Thanks gals. I am definitely getting better at saying no. The dishes won't be that bad....I know lots of people that don't have a dishwasher. I lived without one in college and got by - although I hardly cooked at the time.
Anne, the wine was great. I ended up having two glasses. I have had a crazy week dealing with some craziness with my in laws so it definitely hit the spot Have fun with your classmates and beers today.
Well, I am officially sore today. I had read the thread on NROL about the bulgarian split squat with OH press, so I knew what was coming, but it was tough! THis workout owned me.
NROL Fat Loss II, B1
Superset:
Snatch grip deadlift: (the last set ended up more regular grip)
w/u 10 x 65
12 x 115
12 x 115
12 x 115 - once again, I added wrong - I had intended on starting with 105! oh well.
T-push up
12 x BW
12 x BW
12 x BW - this last set was just regular push up
Superset:
Bulgarian Split Squat w/O.H. press
12 x 10's
12 x 10's
12 x 10's - WOW
Underhand grip lat pulldown:
12 x 70
12 x 70
12 x 70 - this is too easy, more next time
Superset:
RDL w/ bent over row:
12 x 50
12 x 50
12 x 50 - at first this was wayyyy too easy, but at the end it was challenging
lower body Russian twist:
12 x BW
12 x BW
12 x BW
Intervals: 6x 1 min hard, 1 min easy on bike. I had planned on doing 8, but I was so dead after the lifting!
Side note about gym: last night they had a "Halloween party" with vendor booths and food. The most ironic thing was that the food they had was a catering place making RUEBENS. Okay, can you think of a worse smell when you are working out then sauerkraut? I can't. Vomit. I did not partake.
Went to my friends house - she made us peanut noodles. Yum! I had a small bowl and two glasses of wine. It was great to catch up with her, and I have no idea how many calories the dish had, but my poriton was small so I am pretty sure I was at maintenance if not under. Macros were probably off because of the noodles.
I am giddy today because I am going to my brothers first college hockey game!
And I am trying to stay positive because my IN-LAWS are coming this weekend also. Tonight I have to clean the house when I get home because they are staying with us tomorrow. We will be responsible for dinner for them, us, and my brother in law and his family. I am enjoying cooking more these days and wanted to make something fun, but they are so picky and never try anything new. So we are probbaly just going to grill burgers and brats. Sigh. But! I am going to make a healthy dessert and some healthy sides. They will have no idea its good for them!
Side note about gym: last night they had a "Halloween party" with vendor booths and food. The most ironic thing was that the food they had was a catering place making RUEBENS. Okay, can you think of a worse smell when you are working out then sauerkraut? I can't. Vomit. I did not partake.
Nice workout though, and great idea to "trick" the in-laws into eating healthier food
And I am trying to stay positive because my IN-LAWS are coming this weekend also. Tonight I have to clean the house when I get home because they are staying with us tomorrow. We will be responsible for dinner for them, us, and my brother in law and his family. I am enjoying cooking more these days and wanted to make something fun, but they are so picky and never try anything new. So we are probbaly just going to grill burgers and brats. Sigh. But! I am going to make a healthy dessert and some healthy sides. They will have no idea its good for them!
I had too much beer this afternoon, but that's another story.
My mother and I were talking about that just the other day. How some people are pretty game to try different things and others really don't want anything new. Good luck with your house guests tomorrow.
Hey Bree, finally catching up on your log...you are getting super strong! Your NROL workouts are really impressive! And you are really analyzing where you are as well as letting your goals dictate your food, instead of letting the food dictate your life. Great job and hope the weekend with the inlaws goes well.
Nice workout though, and great idea to "trick" the in-laws into eating healthier food
Quote:
Originally Posted by realcdn
I had too much beer this afternoon, but that's another story.
My mother and I were talking about that just the other day. How some people are pretty game to try different things and others really don't want anything new. Good luck with your house guests tomorrow.
They loved my sweet potato fries! I kind of wanted to say..."see I told ya so!" I didn't end up making my healthy brownies, but next time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Celestialmom
Hey Bree, finally catching up on your log...you are getting super strong! Your NROL workouts are really impressive! And you are really analyzing where you are as well as letting your goals dictate your food, instead of letting the food dictate your life. Great job and hope the weekend with the inlaws goes well.
Thanks Celeste! Some days I feel stronger then others. One of the cool things about going to the gym now is seeing what others are doing and when I am lifting as much as some of the dudes, it feels cool. I have my good days and bad days with food. Yesterday was not a great day - I had trouble keeping my hands out of the candy dish! I can't remember if I mentioned this, but I have maintained my current weight now for a month. I would like to see a drop this next month so I might try to step it up a little on the deficit. Not sure yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by foodfromafar
Bree, I just wanted to say that following your NROL workouts makes me glad I went ahead and got the book!
Hey Pauline! I really like it so far. Fat Loss II has definitely challenged me so far! I have been sore in different places for over a week now.
So the weekend went good. I got so much NEAT in - probably more then I ever have! Friday I spent 3 hours cleaning, then Saturday I lifted, did more cleaning, and started cooking. Sunday I went on a two hour walk with a friend (it was gorgeous here!) and a half hour walk later with my husband. Lots of activity - it felt great.
Here is Saturdays workout, which didn't go so hot because I don't think I ate enough the night before....I felt very tired. Oh and this was at home, so some things were subbed:
NROL Fat Loss II, A2
Superset:
Front Squat
12 x 65 warm up - ouch - need more practice, switched to db's
12 x 20 ea db
12 x 20 ea db - wimpy!
Wide grip cable row, subbed bent over db row:
12 x 20 ea
12 x 20 ea
12 x 20 ea
Superset:
Supine Hip ext.
12 x BW
12 x BW
12 x BW
Barbell Push Press, subbed db's:
12 x 20 ea
12 x 20 ea
12 x 20 ea
Superset:
Dynamic Lunge
12 x 25's
12 x 25's
12 x 25's
Lower body russian twist
15 x 15
15 x 15
15 x 15
Okay so compared to last time I totally wimped out on this workout! I was so exhausted afterward too. Must have been the empty stomach. At least I hope!
Tonight I have my free session with the trainer at the new gym. Should be interesting! I am so curious what we will do. Usually Monday's are cardio days, so I will probably have to add some to the end of the workout.
Wow. The trainer was interesting to say the least. Here are a few things she told me:
1. A female my age (26) should have a body fat % of 16-18%.
2. Muscles take up to one week to repair/recover from lifting
3. because they take one week, you should only do a split routine that works each group once a week i.e. legs and core/ shoulders, chest, and tris/ back and biceps
4. "Circuit" style training is bad and you will never build that muscle unless you rest it for seven days.
5. Since I work out so much I can eat whatever I want because she had a female client that started working out with her recently and "is always starving and can't seem to eat enough"
6. I should aim to put on 10 pounds of muscle because one pound of muscle at rest burns 10 calories. It will take me 10-15 months to put on 10 pounds do this as a female.
After we talked for a while we did a legs and core workout that consisted of:
1. 3 sets supersetted of leg extension and BW lunges w/knee up
2. 3 sets supersetted SMITH MACHINE squats and planks, different varieties each set
3. 3 sets supersetted BW step ups and wall sits
4. 3 sets of two types of medicine ball crunches
Hard? Not really. Was I sweating? Yes. My legs were tired but they aren't sore today. After this I did 20 minutes running/walking on the treadmill on my own.
So here is my take:
Even if I could afford it right now, I don't think I would work with her. After talking about my eating habits and how I am counting calories she suggested that maybe I need to ease up on it because again, I am working out so I can eat whatever I want. I so badly wanted to say I tried that sister! Didn't go so well. And she actually brought up disordered eating. I am so far from that it was comical. I understand her message of eating to fuel your workouts so its not like what she was saying was so far off, but the fact that she used the once size fits all statement about eating was a red flag.
Also, their method of body fat testing is the omron hand held. They don't do caliper testing which is lame if you ask me. I got 21% on the Omron, but according to her, need to get down about 4 more %. I agree - but I do not agree that a female my age "should" be between 16-18%. I was not thrilled with the omron results, but its not far off from what my tanita scale at home tells me, so I still want to get calipers done just to compare. I guess what this tells me is I have some body fat to lose - which I already knew.
I am in no way an expert so i didn't feel I should challenge her with what I thought was right. I don't want to be a know it all! And she is a trainer and way more qualified then me, so who am I to say that she isn't right.
I knew I would hear things I didn't agree with, but it was more then I thought. What I am doing is working for me right now and I don't feel the need to change it. Maybe someday down the road I will do a split style routine who knows.
Right now my main goal is to burn fat. Everything I have heard and read is that eating in a deficit with the right foods, and the type of training I am currently doing with NROL will help me achieve fat loss. So far this has worked for me and I feel that I am still making progress. Slow, but steady and I am going to continue to do this until my progress stalls.
I can't help but think that the motivation behind most of the things she told me was to convince me to work with her and for the gym to sell sessions.
And she is a trainer and way more qualified then me, so who am I to say that she isn't right.
Who is to say that JUST because she is a trainer that she knows more than you? Obviously, she doesn't .
I hate one-size-fits-all trainers, I hate people who take a piece of information and run with it when they have NO understanding of the bigger picture and how that one little piece fits into a balanced whole-body exercise and nutrition program.
Ugh.
Run away from her (you already figured that out anyway).
I have seen dozens (hundreds) of trainers, and some are amazing and some... are just plain embarrassing to watch.
Even doctors can be idiots, right? Takes a LOT less to become a trainer than a doctor. Some gyms and credentialing bodies have higher standards, but... you can get a cert on the internet and some gyms even accept that, ya know?
Did she even ask you what YOUR goals are and what has or hasn't worked for you in the past?!?!?
Um...wow. You are wise to say that what you're doing is working and you ARE well-educated fitness and nutrition-wise, so the red flags were right on. Amazing some of the things that come out of "professionals'" mouths.
Wow. Those are some huge red flags! Bytsi had a great question...did she ask you what your goals were?
I see so many trainers putting women on the smith machine for squats. I cringe everytime. And try not to overhear the rest of what's being said.
I am glad you guys agree - not that I questioned you wouldn't
She did ask me what my goals were. I said to lose body fat and increase strength. She asked me what my goal weight was, and I said I don't know what weight I want to be, just a look I want and lower body fat. She was happy with my answer on that one.
And yes the smith machine was strange! I felt like I was going to fall over. I just went along with it...didn't want to be a pest, but it felt so unnatural. I also see trainers there using that almost exclusively with clients. I haven't been there that long, but when I am in the weight room I don't know if I have seen a trainer training someone on free weights yet? I will have to pay closer attention.
Here is the thing....I kind of knew the gym would be like this going into it. Large corporate place that wants my money. I am okay with that because I am doin' my own thing and not looking for a trainer right now. If I was, I would be looking elsewhere. It has the equipment I need and I am left alone for the most part - that's all I want.
Oh and I am so giddy right now because I just got back from voting! Yay! I am so excited to be part of it this year. I didn't have to wait in line at all. Just walked right in. I was the 486th ballot into the machine at my polling place. It was cool - like Christine, there was a couple next to me who had never voted before and they were so excited. They were obviously new residents here because their English was pretty shaky - but I really enjoyed their enthusiasm. Stuff like that reminds me not to take our freedoms for granted. I don't know where they were from, but its possible they had never voted in their life before or had not ever been able to.
I agree on the red flags as well. As Bytsi says, I've seen doctors give women stupid suggestions as well. Any time you seem to be getting a 'general' response or an absolute should cause the 'warning' light to flash.
Hey Bree! I just caught up on your log after being too busy for TOO long, and I laughed at your assessments of FL2 - I just wrote the same thing! OMG those bulg ss press up's or whatever KILLED ME! With little10 lb weights, too - I didn't see what you used, but I am sure it was more! Anyway, it feels good to do something new and have those new sore feelings again...The lower body russian twists were a little awkward...Have to review the pics on those again...I get it, it just feels wrong, and like it might hurt my back (if not done correctly, which is a pretty good likelihood with me!).
Anyway, I am motivated by your attention to detail with all of your tracking, and followed the Living Well 360 degrees and am grabbing some recipes from there right now! I need more stuff that both DH and I can eat and enjoy, preferably that can be prepared quickly or in advance! I may try your spaghetti squash concoction!
Sorry to hear about the cold temps - I can recall it well...Its colder and starting to rain more here, so that is almost MORE depressing than snow...Just the constant wet feeling! Sigh...I'm sure I'd find something to complain about in AZ or somewhere dry as well!
We'll be home for Thanksgiving and I am buying the whole kit and kaboodle meal from Lunds - we fly in Wed night and will pick it up on the way home from the airport! Not the best Thanksgiving, but, reality when you fly in that night...
Glad to hear you are enjoying your new gym! Sounds like you are really doing well even though you may be frustrated at the plateau...!
Karla
__________________
"The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender."
Hi, Bree! I was a little disappointed when my gym used the Omron for bf testing, too. I was really hoping that someone skilled with calipers would be lurking just ready to practice on me!
Anne - I agree. I do think it is perfectly find to question these professionals reasons. I even wonder about my doctor sometimes.
Hi Karla! Thanks for stopping by. Sounds like you have been busy. I love Lunds and Byerly's. I don't get to either that often anymore since Cub and Super Target are only blocks away. I wish I could shop at Byerly's exclusively though - same with Whole Foods I guess It has been unusually warm here the last 4 days - in the 70's. Its about to change soon though! Snow and cold in the forecast.
Pauline - Yes it was dissapointing. I really was hoping to get another reading. Oh well. I am going to do some more research into the bod pod in this area. I am even getting brave enough to consider sending in pics to Leigh! I would love to hear what she has to say about me.
Last night's workout was a little modified because I forgot my notebook:
NROL Fat Loss II, B2
Superset:
Snatch grip deadlift: (this was regualr - forgot about the snatch grip part!)
w/u 12 x 45
12 x 95
12 x 115
12 x 115
T-push up
12 x BW
12 x BW
12 x BW - this last set was just regular push up
Superset:
Bulgarian Split Squat w/O.H. press (ummm forgot about the OH press)
12 x 25's
12 x 30's
12 x 30's
Underhand grip lat pulldown:
12 x 85
12 x 85
12 x 85
Superset:
RDL w/ bent over row:
12 x 50
12 x 50
12 x 50
lower body Russian twist:
12 x BW
12 x BW
12 x BW
Intervals: Bike, 6x 1 min. hard, 1 min. easy with warm up and cool down
I was SWEATY after this. It was hot at the gym probably because it was in the 70's outside.
And most importantly - the election! I was glued to the Teevee. A big Senate race here is so close still they have to do a recount.
I am not going to lie, I had some red wine while watching.
And some damn candy. Serioulsy - I thought i had taken all of it to work, but apparently my husband still had a bag of peanut m&m's. I have such a hard time passing on them. No more after today! I was still in my deficit, but still. What a waste.
Felt great! Just got done as it was getting dark out. It was in the 60's so I really wanted to run outside.
Interesting fact: Today is the first day I have been famished all day long. I woke up hungry, was hungry before lunch, and am now listening to my tummy rumble. Not sure what is up with that. I have been working pretty hard and last nights workout was no exception.
Just wanted to share another success in the kitchen: (using PB2!)
Chicken Thai Pizza - about 1250 cals total
1 Joseph's Lavash Bread (these are so versitile! I use them for wraps, sandwiches etc. The pitas from Joseph's are really good too.)
TJ's light shredded cheese about 140g (could have used less, next time)
1 Red Bell Pepper
broccoli, chopped about 100g
green onion
chicken breast - cooked
2 tbsp olive oil - for the chicken and brusehd on the "crust"
Sauce:
5 tablespoons PB2 - with water added to make it the right consistency
red wine vinegar
reduced sodium soy sauce
1 clove garlic
(most recipes I found call for ginger also, but I didn't have any)
Brush olive oil on bread, pour sauce over crust, throw on your toppings (pepper, broc. chicken, onion) then top with cheese, sprinkle with a little sesame seed
Baked it for about 12-15 minutes until the cheese melted and the crust as a little crispy
DH loved it! I haven't totalled the marcors yet, but I think they are good. I ate about 1/3 of it, so I figured about 400 cals or so. The lavash bread worked perfect for a crust. I am going to try it again with other toppings sometime.
That chicken sounds delicious! I've been using pitas for pizza crust lately. It works out really well, although cheese-substitutes aren't quite as good as the real thing.
Celeste - I'm not really srue what lavash bread is either...all I know is that I like it! These have the consistency and taste of a Flat Out wrap if you are familiar with those. Not quite as soft though. Next time I will probably try using Pita's for the crust as Christine mentioned.
Tonight we babysat my 3 year old nephew...I am tired! He is such a boy...into everything and doesn't sit still for a minute. I got a workout in before he came over:
NROL Fat Loss II, A3
Superset:
Front Squat
12 x 45 warm up - getting the hang of it
12 x 65
12 x 65 - I did 12 because I could - just getting used to the front squat
Wide grip cable row:
12 x 65
12 x 65
12 x 65 - again did 12 because I am not quite ready to move up to the next setting
Superset:
Supine Hip ext.
10 x BW
10 x BW
10 x BW
Barbell Push Press, subbed db's:
10 x 55
10 x 55
10 x 55
Superset:
Dynamic Lunge
10 x 30's
10 x 30's
10 x 30's - these get me every time! talk about high heart rate
Lower body russian twist
10 x BW
10 x BW
10 x BW
Intervals:
treadmill: 5x, 1 min @ 7.5mph, 1 min @ 5 mph with warm up and cool down
treadmill this time, was short on time so only did 5 - these honestly felt great! I could have done 4 more seriously. Save for the strange lady that was staring at me the whole time.
Today's workout felt great. I had tons of energy and could have done more intervals if I had the time.
Interesting note: I have been weighing myself everyday this week - usually I don't, but I have been staying at my recent low each day which is strange because usually I flucuate daily. I keep stepping on hoping to see a new low! And when I mean the same, I mean down to the tenth of a pound same. Hopefully next week I haven't been this consistent evar, so its a positive....at least I hope so!
Oh and another fun gym story: While I was doing my lunges, two guys were nearby at the squat rack talking about how much weight they should do. One guy says to the other, "well I did x amount on leg extension, so it should be the same here." The other guy agreed, looked around and then said - hey they have a smith machine! We should use that next time.
Sigh. But, like my husband says, at least they are there...working out, while most people aren't doing s**t.
The pitas work great! And, they're more of a single serving size, which is perfect because BF and I can never agree on what we want on them (he tends to stay clear of the veggies and I love them). So, we can have whatever we want.
Ugh on the gym story. I guess, yeah, they're working out instead of doing nothing, but still, the smith machine?
Oh and another fun gym story: While I was doing my lunges, two guys were nearby at the squat rack talking about how much weight they should do. One guy says to the other, "well I did x amount on leg extension, so it should be the same here." The other guy agreed, looked around and then said - hey they have a smith machine! We should use that next time.
Sigh. But, like my husband says, at least they are there...working out, while most people aren't doing s**t.
Better than nothing... I guess... but sometimes I just shake my head (ok, actually I OFTEN shake my head). There's SO much knowledge and info SO easily available out there - why don't they even TRY to learn???
Yup - I ordered it online through the company a few months back. I usually just put it in my protein shakes, but found this to be an acceptable peanut butter substitute especially since consistency didn't matter.
Quote:
Originally Posted by beach_plums
The pitas work great! And, they're more of a single serving size, which is perfect because BF and I can never agree on what we want on them (he tends to stay clear of the veggies and I love them). So, we can have whatever we want.
Ugh on the gym story. I guess, yeah, they're working out instead of doing nothing, but still, the smith machine?
Yes I am going to try the pitas next time - then we can each have our own toppings!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bytsi
Better than nothing... I guess... but sometimes I just shake my head (ok, actually I OFTEN shake my head). There's SO much knowledge and info SO easily available out there - why don't they even TRY to learn???
I know! I love learning about all this stuff. I have a few books, but most of everything I have learned has been through this site and various blogs. I guess I always want to learn as much as possible about the things I do - no matter what.
This morning I got a great workout in:
NROL Fat Loss II, B3
Superset:
Snatch grip deadlift:
w/u 10 x 55
10 x 105
10 x 105
10 x 105 - Oh I guess i wimped out - last time I did 115! Oh well.
T-push up
10 x BW
10 x BW
10 x BW
Superset:
Bulgarian Split Squat w/O.H. press
10 x 10's
10 x 10's
10 x 10's - I want to do more then 10's, but the last set is killer! Arms burning.
Chin Ups:
2,2 x BW - these were all a mix of chins and negatives
2,2 x BW
2,2 x BW - I could tell I haven't been doing these for a couple weeks. Need to keep working on them!
Superset:
RDL w/ bent over row:
10 x 55
10 x 55
10 x 55 - ughhh. I can do more on RDL, but the row still gives me trouble.
lower body Russian twist:
12 x BW
12 x BW
12 x BW
Just got done cleaning the entire house for 2 hours. DH is at grad school all day today and tomorrow, so I am just trying to get stuff done and do some shopping I need some new workout gear and I saw a commercial that Linen's and Things is having a going out of business sale so I might check that out.
Today: Treadmill run. 35 minutes. It wasn't as painful today....but there is a lot of winter ahead still. I felt great. Running is getting really easy again. Hoping I am just getting into better shape in general.
I made the mistake yesterday of making brownies to cheer up my husband who had been at grad school all weekend. I made them "healthy" by using canned pumpkin intstead of eggs and oil. (it was just a boxed mix) Still....using the pumpkin does not give one permission to eat many many brownies no matter how small they are. I only had one 1" square today, but they need to go. I thought I could resist. Not so much! Daily calories were on though.
Another strange/amazing thing is that my weight has stayed the EXACT same each day for over a week now. I can't remember the last time that happened. Probably never. It is very strange....I keep waiting for it to go up or down. Preferably down.
This week I am taking two friends to check out the gym with me. One goes to another gym and the other doesn't go anywhere yet. One wants to take a class on Wednesday - I know! A class! I can't wait to see what kind of tomfoolery I got myself into. We took a cardio-kickboxing class last year which was fun so I am hoping this one will be similar and not too dancey or lame that I barely break a sweat. I don't need to be wasting my time people.
Also, my enthusiasm for more NEAT in the form of doing dishes by hand is waning. I want my dishwasher back. Woe is me, right? ha ha
Bree, you brought a smile to my lips with your post! Yes, it's amazing how even healthy brownies will pack on the pounds! I've been the exact same weight for 3 days and it really is odd to be dead on. I've toyed around with the idea of taking a class at the gym, but I just don't have the time as yet. That may change if my husband's raise is enough to enable me to come home again! I do love my job, though, but it would be until January at the absolute earliest.
Celeste - I'm not really srue what lavash bread is either...all I know is that I like it! These have the consistency and taste of a Flat Out wrap if you are familiar with those. Not quite as soft though. Next time I will probably try using Pita's for the crust as Christine mentioned.
Intervals:
treadmill: 5x, 1 min @ 7.5mph, 1 min @ 5 mph with warm up and cool down
treadmill this time, was short on time so only did 5 - these honestly felt great! I could have done 4 more seriously. Save for the strange lady that was staring at me the whole time.
Today's workout felt great. I had tons of energy and could have done more intervals if I had the time.
Interesting note: I have been weighing myself everyday this week - usually I don't, but I have been staying at my recent low each day which is strange because usually I flucuate daily. I keep stepping on hoping to see a new low! And when I mean the same, I mean down to the tenth of a pound same. Hopefully next week I haven't been this consistent evar, so its a positive....at least I hope so!
Oh and another fun gym story: While I was doing my lunges, two guys were nearby at the squat rack talking about how much weight they should do. One guy says to the other, "well I did x amount on leg extension, so it should be the same here." The other guy agreed, looked around and then said - hey they have a smith machine! We should use that next time.
Sigh. But, like my husband says, at least they are there...working out, while most people aren't doing s**t.
Well, I haven't seen Flat-Out wraps in my store either, but I think I get the idea.
As for the intervals, I get weird looks also. I think lots of people haven't ever heard of them and they just think you're trying to go fast but can't keep it up!
Also--that darn Smith Machine! Do you know how many people have advised me to use it when they see me doing squats or anything that could be done using the smith machine?! It's really annoying--then my response is to gently tell them what I have read about it that makes me decide not to use it...without seeming snotty or condescending!
Have fun with your classmates and beers today.
.
Linear Mode
