I'm glad I have these forums and can talk to people with like minds.
Oh yeah! I totally agree. I am another one who would go with option 2, if I were you. I am also trying to lose fat, as well. I can relate. The HIIT I am doing, seems to be working. I guess I'll find out for sure when I measure this weekend.
Keep up the good work!
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Ginger
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." ~ John Bingham
Workout B7 - 8x3
Deadlifts - 85/85/95* (up from 75!)
Shoulder press - 22.5s
WG Lat pulldown - 80/80/80**
Lunges (static - twisted my knee last time) - 17.5s
12 Hanging leg lifts, 2 sets rev. crunches (12, 15) My swiss ball was gone. =o(
I have a lot of stories from the gym today.
*I asked this volunteer trainer guy who helps people with exercises to help me with my deadlift. I've been doing "Stiff-legged deadlifts" aka Romanian deadlifts. I wanted to learn how to do a "regular" aka bent-knee deadlift. He showed me, but man, could that guy talk! Took him like fifteen minutes of blabbing. I'm a quick study. And generally hate authority, so even though I asked him to explain, I just sat there squirming while he treated me like a toddler. But now I know!
**This big, beefy biker-looking guy - you know the type...orange bandanna, barrel chest, super-baritone voice - saw me doing the wide-grip lat pulldowns, and asked me, "You're lifting 80 lbs? I train guys who can't lift that much." And I was just like, "Man, your boys need to beef it up." He was amused. He was all, "Good for you." And I was just like, "Thanks for noticing little ol' me." Because really, 80 lbs on a lat pulldown? That's nothing if I want to do a chin up. But score one for the women.
Also, all the swiss balls were mysteriously missing this morning. So I suffered through a set of hanging leg lifts, then decided I would puke up my banana if I kept up at that pace. No, I'm kidding. I'm sure my banana was long digested by then. I did a couple sets of reverse crunches, and man, could I feel em. But still, I was all excited with my 15lb dumbbell to do some more swiss ball crunches.
I'm feeling REALLY good despite not seeing the scale go down. Well, it is going down because I just started cutting calories this week. I dropped a couple pounds of water yesterday, which I'm thankful for. And it's a few days before my lady time, so I'm probably still holding water...which could mean that once this bloat clears out, I'll net a fat loss by the end of the week.
My postworkout shake is my new favorite thing. I'm using Strawberry Designer Whey. Yummy! Just like being a kid again. Only it keeps me from hobbling around like a jackass the day after weight lifting.
I've been drinking a lot of tea. I used to have a sugar-free vanilla latte every day...which isn't too bad, but that's 100 calories in milk I can easily replace with pretty much 0 calories in tea. And I'm not going to lie, I keep dark chocolate in my desk at work. But I still maintain a square a day after lunch (50 cals) is ten times better than having a sweet tooth that sabotages me later in the day. And yes, I can stick to a square a day. I divert with my stash of tea. Earl Grey Lavender. Mmm.
I'm so on an endorphin high right now.
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
Wow, 80 lbs for the lat pulldown IS impressive! I can do 60, but my whole body starts twitching uncontrollably.
Dark chocolate is great to keep on hand if you can manage to not eat the entire bar at once. It's great that you reckognize everyone needs a little treat now and again.
Wow, 80 lbs for the lat pulldown IS impressive! I can do 60, but my whole body starts twitching uncontrollably.
Dark chocolate is great to keep on hand if you can manage to not eat the entire bar at once. It's great that you reckognize everyone needs a little treat now and again.
Well, gosh, thank you. =o)
I was just reading a bunch of articles at F-heit.com (following a link to a Rachel Cosgrove article) written by this one woman who bashes the chocolate, saying you can get your "antioxidants" elsewhere, and arguing that it's basically a gateway drug. And that if you want to lose body fat, you can't have that stuff lying around.
Well, I think it's crap. Mostly crap. I don't keep it at my house, because we ALL want something sweet at night or when we're bored in front of the TV. But at the office, it's tucked in a drawer, and when I get cranky or stressed or PMSsy or feel like I just need a very small treat, I'll break off a square at eat it. One square. And I've proven to myself I can stop at one square, at least at work.
And this small indulgence is part of life. I wouldn't want to live in a world where I can't trust myself with one square of chocolate. The small pleasures are what make life worth living. It's much easier to cut out the big things when you know you can have one small pleasure. And it makes you realize what other small pleasures you enjoy - for instance, since I've started lifting hard, I realize I love to take a long, super-hot shower right after. Very relaxing. Not so great for the environment, but I'm going to let myself have that indulgence too. Like I said, the little things keep you going when you've given up everything else for your goals.
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
And I'm not going to lie, I keep dark chocolate in my desk at work. But I still maintain a square a day after lunch (50 cals) is ten times better than having a sweet tooth that sabotages me later in the day. And yes, I can stick to a square a day. I divert with my stash of tea. Earl Grey Lavender. Mmm.
Your chocolate reminds me of me! I get my fix though by having one of those Fiber One chocolate oat bars. I love those things and I figure the 9g. of fiber gets me to my 25g. a day which is good. I get in my "tea moods" once in awhile but I'm a true coffee girl at heart.
I loved your "biker guy" story from today. That's so awesome! I also love seeing how strong you are getting. I think it's because I'm starting at almost the same spots you did......so, it sort of let's me gauge what's ahead!
Keep up the good work!
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"Become better than you used to be, not better than someone else." ~ Leigh Peele
I love those things and I figure the 9g. of fiber gets me to my 25g. a day which is good.
Oh goodness, I have to share this with SOMEONE - with the addition of my homemade chili for lunch this week (which is just lean turkey and black, kidney, and northern beans) I've been between 45-50 grams of fiber a day. Can you believe it?! It's nuts! (Yeah, I've been eating those, too.)
Every day I look at my meal tracking at the fiber line and I'm like, "Wow, that's a LOT of fiber."
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
I planned to do HIIT today. Woke up this morning with bad cramps. Got up at my normal time for HIIT days (6am) and took an Excedrin, but by the time I started feeling human, it was too late to work out. No problem, I thought, I'll do them this afternoon. By 2:00 at work, my eyes were focusing funny and my head was pounding.
Did you know 75% of migraine sufferers are women? Can you guess why?
Despite a dumptruck's worth of drugs and enough water to fill all Great Lakes, my headache persists. I'll probably be in bed by 7:30. Hopefully tomorrow I'll wake up and feel fine...or it's TWO Excedrin before I hit the weights in the morning.
I've been eating great this week. Averaging 2200 calories on lifting days, just under 1800 on non-lifting days.
Just a moment ago, my super-sweet neighbor, Russell, brought me some homemade chocolate chip cookies. He's always baking, and sometimes he brings me some. I left him some Lucky Charms Treats last weekend, along with a recipe for pretzels he had asked for, so it was sweet of him to bring my tupperware back full of cookies.
Amazingly, despite this migraine headache, cramps and a general feeling of crankiness, I'm not at all tempted to dive into the cookies. My first thought was, "How sweet! I'll take these to work tomorrow."
There are PLENTY of strapping young men to absorb the calorie impact of these cookies - no need to take it out on my thighs! And it really is the thought that counts - Russell wanted to do something nice for me, and the gesture itself was more than enough.
I don't know if it's because I'm eating more than I usually would when trying to lose fat, or because my mind is in a good place in regards to my goals and behaviors, but I'm feeling really good about tucking those cookies away in the kitchen without a second thought. I grabbed my water bottle instead. And right now, I may help myself to that last 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries in the fridge.
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
I think it has to do with feeding your body properly (getting the right amounts of the right macros). My friend and I are also finding this to be true. None of us crave those high GI type of carb foods anymore. We get everything we need in our daily food supply and the cravings have all but stopped.
My team went to this bitch'n Mexican restaurant yesterday and I have to admit that the chips and salsa were calling to me but I held off. That was the first time though in ages that I had a craving at all. Then we brought in this big cake that looked really good but that wasn't too hard to resist. It is amazing how many opportunities we have to resist eating like crap.
I don't know if it's because I'm eating more than I usually would when trying to lose fat, or because my mind is in a good place in regards to my goals and behaviors, but I'm feeling really good about tucking those cookies away in the kitchen without a second thought. I grabbed my water bottle instead. And right now, I may help myself to that last 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries in the fridge.
I feel similar. I feel like since I got on this program and really got my priorities in order, its easy to say no to junk. Before, I used to try to rationalize why I should have cookies or whatever after dinner, but now I'm of the mindset that there is no rationalization, and I'm not going to make any progress by lying to myself and saying that the cookies are okay. It probably also helps that even though I'm eating clean, I don't feel like I am restricted calorically. So if I'm still hungry after dinner, I'll have something that will help my body get stronger and healthier, and not feel bad about it. I still look forward to my weekly sweet treat, and since it is a once-weekly, planned thing, I don't feel the need to rationalize. All I have to do is enjoy it!
With all of that said, however, anyone who thinks one or two squares of chocolate a day is going to kill you needs to have some fun! Personally, I never approach chocolate as a means to get more antioxidants, that's what fruits and vegetables are for, it just tastes good!
These are not bad. They really aren't.
I just can't get pictures of me doing cartwheels down the beach in a little red bikini out of my head. Which means I'm going to have to keep tweaking.
Avg. Cals This Week - 2,015
Avg. Protein This Week - 147
Thanks, Fitday PC.
Workout A8! - 8x3 (Goodbye, Stage 1 Workout A!)
Squats - 85, 85, 90
Push ups - 8, 8, 8 - hands and toes (I'm getting lower...)
Seated Row - 85, 85, 85
Step Ups - 25/22.5 (first set, grip gave out.) Switched to higher step, did BW for two sets. Step came up to the top of my knee. Old step was mid-calf.
Reverse Crunch - 15, 15, 15
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
I always wondered about the volume of fat vs muscle. I have seen pics but I would really like to know. Like 5 lbs of fat is 16 cubic inches and Muscle is like 2 LOL! It would make the number crunching so much nicer...
These are not bad. They really aren't.
I just can't get pictures of me doing cartwheels down the beach in a little red bikini out of my head. Which means I'm going to have to keep tweaking.
Avg. Cals This Week - 2,015 Avg. Protein This Week - 147
Thanks, Fitday PC.
Workout A8! - 8x3 (Goodbye, Stage 1 Workout A!)
Squats - 85, 85, 90
Push ups - 8, 8, 8 - hands and toes (I'm getting lower...)
Seated Row - 85, 85, 85
Step Ups - 25/22.5 (first set, grip gave out.) Switched to higher step, did BW for two sets. Step came up to the top of my knee. Old step was mid-calf.
Reverse Crunch - 15, 15, 15
There are PLENTY of strapping young men to absorb the calorie impact of these cookies - no need to take it out on my thighs! And it really is the thought that counts - Russell wanted to do something nice for me, and the gesture itself was more than enough.
I don't know how I didn't see your log before. You are so funny! In my case, I always think there are plenty of obese middle aged men at my work to absorb any extra calories.
Great job on your progress this week. Did you take before pictures? I've been doing New Rules for about a year and I did not and I regret it now. When you are cartwheeling down the beach in your red bikini you'll regret it too.
I don't know how I didn't see your log before. You are so funny! In my case, I always think there are plenty of obese middle aged men at my work to absorb any extra calories.
Great job on your progress this week. Did you take before pictures? I've been doing New Rules for about a year and I did not and I regret it now. When you are cartwheeling down the beach in your red bikini you'll regret it too.
Haha, when I'm cartwheeling down the beach, I'll bet my slovenly before pictures will be the last thing on my mind. But perhaps I will have to set something up...and once *I* start seeing good progress, THEN you'll see my befores!
I peddle food at work like no one's business. I have a friend at work who started dating this girl in New York (we're in Michigan). She's been sending things to him, me, and another friend at work - packages of cupcakes and famous New York cookies. I get it, she's being classy and trying to make friends with her new boyfriend's friends. We got a package of these cookies at work today - cookies as big as your FIST and twice as dense. I had a taste - maybe a thumb tip's worth - and went cubicle to cubicle pawning them off on everyone else. Now I know where the term "pusher" comes from.
Hmm, does this make me a hypocrite?
Well, at least I'll be a foxy hypocrite.
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
cookies as big as your FIST and twice as dense. I had a taste - maybe a thumb tip's worth - and went cubicle to cubicle pawning them off on everyone else. Now I know where the term "pusher" comes from.
Hmm, does this make me a hypocrite?
Well, at least I'll be a foxy hypocrite.
I would say just that that is very inovative and friendly
I have before's but you will only see them when I have after's LOL!
Worked out with my Aunt Lynn today in her basement. She's a former competitive bodybuilder, and her husband still competes, so they have the HOOK-UP in their basement. But that's also why my weights were a little off from last workout. I got to share with her my progress and accomplishments - and she actually knows what they mean! Unlike my friends or boyfriend, who look at me blankly when I tell them I squatted 90lbs of free weight in the squat rack.
My aunt tells me I've got good muscle. She asked me if I've ever thought about doing a contest. I told her it's too intimidating right now. I would never rule it out, but at 29% bodyfat, I would say I'm a world away from even thinking about doing a contest. Still, it's nice to hear her encouragement. I've gotten a lot stronger since the last time we worked out together - probably nearly a year ago. I was even out-lifting her on some of the sets.
*I've found lunges feel a lot better if I do all one leg, then the other. Switching legs with every rep throws my balance off, which is probably why I twisted my knee the other week. It was pretty scary. Your knees are probably the weakest point in your leg (except maybe the ankle), and twisting it hurt like hell. Maybe I'll finally feel confident upping the weight for lunges with this new battle tactic.
Well! This is my last Stage 1 workout! I bent the rules a little and did four lifting workouts this week. But I figured if I did my last one today, I could spend all next week resting. Which I AM going to do. I know how much stronger I feel after coming back from a rest, so it's on.
Next week I'm dropping calories to 1600 and doing only cardio and/or a very relaxing yoga DVD.
I may actually catch up on my cleaning...all the weight lifting has been putting me in bed between 8-9pm lately! Don't get me wrong, ten hours of sleep is luxurious, but I have been neglecting my teensy little kitchen.
The snow is slowly melting here. The breeze feels definitively spring-like. Spring breezes only fuel my motivation to lean out for summer. Skirts and tank tops, here I come. I've got a lot to prove.
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
Congrats on finishing Stage 1! Enjoy your rest week - you've EARNED it!
No kidding! I'm going to use my week to psych myself up for those brutal exercises in stage two...Bulgarian Split Squats? I hurt just looking at them. (Bring it on!)
Part of me thinks you have to be at least a little masochistic to lift heavy weights.
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
Awesome workout and congrats on finishing stage 1. That's really awesome about your aunt, its definitely great to have someone to share your thoughts and accomplishments with who actually can relate. Enjoy your rest week =D
Congratulations for finishing Stage 1!!! That's an awesome accomplishment! What great things to hear from your aunt! It's even better that you could tell her what you are doing and have her understand.
Enjoy your restful, cardio week!!!
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"Become better than you used to be, not better than someone else." ~ Leigh Peele
It's my week off between Stage 1 and 2. I'm enjoying the rest, but it's making me crazy! I don't know if it's the lack of feel-good, blood-pumping endorphins or just hormones, but I am suddenly very disappointed and frustrated this week.
Every time I get on the scale, it says 190. 190.4, 190.6...even if I've had a great week, 190. Now, I KNOW that muscle weighs more. And I KNOW that bodyfat counts more than straight-up weight, but my numbers haven't decreased all that much. My bodyfat keeps hovering around 29%, my waist is the same size, my clothes don't fit better...so even though I have a total fat loss of 6.5lbs and total lean gain of 3.3lbs, I feel stuck!
Last year in March, I was doing the BFL weight routine, plus HIIT on alternating days, and eating fewer calories. I was dropping easily 2-3lbs of fat a week for about 5-6 weeks...and then I stalled. Well, obviously, as I was eating maybe 1400-1600 calories a day and shredding my muscles up in the weight room.
Now I'm eating between 1900-2400 calories a day (depending on the day, average around 1900-2000), eating totally CLEAN except for two or three small meals on the weekend (out of 42 meals a week), and my waistline hasn't budged, and my scale is being obstinate, and my bodyfat level is TAUNTING me. And on top of all that, I just can't seem to eat any less than that anymore - it's difficult! I'm not satisfied on 1800 calories a day, forget about 1500 (I don't know what the hell I was doing last year...or how I did it.)
So, there it is. I'm frustrated. I need a little encouragement. I would like to see these numbers decrease, and I've confused myself about calories. More? Less? I'm in a pickle.
According to the book, I need 2400 cals on a lifting day and 2100 cals on a resting day for maintenance. So if I'm averaging 1900 in a week, shouldn't I see SOME difference? Ay. Maybe I'm overreacting. I know this day will pass, but right now I'm in a funk.
Help, friends!
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
I don't blame you for being frustrated. I have been cutting cals a lot and I hate being hungry and in the two months since the challenge started, I've lost a whopping 5.6 lbs. I was thinking about this when I looked at everyone's progress stats and pics - real lasting changes are really hard work and they take a really long time!
My personal experience was that I ate maintenance for around 9 months and did the New Rules workouts and I got a lot stronger and built muscle but I didn't lose any weight. The last couple months I've been doing a calorie cycling plan but my average is about 1850 cals per day. Like you, that is not very satisfying for me - I'm a big person with a big appetite.
I don't have a good answer, but just hang in there. I think you are doing awesome. If you do decide to cut cals, I would go really slow, maybe 100 per day at first, so you don't feel like crap or slow your metabolism.
I don't blame you for being frustrated. I have been cutting cals a lot and I hate being hungry and in the two months since the challenge started, I've lost a whopping 5.6 lbs. I was thinking about this when I looked at everyone's progress stats and pics - real lasting changes are really hard work and they take a really long time!
My personal experience was that I ate maintenance for around 9 months and did the New Rules workouts and I got a lot stronger and built muscle but I didn't lose any weight. The last couple months I've been doing a calorie cycling plan but my average is about 1850 cals per day. Like you, that is not very satisfying for me - I'm a big person with a big appetite.
I don't have a good answer, but just hang in there. I think you are doing awesome. If you do decide to cut cals, I would go really slow, maybe 100 per day at first, so you don't feel like crap or slow your metabolism.
I've seen your pictures - you look really lean! I'm not surprised it's hard for you to lose fat. You must be pretty close to your goals at this point.
It's so silly what our minds can do to us on a whim. Last night, I was watching TV with my boyfriend, sitting on the floor and stretching my hamstrings, and I flexed my quad and made him poke my thigh with his finger. I was like, "Feel THESE muscles, baby."
And then this morning, I wake up and get on the scale just for "fun", and I see that same old number and feel terrible.
I think it's probably good that I'm hungrier now - that's supposed to be a sign of a healthy metabolism, isn't it? Cutting calories sucks now. And I definitely don't want to get stuck while eating only 1500 calories a day. Lame.
But according to the book, and John Berardi's calorie calculator (subtracting about 20%, which he says women should do here), I should be eating 2400 calories for maintenance on lifting days and 2100 calories on the other days. So if I'm not seeing a steady change in measurements, does that mean I'm NOT burning what I estimate to be my maintenance calories?
This is what ties my brain up in knots. How do you tweak something when you're unsure of where you are?
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"Men are taught to apologize for their weaknesses, women for their strengths." - Lois Wyse
you must remember they cal calculators are only guides. Everyone wants you to eat your max but that might be higher or lower than others.
Berardi and Schuler both say that. They are starting points only. Don't go gang busters and lower them insanely!
If you have been reading my logs I am having fits too. But I know these are lasting results. I think I am nuts over this because it is getting closer to summer and I was hoping to be down some more.
My metabolism is messed up also. I don't know what you have done to yourself, but it takes time.
I have a feeling you know in your gut what you must do. Personally I need to stop dragging my feet and start tracking and being honest with myself. A cup of something is NOT a cup and a half or a heaping cup. I hate tracking but it keeps me honest.
Hang in there. We all know this works. It's just that no one can tell us how long and when
The advice in the book is to eat at what you think is maintenance for 4 weeks and if you want to get better results to adjust. If your goal is to loose then cut calories. When I go on my cut I will not be eating maintenance calories. I am going to cut and get it over with and then think about maintaining.
I've seen your pictures - you look really lean! I'm not surprised it's hard for you to lose fat. You must be pretty close to your goals at this point.
It's so silly what our minds can do to us on a whim. Last night, I was watching TV with my boyfriend, sitting on the floor and stretching my hamstrings, and I flexed my quad and made him poke my thigh with his finger. I was like, "Feel THESE muscles, baby."
And then this morning, I wake up and get on the scale just for "fun", and I see that same old number and feel terrible.
I think it's probably good that I'm hungrier now - that's supposed to be a sign of a healthy metabolism, isn't it? Cutting calories sucks now. And I definitely don't want to get stuck while eating only 1500 calories a day. Lame.
But according to the book, and John Berardi's calorie calculator (subtracting about 20%, which he says women should do here), I should be eating 2400 calories for maintenance on lifting days and 2100 calories on the other days. So if I'm not seeing a steady change in measurements, does that mean I'm NOT burning what I estimate to be my maintenance calories?
This is what ties my brain up in knots. How do you tweak something when you're unsure of where you are?
I always take increased hunger as a good sign for my metabolism. Back when I lost 50 lbs with Weight Watchers, I just got used to eating less and wasn't hungry that much. Some of Leigh Peele's stuff says you are supposed to be hungry to lose fat.
I hate those calorie calculators because they always have some activity factor that is so general I don't know which one to pick. And I quit weighing myself daily too because I would get really depressed and just feel like crap the whole day. I cut back to once a month so I can see something moving!
I get my fix though by having one of those Fiber One chocolate oat bars. I love those things and I figure the 9g. of fiber gets me to my 25g. a day which is good. I get in my "tea moods" once in awhile but I'm a true coffee girl at heart.
NICE WORK!!!
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