just a quick note to say I'm still around. My parents decided to surprise me with a visit for Dad's 70th birthday, so it was a few days of inconsistent/unpredictable food and slow cold walks outside with the old people. It was nice, but now they are home.
I did get in a real workout just now, and tomorrow I'll start up OPT again for the last 7 day stretch.
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
My mom isn't that old, but she seems to have only one pace for walking. She walks a lot, but when I go with her its what I would consider a casual stroll for me.
My mom isn't that old, but she seems to have only one pace for walking. She walks a lot, but when I go with her its what I would consider a casual stroll for me.
yup. my dad walks 3-4 miles every day, but it takes him a looong time.
here was yesterday:
Days Remaining: 6
LISS Cardio: no (up to 60 minutes daily)
Circuit Strength: no (0/2-3)
Recovery: no (0/4)
Food (<1,343 calories): yes (1,339)
Macros (>168g P, >30g F): no (150g P, 25g F)
Water (>128oz min): yes
weight: 180.2 (-10.3)*
*can I mention I'm a bit frustrated with this number (and again this morning)? hello?!
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
ok, I guess it is time to admit that OPT isn't working for me anymore.
-weight went up again (181.4) for a couple days, which didn't make me very happy. I know it must be mostly normal fluctuation, but although I was counting, I'm pretty sure I was also less active and also eating more (little cheats on top of the food I weighed, etc). Restricting food was making me feel desperate and stressed.
So Sunday I went on the first hike of the season, and drank a beer afterwards.
Monday I ate clean but didn't count
Today I'm back down to 179.4
I feel better. I might go back to the first few weeks of OPT where the calories and macros suit me better, I might not. but for now I'm going to just chill on the counting for a little bit.
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
Glad to see you got a nice visit in with your parents! Lol on the slow walks also--my dad is the opposite. Everyone says if he ever slows down it's because he's dead. Sorry OPT isn't working for you any more--any ideas on what you could do?
Sorry OPT isn't working for you any more--any ideas on what you could do?
Thanks for stopping by Celeste!
I'm not sure what I'm going to do, actually. I have so many scenarios going about my life right now--trying to figure out what I should do, where I should work and where I should live--that I just can't take the stress in the food and exercise part of my life. I feel better when I eat clean and exercise, so I'm doing that, but the tracking and rigid compliance stuff was stressing me out, so I'm not doing that right now.
Eventually I'll return to some sort of plan. For now I'm tracking my weight. If that starts going up I'll reassess.
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
It's tough when you try something that doesn't work. It makes you feel like you've failed, when you really haven't. It's just not something that works for you. This last week as I got busy I decided on a new routine that seems to work for me. ie. I went for set breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, and then just varied my dinners. It took a lot less effort than usual, and I managed to end the week at roughly my usual average. It let me go higher on one day and lower on others.
Thanks Anne! I just posted this in the FLTS forum, but I'll stick it in here as well. I feel like I'm back on plan (or on an alternative plan, really), just need to fine-tune the exercise part. Readers of this log: I would be particularly interested in any strength workout ideas from y'all
"I've done OPT and NROL4W, I've read FLTS and feel like I understand the basics. I'm pretty fit, but I still need to lose fat.
I'm thinking at this point of following simple guidelines of my own for food (1400-1500 calories/35-30% deficit, >130g protein, >25g fat) and finding a strength plan to follow 2 or 3 times per week (for cardio I'm happy with frequent walks/hikes +1 time per week spinning).
What should I do for the strength plan? I can't afford to hire a trainer and I know I can't maintain this deficit on a plan like NROL4W (or the many other intense plans I would love to do some other time ). Does anyone know of an exercise plan similar to OPT in intensity, but different enough to keep me interested? I work out in a pretty well-equipped gym, so that wouldn't be an issue. I just need something well-balanced, focusing on whole body work, so I can maintain my muscle mass and not feel like a slug. ideas?"
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
A couple of thoughts. If you like NROL4W, what about cutting the number of sets back. Gives you the same flexibility, with perhaps less stressful workouts. The thing I like about it is the constantly changing workouts. I also think Power Training wouldn't be a bad idea either, as it encourages you to pick the workouts you want. Although you might still want to do the same with it (cut the number of sets).
I hope you get some answers, as I don't think I'm the one to offer advice.
I didn't examine it too closely, but the workout in the book Body Fat Solution by Tom Venuto might be what you are looking for, too. Not as intense and with a lot of home options. There are a couple different phases as well.
Hey look! a workout. Roughly based on the one Lara mentioned--taking it pretty easy here and exploring--it's gonna be tough holding back but it should work for a while. I'll be checking out the Tom Venuto book as soon as I can get to a bookstore as well.
Calories holding steady in the high 1400s, weight holding steady at exactly 178.6
A1 negative chin-up, 20 lb assist
1 x 30 sec
1 x 30 sec
1 x 30 sec
A2 Barbell Front Squat, clean grip
5 x 45 lbs
5 x 65 lbs
5 x 75 lbs
B1 DB Shoulder Press
5 x 25e
5 x 20e
5 x 20e
B2 Single Leg Romanian Dumbbell Deadlift
5e x 25e
5e x 25e
5e x 25e
C Planks
1 x 60 sec Right Side
1 x 60 sec Left Side
1 x 60 sec Regular
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
His new book Body Fat Solution is a hardcover. I got mine at B&N. His Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle book is an e-book.
Nice workout I am starting to really love front squats these days.
Thanks Bree. I like the front squats quite a bit, but the clean grip not so much...I might have to change that next time. BTW I took a look at the Venuto book yesterday, but ended up getting Power Training instead.
and...a workout:
A1 Low Incline Barbell Bench Press
5 x 45 lbs
5 x 55 lbs
5 x 65 lbs
A2 Sumo Deadlift
5 x 95 lbs
5 x 95 lbs
5 x 95 lbs
B1 Single Arm Dumbbell Row
5 each side x 20 lbs
5 each side x 25 lbs
5 each side x 30 lbs
B2 Bulgarian Split Squat
5 each side x 45 lbs
5 each side x 55 lbs
5 each side x 60 lbs
C1 Reverse Incline Crunch
5 x 10 lb plate
5 x 10 lb plate
5 x 10 lb plate
C2 Back Extension
5 x 10 lb plate
5 x 10 lb plate
5 x 10 lb plate
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
clean grip gets easier and easier until it just seems second nature after a while....just keep at it.
Hai Jane
That is all...well, except to mention this weird factoid: it has now been seven days since I have seen even a tiny blip of change in any direction on my weight. 178.6 and maintaining. odd, no? especially with the variation in my workouts, and even some variation in food and water intake. hmm. I wonder if the scale is broken again?
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
That is all...well, except to mention this weird factoid: it has now been seven days since I have seen even a tiny blip of change in any direction on my weight. 178.6 and maintaining. odd, no? especially with the variation in my workouts, and even some variation in food and water intake. hmm. I wonder if the scale is broken again?
My scale does this weird thing where it occasionally gets sort of stuck on one number, and keeps reporting an earlier weight. When it repeats the exact same number --including fraction of a pound-- from the day before I reset it and reweigh. Then if it's still repeating the exact same number I check my weight holding something. If it still gives me the glitch-weight I reset it until it chills out.
When it's doing the stuttering repeating glitch thing it's inaccurate, but otherwise it seems to be right. Maybe yours has the same issue?
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"Time and patience are the 2 elements that most people don't include in their plans."
-Alan Aragon
"The scale simply tells you how much the earth loves you on a particular day."
-Ogedei (Keith)
My scale does this weird thing where it occasionally gets sort of stuck on one number, and keeps reporting an earlier weight. When it repeats the exact same number --including fraction of a pound-- from the day before I reset it and reweigh. Then if it's still repeating the exact same number I check my weight holding something. If it still gives me the glitch-weight I reset it until it chills out.
When it's doing the stuttering repeating glitch thing it's inaccurate, but otherwise it seems to be right. Maybe yours has the same issue?
Interesting. I tend to reset my scale every morning anyway, but next time I'll try holding something and see if it changes.
Here was my workout, mostly BW today:
A1 Single Leg Squat
5e x bw
5e x bw
5e x bw
A2 Body Weight Row using the Smith Machine (man are these hard!)
5 x bw
5 x bw
5 x bw
B1 Pushup, Feet on a Bench
5 x bw
5 x bw
5 x bw
B2 Hip Pop-up (used bench)
5e x bw
5e x bw
5e x bw
C1 Stability Ball Crunch, arms overhead
5 x bw
5 x bw
5 x bw
C2 Stability Ball Jackknife
5 x bw
5 x bw
5 x bw
oh, and I suppose I should report for the weekend: 90 minute spin class per usual Saturday, 3 (or 4ish?) hour hike Sunday afternoon.
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
Went to the gym this morning for spinning, returned in the afternoon for a workout and a show! First the workout.
A1 negative chin-up
35 sec x 17lb assist
25 sec x 15lb assist
30 sec x 15lb assist
A2 Barbell Front Squat, clean grip--clean grip really limits the weight on these, I'm still wondering if I should change to the cross grip...
5 x 85 lbs
5 x 85 lbs
5 x 90 lbs
B1 DB Shoulder Press
5 x 25s
5 x 25s
5 x 25s most sets at this weight
B2 Single Leg Romanian Dumbbell Deadlift
5e x 30s
5e x 30s
5e x 30s most sets at this weight
C Planks
2 x 60 sec Right Side
2 x 60 sec Left Side
2 x 60 sec Regular
now the show: with all the bro-workout talk in the forum, I should probably post this there, but before I forget...I'm innocently doing my workout when two guys walk in, I'll call them 'big bro' and 'little bro' --big, sporting a loose-fitting wifebeater torn to expose the sides/armpits and a knit cap, little was in fleece sweatpants pulled up high with a tucked in t-shirt. Big bro is showing him around the gym, speculating on whether the punching bag feels similar to punching an actual person, chitchatting, etc. this lasts through A1 and A2. As I'm starting B1 they ask if anyone has a watch with a second hand...I offer my interval timer and they are off on an amazing race (they dubbed it "death") where one guy does as many dumbbell bench presses he can in a minute--form irrelevant--while the other one watches, then they switch places. Big Bro used 25s, and threw them down with a grunt for some extra drama at the end. Little Bro used 10s (10s!) and could barely move his arms half-way into the set while being constantly coached "dude, flex your chest while you lift that! just flex the whole time! awesome!" They did several rounds of this. Meanwhile I've finished B1 and B2, and get my timer back to do my plank sequence. They were feeling really pumped and stuff and Big Bro suggests they move on to the calf workout (I guess it was a chest and calf day?). I'm not watching particuarly closely (doing my planks) so I might have missed it, but I'm pretty sure that Big Bro loaded up the leg press machine next but didn't actually lift anything. He then moved to the seated calf raise machine and sat there (again not lifting anything). After a while he offered it to his friend, who declined saying: "Nah, I don't want my legs to get all ripped and shit, I mean, I probably won't be able to help it with all the cycling I do, but..." I laughed so hard I almost fell out of my side plank.
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i do like the library, but i also like the gym my new log!
After a while he offered it to his friend, who declined saying: "Nah, I don't want my legs to get all ripped and shit, I mean, I probably won't be able to help it with all the cycling I do, but.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Librarygirl
Tempted Fate with another spin class Monday night, and ended up with calf crampiness
uh oh - crampiness is the feeling of getting ript legz I think - better back off and do some curlz
Linear Mode
