I took it super easy this weekend with my cold, no workouts but lots of NEAT with housework--and had a couple of nice meals with wine--sushi, and a little dark chocolate--but I was careful not to go overboard with the calories. Did tons of foam rolling, stretching, using rolling pin and tennis ball while watching DVD's with the kids--dang, the Mummy was dumb. And Brendan Fraser didn't even take off his shirt. What a waste. My left hamstring is still weird and I am committed to doing whatever I have to to loosen it up--the tennis ball seems to be doing something good, although it hurts like heck.
The scale is now at a new low, 146. I'm not sure if I should adjust my monthly stats down--since today is Mar. 1.
Anyway, bootcamp tomorrow at 5:45. I will be so glad when this week is over and I can get back to the gym. I realized how much I enjoy going to the gym, just getting away and taking my time to do my workout and then stretch. This early morning frantic workout is not to my taste. Although it seems that the high-volume stuff did shake up my body, so it's all good.
Thanks Anne. That's the great thing about Southern California, the weather. Schools suck, no jobs, overpriced everything....but the weather's good. ; )
Bootcamp again today. The scale is cooperating at 147. I hope to hit 145 this week. I'm now in the territory I was in when I first got pregnant, 16 years ago. I hate to say it, but I am slowly coming to the realization that I have been fat all of my life. I used to think of myself as slightly overweight, sometimes chubby, but now that I see myself a little more objectively, I realize, holy cow, I have been minimally out of shape and maximally obese for all of my life, with the exception of a short time in my late teens-early twenties. It's kind of a sad observation, but I was always the intellectual girl and one of the reasons I gained weight in my early 20's is because I was tired of being chased around by guys, having them staring at my body instead of listening to what I was saying. I always knew that, at the back of my mind, but now it's very clear to me how I used weight as a shield.
This is clear because my husband is now saying that he has never seen my body look this good, and we've been married 20 years. And, I still have a significant roll of lard around my middle (which is a different distribution than when I was younger, granted). So all of my self-righteousness about having lots of muscles and a big frame seems to be pretty nonsensical, now that I have a comparison.
Anyway, this is pretty embarrassing, but it just makes me more determined to get off this last 11 pounds. When I made the original goal, I remember that I thought it was pretty impossible to get under 145. So I need to really concentrate and keep rolling.
I did do my 4 "off" meals this weekend, mostly involving a margarita and a bit of wine and frozen yogurt. But my new thing (last 6 months) is to cheat, but not to allow myself to go too far off calories--for instance, I had the frozen yogurt instead of a meal, so it balanced out--about 350 calories is not too bad for a meal. The wine with dinner went with lean beef kabob, salad with baby greens, cukes, tomatoes, olive oil and a little feta. So no more than 500 calories, but it's a treat meal.
Well, that's it for today. I was again frustrated by bootcamp--I made the mistake of looking over when we were doing squat presses with kettlebells and saw that the other women were barely bending their knees with the squats. I felt like yelling, "bend your knees, maggot! Get down there and work." Maybe I was a drill instructor in a previous life.
And, I'm still ruminating the Personal Trainer thing. I really need a job that is flexible because my three kids are primarily my responsibility, so what I need to figure out is how to pull together the money to get the certification.
That's the scoop for Monday, the last week of bootcamp, thank goodness.
I am looking most seriously at NASM but I am also looking for recommendations. I'm trying to figure out what the differences are between the programs and which would be best for me. I don't mind a lot of heavy anatomy, I would prefer it.
Well, in the afternoon I started to feel really sick. Not just a cold, sinus pain, headache, miserable. I don't know what to do about this bootcamp. I started it half sick, I've missed several because of being sick. I'm not sure whether I should do the last two sessions, tomorrow and Friday. Today I feel like it's just a bad cold--it went into my chest--but I am really feeling pissed. Maybe I should just drop it for now and ask the trainer if I can do a week later when I recover.
I started to get really depressed yesterday but luckily it was the "too anxious to eat" kind and not the "eat everything in sight" kind. The scale is steady at 147, but my cals were very low yesterday and I'm determined that I am going to be very rigorous until I get another whoosh.
It's not helping that the job situation with me is weird--I was starting a new business and I've decided it is not right for me at this time--and I have to make a decision about where to go next. I'm overqualified in experience and underqualified in schooling, so this is my perpetual problem and the reason that I take on new businesses--but I just don't have the energy to do it right now. Unless I can pull together something with personal training. It's the only thing that really excites me right now. But my husband is a mortgage broker, and none of the banks are lending normally right now. I have to do something, and quick.
Well, that's my grumbling for today. Since I am feeling crappy I will skip a workout today but be very good on the food. Which means I need to force myself to eat, or I will break down and binge. Bleah. I hate being sick.
Thanks for the good wishes. I appreciate it! I feel better today, not 100%.
[quote=FrancoiseUK;688154
How "overqualified in experience and underqualified in schooling"? Could you maybe take a class on the side or just downplay it?[/quote]
Naw, it's not that simple. I never got my BA. Lots of coursework, a certificate, but I never got around to finishing. I changed majors so I have a bunch of unrelated stuff in there. It's depressing. And stupid--I am the daughter of a university professor!
Anyway, I am kind of in shock today. I went to the thrift store to get some pants in tiny sizes so I could amuse myself with pictures as I go down. I picked up a bunch of 4's and 2's and went to the dressing room....slipped one pair on. Fit perfectly. A 4.
Holy shit!!!! I have never worn a 4. Never. Never. OK, maybe for a short time when I was 19 and having health issues, and weighed 115 pounds. OK, other disclaimer--the 4's were J.Jill's, and those definitely run big. But then I tried on a pair of linen pants in 2s, and they fit too. Not well, but they fit.
So I came out of there with a pair of Anne Taylors in a 2, and they are too small--I think I will do pics, they'll be my reference pants--but they are not that small. I think Anne Taylors run a bit big too.
I am in shock, and I know I sound like a jerk to those who are strugging, but I just can't believe this. My ideal size in my mind has always been an 8, but all of my 8's are too big. Truthfully, I think I am a solid 6 in normal sizes, but that is a full size smaller than I expected. And with at least 10 pounds to go, I may actually be a 2 or 4 by the end.
More confirmation that I have been delusional and fat all of my life. Kind of an awful realization at age 46.
Well, anyway, that's my story of the day. My husband suggested that I do not do the bootcamp so I can get better, so I gave in and I'll finish it next week. My calories have been extremely low, around 1100-1300, but the scale is not budging. Probably because I've been laying low with the cold. I need to have a drop before Friday because I'm planning a refeed--going to see the taping of the Bill Maher show and then to Pizza Mozza, Nancy Silverton's place. I love it, so it will be fun and carby. : )
I feel oddly in control of my eating this time. I'm afraid to say it, because I don't want to jinx it, but I am just not doing my usual snacky cheaty evening nibbles. I'm totally determined to get this lard off my middle. OK, need to go eat so I don't screw it up by getting ravenous and eating an entire pie (which my son is bringing home tomorrow, from a field trip).
OH, and I am definitely getting a kettlebell. I used one for swings on Monday, and it hit my hip flexors and glutes excellently--felt great. Now I'm still a bit sore so I really feel as if it would be good for me to do it regularly. : )
To be fair, University isn't for everyone. I tend to think many undergrad degrees just evidence that you can learn things and produce work independently to an employer. This is especially key for youngsters, but after 10 years out of school, I've found that work experience is more valuable. I think you should look at the coursework you have done, and package the bits that might be relevant into your resume
OK, two cents spouted. Yay for your dressing room moment!
Elisabeth, I just wanted to stop by here and send some healthy thoughts your way, like you did for me. Very nice back pictures !
Thanks, I need them, and thank you. I am still surprised to realize that is my back. The funny thing is, a lot of it has to do with my posture improvement--probably as much as the fat loss.
Well, it is officially the final 10 now: the scale is now down to 145. That's the good news. The bad news is, I think it all came from the lung that I coughed up today.
I have one and a half more days of rigor on my diet, then refeed tomorrow. Looking forward to it. I did eat ONE samoa (my daughter is a tomboy-scout) yesterday, but just counted it into my total. I was pretty impressed that I only ate one and did not even touch the thin mints! Those samoas are actually good, I had never tasted one before!
Well, I did take a long walk today to get some NEAT in. It felt good, but I was definitely dragging--it's a good thing I was able to postpone the last week of bootcamp. I may do some light cardio this weekend--or dig in the yard. We have no money to do the major work that needs to be done around here, so I've decided to terrace our backyard myself, with a wheelbarrow. Excellent exercise. I also got some pool enclosure panels to fence off part of the backyard so my chickens stop destroying all of the landscaping. And I can plant a garden without them attacking everything and gobbling it down. Plagues of locusts have nothing on chickens.
I am happy to have lost this week without any serious exercise. I will be soooo glad to get back to the gym though. I haven't been there in a couple of weeks between the bootcamp and being sick, and I really miss it. Although it is defintely harder to keep calories low when I am working out! I'm hoping my discipline doesn't desert me when I get back to serious exercise.
When I got on the scale this AM it read 143.5. It wouldn't give me that reading again--would only go as low as 144.5, but still !!! Lowest weight in 17 years, now.
I do realize that the minute I start working out again it will go up a few pounds, probably. 'sok.
Quiet day today, cleaning house and getting a haircut for the first time in probably 6 months. I'm going short, like Aoife. : )
I'm jumping in the hot tub now then doing some major foam rolling as my left hamstring is acting up.
But my husband is a mortgage broker, and none of the banks are lending normally right now.
Egads. There's a particular line of work I'd rather not be in at this point in time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elisabethd
Anyway, I am kind of in shock today. I went to the thrift store to get some pants in tiny sizes so I could amuse myself with pictures as I go down. I picked up a bunch of 4's and 2's and went to the dressing room....slipped one pair on. Fit perfectly. A 4.
Holy shit!!!! I have never worn a 4. Never. Never. OK, maybe for a short time when I was 19 and having health issues, and weighed 115 pounds. OK, other disclaimer--the 4's were J.Jill's, and those definitely run big. But then I tried on a pair of linen pants in 2s, and they fit too. Not well, but they fit.
Okay, all of you that can wear 0s and 2s and 4s skeer me. The smallest I ever wore was 7s and 9s and I was a TWIG then. Anything smaller than that, my mind cannot grasp.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elisabethd
When I got on the scale this AM it read 143.5. It wouldn't give me that reading again--would only go as low as 144.5, but still !!! Lowest weight in 17 years, now.
Woot! Double congrats on the weight and the minuscule pants!
It's always been obvious to me that food effects my moods in a radical way, and I'm the victim of that today. I feel HORRIBLE. As if I have a hangover. And I'm still coughing.
We went out to the taping last night, and after went to an Argentinian place, which was just ok--kind of disappointing as it has rave reviews. I was starving and ate a bunch of white bread with chimmichurri sauce, which was delicious. I had just read the Rachel Cosgrove article on having a real splurge to spike my metabolism, so I was taking it seriously. Now, I have not been big on bread for a while, but I probably haven't eaten any like that in a year. I'm just used to eating only Ezekiel or other whole-grain bread, in moderation. And with protein. I maybe ate 5 pieces--small, baguette-size slices, not all that much.
The rest of my dinner was good steak with a salad, and a small amount of mashed potatoes. Three bites of flan, 1 glass wine.
I felt really nauseous on the way home, and sat up for an hour--way past my bedtime 'cause I was uncomfortable.
Now I am sick. And I started having these weird obsessive weight loss thoughts and I realized that I haven't felt like this since the last time I really ate refined carbs like crazy--our vacation in August when I was taking a rest week but I was so active that I lost weight.
The irony is, as a result of not feeling good and not wanting to eat, and accidentally missing and afternoon meal, my calories were just normal weight loss yesterday and today I'm very low because I feel as if I need to detoxify. So much for high calories to spike my metabolism.
Blurp. And because of my cough, I am not going to the gym, so I can't even sweat it out!
I need to find splurge foods that don't make me feel like I'm gonna die.
Congrats on the pants and scale. I can't imagine what a size 2 even looks like! And with my hips, I probably never will!
Sorry about the carb hangover. I found that when I started eating better, eating junk really made me feel bad too--like right now. I just ate a bunch of popcorn at the movies. Ugh.
Congrats on the pants and scale. I can't imagine what a size 2 even looks like! And with my hips, I probably never will!
Thanks....I'm feeling like 2 is really far away this week...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flab of Steel
I have a 35# one and got it at Dick's. It was $80, so hopefully you can find one cheaper!
I've heard that Play it Again sports has cheap ones so I'm going to try there. I tried a 20# one from Target but it was too light. I guess I could use the 35# one for swings, not get ups....I wish they weren't so expensive~
I've had a tough week. I did a Turbulence Training bodyweight workout and a Jillian Michaels cardio tape, but otherwise I've just been feeling weird, and I'm going to Seattle for a wedding tomorrow....so I'll do some sort of bodyweight thing today. The scale is back up to 147, and I have no idea why....the way I feel emotionally it's gotta be hormonal. Bleah. Plus, I just haven't been moving much with feeling ill.
Well, I'll be back on Monday to finish up the bootcamp--the trainer is letting me go to an evening session instead of the dreaded 5:45 AM one, and then I can get on track with NROL4W again, or I may even change it up entirely and go for something else...I feel like I need to shake things up, I have been such a sloth with these illnesses lately.
Well, the good thing is that with my base of muscle mass at least I can look in the mirror and not be thrown into despair--at least it's easier to stay on track when I don't look like crap. It was easy to just wallow in misery and eat when I had setbacks in the past--now at least I don't feel like a failure, and it's easier to keep disciplined. That sounds stupid, but it's true for me...actually, looking at the pictures of JP in his divorce diet thread made me realize that my muscles wouldn't evaporate if I don't work out for a month.
So, I now have to figure out what to wear to this wedding--it's going to be raining all weekend in Seattle and all of the dresses I have are sleeveless, of course. sigh.
Congrats on the loss and you were so, so good at dinner! I will keep you and your good choices in mind when I'm out this weekend!
Re- your resume, if you want an extra person to read yours, i'm happy to help. It's always easiest when it isn't your resume.
In England, they use a CV instead of a resume, and I really need to convert/ rewrite mine after 5 years. It is a task I regard with a lot of dread, so I can empathize a bit.
I understand that with kettlebells, 12kg (26.4lbs) is recommended for women and 16kg (35.2lbs) is recommended for men. Your mileage may vary of course, especially what your plan to do with it. (Or, if you could afford it, get one of each.)
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
I survived the trip to Seattle with minimal damage--in fact I was really really good the whole time. The scale is not budging, but I'm seeing some visual progress so I am pretending I'm not freaking out (aaaauuugggghhh! The scale's not moving!!!ARRRGGHH!!)
Anyway, some hormonal craziness is going on--I'm clearly ovulating, I know all the signs, so I also know I am holding a lot of water and those salty salty pistachio nuts I ate while stuck at the airport are not helping.
However, I am being good so I am counting on a whoosh. Either that or I am going to have to start counting calories. Bleah.
In Seattle I did a HIIT workout and then fooled around with the assisted pullup machine--I can do only one pullup and I want to get it up to 10. I'm trying to decide what exactly I should do next. I'm too sore to work out seriously today, so I can think about it before I go to the gym tomorrow.
I'm sore because I did a bootcamp workout on Monday and it was GREAT. I guess the others have built up to it, but I finally felt I wasn't wasting my time.
We started with throwing a medicine ball back and forth over a 15 foot bar. It was hard but fun. Then we skipped rope in intervals, then did a circuit with TRX tricep, bicep and rows, then rope jiggling (don't know how else to describe it) and walking lunges with this pipe full of water. That was really hard, as the water shifts back and forth and throws off balance. Stephen made it himself, but I guess there 's a commerical product too. Three rounds of that circuit, then
Kettlebell 1 point rows and walking lunges--started with 21, then 18, 15, 12, 9, 6 rows, walking lunges about 30 feet or so. That was hard, but only a 20 lb kettlebell so not so hard. By the end most people could not finish the lunges, including a 15 year old boy. I did finish, and it helped that another woman was very competitive and we had a little thing going. She took it more seriously than I did, I just like friendly competition, but she seemed seriously miffed that someone was as good as she! People are funny.
So I was very sore yesterday, still sore today. I did the silly bellydancing workout today and enjoyed it--I have had lordosis (swayback) my whole life until the last year or so, and I can finally move my hips now that my pelvis is properly aligned. It doesn't sound like much, but wow, my whole posture is so different and loose. In fact, at the wedding I actually danced--I have never been a dancer and I have now realized it was because I couldn't move my hips comfortably.
I really think that posture should be taught in P.E. in schools. It would have saved me decades of back problems.
Well, I do have 3 mondays until weigh-in--I am hopeful that my discipline will pay off. God, I hate counting calories. But I'm to the point that "get in and get out" makes sense--10 pounds to go for sure, now I'm thinking maybe I will keep going so I want to get down to 135 ASAP so I can re-assess.
Today I was having an awful time deciding what workout to do. Just didn't feel like lifting, looked at Rachel Cosgrove's metabolic workouts and decided I would spend too much time trying to figure out the exercises to make it worth it (and truly "metabolic"), looked at old TT workouts, including the pullup progression one, and finally looked at the schedule at the gym. A mountain biking class!
I've never taken any spinning at all, in large part because I have had terrible hip problems for years and sitting on a bike seat is torture. Also, the instructor at my old gym was fat and I certainly did not want to end up looking like him.
I've noticed that the classes at my new gym are very popular. So I took it, it was so much fun! I was beet red, but surprisingly I did fine for the whole hour--even felt I still had some in the tank. It's funny because I have not been doing any sort of endurance work at all, only lifting and sporadic HIIT since I had some problems with my running a few months ago. He did some pretty tough intervals, for nearly half an hour, and I was not just keeping up, I was doing really well. I must be doing something right.
I decided to log calories for a few days, or perhaps more, since the scale is so stubborn. So I put it on Sparkpeople and I'm pleased that it doesn't take nearly as long since all of my custom foods are in there from last summer, the last time I tracked, and apparently, I have a very limited diet. : ) I'll put up the totals tomorrow AM.
I'm torn on what to do next, I want to be able to really get my calories low and get some movement downward. I've been patient all this month, being good, without any scale encouragement, so I'm concerned that it's going to be harder to lose now since my mass is smaller. : (
I did really enjoy that bike class and my rear end was not too sore. I think I'll bring that gel thing from my bike next time. It is great to burn a bunch of calories, right? I was surprised at how much fun it is.
That's the scoop for today. Scale still at 148, hormones still raging--now I"m breaking out! So problem solving is in order.
I've never taken any spinning at all, in large part because I have had terrible hip problems for years and sitting on a bike seat is torture. Also, the instructor at my old gym was fat and I certainly did not want to end up looking like him.
I've noticed that the classes at my new gym are very popular. So I took it, it was so much fun! I was beet red, but surprisingly I did fine for the whole hour--even felt I still had some in the tank. It's funny because I have not been doing any sort of endurance work at all, only lifting and sporadic HIIT since I had some problems with my running a few months ago. He did some pretty tough intervals, for nearly half an hour, and I was not just keeping up, I was doing really well. I must be doing something right.
I have had this experience several times since I start lifting heavy weights. I have not done anything to speak of endurance wise, not even HIIT, for months or even a couple of years. Once in a while, but it is very sporadic. But when I do...like when I ran a 5K this past weekend, I find that I'm actually in pretty good shape cardiovascularly. I know it is from the huffing and puffing I do in the weight room. It is a fact that, while endurance training does not help with performance in the weight room, the weight training absolutely helps with endurance. I love this because I'd much rather be lifting weights and pretty much hate anything labeled cardio...unless is is accidental, recreational type cardio.
It is a fact that, while endurance training does not help with performance in the weight room, the weight training absolutely helps with endurance. I love this because I'd much rather be lifting weights and pretty much hate anything labeled cardio...unless is is accidental, recreational type cardio.
Absolutely--I've always hated steady state low intensity cardio.
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