Just two workouts left to go in Stage 7 of NROL4W. I'll finish up just in time to leave or a 15-night cruise to Hawaii on Saturday. Can't wait. In the meantime, here's my eating scheme:
6:30 AM Hard-boiled egg, low-fat cheese stick, 1/2 peach
9:30 AM Peanut Crunch Bar (PN recipe)
12:30 PM Leftovers (see dinner)
3:30 PM Mint Chocolate Shake
6:30 PM Post-Workout Shake
Dinner:
- Pizza
- Baked Chicken Strips, Portobello Pizzas
- Sirloin Meatballs w/Tomato Basil Soup
- Mediterranean Salad with Beef
- Frozen dinner
Dessert:
- Dk chocolate squares (3), raspberry herbal tea
I'm back! Cruising was great. Hawaii was wonderful.
There was actually a very nice gym located at the top of the ship with all the bells and whistles. No excuse not to work out. I did a modified version of the Stage 7. I considered it the second time. I also worked in some intervals.
I caught a cold flying back from California and have been under the weather for a couple of weeks. Well, today I'm feeling much better. Before my pants get any tighter, I better head back over to the gym.
It was my intention to start the program over at Stage 2 but I see no reason not to start back at Stage 1.
I saw a thread about Weight Watchers and NROL4W and ventured over the WW site. I had success losing weight with WW and inches with NROL4W. The combination would be dope.
My Stage1, A workout went well yesterday. I was sweating bullets by the end. I made a note to back off on the weight a bit on the next workout.
Surprise! I saw a foam roller at the gym yesterday. Not sure if it belongs to the gym or what. I have a nice manual on self myofascial something-or-other (foam rolling) that I dug out and started reviewing this morning. In addition to the additional HIIT workouts I'm adding to the program this time, the foam rolling will be a worthwhile!
Read the original NROL over the weekend after reading that someone from the NROL4W forum had "moved on" to that program. Should I be "moving on" too? Well, if anything, I think I've come to the conclusion that I should be tacking my HIIT workouts onto the end of my lifting days instead of heading over to the gym a day between lifting.
Jeff signed on for the Precision Nutrition six-month program which starts next week. He's invited me to tag along.
I've been through all of the foam rolling moves that are listed for use with a roller. I need a tennis ball and a stick in order to be able to complete the rest of the rolling. Conclusion: Everyone raves about it. It feels good to me. I'll stick with it.
Here's my eating scheme for this week:
6:30 A - Cinnamon Raisin Bar
9:30 A - Oatmeal w/protein powder
12:30P - Precision Nutrition, Mellanzana Ricca w/ peppers and tomatoes
3:30 P - Strawberry Banana Smoothie
6:30 P - Post-Gym Shake
- Precision Nutrition, Meatloaf, brown rice, breen beans (couple of times)
- Precision Nutrition, Bran Porridge (couple of times)
- Frozen Dinner
- Precision Nutrition Pre-Bed Snack
I've written Tuesday, December 2, on the calendar as my next official weigh in and measurements day.
We reviewed the Precision Nutrition "ten rules" this weekend as we are preparing for the group coaching to start this weekend. This week will be an orientation to the six-month program with daily e-mails.
Here's my eating scheme for Thanksgiving week. We'll be having turkey and all the fixin's on Thursday ... of course!!!
- 6:30 AM PN Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
- 9:30 AM PN Rancher's Omelet
- 12:30 PM PN Chicken Strips, Waldorf Salad
- 3:30 PM PN Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar, Fruit (pineapple, 1/2 banana, 1/2 apple)
- 6:30 PM Post Workout Shake
- PN Bran Porridge
- PN Peppered Sirloin w/Grilled Onions & Balsamic Syrup, vegetables
- PN Maple Walnut Apple Oatmeal
- Crock pot: turkey roll, waldorf salad
Pre-bed snack: 1/4 c plain yogurt, 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder, 1/2 banana
I finished half of Stage 1 and wanted to compare to my original Stage 1. My biggest disappointment is that I haven't added much weight to my lat pulldowns. Here is my comparison to the original Stage 1.
I added some extra activity to my workouts and will elaborate in a week or two.
Squats THEN NOW
1: 10 12.........80 80 (Too heavy. Bring down the weight.)
2: 12 22 ........55 60
3: 40 40 ........60 60
4: 40 40 ........65 65 Pushups
1: 15 15 ........15 15 (All on floor this time around. )
2: 15 15 ........15 15
3: 12 12 ........12 12
4: 12 12 ........12 12
Cleaned out the kitchen and got rid of all unhealthy (temptations) food this weekend. That included some granulated, brown, and confectioner's sugar (5 lb. in all!), dark corn syrup, and some powdered "milk" for coffee.
I'm joining a few group training and aerobic classes and adding that to my three weekly NROL4W workouts. Classes today include a flex workout and a step session. Thursday I'm going to get back into weekly group water aerobics. That should rev things up a notch. In addition, I'm adding some time onto my HIIT sessions. I've been going 15 minutes for a couple of months. It's time to add either time or intensity. I'll start with the time since the intensity is there.
Here's more comparative data:
........................7/26/08........8/21/08........9/19/08........12/2/08
Weight...............130Lb.... .......131.8Lb.......132Lb.... .........132Lb
Neck..................13"...............12-3/4".......12-1/2"...........12-3/4"
Chest.................38-1/4".........38-3/4".......39"...................39"
Waist.................31"...............31".............31"...................32"
Hips...................37-1/2".........37-1/2"........37"..................38"
R Bicep...............12"...............11-3/4".......12"...................12"
L Bicep...............13"...............11-3/4"...... 11-3/4".............12"
R Forearm............9"................9-1/4"..........8-3/4"............N/A
L Forearm............9"................9-1/4"..........8-3/4"............N/A
R Thigh...............21"...............22-1/2".......20-3/4"............22"
L Thigh...............21"...............21".............21-3/4"............22-1/4"
R Calf.................13-1/4".........13-1/4"........13-1/4"...........13-1/2"
L Calf.................13-1/2".........13-1/4".........13"................13-1/2"
Spent yesterday afternoon doing our usual grocery shopping while doing an assignment for the Precision Nutrition program.
My workout is similar to last week's workout with a couple of tweaks here and there to mirror the workout flow supplied by Precision Nutrition.
Here's my eating scheme for this week:
- 6:30 AM PN Iced Coffee Shake
- 9:30 AM Power Yogurt with Blueberries
- 12:30 PM PN Green Salad with Grilled Chicken, Mixed Nuts
- 3:30 PM PN Peanut Butter Fudge Bar, Fruit Salad- 6:30 PM Post Workout Shake
- PN Orangalicious Oatmeal
- PN Tex Mex Chicken & Rice
- PN Greek Burgers
- Crock pot: Stuffed Green Peppers with brown rice
Pre-bed snack: Sprouted grain bread toast with almond butter
I stopped having hot coffee in the morning, as I am eliminating all drinks with calories. I can't bring myself to have a cup of coffee without milk. I'm sure it's like everything else -- it just takes some getting used to. I've been dragging my rear end around ever since I stopped. We're going on Week 3 or 4 now and it's getting better. I found a solution and that is to incorporate my coffee into a meal. I'm having two coffee smoothies: one for breakfast and a second one about a half-hour before I head to the gym. I'll try the first afternoon one today and let you know how it goes.
Here's my eating scheme for this week:
- 6:30 AM PN Iced Coffee Shake
- 9:30 AM Power Yogurt with Blueberries
- 12:30 PM Egg Salad In Tomato Accordians
- 3:30 PM PN Iced Coffee Shake
6:30 PM Post-Workout Shake
- Roasted Chicken, Green Bean Casserole
- Chicken Sandwich on Sprouted Grain Bread, Salad w/Feta Cheese
- Steak, Amaranth, Brown Rice
- Cheat Meal: Frozen Pizza (Friday night)
- Fish, Vegetable
I stopped having hot coffee in the morning, as I am eliminating all drinks with calories.
isn't a shake a drink with calories?
j/k - a little - but encouraging you to think about why you are making that decision and if coffee with cream would really sink you while shakes are fine ?
Hi Lisa S. My shakes count as meals. They include a protein, oil, and fruits or vegetables. I like to include a greens powder. It's not just a beverage to enjoy as I once did with juice or milk.
Here's hoping everybody gets what they want for Christmas! I did! I finished Stage 1 ... again. Here's how I compared with my last go-round.
Overall, I feel fine and especially glad to finally finish this stage. However, looking over the stats, I feel that I could have hustled a bit more to find the appropriate dumbbells to use that would have shown some gains when I did lunges. I easily could have tried 15 or 20 pounds (upon reflection!) but didn't bother to hunt them down.
I watched "Pumping Iron" this week, starring Arnold Schwartzeneger and other bodybuilders and enjoyed it very much. I walked away with some renewed energy for my workouts and nutrition plan and a couple of tips that I could apply to everyday living as well. If you haven't seen it, or haven't seen it in a while, I recommend that you rent it from your local library. The 25th anniversary edition is available!
I've also added a lot more activity to this second time at NROL4W. I tack on a 20 minute interval training after my workouts and also perform some low intensity workouts on other days.
Here's my eating scheme for Christmas week:
- 6:30 AM PN Iced Coffee Super Shake
- 9:30 AM PN Green Cuisine Frittata
- 12:30 PM Carved Chicken, Pepper Slices, Hummus
- 3:30 PM PN Apple Cinnamon Bars
6:30 PM
- Chicken Sandwich on Sprouted Grain Bread, Salad
- Stir Fry Beef, Lentil Pilaf, Green Beans
- Cheat Meal: Chinese Food, Christmas Eve
Christmas Dinner
- Fish, Vegetable
- PN Sirloin Skewers w/ Sweet Balsamic Cherry Tomatoes
I'm in the early stages of Stage 2. Next official weigh in and measurements to come on Tuesday.
Here's last week's eating scheme:
6:30 AM 1/2 apple, 1 tbs peanut butter, 1/5 c. walnuts
9:30 AM 3 lg. strawberries, 1/2 portion cheddar cheese
12:30 PM 2 - hard boiled eggs, 2 tbs tabouleh
3:30 PM PN - Chocolate Almond Supershake
6:30 PM Post Workout Shake
- PN - Dr. John's Chili
- Chicken Cacciatore, corn, green salad
- Oatmeal
- Fish Sticks, tabouleh, brown rice
- PN Texas Thin Crust Pizza
Dessert:
- PN Bed-time Snack (1/4 c. cottage cheese, 1 scoop protein powder, 1 tbs pb)
- PN Cinnamon Raisin Bar
Here's some history:
........................7/26/08........8/21/08........9/19/08........12/2/08........1/13/09
Weight...............130Lb.... .......131.8Lb.......132Lb.... .........132Lb.........130.0
Neck..................13"...............12-3/4".......12-1/2"...........12-3/4"..........N/A
Chest.................38-1/4".........38-3/4".......39"...................39"..............39-1/4"
Waist.................31"...............31".............31"...................32"..............31
Hips...................37-1/2".........37-1/2"........37"..................38"...............37-1/4"
R Bicep...............12"...............11-3/4".......12"...................12"..............11-3/4"
L Bicep...............13"...............11-3/4"...... 11-3/4".............12"...............11-1/2"
R Forearm............9"................9-1/4"..........8-3/4"............N/A............... .8-1/2"
L Forearm............9"................9-1/4"..........8-3/4"............N/A............... .8-1/2"
R Thigh...............21"...............22-1/2".......20-3/4"............22"................21-1/4"
L Thigh...............21"...............21".............21-3/4"............22-1/4"..........21-1/4"
R Calf.................13-1/4".........13-1/4"........13-1/4"...........13-1/2".............13"
L Calf.................13-1/2".........13-1/4".........13"................13-1/2".............13"
I'm pleased that I was able to drop a pound (or two!) this past month. I'm making an effort to cut my portions and have enough nutrition to keep me going.
My weekly workout varies from week to week but the plan consists of three hours of strength training, 45-60 minutes of HIIT, 60-120 min. low intensity conditioning.
I had a physical a couple of days before the new year and was thrilled to find that I seem to be a perfect specimen (haha!). I have dropped my cholesterol by more than 40 points in the last many years. Everything else checked out fine too.
I celebrated another b-day yesterday. It's nice to have it in January and get it over with.
I'm in the middle of Stage 2 of the NROL4W program.
Here's what I've been eating this week:
6:30 AM Eggwhite omelet with veggies and Canadian bacon
9:30 AM Ham and cheese rollup, fruit or
ham and cheese rollup, hardboiled egg, tabouleh
12:30 PM Falafel and salad in pita
3:30 PM Banana Cream Supershake
6:30 PM Post workout shake
- Oatmeal with blueberries
- Boca burger in tortilla, Mediterranean salad
- PN Dr. John's Chili
- Grilled Shrimp Skewers w/Romesco sause, Greek chopped salad
I love January. I've been working hard and playing hard. I'm still tagging along on my husband's group coaching sessions from Precision Nutrition. It's a lot of fun and I feel that it is a growing experience on several levels. I've chosen to stick to the NROL4W for my strength training and I'm just about to wrap up Stage 3.
I'm feeling the benefits of the weekly yoga sessions and am finally starting to limber up. I was feeling like a bull in a china shop. And flexibility used to be my strong suit. So, I'm back! And a couple of the moves are especially beneficial to stretching and soothing my back.
A Saturday play date is planned. A small group of us are heading to the coast (east coast, baby!) to trudge up and down some sand dunes. Should be a great workout considering the sand and snow involved.
Here's this week's eating scheme:
6:30 AM (PN) Apple Cinnamon Bars
9:30 AM (PN) Green Cuisine Fritatta
12:30 PM Chicken Salad Wrap
3:30 PM Mocha Cream Supershake
6:30 PM Post-Workout Smoothie
- Oatmeal
- Pot Roast of Beef w/potatoes, carrots, onions
- BBQ chicken, salad, corn
- Scrambled Eggs, ham steak
- (PN) Dr. John's Chili
Keep up the good work. Thanks for checking me out.
Moving to NROL, or another program will probably be beneficial when you complete this round of NROLFW - extra variation = extra stimulus = extra adaptation.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
Hi Tom. Thanks for your suggestion. And, I agree. Twice around is more than enough with this plan. I took a long break before starting up the second time. I've read NROL at least a million times and wanted to start in November but also wanted to see if I could improve on what I had already done in NROL4W.
Our group enjoyed a beautiful day at the beach on Saturday hiking in the dunes and along the beach. It was frosty cool. Wonderful sunshine. White, white snow and blue, blue sky. The trek was exhilarating but exhausting.
This Saturday we are taking in a beginner's Spin class in the morning followed by a beneficial couples massage in the afternoon. I enjoy the couples massage and send loving thoughts to my husband nearby.
I finished Stage 2 of NROL4W and have decided to take a short break to sooth the trigger points in my lower back. The yoga class I took Monday night didn't help the situation. I felt like an old lady hobbling out of the gym. I have a foam roller, a tennis ball, and a Stick. It is time to really make these part of the everyday routine.
Scale is still holding at 130. I can't complain about that. I'm eating very good food and decent portions. Here's my eating scheme for this week:
6:30 AM (PN) Peaches and Cream Omelet
9:30 AM (PN) Peanut Crunch Bar (usually with fruit)
12:30 PM (PN) Healthy Chicken Caesar w/Caesar Vinegarette
3:30 PM Billy Shake (oatmeal, oat bran, banana, skim milk, greens plus, blueberries)
6:30 PM Magic Meatloaf (crockpot meal with potatoes)
- Ham and turkey on sprouted grain, apple slices, small pc. Muenster cheese
- (PN) Turkey sausage and yam hash browns
- (PN) Tomato Salmon Scramble
Here's some history and today's measurements:
........................7/26/08...8/21/08...9/19/08...12/2/08...1/13/092/3/09
Weight...............130Lb.... 131.8Lb....132Lb.... .132Lb......130.0....128.8 lb
Neck..................13".........12-3/4"....12-1/2"....12-3/4"....N/A.......12-1/4"
Chest.................38-1/4"....38-3/4".....39"..........39"........39-1/4".....39"
Waist.................31".......... 31"..........31"..........32"........31............31"
Hips...................37-1/2".....37-1/2"....37".........38"........37-1/4"....37-1/2"
R Bicep...............12"...........11-3/4"....12".........12"........11-3/4"....11-3/4"
L Bicep...............13"...........11-3/4"....11-3/4"....12"........11-1/2". ..11-3/4"
R Forearm............9".............9-1/4"......8-3/4"....N/A.........8-1/2".....8-3/4"
L Forearm............9".............9-1/4"......8-3/4"....N/A.........8-1/2".....8-3/4"
R Thigh...............21"............22-1/2"...20-3/4"....22".........21-1/4"....21"
L Thigh...............21".............21"........21-3/4"....22-1/4"...21-1/4".....21-1/2"
R Calf.................13-1/4"......13-1/4"...13-1/4".....13-1/2"...13"..........13-1/4"
L Calf.................13-1/2"......13-1/4"....13"..........13-1/2"...13"...........13
I've been on a break from the gym since last Monday night stretching my poor piriformis muscle ... the one that is deep in the gluteal area. It's been a real pain in the a$$. I had a massage on Saturday and asked the masseur to give some attention to the target points in my lower back. It was a great massage but didn't address the piriformis muscle. Since she is adept at a Swedish massage and not a trigger points/deep tissue massage, I won't hold it against her. In fact, I made another appointment for the end of the month. According to most references, women tend to get piriformis syndrome about six times more than men. This isn't my first time and I completely blame my poor stretching habits. I didn't make any new year's resolutions this year but one change that MUST take place is that I spend an appropriate amount of time stretching my hard-working muscles.
I finished Stage 2 last week. I'll post my results soon.
I've been lacking energy which I blame on my reduced intake of carbs and my morning coffee with cream. I'm still living without the coffee but have decided to allow additional carbs during the day. I feel peppier just at the thought!
I'm happy that the scale was down a couple of pounds since last month. We're inviting some friends over this weekend for some healthy pizza and wine.
Here's my eating scheme for this week:
6:30 AM Mocha Supershake
9:30 AM Egg Bowl, strawberries
12:30 PM Green Salad with shredded carrots and steak
3:30 PM Cottage cheese, peaches, pecans
6:30 PM Meatloaf, potatoes
- Ham and turkey sandwich on sprouted grain bread, salad
- Veggie burger, vegetarian beans, salad
- (PN) Turkey sausage and yam hash browns
- Scrambled eggs, ham steak
- Oatmeal
I have piriformus issues too - the figure-4 stretch works better for me than the pigeon stretch - especially if I use a band to pull on the leg or can con someone into pushing the foot for me and then tilting away from the hip being stretched. Julie says you can use a lacrosse ball to get in deep if you think you have a trigger point in there.
O.K. I don't know about you but I was pretty disappointed to read in the Jan-Feb'09 issue of "Cooking Light":
" ... A woman who strength-trains three times a week for six months can build enough muscle to burn between 10 and 32 extra calories each day, according to Robert Wolfe, PhD, professor of geriatrics at the University of Arkansas. "
Between 10 and 32 calories??? Why did I think it would be about three times that amount???
It seems debatable how many calories a pound of muscle burns each day, but 35-50 calories a day is the number I see most often quoted. Given that, I assume this guy is predicting a gain of less than 1/2 pound of muscle in that 6 month period.
I've been stretching, massaging, and icing the piriformus. Today I've got the tennis ball out and vow to stretch and massage once an hour. I'm feeling better. Question for anyone suffering from the piriformus syndrome: Do you workout during the pain? If so, what kind of workout? Light to moderate work?
Rushing home after work to watch "King of Queens" is not my idea of Shangri La.
It seems debatable how many calories a pound of muscle burns each day, but 35-50 calories a day is the number I see most often quoted. Given that, I assume this guy is predicting a gain of less than 1/2 pound of muscle in that 6 month period.
I have read in several places, that a woman who has been lifiting a while shouldn't expect to gain more than around 0.5 pounds of muscle a month ie around 6 pounds in a year if she is lifting heavy 3 times a week. I wll try and find a link.
I returned to the gym yesterday to start Stage 3. Some of the moves were uncomfortable but after all that, I feel O.K. today. I'm preparing a program of soft tissue work and new stretches to add to my training plan. I'll be back asap to post my Stage 2 results and this week's menu/strategies.
I should have posted these "Stage 2, Part Deux" results a while ago.
I'm seeing a pattern with the piriformus syndrome. It sneaks up on me about every three months. Knowing that, I will make an effort to keep the muscle relaxed and stretched.
I'll also keep an eye on my sagging motivation. To be honest, I'm less than thrilled with repeating the NROL4W plan now that I've started again. It's as good a plan as any. I've given some thought to hiring a trainer to motivate me. It's still only a thought.
I can come up with all of the (boo hoo) excuses in the world to explain why I didn't feel focused or motivated during the month of January. The good news is that I trained regularly.
The bad news is that I thought it would be a great idea to add more HIIT and low-intensity conditioning to the original NROL4W program without taking additional time to care for my aching muscles with more soft tissue work and warm-ups. When I feel better, I'll pick up where I had to leave off. Bottom line for me is that I enjoy going to the gym four or five times a week.
Next weigh-in date: Feb. 27
Here are my latest Stage 2 results compared with the Stage 2 that I completed in June'08:
I forgot to pack my sneakers in my gym bag. D-oh! I zipped home, retrieved the shoes, and headed over to the gym that is closer to my home. I usually work out at the one that is close to my office. That was a nice experience. New people, equipment. It's fun to change things up like that. My gym has five nearby locations for one membership.
I'm having a planned fasting day tomorrow. It's hard to even type those words without my mind scattering in a million different directions wondering how I am going to fill the time without food. Isn't that strange?
Here's what I've been eating this week:
6:30 AM (PN) Nuts & Flax Shake
9:30 AM Boiled Egg, 1 TBS. Taboule
12:30 PM Low-Fat Cottage Cheese w/Pineapple and cut fruit, PB wrap
3:30 PM Fat-Free Yogurt, chocolate protein powder, 1/2 sliced banana
or 1 banana
6:30 PM Post-workout shake
- Shepards Pie
- Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken and Coleslaw
- Cantonese Dinner
- Oatmeal
- Veggie Burger
Dessert: Breakfast Apple Cobbler
Someone brought in their leftover Valentine's Day candy. It's calling me. Better today than tomorrow!
My strategy for fasting is to begin tonight at 7 PM and fast until 7 PM tomorrow night.
We watched "Super Size Me" last night. That's the documentary about the guy who, after learning that McDonalds won a legal case against two 13-year old girls, agreed to eat all of his meals at McDonalds for a month. Check it out to see how America rolls!
I ordered a lumbar roll, Robin McKenzie's "Treat Your Own Back", and a foam roller manual for core strengthening, stretching and deep muscle massage. It's time to make lower back pain history!
Yes, it's an interesting movie, but the starting point is a bit suspect... Starting with a vegetarian who has his food prepared by a gourmet vegetarian chef suddenly going to an all-McDonald's diet is definitely going to have some kind of reaction I should think. Not that this totally undermines the movie's intent - I think it makes the outcome a bit more pronounced than it otherwise would be.
__________________
Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
I think the biggest issue was that anyone eating an excess of calories will gain weight. I seem to remember at the time there was someone else who did the same kind of thing, just making better choices (all at McD's), and didn't stop exercising. I think he lost weight. Having said that, I do tend to stay away from fast food. Too expensive, not that good, so definitely not worth it.
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