How I'm Destroying My Evil Twin

[Silly Sally]

What slucks is how I’ve become such a slug.

Not really lazy, just squishy, peri-menopausal, bored, and likely: boring.

I’ve done BFL a few more times since winning “Top 2000” in 2001 (got a cool suitcase, woohoo!), but find it hard to maintain “for life”, especially when life hands me lemons and I’m plum out of meringue. Plus, I got to using bigass weights and hurt my shoulder, back, and neck. Shoulder still hurts, even 2 years later.

Most recently I trained for and ran a half marathon using Couch to 5K (C25K), then One Hour Runner (OHR), then Hal Higdon’s Half Training. It took me a year. You’d think with all that running, I’d be lithe & leggy.

Sigh.

After so many attempts to make myself over I think … I’ve finally uncovered the indefatigable, evil biotch who sabotages me EVERY time. The two-faced ‘ho brings beer and queso into the house just when I start to see progress and feel really hopeful. (Evil skank KNOWS I’m weak for that stuff.) It’s hard to admit I’ve got a problem with her, since she appears to have it all together. But, nobody knows her like I do. She’s not who they think. THEY don’t know how twisted and full of excuses she really is.

So, I come to NRL4W with many mini-goals that all lead up to one big goal: BEAT the livin’ snot out of her! Show her who’s boss, once and for all.

Age: 46 Goal: 100 yrs.
5’5”
171 lbs. 145 lbs.
29% BF 19%
Size: 12, comfy. 10, loose, ‘cept the butt. I’m going for booty.
Gemini (duh!)
B: 41
W: 35
I: 40
H: 41
UA: 14
T: 25.5
C: 15

My plan is to use lighter weights than before, do as many exercises as possible on the BOSU, and do all reps slowly, ultra controlled, with PERFECT form. (So, don’t feel bad for my pitiful girly weights – unless you want to!) I will get a handle on my love for chocolate, beer, chips and cheese, and improve the quality & quantity of my intake, one step at a time. And have a good time doing it.

Yes, E.T., I WILL be stronger than you!

[MuscleMom23]

I think that is typical for peri menopausal women. Biotch LOL! Cuz I can so relate. And the zits and wrinkles, I thought I was the only one who ever voiced that

See no one tells you. It is like a secret sisterhood sorority thingy. They all shut up and just watch as you go the menopausal h3!!

I'll be watching...

[stephanie932]

Hi, Sally!

I just love your "evil twin" analogy because my alter ego does the same thing yours does! What a great attitude and discovery about yourself. I'm working some of the exact same issues.......and at 174 and 5'2" we are close in our stats. I'll keep poppin' in to see your improvements.

Welcome to JP's forums!

[kfisherx]

Hey Sally just love your intro and am also looking forward to the new log. I am curious though as to how low weights and slow reps are going to help you with weight loss? I thought the whole point was to get your HR up and the higher weights are what really do that to me. I do a lot of lower weights and perfect form stuff for building but not for fat loss.

[Willie]

Hi Sally! Welcome!
I share your love of chocolate and cheese, and have weaned myself off of chips and beer... slowly.

I'll be checking in. Good luck!

[Silly Sally]

Kate: Wow, I love your sig tag! I mean I REALLY love it. I wonder if I can get it tattooed on the inside of my eyelids?

Karla: You are da bomb in my book as far as successful transformations, so I hear your concern - loud and clear - about using lower weights. Hopefully, my plan will be different than some slow/low plans because of the BOSU, and level of control on some of the movements. (And, my weights aren't as low as you might think; I'll post my log soon!) If I hadn't done resistance training in the past (60 + weeks over 5 years of BFL Challenges, with other programs - usually MUCH less successful - in the interims), I would go ahead and OH press 40 lbs again and to hell with the repurcussions. But, it hurts! I feel like there's GOT to be a better way for my body, and I am GOING to find it. If I haven't had reasonable progress at my 4 week check-in, I'll re-evalute. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to any and all you can add!

I really took Lou's chapter 9 "Core of Babylon" to heart. I've never considered our core as an "anatomy train". To understand that it's all connected explains SO MUCH! I hope the addition of the BOSU, and focused attention to that connective tissue as I'm doing it, will help with this damned meno-pooch.

Stephanie - I didn't notice how similar our stats were. Now you've gone and done it! I'll be forever seeing what you're doing and eating and losing and try to keep up!

Kelly: Thanks for your fun log, and your support.

Hopefully, I'll find a way to scan in my log; or I'll just start with Monday's workout, cuz I'm just that lazy.

Happy Easter everyone!

[Willie]

Originally Posted by Silly Sally

Kate: Wow, I love your sig tag! I mean I REALLY love it. I wonder if I can get it tattooed on the inside of my eyelids?

Sally, that quote has gotten me through some rough times! It was given to me on a handout from my coach in college (as an aside, I had very little respect for him, and this is one of the very few things he did that I found meaningful... so I guess he can't be all that bad?), and I've often returned to it. I've won a lot of races in my life (rowing), and I've lost quite a few as well. Both experiences are crucial to my development as an athlete, coach, and person. I find mediocrity, in terms of effort, horribly insulting as a coach, and I think this quote sums up why.

My motto? Win, or die trying.

[Silly Sally]

Was able to up weight on everything but OH & wide presses today; I'm purposely holding back cuz I'm still worried about that deltoid injury.

My motivating song today was: "Whole Lotta Funk" - it was perfect!

P1/3B
Dead lifts: 2/12 @ 45
OH Press: 2/12 @ 10's on the BOSU
Wide Lat Row: 2/12 @ 8's on the BOSU
Lunges: 2/12 @ 10's
Ball Crunches: 2/12 w/ heaviest blue med ball.
Snuck in some tricep ext's on the ball, too.

Felt really good.

Food. Hm. Ate like a busy bunny at the Amish Easter dinner. Pretty much stuffed my face with whatever I wanted. Back to reality today.

1. Mini cini-raisin bagel and a can of Tuna, coffee with creamer (not ready to give that up yet).
2. 4 oz. Lamb steak & sweet potato w/ TB butter
3. Recovery shake: 1C skim, 1 scoop whey and one little ff chocolate pudding. Yum.
4. Spicy Roast Pork, beans, salad
5. Vanilla Mango shake YES!

I have no idea how many calories, but it's close to goal, I think. I really don't want to get crazy with that; I KNOW I won't type in every freakin' thing I ever eat for the rest of my life, but maybe I'll do it again for a while so I can be sure I'm on track for this program's recommendations. I'll have to investigate calorie tracking sites further soon...

Gotta go get my hands dirty in the garden - it's just GORGEOUS out there!

[MuscleMom23]

OKay, Amish with food in the same sentence. I know it was good .

Wow lamb steak, now that is rare to see! And mango shake? You have my unusual foods menu beat!

[realcdn]

Originally Posted by MuscleMom23

Wow lamb steak, now that is rare to see!

Maybe it's where we live, but in the last few weeks all the grocery stores have been selling half and whole lambs. In an insane moment we bought a half lamb cut into steaks. The leg chops were really quite nice done on the barbecue.

[Willie]

Originally Posted by realcdn

Maybe it's where we live, but in the last few weeks all the grocery stores have been selling half and whole lambs. In an insane moment we bought a half lamb cut into steaks. The leg chops were really quite nice done on the barbecue.

Oh, LORD this sounds good.
I spent my summers on my grandparents' sheep farm while growing up, but don't eat red meat anymore (I actually tried for the first time in 10 years, on Easter... which quickly turned into a disaster). We at lamb in every possible form, all of them delicious.

[Silly Sally]

Yes, ya'll, lamb is eaten much more in other parts of the world. My mom ( a Norwegian) served chops once a week, and leg roasts at Christmas and Easter. I think it is the Norske's influence, why realcdn's seeing it so much at the grocer's this holiday. It IS yummy, Willie. Tender and sweet at the same time. I like it with Garlic Gravy, roasted potatoes, some asparagus... - oh, my...

Yesterday's HIIT was spiffy. I planned my run and then didn't, really.

I planned to do the intervals I read on some thread or other here: 20/10 seconds fast /slow. THAT felt like hamster business on a very small wheel, so I ended up doing 50/70 seconds fast/slow, X 5 with a 10 minute warm-up and a 10 minute easy run afterward. Took about 35 minutes, and I was drenched, even though the weather was GORGEOUS: 60*, light breeze. How anyone can choose NOT to live here is beyond me. (I'll post garden photos soon, and y'all be drooling.)

I joined the Y today, only for a week. (It's too expensive to join for any longer - until they do their summer special thingy when the tourists go home in late May. Til then I'll be winging it at home with a week at the Y now and again, when I feel rich. So, yeah. Rarely.)

I am so very surprised at how much heavier I can lift when I use the bar! Why is that?!?

Today:
Warm-up on the TM for 5 minutes; 4.3- 5.0.
Squats: 3/10 @ 65
S Row: 3/10 @ 90
P/Ups: 3/10 FLAT ON THE GROUND ('bout vibrated my chin off, I was struggling so. Left sweaty palm and nose prints on their prissy blue mat! BOOya, I did BIY push-ups already!)
Step-up: Their step was 18", about 6" higher, so I used 12# db's to see if my form was gonna be OK; it was, pretty much - 3/10, and I was huffing.
Jacknife: Couldn't go up. Their ball was a bit bigger than mine, and my wrists were already KILLING me from the P/ups. 3/10. Tough.

All in all a pretty good go, but the old guys ogling me bothered me about as much as the young ones not.

Food has been decent, considering DH's family visiting. (Yes, they are all of Amish descent, and I am NOT. nutbar's goats got NOTHING on me! Goats, chickens, bunnies and tons of FISH.)

Got this computer back from the geek hospital today, (Yeah! paid $35 to find out the plug wasn't in right!?!) so I can see if anyone has responded to my whiny thread about calorie tracking. (I resent having to do this!) But, I will. For a few weeks. Just to see if I am on or not.

Muscle Mom: Mangos rule my world starting about May 1. I planted 3 trees a few years back and they're finally starting to produce. I love them like kids-gone-for-the night sex; when you sit on the back steps in the noonday sun with a bucket full of fresh-picked mangos and a paring knife, and the juice gets to running down your arms... that beats runner's high or ANY street-drug euphoria HANDS DOWN.

I need one now.

[Silly Sally]

Okay, so the score is Evil 2, Sally 3 as far as nutrition. I'm so frikkin' WEAK when it comes to saying no to the things that make the evening easier - wine or beer. Why can't I be like Mrs. Bush and just say no EVERY time?!? Grrr. I'm an idiot.

On the upside, I haven't missed a workout. I've planned runs for 2 "off" days and I have to say the DOMS is making the running a lot tougher; I totally understand now why they say not to lift while training for distance! It took me almost 2 miles just to get warm enough to feel smooth yesterday.

Besides my foray into smushed, fermented grapes, I've been eating really clean,a nd that feels great. While everyone was noshing queso - one of my weaknesses - I whipped cottage cheese in a blender and then added a can of Rotel tomatoes and green chile's and dipped my triscuits and carrots in there - YUM! I'm a genius!

No workout til Sunday. Both DD's have tournaments in Tampa. Yeah! Running between loud sweaty convention center gyms and the beautiful beach all day - woohoo!

[Silly Sally]

Decisons, decisions... BFL is calling me back. I am having some, slow, limited success with NRL4W, but to be honest, I don't feel quite the confidence and comraderie I felt with Mr. Phillips' creation. I think what's missing for me is the spiritual/inside out concept. I'm trying to duplicate it by tying in my obvious issues. Not feeling it, though.

My BFL partner Diane Body-for-LIFE Challenge Champions 2000 is urging me, gently, to come back. She's amazing. I love her like no other mentor or angel I've ever had. Some chicks on here are pretty cool, though. Gotta say.

The truth is, I need to feel successful again, and maybe - because I KNOW that program _ BFL is the way to go for me.

Sheesh.

Decisiveness is not one of my virtues.

Crazy weekend, this.

Will do Shawn Phillips' ab exercises at the tournie and the best part is NOBODY WILL KNOW.

[MuscleMom23]

I am sure people have told you, the program that works is the one you will stick with ! OH I remember reading about Diane. I love those before and afters.

[stephanie932]

I agree with Kelly...........You want to do the program that you know you will not only enjoy but also the one that you will continually do. Plus the fact of knowing you have a "partner in crime" would be really appealling.