I don't know that I've ever had it on cask. Delicious, I'm sure. Their chocolate stout is amazing, and I'm not even much of a stout person. Except for Rogue's, and Young's Double Chocolate Stout.
Speaking of beer... the time has come for further tweaking of the diet & an increase in exercise. John and I are both up a little in weight this week and though the beer & mancakes are likely culprits for inducing water retention, our preference would have at least been to just maintain. Then we'd know we lost weight but retained water.
So, we're going to cut out the morning snack and get about 7 hours of exercise a week (right now, I'm at 5.5 hours). Typical days go like this:
B: 375 calories
S: 250 calories
L: 300-400 calories
S: 300 calories
(lifting days only, add a 120cal shake here)
D: 400-500 calories
S: eat this about 50% of the time, about 150-200 calories
So, I think we're just eating too much. I should probably scale back to 1600-1700 calories per day, lifting or not. And then up the exercise. I cycle for 40 minutes on MWF and could up that to an hour. That would bring me to 6 hours per week, and with the reduction in calories would probably help spur some weight loss. I've been hovering over 146/147 for over a month now and would really like to lose these last few pounds of fat.
I can easily ditch the morning snack - I'm usually not hungry until 11:30 or so anyway, and can eat my lunch then. Then, have a smaller snack, maybe just a protein/greens+ shake (which is wonderfully filling). That will shave off about 400 calories right there.
That means not being complaint every day. I'm supposed to eat 2 servings of veggies and 20g of protein every 2-3 hours and am finding it very hard to do that while remaining in my "fat loss" calorie range. Sometimes I just want 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and 1/4 cup blueberries. That will fill me up well and is about 150 calories, but isn't even close to compliant (about 15g protein and 0 servings of veggies).
Ah well.. .we've only been doing this a couple of weeks. I'm sure we'll figure it out. Maybe the best thing for me in the long run is not to follow any eating plan at all, but to take what I've learned and develop my own eating... what would work best for me I think is:
B: eggs & sauteed veggies (350 cals)
L: salad w/protein & lots of tasty veggies (350 cals)
S: cottage cheese & fruit, or celery & cream cheese, or broccoli & low-fat ranch. Something like that. (200 cals)
D: PN pizza (ww + bran crust w/veggies & meat) (450 cals)
S: something sweet & proteiny, like a shake or protein bar (300 cals)
I could eat like that for a long time. The two snacks are not compliant, however. Unless I add greens+. Maybe that's what I should do. That'd add 60 calories per day - not a whole lot.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
John and I chatted about this a little bit more just now, and noticed that the 5.3oz container of Oikos greek yogurt we bought last night has 15g of protein in just 90 calories. Add 1/2 cup of blueberries (30 cals) and a serving of greens+ (35cals) and that's a pretty decent snack for close to half the calories of our other snacks. I think I might try this for a little while.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
I LOVE Oikos yogurt!!! The vanilla one is 110 cals with 15g protein, which is great at work if I can't always mix stuff in when I'm sneaking a snack in (lots of S's in that sentence!)... Trader Joe's also has awesome Greek yogurt with around the same macros - if you have one near you, try the pomegranate. Plus it's lots cheaper than Oikos.
Unfortunately, the closest TJs to us is 4 hours away in St Louis.
I used to frequent them quite a bit in portland, though. they have some great deals (as well as a LOT of junk).
This weekend was okay. Saturday's eating wasn't bad and I got in a good workout. Sunday... we had eggs & veg for breakfast then family arrived. We had pizza for lunch (I had 2 small pieces of canadian bacon & tomato on wheat crust with light cheese, not SO bad). I also had a decent salad... And i had a beer.
Dinner was cucumber salad, pickles & 2 all-beef natural hot dogs. And a vodka + diet rite.
I felt like crap this morning. Puffy and bloated and water-logged and lackluster... just gross. So, John and I had a protein shake and greens+ for breakfast & then again for lunch. We had a little leftover pizza for dinner and will have a healthy snack later. I'll probably also have a small salad. I didn't think that the food we had was THAT unhealthy, but my body said otherwise. Bleh.
I did 1 hour of cardio today. 5 mins w/u, 20 mins HIIT (7 intervals, 1m hi / 2m lo), 35 mins steady state, varying between levels 4 & 5 at 15mph. I felt a lot better after that.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
mmmmm...beer. In addition to beer, I love greek yogurt. I have it every morning for breakfast. I get Fage 0% plain. I usually get mine at TJ's, but they do have it at my Super Target every once in a while. It is cheaper there, but usually not in stock so I am strangely excited when its there. I am probably one of few that like the flavor of it plain.
Oh hey I'll have to check super target - thanks! Super Target's so far the ONLY place we've been able to find natural ham (no nitrates) that won't bankrupt us. Go figure!
If you like fage plain, you might like Nancy's cottage cheese if you get it in your area. It has that ‘tang’ that most commercial cottage cheese doesn’t have. Kind of like plain yogurt.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Phase 5 - Workout A4
One-armed dumbbell snatch
4x4x35
No problems with my left arm. Maybe it decided to catch up.
Dumbbell single-leg Romanian deadlift
4x4x35e
Barbell bent-over row
2x4x95
2x4x100
Figured I'd try 100 since I was so close to it anyway. What's 5 pounds right? My 1st set of 100s I got about 80% full ROM. I almost went back down in weight but thought I'd give it another shot. Got about 95% full ROM. Pretty damn close. these make my back feel so strong.
Dumbbell single-arm overhead squat
4x4x17.5/35
Didn't progress much on these at all during this phase.
Dumbbell incline bench press
4x4x30e
Plank
120s -0 touches
120s - 2 touches
120s - 0 touches
Definitely getting stronger on these. Does anyone else's delts set fire during these? My lactic acid threshold is pretty low I guess.
Woodchop skipped. bleh. Bodyweight Matrix 3:35
didn't repeat.
I did some pull-ups on the pull-up bar though... did 1 with a jumping start then did 2 more unassisted (arms got down past parallel, but not to straight). So that was fun.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Thanks! I've struggled with form - NROL4W has you not bending your knees so much; NROL shows you bending your knees a lot. I ended up going with form from a PN video, as it was somewhere in-between. That made the rows a little easier.
Today I ate:
B: eggs & veg. (compliant)
L: tuna salad on romaine, celery + cream cheese (compliant)
S: cherries + cottage cheese and a greens+ shake and a bite of a PB cookie someone gave me. Wasn't very good (too crunchy). (compliant, though the carbs were probably borderline)
D: hawaiian pizza (PN, post-workout). Beer. (not compliant - more than 25% of calories from carbs)
S: cherries (not compliant - not 2 servings of veg and not 20g of protein)
1500 calories or so.
A bit high on the carbs today; I should be 40/35/25 p/f/c and I was more like 35/25/40. D'oh.
The beer stint is over for now anyway. It was fun while it lasted. I struggle a little with the compliance thing, since it seems hard to get in 2 servings of veggies AND 20g of protein 6 times a day without eating ~2000 calories. I'm sure that over time, I'll be able to figure things out sufficiently that I can lower calories while meeting the compliance requirements of the meals. Beer isn't a part of that, I know. :p
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
I have been meaning to post - I went off hormones about 2 weeks ago AND I FEEL GREAT. I haven't had any obsessive thoughts (which could also be due to a slight relaxation in diet lately), I haven't cried during a workout, I haven't snapped at John, I haven't felt crazy, my periods are normal...
It's nice.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
I have been meaning to post - I went off hormones about 2 weeks ago AND I FEEL GREAT. I haven't had any obsessive thoughts (which could also be due to a slight relaxation in diet lately), I haven't cried during a workout, I haven't snapped at John, I haven't felt crazy, my periods are normal...
It's nice.
Maybe I should go off hormones... except I'm not on them . Guess DH is just stuck with me
Your workouts look good - I don't blame you for skipping some parts (I hate 'em too!)... Diet looks ok too - you're not doing badly, and your slips aren't really derailing you - it's all about moderation and figuring it out, right? Like you said, it's hard to get all those servings and ratios put together within a kcal limit - but you'll get there
B: omelet & fish oil. 266 cals. 12/10/29 (f/c/p in grams)
L: chicken salad: 287 cals. 9/21/33
S (actually 2 snacks): cherries, cottage cheese, piece of chocolate, protein bar, greens+. 400 cals. 15/31/36
D: pizza, fish oil: 404 cals, 14.5/38.5/35.5
S: jicama & salsa: 95 cals. .2/20/2
1453 cals total
f/c/p total: 51/120/136
% cals from f/c/p: 31/32.5/36.5
Should be: 35/25/40
Damn jicama. Too many carbs. Had I cut the jicama out, I would have been at 32.5/29/38.5. That would have been better.
I am feeling a lot better, though, and feel like I’m at the right amount of food. Still a little low on the calories as I’d rather be around 1650 or so. I think I should add a serving of nuts with my lunch. My lunch as it is is 27% fat, 28% carbs, and 45% protein. Adding some nuts would up the calories as well as the fat % with minimal adjustments to the other macros.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Exercise yesterday – stationary cycling. 5 mins w/u, 15 mins level 4, 15 mins level 5 (15mph), 15 mins intervals, 5 mins cooldown, static stretching
I finished Practical Programming by Mark Rippetoe. So, I’m getting more convinced that I’m going to do his program after NROL4W. I’ve read a bit of NROL and in it the authors talk at least twice about how to get your body to start making adaptations again. I’m not at the point where I’ve stopped making strength progression, so I think I need something more basic than NROL. Once I finish SS, I’ll probably move on to NROL Hypertrophy.
One thing I didn’t get from Starting Strength was a change during the novice program by starting out with about 2/3 of the exercises, then adding in a couple more as strength is acquired. That might give me something to look forward to during the program (other than setting PRs nearly every workout!). Rippetoe says the program is 3-9 months for a novice, so I’m still concerned about getting bored. That’s a long time to be doing a small handful of basic exercises. But, my goal is to get stronger so I’ve decided to give it a shot.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
deadlift/barbell row: 2x4x85, 2x4x95
assisted pistol squats - 4x4
wide-grip pulldown - 4x4x80
good mornings (instead of back extensions) - 2x4x85, 2x4x95
YTWL - 4x4x10. I never increased weight on these, though my ROM improved. I started out too heavy.
ball crunches - 4x4x25lbs
rev crunches - 4x4xhold for 3s
side crunches - 4x4x15lbs
prone cobra - skip
2 chin-ups (feet on swiss ball for assistance)
I also weighed myself this afternoon and weighed in at 146.0 (I was 147.8 on sunday). I think the fat fairy came recently; I feel like I've lost fat. I feel thinner in the middle. The scale said 27% body fat. When I started this whole shin-dig, it put me at 33% in the afternoon. So... that's a good thing. I started at 156 pounds in January, so that means I've lost about 12 pounds of fat... hm, and gained 2 pounds of muscle? Sure feels like a lot more than that.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Here is the progress I made between stages 3 and 5. Some are hard to measure, but I'm pretty damn proud of the work I've put into this.
oh and pardon my abbreviation - the pistols are assisted. I tried so hard today to do a full real one. I can get down on one leg/heel pretty easily now. It's the getting up part that's hard.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Here we go for the monthly comparisons.
Measurements didn't change a whole lot.
Weight stuck at 146.0. It went up & down the entire month of May. I do think, however, that i've recently lost a bit of fat & should see the scale reflect that. We also had a couple of beers last night so it's very possible I'm retaining water from that and weigh less than 146. I'm not going to stress about it.
May 6th on the left, June 1st on the right.
If you squint really hard, you can start to see my abs
My bikini top is crooked. That's one downside to lopsided breasts, le sigh.
Stomach is getting flatter, thighs are bigger... and that's about it. Besides smaller breasts. Bleh.
Hooray for lat exercises. My butt continues to hang out of my swimsuit.
One thing I'm noticing (especially from my first picture in Feb) is that you can see more & more of my swimsuit top around my sides as time goes on. Definitely a sign of a shrinking DM.
Overall, not very many changes. I'm really not interested in making huge, dramatic changes right now, so my results seem to be in line with that. At least I'm going in the right direction.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Anyway... had a couple of beers over the weekend again and am feeling comfortable with slowing my progress in exchange for loosening up the restrictions on beer. I've missed it and it gives me pleasure and I don't feel bad about fitting well into a size 8 and being 145ish pounds. I need to stop beating myself up for losing a bunch of fat, gaining some muscle, and making dramatic positive changes in 5 months that many people will never make in a lifetime. Perspective, perspective.
That said, the diet remains relatively strict with compliance on PN - a couple of cheat beers on the weekend. Maybe a 10% meal. Nothing major.
Did 15 mins intervals today. Went up to level 8 for my "high" parts (I was doing level 7). Stayed at level 4 for the low part. Did 30 minutes of steady state at level 5, 15mph (I should look at the RPMs, I know).
Today:
B - omelet & veg, fish oil
S - 1/2 protein ball
L - burger patty & greens, 1/2 protein ball
S2 - greek yogurt, 3 strawberries, greens+
D - oatmeal & PB, salad
S - cottage cheese, protein, flax, PB. teh yum.
We got 4 davinci sugar-free syrups today - toasted marshmallow, cookie dough, peppermint paddy, and german chocolate cake. Should be tasty for the morning coffees!
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Yep, I noticed the off-kilter ribs, too. Maybe it's just the lighting or a particular way you stand for the pics? I didn't notice the lopsided boobs or top but, if they're there, I feel your pain. I don't think there's much on me that isn't crooked.
Your butt looks perkier and your back tighter. Nice.
Thanks! I hadn't noticed the butt... but how about that.
So, I decided to wear some pants that are too big for me & just address it with a belt... aaaaaaand I'm easily on my last hole on my belt so I guess I'll be taking that in to get a hole punched...
Aaaaaand... it's official. I'm deformed. :-P
I had John take a look last night and my left rib sticks out a lot farther than the other. I had noticed this a month or two ago, but thought that my abs on my right side were bigger and that I had uneven muscle development. With a bit more investigation, it's not the muscle. bummer.
John suggested it's just one more reason why I'll look better with a bunch of muscle on my body than as a skinny gangly woman.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
Linear Mode
