Wow Leah! Great pic's, you look fantabulous!! You must feel like quite a success and you sure look like one!
Anyhooters, I am following NROL front to back -- literal eh? Started with Breakin and did all of the Fat Loss and now into Hypertrophy. I love it. My suggestion would be to do Fat Loss III and then do Hypertrophy I and II. The exercises build on each other. Just my 2 cents however. Whatever you do, it will be great as long as you do it!
I did have it in the back of my mind, should I hit Fat Loss III one more time before trying to put on some muscle. It was just so torturous ... in a good way of course. So far I've done Break-In, Fat Loss II, Fat Loss III, Hyp I, and then Strength I, II, and III in that order. I was thinking of picking up the ones I have not done yet to finish the book. But I like what you are saying about the programs building on each other. Maybe I will re-think the plan.
Leah, I didn't realize you had already completed those programs . . . (you are my heroine!). Perhaps then your body would relish (ha ha) something new and different then.
I am super impressed with the body building pics. I know that some day I will be there but for now it is only a dream. You are looking ripped my friend!! Nice. I too find higher carbs to be needed in order to function well. My body seems to do okay with them.
I also love the idea of posting BEFORE pics. I have one of me in china at the great wall and I am GREAT too. I think I will do that.
I know just what you mean that it is weird to try to get used to looking so different. I think the thing that gets me the most is losing my chest. When I was heavy I was bursting out of a D cup and too stubborn to go get a bigger bra because all the DD's looked like something my grandma would wear. Lately I was thinking I should go get measured because my B cup bras are seeming too big.
Well, I ignore the breast issue because I knew it was going to happen. I'm a C that went to D in pregnancy -- this cured me of wanting to lug those around though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LWilson212
Oh my goodness Tracey, I am extremely flattered for you to say we are built similarly. I checked out your picture from your log. You have really changed your body! You said you are trying to see if you can stick with a weight training program. Did you make all those changes with just cardio type exercise?
I went to answer this in your log and the response was so long, I decided to put it in my log. Seems I have the gift of gab (or over-explanation).
I like reading your log Tracey, you can make it as lengthy as you want. I'm a talker too!
I am so glad yesterday is over! I changed my food around to different times, so I ate the thing with pasta for lunch and I didn't get the 3PM crash. I just felt so incredibly exhausted. I was falling asleep driving to HR Block, so I stopped and bought a diet dr. pepper. It slipped out of my hand and spilled in my lap, which jerked me awake. But the whole experience scared the crap out of me. I want to pay off my credit cards, but obviously it is not worth my life. I am off tonight and there is no way I will commit myself to this many hours again.
Today is a tentative lifting day. I really want to lift, but I can't keep pushing myself to exhaustion.
Food plan:
breakfast: 1 slice whole wheat toast w/1 tlbs peanut butter
morning snack: banana, 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 tbls raisins & 1 tbls slivered almonds
lunch: lasagne & 1/2 bag frozen veggies
afternoon snack: will hold back some lasagne and the other 1/2 of the veggies
dinner: broiled steak, and roasted potato & sweet potato wedges
if I lift: Post WO shake: 2 cups milk, 2 scoops protein, 1 cup frozen blueberries
My mom used to do taxes during the season when I was growing up. I'd go to work with her sometimes and, man, she got a lot of idiots through that office. LOL
Hey Diane - Hopefully your mom got away with her sanity intact! I was telling some of the other preparers, didn't you know you were actually a life and relationship counselor, not just a tax preparer.
Yesterday didn't go as well as planned. I ordered a pizza and went to bed at 8 with no exercise and after a tearful breakdown. Oh well, I feel 100% better after a full night's sleep.
Breakfast: 1 slice leftover pizza
Morning snack: 1 can tuna w/hot sauce
Lunch: 1 can tuna mixed with 1/2 cup cottage cheese & 1 bag frozen mixed veggies
Afternoon snack: shake with 2 scoops protein and 1 cup milk
Dinner: frozen entree, TBD at the store at lunch time
Leah - I think you are doing a FABULOUS job keeping up with the workouts, keeping your diet clean (most of the time) AND working two jobs!! I don't know how you do it! You should be super proud of yourself!!
Leah - I think you are doing a FABULOUS job keeping up with the workouts, keeping your diet clean (most of the time) AND working two jobs!! I don't know how you do it! You should be super proud of yourself!!
Thank you so much! This forum has provided so much support and encouragement. I love it. BTW, I got my tea on Friday after ordering Wednesday and paying only $5 for shipping. It is so delicious! When I smelled the Azteca Fire I could barely keep from sticking my fingers in and eating a piece. And the tea maker is so convenient. Great recommendation!
Finished with some weak intervals, 10 minutes total.
3 min warmup @ 5.2
1 min @ 6.8, 2 min @ 5.2
1 min @ 6.8, 3 min @ 5.2
Food:
Breakfast: 2 slices pb toast
Post workout shake: 1 cup milk, 1 scoop vanilla protein, 1 cup blueberries
Lunch: leftover meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, and mixed frozen veggies
Afternoon: extremely hungry and picked at so much stuff including: 4 choc covered cherries, mixed nuts, raisins, baby carrots, honey bunches of oats, cheerios
Dinner: one of those frozen skillet things with chicken, pasta, and veggies
Evening snack: 1 corona w/lime
I am very proud of myself for getting this in. I didn't get out of work until an hour later than I was expecting and I started making all sorts of excuses to myself. But I looked at my planner and said, if you don't do this now, when are you going to? I told myself I have to drive by the gym anyway to get home, so I might as well go in.
155/10 110/10
155/10 110/10
155/10 110/10
The squats felt easier and I felt loser in the second set, which I take to mean I should have warmed up better.
Supine hip extension supersetted w/dumbbell push press, 45 sec rests
Intervals for 15 minutes - these felt very strong!
3 min @ 5.2
1 min @ 7.2, 2 min @ 5.2
1 min @ 7.3, 2 min @ 5.2
1 min @ 7.4, 2 min @ 5.2
1 min @ 7.5, 2 min @ 5.2
Today's food:
Breakfast: honey bunches of oats & 1/2 cup milk & raisins & nuts
Morning snack: 1/2 cup cottage cheese w/raisins and nuts
Lunch: 1 can sausage and pasta soup
Afternoon snack: tuna sandwich on 1 slice bread, medium orange, 1 square ghiradelli dark chocolate w/raspberry filling
Post workout: 1 scoop chocolate protein and 1 cup milk
Dinner: hot sausage tomato sauce over pasta
Evening snack: corona w/lime
Overall not a bad weekend. I couldn't believe how I could not stop eating that cereal. Its scary how when you stop eating sugary stuff for the most part, something like that can taste so incredibly sweet.
BTW, I got my tea on Friday after ordering Wednesday and paying only $5 for shipping. It is so delicious! When I smelled the Azteca Fire I could barely keep from sticking my fingers in and eating a piece. And the tea maker is so convenient. Great recommendation!
I'm so glad you like it!!! ENJOY!!
Quote:
I am very proud of myself for getting this in. I didn't get out of work until an hour later than I was expecting and I started making all sorts of excuses to myself. But I looked at my planner and said, if you don't do this now, when are you going to? I told myself I have to drive by the gym anyway to get home, so I might as well go in.
Your tenacity during this time of hear is extremely impressive. The weight looks great too.
And hey, sometimes, pizza is essential.
I am with you on the Tea. I love decaf black tea. Celestial Seasonings has a great website and I ordered about 12 different kinds. Gets me through the tough times.
I have just turned in my vacation form for the next two days. Yeah!!!! I am burnt out and ready to relax a bit. Now if only I can convince Shawn to call off too.
Today is a rest day.
Food plan:
Breakfast: shake w/1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 cup frozen strawberries and 1 cup water (ran out of milk)
Mid-morning: 1 can tuna w/hot sauce and 1 hardboiled egg
Lunch: 1 cup hot pepper and sausage sauce over 2 oz pasta
Afternoon snack: 2 cups frozen stir-fry veggie mix w/snow peas, shitakes, water chestnuts and edamame beans and other yummy veggies
Dinner: 1 can tuna w/1/2 cup cottage cheese
Evening snack: I never drank my beer last night since I fell asleep, so I'm drinking my corona with a lime tonight to celebrate the start of my brief vacation!
You look great: strong and fit. If a more expensive camera would make you look even better, buy it! My wife did weight watchers and was very successful with it. She did a lot of exercise with it. My only complaint with weight watchers was that some folks lost the weight but without the exercise they still didn't look healthy.
I have just turned in my vacation form for the next two days. Yeah!!!! I am burnt out and ready to relax a bit. Now if only I can convince Shawn to call off too.
....
Tomorrow I will do some cardio and cook some good food!
Have a wonderful time.
Looks like you did 2 back-to-back workout days. Did I read this correctly? Both of them look very strong. Pampering and some sleep should definitely be on the mini-vacation agenda.
Tracey
__________________ Just because your mother thinks you're special doesn't mean I do
I was going to make the pasta fagioli soup recipe for the crockpot that I got off your recipezaar book. And a butternut squash bisque from my Whole Foods cookbook. And chicken stir-fry for lunch and steaks and roasted potatoes for dinner. That should give me lots of stuff for the rest of the week!
My mom e-mailed me yesterday that she was sending me a cookbook from Ellie Krieger. I tried some of her recipes from the food network website and they were good! I am excited to get the book.
You look great: strong and fit. If a more expensive camera would make you look even better, buy it! My wife did weight watchers and was very successful with it. She did a lot of exercise with it. My only complaint with weight watchers was that some folks lost the weight but without the exercise they still didn't look healthy.
Thanks Greg! I did like Weight Watchers when I was doing it, but I don't think I would try a plan where I eat so little again. I was thinking last night I should dig up some photos from after I lost weight, but before I discovered new rules. That would be a cool comparison.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanceDiva
Have a wonderful time.
Looks like you did 2 back-to-back workout days. Did I read this correctly? Both of them look very strong. Pampering and some sleep should definitely be on the mini-vacation agenda.
Tracey
Hi Tracey-
Yeah, I did Saturday morning and then Sunday night. I am pretty sore. I wish I could have an actual training schedule, but basically I just go whenever I think I can squeeze something in. Sleep is definitely on the agenda. I shoveled the driveway for my boyfriend, made his lunch and coffee and pretty soon I'm going to crawl back into bed.
A word to the wise - unless you have a big crockpot (in the 7 or 8 quart range) you probably won't be able to fit it all in (unless you cut the recipe in half). I made it in a stockpot (having had to transfer it from my 5.5 qt crockpot) and it came out just fine. Also, I cooked the noodles separately and added them just before boxing it up for refrigeration.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
amen chorus from me on the "weight loss with no exercise equals icky" sentiment. we have weight watchers at our job for essentially only 20 percent of the cost. our HR director and her husband have each lost substantial weight, but they both refuse to exercise. and they don't look well to me. I was dismayed to see her describing our wellness program in our local newspaper and touting the benefits of exercise, knowing full well she doesn't do it.
Leah - I think you are doing a FABULOUS job keeping up with the workouts, keeping your diet clean (most of the time) AND working two jobs!! I don't know how you do it! You should be super proud of yourself!!
Leah,
I have to agree with that statement. You ROCK!
__________________
Ginger
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." ~ John Bingham
A word to the wise - unless you have a big crockpot (in the 7 or 8 quart range) you probably won't be able to fit it all in (unless you cut the recipe in half). I made it in a stockpot (having had to transfer it from my 5.5 qt crockpot) and it came out just fine. Also, I cooked the noodles separately and added them just before boxing it up for refrigeration.
Hey Tom - Thanks for the tips. I halved the recipe and it fits perfectly. I am going to do the pasta like you said. It is smelling goooood!
Quote:
Originally Posted by fengshway
amen chorus from me on the "weight loss with no exercise equals icky" sentiment. we have weight watchers at our job for essentially only 20 percent of the cost. our HR director and her husband have each lost substantial weight, but they both refuse to exercise. and they don't look well to me. I was dismayed to see her describing our wellness program in our local newspaper and touting the benefits of exercise, knowing full well she doesn't do it.
I guess she must know she should exercise then! I have a running book my dad gave me and it has a chart that has always clicked for me. It shows how the benefits of exercise in weight control are not necessarily apparent right from the start, but they build as time goes on. Not sure of the science of this, but he cites some studies saying that chronic exercisers process the food they take in differently from sedentary people. I think Lou mentions that in NROL too. So burning calories is the minor part of exercise.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GinnyLou
Leah,
I have to agree with that statement. You ROCK!
Thanks GinnyLou!
Today's workout was 10 rounds of the HELL drills. They went better than usual I thought. Normally after the push jumps I have to crawl to my knees and then to my feet for the squat jumps. But today I sprung to my feet, like I want. I followed that by three 45 second planks, which is a long time for me.
I also shoveled snow twice.
Food:
Breakfast: oatmeal w/raisins and 1 tsp brown sugar
Pre/During Workout shake: 1 cup milk + 1 scoop bev int'l choc protein powder
Lunch: chicken & stir-fry veggies
Dinner: broiled steak and 1 sweet potato
Stuff I picked at: lots of mixed nuts, raisins, cheerios - this is so bad, I need to stop. Its easier when I'm at work because I can't eat what I didn't bring with me. My main problem with picking is then when I count it I am only estimating. Maybe if I feel a need to pick I should portion out some stuff in the morning and leave it in a bowl to graze on throughout the day. I think I will try that tomorrow.
Also, I have never felt a need to have a food scale. But today I was using all this stuff I bought at Costco in giant containers. The stir-fry veggies said a serving had 40 cals for 3 oz, which who know's how much that is without weighing. Same for the chicken, portions were 4 oz, but I think the breasts were at least twice that big. I know some people have recommended some food scales on here. Maybe I'll order one.
Totals: 1800 cals - a little high
73g fat 38%
157g carb 30%
135g protein 31%
Plan for tomorrow is Fat Loss I B5 - Only three more to go! I am still a little bit torn about what to do next. I kept saying I was going to quit dieting and try to bulk starting March 1st. I am thinking of extending it two more weeks and squeezing in one more round of Fat Loss III before starting Hypertrophy II and III. I have not lost all the fat I want, but I am getting burnt out on dieting, and I think a few more pounds of muscle should help with future dieting efforts.
Today's workout was 10 rounds of the HELL drills. They went better than usual I thought. Normally after the push jumps I have to crawl to my knees and then to my feet for the squat jumps. But today I sprung to my feet, like I want. I followed that by three 45 second planks, which is a long time for me.
I also shoveled snow twice.
Way to go on the workout! I hear ya on the snow, too. I am so tired of snow shoveling and it keeps right on snowing . Course it doesn't help my mood any that this is a record snowfall year, either .
It turned out great! The only thing I didn't like about the one at Olive Garden is that is was incredibly salty. This version, although it is supposed to be a copy of that, was much less salty, perfect for my tastes. I saw you made some too. How is yours?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Karen411
Way to go on the workout! I hear ya on the snow, too. I am so tired of snow shoveling and it keeps right on snowing . Course it doesn't help my mood any that this is a record snowfall year, either .
I just got in from shoveling again after getting my car stuck in my driveway. I should not complain though because we have not had a bad winter so far. I only shoveled one other time and the rest I just threw down salt and it got warmer and everything melted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by nutbar
Send some snow down here, guys!! We haven't seen real snow in years.
You know its been a weird winter. The temps have fluctuated so much that we haven't got to play in the snow with Shawn's girls because it keeps melting. One of our favorite things is to tie their sleds on to the back of the four-wheeler and pull them around. Last year I had an accident like something that would happen to you.
I told him to stop because I had to get off and pee. I walked into the woods and I was wearing a big furry hat that obstructed my vision and I walked right into a tree branch. It hurt, but I was hoping it wasn't as bad as it seemed. But when he and the kids saw me they were like what happened to your face?!?! It was gashed from my eye to my chin and bleeding all over the place. People at work asked me if it was a four-wheeler accident, so I said yes, because the truth was too embarrasing. Shawn was calling me Slash for weeks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GinnyLou
Looking good, Leah. I am thinking of springing for a scale, too.
I still don't like this swiss ball thing, but I did a lot better at planks yesterday and I suspect this has something to do with it.
I went to the gym at a stupid time and people kept trying to take my stuff I was using.
Intervals, 15 minutes
warm-up @ 5.2 3 min
4 x 1 min @ 7.5, 2 min @ 5.0
I'm really glad Natalie posted the video about HIIT. I can run a lot faster for the hard intervals when I go really slow and rest on the rest parts. I was trying to keep going medium hard.
Food for today:
Breakfast: smoothie w/milk, chocolate yogurt, banana, peanut butter
Morning snack: McDonald's grilled chicken asian salad w/1/2 dressing packet, apple
Lunch: pasta e fagioli soup
Stuff I picked at (at least I measured ) 1/4 cup mixed nuts, 1/2 a cupcake I bought for Shawn and the kids and they didn't eat - note to self, don't buy anymore cupcakes!
Post workout: 1 scoop bev int'l cookies & cream protein, 1 cup milk - I just got the cookies and cream, but it wasn't as exciting as I had hoped
Dinner: grilled chicken hoagie w/onions, peppers, mushrooms, & asiago cheese
It turned out great! The only thing I didn't like about the one at Olive Garden is that is was incredibly salty. This version, although it is supposed to be a copy of that, was much less salty, perfect for my tastes. I saw you made some too. How is yours?
Wicked good - made it with whole wheat fusilli pasta and I added the optional tobasco sauce. This was my 2nd batch, and I think it came out better than the first. I'm not surprised by the saltiness given that they probably don't have fresh ingredients for it (or if they just open a can), but the basic taste I think is pretty accurate. Glad you are enjoying it.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Wicked good - made it with whole wheat fusilli pasta and I added the optional tobasco sauce. This was my 2nd batch, and I think it came out better than the first. I'm not surprised by the saltiness given that they probably don't have fresh ingredients for it (or if they just open a can), but the basic taste I think is pretty accurate. Glad you are enjoying it.
Whole wheat fusilli sounds delicious! I just tried whole wheat pasta not too long ago and we were impressed with the texture. It seemed pleasingly firmer than regular pasta. I just had a bowl of my soup for my morning snack that I packed in my Mr. Bento.
The return to work is not going very well. I didn't miss any of these people or their whistling, singing, political views or sports talk. I used to eat boxes of cookies to soothe these types of feelings. Luckily there are no cookies in sight.
I don't exactly know why this is bothering me, its kind of stupid, but I went to the gynecologist yesterday for my annual exam and to get my birth control shot. As she was getting ready to give me my shot (in the hip) she said - did you lose a lot of weight? She seems like a nice person and I know she meant well, but I'm thinking, are you asking because of all my lose skin, or it is the stretch marks? Maybe she just read it in my chart and I am being a paranoid psycho. Three months of hormones shot into my ass could do that!
Anyways, here is my plan for today:
Run on the treadmill at the gym:
18 min intervals, 5 min break, 30 min steady state
Food:
Breakfast: english muffin sandwich with scrambled egg, peppers, onions, mushrooms, leftover steak, asiago cheese
Morning snack: pasta e fagioli soup
Lunch: stir-fried chicken and veggies
Afternoon snack: cottage cheese with strawberries
Dinner: chili-cheese black bean enchiladas, sauteed kale
To me it sounds like people are taking note of your progress. This is a good thing.
Okay - you are right, I need to put a positive spin on things.
After getting a new catalytic converter yesterday so my car would pass emmissions, I hit a big bump at the plant gate this morning and I could hear I was dragging something. I was just convinced I was dragging the converter, but it turned out to be a rusty old bracket that didn't seem to be holding up anything anyways.
So far I've done Break-In, Fat Loss II, Fat Loss III, Hyp I, and then Strength I, II, and III in that order. I was thinking of picking up the ones I have not done yet to finish the book. But I like what you are saying about the programs building on each other. Maybe I will re-think the plan.
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