After the Vegas trip, I let go and gave up. School began and after adjusting to my new schedule (I actually worked out a few times but the diet was just shit), we went camping for Labor Day. I'm back and I feel like a big black beached whale
I also spent alot of money which is bad-timing as we finally got all the docs together to get pre-qualified to buy a home. I've been stressed and lazy which is a lethal combo for me. But now that all the vacationing is over, my husband said, "are you ready to get back on the wagon?"
Meh! Tomorrow, I start again....
So here's the plan:
Exercise: 5 days per week of exercise (M, T, TH, F and at least one weekend day). Exercise will consist of kickboxing and traditional dumbbell lifting (all done at home using my videos for now)
Diet: Lower carb with approximately 1650 calories per day (for an estimated 2lb loss per week). I'm not following calculating ratios per se but I am focusing on lean protein, healthy fat, low GI fruit and vegetables.
Well, my 2lb gain from Vegas turned into 4lbs after my Labor Day camping trip. But alas, I got off my ass today and did 20 minutes of kickboxing and a quickie 25 minute circuit weight training routine at home.
I'm back to tracking as well. Right now, I have so much going on with a teaching load of 4 classes, finishing my 2nd year portfolio for review, working on a book chapter due in December, re-editing a journal article that just got rejected (sent it to the wrong type of journal) and trying to get approved for a home loan. I'm going a bit stir-crazy right now so everything I'm doing diet and fitness related has to be simple. For now, I'm following WW points but I'm using my digital scale to weigh and measure everything. Tracking calories would drive me nuts right now. I've had to revise my goal a bit from 30lbs for the challenge to 20lbs....hell, that would be a marked improvement from where I began the year.
I nearly forgot about the challenge photos. I just took them but I'll post this evening when I get in from class. Let's just say, cropping off my head, helps me post'em. I look a hot raggedy ass mess with hair that looks like Don King.
Hey Donna.... how are things? I have been totally off track as far as eating goes, but luckily have managed to avoid gaining more than a couple of pounds. Thinking of you.... hope your semester isn't totally stressing you out!
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
I'm reviving my journal....Though I'm no longer apart of the women's challenge, I miss posting here and sometimes I just need to post to stay motivated.
I'm back to my pre-Vegas trip weight of 210. I've been able to lose the 2lbs I gained while in Vegas and then maintain. I've been maintaining primarily through exercise. My diet needs lots of help so I'm going back to OPT. I'm going back to the OPT diet, exercise and recovery protocols because it works.
Since my last post, I submitted my 2nd year review portfolio (what a massive pain in the ass), we got prequalified for a home loan (but haven't found a house yet), hubby was in a car accident (he's fine; the car wasn't) and I've traveled to Alabama to present my research.
My goal for the next 10 weeks is to lose 15lbs. I'd like to go into the Christmas holiday at 195 or less and then I plan to either do NROL4W or restart OPT in January.
Today is grocery shopping and meal prep along with finishing the laundry.
DONNA! I was just thinking about you today and wondering how things are going... I'm restarting OPT tomorrow and am trying to get myself back on the wagon after gaining about 10 lbs. since mid August. Blech. I'm not in the challenge anymore either (obviously LOL!) but I know that OPT works, and I've decided that I just need to buckle down and do it!
Glad hubby's OK... sorry about the car. Good luck looking for a house!
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
I woke up with cramps and a headache but I still managed to do my workout this morning. I'm over by about 100 calories on my food but I got in plenty of protein, veggies and water which is a vast improvement from what I was doing.
OPT Workout A-1
Wide Stance DB Deadlifts 3 sets of 10 x 10lbs
Swiss Ball Bridges 3 sets of 10 reps
Swiss Ball Flys 3 sets of 10 reps x 5lbs (must use 8lbs next time)
Neutral Grip Shoulder Press 3 sets of 10 reps x 8lbs
Prone Supermans 3 sets of 10 reps (2 sec. holds)
Low to High Woodchops 3 sets of 10 reps x 8lbs
Plank 1x45 seconds
Not a bad start. I went rather light on the weights just so I wouldn't get too sore and get discouraged early. I've popped pills for my headache and I still have a dull ache. Ack! Hopefully, I can get some decent sleep and it will be gone tomorrow.
Lori - I'm glad to see you're starting OPT again. I fell off the wagon with the Vegas trip and then the start of the semester is normally so crazy that it's taken me a few weeks to adjust. Now that I'm here this time, I have no intention of quitting. Hope you had a great first day back.
Sounds like we both were pretty successful today Donna! Success breeds success, right? I'm not quitting this time either... so we can go through the whole thing together and help keep each other motivated.
Love the new avi! Sorry about your cramps and headache... I had a headache for a while today, but I think mine was due to Diet Pepsi withdrawal....
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
Lori - I had a decent first day despite the cramps. Aunt Flo' is still a mean ol' beeoytch that makes me crave starchy carbs like crazy. I did wake up to some muscle soreness in my hamstrings but at least I could squat on the toliet without crashing down
Tracey - Part of the reason I was gone so long was that home loan approval process. I swear the worse thing you can do for a marriage is buy a home We're much better now but we had some verbal fistacuffs that made us both curse like sailors. I'm telling you, Len's pride was hurt more than that car...Luckily, he got it fixed and got a job promotion to boot.
Ginger - Thanks for stopping by. You know I'm actually drunk as a skunk in that picture I went to my sorority's annual awards banquet and had a bit too much wine (ok, so an entire bottle to myself is going a bit overboard).
Jen - Thanks. So far, so good. I'm a little sore and my diet needs some help (need to order some more protein) but I know I can reach my goals.
Due to some muscle soreness in my hamstrings, I skipped OPT Workout A-2 and concentrated on cardio. I did 50 minutes of Rockin' Body Cardio Jam by Michelle Dozois and burned 424 calories at 73% avg HR.
Ginger - Thanks for stopping by. You know I'm actually drunk as a skunk in that picture I went to my sorority's annual awards banquet and had a bit too much wine (ok, so an entire bottle to myself is going a bit overboard).
LOL. Some of the best pictures of me are ones where I am somewhat tanked.
__________________
Ginger
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." ~ John Bingham
I took today off from exercise as this is my 12 hour teaching day. I wore my heart rate monitor to get a sense of how many calories I'm burning and I burned 1800 calories between teaching classes, climbing the stairs, walking across campus to my office and doing various things in my office. No wonder I'd have a blood sugar crash after teaching. So with this information, I need to adjust my eating schedule and make sure I'm getting enough NEAT on non-teaching days.
OPT Workout A-2
Step Ups 3 sets of 10 reps
Bent Over Rows 3 sets of 10 reps x 12lbs dumbbells
DB Face Pulls 3 sets of 10 reps x 10lbs dumbbells
Trunk Extensions 3 sets of 10 reps
Side Planks 2 reps x 45 sec holds
I also did Turbo Jam 20 minute workout. I was supposed to do 50 minutes of cardio today but I was running late. I'll do the other 30 minutes tomorrow.
Looking good Donna... I like that we're basically on the same schedule so you can keep me on top of what I'm supposed to be doing LOL! I wanted to get in 50 min of cardio too, but I only had time for 30.... so be it. It's 30 minutes I haven't done any other day recently, so I'll take it!
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
Lori - My perspective on the cardio is this: as long as I do 150 minutes per week in my target heart rate, it all balances out in the wash. I often don't have time for a 50 minute workout but I can split it into a 30 minute workout here and 20 minutes the next day. Really, it's the diet part that I need to be most concerned with.
OPT A-1
Wide Stance DB Deadlifts 3 sets of 10 x 10lbs
Swiss Ball Bridges 3 sets of 10 reps
Swiss Ball Flys 3 sets of 10 x 8lbs
Neutral Grip DB Shoulder Press 3 sets of 10 x 10lbs
Prone Supermans 3 sets of 10 reps
Low to High DB Woodchops 3 sets of 10 x 10
Planks - 2 reps (45 sec and 30 sec holds)
Though I'm struggling a bit to eat my targets, things are vastly improved since I started tracking again. After I get this week under my belt, I will tweak my meal plan a bit further.
Other good news to report: My book chapter, The Girls From Compton Go to College, will be published in an upcoming anthology, Habitus of the 'Hood due out next summer. Wahoo!
Looks like a great workout Donna.... and I totally agree with your thoughts on the cardio. Overall, the food is the biggest issue for me, too.
CONGRATS on the book! That's awesome! If your blog is any indication of your ability as a writer (which I'm sure it is ).... I'm betting it's a great read!
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
Thanks for the congrats, Lori. It's an academic article which examines how the media conceptualization of the 'hood obscures the liberatory and limiting aspects of life in the urban ghetto. Hopefully, the book will do well in terms of sales. But just getting the article published makes me happy.
I did 40 minutes of kickboxing today...Turbo Jam Cardio Party Mix 2.
Tomorrow's plan is OPT A-2 and maybe 15-20 minutes of more kickboxing.
Other good news to report: My book chapter, The Girls From Compton Go to College, will be published in an upcoming anthology, Habitus of the 'Hood due out next summer. Wahoo!
Jen - Yes, the article is one of three I have to publish for tenure. I have a second one under review so hopefully, I can knock out a third one in my third year, 2 years a ahead of schedule.
Thanks for the congrats, Tracey.
OPT Weigh-In Week 1
I am down 1.5lbs this week Considering how difficult tracking and staying in my calorie range was for me this week, this is a big accomplishment. Now that I have week one under my belt, I feel a bit more in control. As for the coming weeks, with regards to diet, I've decided to eat basically the same lunches, dinners and snacks for 3 days and then cook another batch of food on Thursday (my off day) through the end of the week. I'm leaving breakfast open a bit because I need some degree of flexibility. I'm on my way!!
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
Diet has been going well so far. Prepping a big batch of food on Sunday seems to be going well for me. Exercise, well, not so much. It's like I get control of one aspect of the weight loss equation and then the other stuff goes straight to hell! I am definitely not a good multi-tasker. I usually can only focus on one thing at a time or else nothing will get done.
I didn't workout at all for the last two days so I have to at least do some cardio early tomorrow morning. Eek! Any more sitting on my ass and I'll morph into a big beached whale.
I'm glad you're back to logging. Congrats on getting published and on the weight loss.
When I get down because I'm not "doing everything right" with my program I just have to remember, its the diet that makes you lose fat. I enjoy exercising and obviously it helps, but we shouldn't feel guilty if we miss a workout. If we stay on track with the diet, progress will come.
Leah - I know what you're saying is right but I struggle with an all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to diet and exercise. I know this is why I've been so inconsistent over the years and my weight has fluctuated so much. Thanks for stopping by though
Well, after three days of no movement, I got off my big beige ass and worked out. I was actually surprised I didn't have to talk myself (or talk to myself ) into doing the workout either.
OPT A-2 Workout
Step Ups - 3 sets of 10 reps
DB Face Pulls - 3 sets of 10 reps x 8lbs
Bent Over Rows - 3 sets of 10 reps x 12lbs
Standing Curls - 3 sets of 10 reps x 10lbs
Trunk Extensions - 3 sets of 10 reps
Side Plank (Lawd Jesus ) - 2 reps x 50 seconds; 2 reps x 30 seconds (will these ever get easier????)
Cardio: 35 minutes cardio kickboxing 76% avg/86% high
Yesterday, I went over with my calories so I'm trying to eat a bit lighter today in hopes of things balancing out. Now if my damn fridge would stop freezing my fruit and vegetables so I wouldn't have an excuse to look for something salty or sweet
Great job with the workout Donna... I totally hear you with the all or nothing mentality though. I haven't been getting to the gym much at all since my trainer left, and I tend to get down on myself and think I'm not working hard enough. I was so consistent for almost 2 years... and I'm feeling like if I don't start making more time for exercise NOW, I'll get out of the habit of going at all. The one good thing is that at least now I believe that fat loss really is all about the food.... and I'm in control of that at the moment!
"As far as (healthy) eating, either do it, or don't. Same issues repeated over and over is just insanity. We either commit to the endeavor or pay lip-service to it. This is the hardest part of the whole process, and it needs to be practiced more than the actual physical training. It's mind training." ~ Matt Thorne
"The reason that most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment."
Leah - I know what you're saying is right but I struggle with an all-or-nothing mentality when it comes to diet and exercise. I know this is why I've been so inconsistent over the years and my weight has fluctuated so much.
OPT A-1 Workout
Wide Stance DB Deadlifts 3 sets of 10 x 12lbs weights (increased from 10lbs)
Swiss Ball Bridges 3 sets of 10
Swiss Ball Flys 3 sets of 10 x 10lbs (increased from 8lbs)
DB Shoulder Press 3 sets of 10 x 10lbs (increased from 8lbs)
Prone Supermans 3 sets of 10
Low to High DB Woodchops 2 sets of 10 x 10lbs (I increased the weights on these so I only managed 2 sets before my abs screamed "bloody murder")
Planks 2 reps x 30 second holds
Lori - I was in great shape in 2005 but I have yet to become consistent. I think my intense desire to get under 200lbs before the end of the year is the only thing pushing me to stick with it despite many mis-fires. Good job on your eating. I'm slowly improving in that area.
Tracey - I'm hoping things calm down enough for you soon. One surefire way to undermine your consistency is being super busy and stressed. Good luck my friend!
Tomorrow, I start again....
I went to my sorority's annual awards banquet and had a bit too much wine (ok, so an entire bottle to myself is going a bit overboard). 
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