Figured it was time to join the group who are moving their training logs from the flzine forums to here. On flzine, I had a training log (who has been woefully neglected for the last month or so) called "May be time to kick this up from slow and steady" . Here I've decided to go with "Fit and Fabulous by Fifty".
Which gives me until March 17, 2010...........
You can read a lot more about my background in my rambling intro post in the first log. Short version here: A year ago, I realized if I didn't make some changes, I would not be able to keep up with my then 8yo son. I also realized with ever increasing weight, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, on-going GERD and esphogal spasm issues that I was risker my son losing his Mom far too early. (Thankfully, now, I have normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol and no longer take GERD meds)
On June 1, 2008 I weighed 249. On June 9th, 2008 I did my first work-out at the YMCA. As of today I weigh 194. My goal is to be ~160lbs and 21-23% body fat. God only knows what % I was when I started.
Unfortunately, I didn't start taking measurements or occasional (now daily) photos until I started working with a trainer in late Feb of this year. At that point she had me at 40% body fat, (I weighed about 215), 39" waist, 44" hips, 24" thigh, 14" bicep. Yesterday, my trainer did a 7pt caliper and got 32% (I think it's still higher).Waist down to 34", hips 40", thigh 20.5", bicep 13". I suspect actual measurments dropped are higher as I'd already lost 35lbs by then.
More on the training in future posts. Below is the best I can do as far as photo documentation over the year....
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Vegetarian, consumer of large quantities of Quark cheese
Working my way from 76.4 to 58 kg (168 - 127.6 lbs)
Lifting a bit, schedule varies. Barbell weight: 22kg/48.4#
Thanks everyone. And glad to see everyone over here also! What's funny is how in the first (before) picture my smile was so much more forced...cuz I hated taking pictures. Now not so much.
Not to mention the combo of the weight lost so far, the more physical lifestyle and eating cleaner / better, seems to have changed me almost fundamentally. So much more energy, feel almost like I was dead, or at least deadened before. I laugh more, am picking up old passions (like gardening which i adore, and had kinda walked away from). It's a nice feeling.
You know I almost said something like that in my first post. That the first picture you looked unhappy -- or unexcited about life. In the second picture you look like you are happy on the inside. Ready to embrace live and wrestle it to the ground --- OK, I may be going a little overboard -- but that is what I see in the new you.
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Peaches
The journey to health and fitness
Should be taken
Because you love yourself,
Not because you hate your body
Wow, looks like you've done a great job so far! Don't worry too much about the "actual" body fat number--you've made excellent progress and I'm sure you're well on the path to continuing that.
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They call me Amanda, that being my real name, and "They" being people who know me in person as I don't go around introducing myself in real life as "scribess." 'Cause that would just be strange.
I'll add my welcome as well. Congrats on the weight loss so far, and the transformation that you've got well under way. I wouldn't worry about where you started from (although I'm always sorry I never took true starting pictures), although I understand wanting to know how much progress you've made. Good luck on your future program.
Funny this word transformation you all are using. Really hadn't thought to call it that, but you know you're right. Hmmm, nice word.
Anyway, figured since this is a training log I should say a thing or two about that. I'm in day 38 of Adam Waters RTP program. Slightly modified, because I'm still working with a trainer, and follow her sessions on those days - tho' she knows what I should be doing in Adam's program and makes some modifications for that. Worked with her yesterday...and I think I mentioned it in someone else's log - She had me doing these single leg bridges (on back in a single leg bridge, other leg straight up) lift hips, graze butt back on ground, lift hips do 15 reps. On the 15th rep, hold at top, do 15 full range leg lifts. Killer. Where does she come up with these things?
Today was a cardio day for me in the RTP program. Trying to learn to run outdoors, with a goal of doing a 5k in July (for those new to my log, I've always wanted to run, but couldn't). Following an ipod based training program. Today's was 5min run / 1 min walk times 5 (30 minutes) plus warm up and cool down. Good run. Starting to learn how to pace. The transition from treadmill to street was a bit difficult, but I'm getting the hang of it.
Weight today 194.4
Yesterday's gowear fit stats -
calories burned 2301
calories eaten 1398, 903 deficit
Macros 31% Protein 38% Carbs 31% Fat (want 40% protein, 30 each others, kinda low protein)
1:10 moderate activity - despite a tough trainer session, registered zero vigorous minutes.
I always think of it that way. Losing weight is something that many people do. However, combining that with becomes more physically active (weights especially) seems to help people transform themselves from what they were to what they're going to become. At least I hope that's how it works.
I always think of it that way. Losing weight is something that many people do. However, combining that with becomes more physically active (weights especially) seems to help people transform themselves from what they were to what they're going to become. At least I hope that's how it works.
I think that's an excellent way to look at it!
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They call me Amanda, that being my real name, and "They" being people who know me in person as I don't go around introducing myself in real life as "scribess." 'Cause that would just be strange.
I always think of it that way. Losing weight is something that many people do. However, combining that with becomes more physically active (weights especially) seems to help people transform themselves from what they were to what they're going to become. At least I hope that's how it works.
You are so right. In early 1998, I very quickly (less than 5 mos) went from 235lbs to 175lbs via Atkins and doctor prescribed phentermine. Amazing how quickly I put it back on. Less than a year later at my first pre-natal appt. I weighed 203, and I was only 8 weeks pregnant, so doubt that was the reason. Of course, I gained it all back plus 15 lbs.
This time feels different, sustainable. I'm different. On the rare occasions I eat like I used to, I feel sick, literally sick. Cannot imagine feeling like that always. And that's just the diet change (diet as in what I eat, not as in restricting calories). Bringing physical activity into my life on a daily basis has too many benefits, too many rewards to let that go. The higher energy, the feeling like I can do most anything if I set my mind to it, make a goal, make a plan...and most importantly, how it helps me cope with stress.
For me the paradigm shift came when I viewed eating right and exercise as a way to love myself. I use to see it as a way to punish myself for gaining weight. Once I made that shift, I started becoming the new me. And since I love the new me, I want to eat right and exercise --- a wonderful self feeding circle.
I have recently gained weight. I don't want the trend to continue, but it doesn't affect who I am --- I will figure it out and will continue to become healthier. In the past it would have been failure, which would have made me upset with myself and I would have went futher down the bad track.
So, yes, I believe once someone has made the transformation --- and theirs may be different than mine --- it really isn't a diet it then is a lifestyle.
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Peaches
The journey to health and fitness
Should be taken
Because you love yourself,
Not because you hate your body
For me the paradigm shift came when I viewed eating right and exercise as a way to love myself. I use to see it as a way to punish myself for gaining weight. Once I made that shift, I started becoming the new me. And since I love the new me, I want to eat right and exercise --- a wonderful self feeding circle.
Peaches- that's great insight. I have a friend who is struggling with the I need to make changes/ lose weight get back in shape due to a health scare (blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. in far too young and really not that overweight person). He's still in the angry phase...both blaming himself and mad that he's being told what to do. I keep telling him until he gets to the point that he's doing this because he wants to, because it's his goal, it just isn't going to happen. I may share your words with him...becasue they so explain my change, my mind shift...funny how folks are starting to look to me, because they've seen my change.
Jules, I've really enjoyed having a trainer. It has taught me a lot about myself - how much harder I can work when pushed, and I think will help me push myself harder within a workout...as opposed to my tendency to go for quantity over true hard quality, leading to inefficient use of my time and energy...and leading to burn out/over training as I was earlier this year.
I purchased a decent number of sessions in late February with a portion of my work year end bonus. I have two sessions left. At the same time, schedules and some planned work and personal travel for the both of us is making it difficult to get in sessions. We did our usual 2 this week, don't have another one for two weeks and then another two week break. This will be a good chance for me to see how I push myself with the RTP workouts on my own, and make a decision about moving forward. I'm really not sure I can justify or really afford the sessions once these two are done. And a part of me wants to do NROLFW or some other program on my own.
At this point, I thinking to take a trainer break, finish up the RTP program (8 weeks left). That would put me at vacation time, a decent time to take a training break. Once I get back I'll either jump right into NROLFW or if I think I should continue to focus on fat loss, maybe do one 12 week session of OPT. (Honestly, regretting not doing OPT right now, versus RTP- but since I started I'll finish this).
Who knows, maybe she'll agree to one session a month as a tune -up or one every other week. To me that would be perfect, and within a realistic budget
Weight this am 195.4 (hate those occasional creep ups, when I'm not really sure why)
Yesterday's gowearfit stats:
Calories burned 2526
Calories Consumed 1413, 1113 calorie deficit
Macros 47% protein, 22% Carbs, 24%fat, 8% alcohol
1:29 activity, 58min moderate, 31 vigorous
Today's workout was a trainer session. She worked me hard as usual, breaks are pretty much gone at this point, I move from one set, to a cardio move, to the second set, cardio move, repeat.
A couple of sets of squat/press w/ 15#DBs, More versions of those bridges - on bench, one leg on bosu, she seems intent on pushing my hamstrings/glutes, balance work on the Bosu - a version of a RDL, put with a straight arm raise at end holding 7.5#DBs. One thing for sure, I've really found a noticeable improvement in my balance, different types of push ups/planks including holding push up at lowest point for count of ten on last two reps, a superset on the smith machine of 50# squats and then a type of pull -up where I am in kinda a bridge and pulling up bodyweight.
Let's see what else, wide stance/plie wall squats with a single 20# DB, various jumps, squat jumps steps up between the strength work. Rows on the Precor functional trainer/cable machine in a lunge postion. 12.5# DBs bicep curls w/ a strange back in forth and halfway point 15 times on the last rep. Close grip lat pulldowns on a cable machine. Figure 8 leg circles for abs, reverse crunches, slow, medium tempo and fast bicycles.
There may have been one or two more things, but that's most everything, typically two sets of 16 of any one thing.
You know not having an actual log of what I did is the biggest gripe I have with this trainer work.
And felt a bit like I had not great stamina today, almost light headed at places. Wonder if it was yesterday's fairly high deficit..plus relatively low calories at breakfast and lunch and forgot to eat the greek yogurt I'd brought for pre-workout.
I suspect you're right on feeling lightheaded due to high deficit. If you missed your pre-workout Greek yogurt, how long was after you ate that you worked out?
Kudos on sticking with the RTP program, though! A lot of people say that it's not the program itself that matters so much as adherence to that program. Even if you do OPT later, I'm sure your experience with RTP is worth it.
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They call me Amanda, that being my real name, and "They" being people who know me in person as I don't go around introducing myself in real life as "scribess." 'Cause that would just be strange.
I wolfed down a greek yogurt the second I walked in the door, so maybe 20 minutes. Then took a bit of time to cool down, settle before having an insane amount of skinless roasted breast turkey (8ozs) and a bit of asparagus. (ended up with a 650 deficit according to GWF, and a whopping 217g of protein for the day).
The huge dinner reminds me of the thing I struggle with the most on RTP. He wants us to eat six equal sized meals a day. I get the eat every few hours thing, and try to do that already. But don't do well on even sized meals. Too ingrained to the idea of having a bigger dinner, kinda like having that fuller feeling. When I do the equal meals thing, I am so much more apt to go off the rails.
In a 1600 calorie day, my ideal, best plan I can maintain, is exactly what I did yesterday - around 400 calories for breakfast and lunch, 500-550 calories for dinner, and the remaining 250-300 calories in two or three light snacks during the day. (But eating that PM snack before working out, and then dinner within an hour of working out)
I also have found I do better in overall NEAT calories in I workout early evening/post work. Early AM workouts, tire me out for the day(not to mention cut down on sleep time). Noon is second best. For me, of course, your mileage may vary!
RTP = Real Time Physique. A program by an on-line trainer named Adam Waters. 12 week actual program with 3 distinct 4 week sections. First was strength 4x week - but high reps - really high like 6-8 sets of a goal of 20 rep, cardio 2time - one steady one HIIT, ab work 4X with the strength session. Second section (what I'm in) is strength 3x week, rotating upper / lower body focus much lower reps (8) with much heavier weights done in supersets with another muscle group, two HIIT, one steady state cardio week with abs. Final is more circuit like strength training, can't remember how often for what.
Food is loosely based on Tom Venuto's burn the fat feed the muscle. Eat 6 times day (more or less same calories), low fat (20%), high protein/carbs (40%/40%) - strachy carbs am, fiberous pm. Fairly aggressive deficits with refeed days. reward meals on low calorie days. That piece in my mind is a bit f-ed up. I get it prevents you from over-doing, but if you follow his 6 meals a day of same size rule, that's what less than 300 calorie reward meal. WTF? His gives some wiggle room for women to do 5 meals (can't remember the logic there)
His big thing though is a daily accountability system. Based on ten points a day, 1 for the workout, 6 for nutrition, 1 for doing mental goal work, 1 for taking and posting a daily picture, 1 for doing a daily blog post which includes a daily score and a cumulative score and % - all on a closed forum.
As I said, the workouts are good and structured, not as wild about his food plan, I'm sticking to the deficits for the most part, the 5-6 meals a day, but my macros are different (higher fat 30%, lower carbs 30% is my goal) and none of that same sized meals stuff. So maybe I shouldn't really say I'm following the program, but in my mind I am.
RTP = Real Time Physique. A program by an on-line trainer named Adam Waters. 12 week actual program with 3 distinct 4 week sections. First was strength 4x week - but high reps - really high like 6-8 sets of a goal of 20 rep, cardio 2time - one steady one HIIT, ab work 4X with the strength session. Second section (what I'm in) is strength 3x week, rotating upper / lower body focus much lower reps (8) with much heavier weights done in supersets with another muscle group, two HIIT, one steady state cardio week with abs. Final is more circuit like strength training, can't remember how often for what.
Wow, that sounds pretty damm tough near the end! How are you enjoying it?
Jules, I think RTP is a good program, actually a very good program. Probably would be esp. good for someone close to goal, trying to do more of a recomp. But I'm getting a bit concerned it's too intense for this body. Little signs, no scale movement for almost 3 weeks, starting to have trouble sleeping, and the biggie, avg daily calorie burn going down. Do notice less spikes on the GWF graphes, so I may be slowing down, then again, I just finally go to a weight that on a BMI chart is overweight vs. obese. So maybe the GWF formulas have changed to show a lower burn. On Thursday I really had trouble pushing through my trainer session, and despite a rest day yesterday, I feel fatigued today.
Karla - perfect timing, I was just reading your log, and find your post here. I suspect you may be a bit further down the path then I, despite having an extra three years to get to 50!
Yeah, it's difficult (for me, at least) to tell if I'm pushing myself too hard or if I'm feeling draggy due to a deficit. Since I have the GWF I finally decided to just watch my deficit, make sure it doesn't go above 1000/day on average and/or ensure that I don't lose more than 2lbs/week after the first week. I'm feeling draggy after just one week, but I don't think that should worry me quite yet.
How long have you been in a deficit for? Could be time for a refeed.
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They call me Amanda, that being my real name, and "They" being people who know me in person as I don't go around introducing myself in real life as "scribess." 'Cause that would just be strange.
Opps once again getting behind on the actual log-in
Friday 6/12 - Rest Day
Weight 194.2
Thursday GWF stats
Calories burned 2304
Calories consumed 1646, 658 deficit
Macros 52% Protein (217grams, wow) 27% carbs, 21% fat
(This was the day I was feeling light headed and weak at my trainer session and went home and ate a thing of greek yogurt, then 8 oz of skinless roasted turkey breast - see that in the protein)
Activity 1:06 hours, 0 vigorous (not sure I agree it was a tough trainer session)
6243 steps
Fit and Fabulous by Fifty
Linear Mode
