, except for one cheat meal on Sunday night at a family get-together.  I gained 2 pounds and it took my 2 days to recover from having all that salt.  But I still lost a pound for the week.  I’m pleased. 

I took my measurements this morning and they are looking better than the scale.  I may even post an ab picture here pretty soon!  I’ll show the old one now that there is some improvement.   My best improvement with the measuring tape isn’t in a catagory listed on the measurements - it’s my tummy measurement.  It’s the chubbiest part of my tummy below my waist.  I find the biggest part and measure that.  It’s a lot smaller than it was in December when my weight was lower.  Yeah!

Things are moving in the right direction!!!  I’m very motivated.  I’m working hard and it’s showing.  My ability to run is improving a lot - I never thought I’d be a runner.   One small set back came last week when one of my band mates ran over my foot (the one I’ve broken twice) with a loaded sound equipment cart.  It has been pretty achy, not totally painful, but it’s getting worse.  That’s the part that worries me.  I really don’t want to take a break, I’m on a roll.  But I will if it gets much worse.  I just hope it doesn’t!

I’m finally getting the exercise AND the diet together.  One of the best things is that I’m motivating friends to exercise and eat better, too, just by example. 

Another great thing is the compliments on my legs!  Wow, I always hated the way my legs looked, even at 18.  Now I love wearing shorts.  I’ll be sad when the weather cools off and I have to wear pants again.  At least I can wear shorts at the gym.

Have a great week!

Well, I did better than last week - I lost a pound.  Now I’m at 154.  It’s a slow process, but at least I’m moving in the right direction.  Considering I missed two workouts this week, I guess I need to count that as an accomplishment.

I think the two things that are helping me get off this stuck spot is sticking to my diet and increasing the intensity of my cardio.  I’ve been sticking to my diet about 95% of the time now.  And when I go off it, it is smaller amounts of cheat foods.  Then add to that the fact that I’ve been running for some of my cardio workouts.  My heart rate gets up much higher.  I haven’t been spending any more time on cardio, just working harder when I’m there.

I have been checking my measurements and I found that my measurements are better than when I weighed 150 several months ago.  My waist isn’t any smaller (bummer!), but when I measure the chubby part of my tummy it’s smaller than when I weighed less.  My hips are bigger, but that could be a good thing.  I’ve always had a flat behind, and now I have some shape.  I’m surprised that my calves are smaller since I have a lot of muscle showing there.  This morning I put on a pair of shorts that had been just a bit too tight and they are quite comfortable now.  Yeah!  So, I’m making more progress than the scale shows.

Here are my workouts for the week:

Saturday:  my day off

Sunday:  upper body, I worked pretty hard on back and chest (I felt that one!), and medium hard on shoulders and triceps.  I ran out of time and didn’t get to biceps.

Monday:  I missed my workout - a crazy day.

Tuesday:  Running on the treadmill, an intense workout!

Wednesday:  25 minutes medium intensity elliptical, calves, hamstrings, glutes and a tough ab workout

Thursday:  okay, I could’ve made it into the gym, but I decided to go to a concert instead.

Friday:  I haven’t gone yet today, but I’ll do upper body and make sure to get in the biceps this time.  Hopefully, I’ll have time to some cardio, too.  I had wanted to run on the treadmill today, too, but I’m not sure I can.  "Miss Accident Prone" got her foot run over (the one I’ve broken twice!) by the cart that we haul sound equipment with after our performance yesterday.  I don’t think it’s bad, just kinda sore.  I need to baby it a little.

We’re planning on taking pictures on August 3rd, or so.  I feel different.  I hope it shows up in the photos!

Have a great weekend!

Well, I only lost 1/2 pound this week, so I’m at 155.  Bummer.  I’ve been really good, too.  I changed my diet on Thursday, so we’ll see if it makes a difference next week.  The goal for next week is 153 or less.

I’ve been good about workouts this week.  It’s been busy, but I’ve gotten them in.  I haven’t been able to do the extra cardio on weight lifting days like I planned, though.  Next week is not so busy, I think I’ll be able to work it in.

Here’s my workout:

Saturday: my rest day

Sunday:  calves, abs and 30 minutes cardio

Monday:  Interval running (I’m really getting better!) 30 minutes, fast walking 15 minutes

Tuesday: Upper body (late workout, about 9 pm) biceps, triceps, chest & back

Wednesday:  Elliptical, interval, 45 minutes, high intensity

Thursday:  Squats, calves, back extensions, 4 ab exercises

Friday:  Elliptical (I was supposed to run on the treadmill, but my legs were SO sore from yesterday!) 35 minutes

Saturday (tomorrow):  will be my day off

I’m off to a band road trip later today - how fun!  We’re playing at the Columbia County Fair.  I’ve never spent the whole day with the guys from the band, so we’ll see how that goes!  I’m taking all my food for the whole day so I don’t have to eat fair food.

Have a great week!

My husband (hpsm1958) and I went to the Oregon Bodybuilding Championships in Saturday in Portland.  I found it very motivating!  I think I could do that.   I think in a year I could do well enough to not be embarrased to be there.  I’ll need lots of help and hard work, but I think I can get there.  Most of the guys were really good, though.  It seems like it would be really hard competition for my husband.  

We met Ed, aka Old Superman, and got our picture taken with him.  He was very nice.  See my photo gallery for that picture.  I hope to get another picture with him next year for comparison.  I plan on seeing a great improvement!

My diet is going great so far this week.  I’m finally on a roll in the right direction.

Have a great week!

I’m planning on blogging at least every Friday with my weight and an exercise overview.  So, I’ve only lost 1/2 pound this week.  That makes 155.5.  Well, at least it’s going in the right direction.  The last few days I’ve really been good, so if I can keep that up I’ll get up to my 2 pounds/week goal.  So, let’s hope for 153.5 or less next Friday.

Since I finished the Body for Life 12 weeks I haven’t really decided how to change up my weight lifting.  I know I want to up my cardio and I have been running (if you knew me, you’d know that’s pretty amazing!).  I run once a week on the treadmill and once a week outside.  Then I do once a week hard on the elliptical.  I haven’t had the time, but I really want to do at least 30 minutes cardio on my weight lifting days, too.  I’ve been lifting 3 days a week.  I’ve had a bit of a time crunch, so I haven’t been able to work out quite as long as I would like. 

Saturday we’re going up to Portland to watch the body building competition there.  Ed (aka Old Superman) is competing there, so we want to meet him and cheer him on.  My husband (hpsm1958) and I are thinking about competing next year.  Wow, that’s hard to believe, but I think planning on it will be so motivating! 

Have a great week!

Oh dear, I promised to post my weight on July 4th.  Well, I waited as long as possible and still have it be on the 4th.  Well, I’ve gained weight since the last posting.  Bummer.  I’m at 156. 

I’m increasing my cardio and going back to the diet that I used to lose so much weight last year, I’m just adding some protien because of all the weight lifting.  I didn’t start the diet too well today - popcorn (air-popped, butter spray and salt, but I ate too much) and my big splurge, a chocolate mint milk shake at the fireworks tonight.  I love fireworks!

Well, I hope the number start going down again.  I really want to lose 8 pounds or more in July!! 10 would be better!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Yesterday my husband and I bought some hay for the animals for the winter and for the first time in several years I was able to help!  Okay, there were some benefits to being unable, due to injuries, to buck hay, but I did it - and I feel fine today.  Whiplash, cracked ribs, separated shoulder, torn rotator cuffs, crushed foot and more!  But I started a tougher cardio program a little more than a year ago and light weights.  Then a few months ago I started lifting in earnest and I feel great!  Not only was I able to do the work without pain, I was stronger and better able to throw the bales (45-55 pounds) onto the truck and stack them shoulder height and sometimes higher.   Wow.  I am so thankful to have my body back!