MY JOURNEY FROM MOM…….to WOW!

I’ve been struggling with my workouts for the past couple of weeks.  I took an entire week off because I was sick and I still can’t seem to get a good workout in this week.  I set aside the time today, was all ready to go, and could only do my warmup and my deadlifts.  I felt like I was so sluggish and tired…I tried to keep going but my body/mind just screamed “STOP!”  My 18 month old is sick now so I’ve been busy with her the past two days (and nights) and my energy levels have just plummeted.  I guess this is a perfect example of life getting in the way. 
I really don’t know what’s wrong but I guess I have no choice but to take the hint and just recover a bit more before trying again….maybe on Saturday (please, please, let me have the energy to workout on Saturday!)
I’m feeling pretty sorry for myself right now.  I’ve been struggling with a weight loss plateau for a while  (thanks to the holidays and then getting sick….) and I’m so scared this is totally going to put me on a backslide.

My current mantra:  “Listen to your body and be patient, Carla.  It will pass.”

I finally woke up today WANTING (no – NEEDING!) to workout!  I took it easy since I noticed my heart rate  was still a bit high (indicating I was still recovering from my illness.)

Warmup:  10 mins on treadmill – running/walking

Partial Single-leg squat: 3 sets of 8 using Body weight

Pushup- 3 sets of 8 (45 degree pushups)

2 point row: 3 sets of 8 (40 lbs.)

Step-up: 2 sets of 8 (40 lbs.)  I just couldn’t do the last set….I was too tired/weak.

Prone Jackknife: 2 sets of 10 (again – just couldn’t finish these) 

Durations: 38 mins.

Avg. HR – 138

Max. HR: 171

Cals. burned: 448

Because I’m still a bit run-down,  I just couldn’t perform at my usual level of intensity.  Still, I’m proud that I was able to do as much as I did – considering how I’ve been feeling this past week.  I’m sure Thursday’s workout will be a bit easier…..then….it’s the special workouts and STAGE 2 of  NROLW!!!!

Sorry this is so short but I have to run and do some things while the girls are napping….

I’ve been down with some kind of weird chest cold for about a week now.  I feel great some days and decide that I’m ready to start working out again and then I feel awful the next day.  I’m really fed up with missing my workouts.  I really, really hope to get back into my routine tomorrow.  Today, however, I’m just resting and trying to eat well so I have a better chance of a good workout tomorrow.   Wish me luck!

I tackled today’s workout with the intention of working up a sweat and blasting out whatever germs might be lingering in my system. I’m pretty proud of myself for doing as much as I did considering how I felt just a few days ago. Here’s today’s stats:

NROLW, Phase 1, Workout B7 (two more workouts to go and I’m done this phase!)

I warmed up on the treadmill, jogging for 1 mile – 4mph-6.5mph

Dumbell Squat: 8X40lbs, 8X46 lbs., 8 X 46lbs. ( just realized as I’m typing that I was supposed to do deadlifts! oops!)

Shoulder Press: I just could NOT do these today – I tried and tried but could only do about 3 reps each set (at 40lbs.) I guess I’m still a bit weak from being sick.

Lat pulldown: 8 X 110lbs, 8 X 120lbs, 8 X 140 lbs. (these last ones were tough!)

Static Lunge: 3 sets of 8 @ 40 lbs. (I fixed my form on these. I realized I had been leaning too far forward. I really felt it once I fixed my form.)

Ball Crunch: 3 sets of 8 @ BW+20lbs.

Duration: 43 mins
Avg. HR: 137
Max HR: 174
Calories burned: 528

The other women in my Livestrong group are posting their “before” photos (in bikinis) so I’m feeling like I should probably get Lynndy to take some of me this weekend. (and NO I will NOT post them on this site. I’m not that brave – yet.) I think it’s a good idea to see photographic evidence of the changes that are occuring in my body – especially since the scale is not always my friend. Photos don’t lie….

Thanks again for stopping by. If you would like to comment on any of my post or have questions about anything, feel free to use the comments feature below. I’d love to hear from you!

Happy Inauguration Day, everyone!

Here is a photo of me that I absolutely hate (flabby arms! Ack!) but thought I’d post it as extra incentive and as a way of measuring my progress. I plan to run the full marathon this year and plan on looking completely different (if not more tired) as I cross the finish line……

I was benched from my workouts this weekend due to a sudden, and very unexpected, “cold”. (I use quotation marks because my husband says there is no such thing as a cold and will lecture me at great length if I say I have one. haha)

“Cold” or not….I felt like crap most of the weekend. I’m feeling better today and am tempted to try a workout but will probably just catch up on some housework instead and aim for a structured workout tomorrow.

I’m really frustrated by this setback but….it’s obviously what my body wants and I have to respect that……

Fingers crossed that I’m up for a workout tomorrow!

I’d just like to give a little shout-out to all the people who are rooting for my success on this journey. I really feel that you should enlist as many people as you can to help you with your cause (whatever it may be.) For one, you are accountable because they are “watching” you. Secondly, you have somewhere to turn for encouragement when you need it. If you can create or join a group that has the same or similar goals – even better. I’ve really benefitted from my Livestrong Groups; I’m constantly amazed at how willing people are to share information with me and cheer me on when I need it.

That being said, it’s time for me to be accountable for TODAY’S workout:

(I got to use my 20 lb. dumbells today – yay!)

W/U: 8 mins on treadmill – running at 5.8 mph (I felt really strong today! Must have been the day off. I needed to rest!)

Squat: 3 X 8 @ 40 lbs ( I couldn’t hold the dumbells on my shoulders so I put some thick books on the floor instead of weight plates to do a dumbell squat.)

Push-up: 3 X 8 BW

Dumbell Row: 3 X 8 @ 40 lbs.

Step-up: 3 X 8 @ 40 lbs.

Prone Jackknife 3 X 12 BW – These were hard and I just COULDN’T make it to 15 reps!

Duration: 45 mins.
Avg. HR: 135
Max HR: 170

Calories burned: 541 (I LOVE my HRM – it’s so motivating to see how many calories I’m burning and the Polar website charts my progress so I can see my cardiovascular health improve, too! Probably one of my best purchases – ever (well, actually it was a gift from my dear Lynndy! )

As naptime neared today, I found myself not so enthusiastic about the workout I was planning to do. Keira was up for a while last night and I was kind of sleepy so opted for a nap instead.

The thing is….I feel really guilty about skipping the workout! That being said, I think I need to re-organize my workouts a bit to allow for a bit more rest. When I checked my training log, I realized that today would have been my fifth straight day of working out so….I can certainly understand why I feel tired now.

I’ll rest today and be back at it tomorrow. In future weeks, I think I’ll take Tuesdays and Fridays off so my body gets the rest it needs. Duh! I can’t believe I didn’t really think of this sooner. I’ve just been feeling so energetic and great….until this afternoon. 🙂

Oh – one more thing – I got a set of 20 lb. dumbells!!!! My dear friends Kelli and Greg loaned me the one they had lying around….and Lynndy bought the other to complete the set! I’m so grateful. I’ve been needing heavier weights for a few weeks now. I plan to use them tomorrow in my workout…..(I used to get excited about clothes and makeup…..but these days it’s fitness equipment. LOL)

Thanks for dropping by!

The more I educate myself about weight loss and fitness – the more I learn that the numbers on the scale don’t mean a whole lot. Take a look at the picture that shows 5lbs of fat and 5 lbs of muscle (see below.) Do you see how much more space the fat takes up? So….imagine, you replace 5 lbs of fat with 5 lbs of muscle….you look leaner and your clothes fit better and you feel pretty darn good about yourself – until you step on the scale. If you’re like most women (myself included) you NEED that number to reflect all your hard work. Well, it won’t….so what are you going to do about it? The problem with focusing on the number on the scale is that it doesn’t account for all the other changes that are happening in your body. That’s why I’m trying not to obsess about the number on the scale (and it’s so HARD for me!) and focus more on my measurements and other things – such as how my clothes fit etc. That reminds me that I should really take some “before” photos (not guaranteed you’ll see them on this blog, though…..haha)

Anyway, if you’re like me (or at least how I used to be), and the numbers on the scale haven’t changed for a while (or – gasp- have even gone up!) you’ll panic and think you should cut your calories EVEN MORE and/or increase your exercise. The problem is…..if you want to keep that muscle (that tight, hard, metabolism-revving muscle…) you actually need to feed it! There is a whole school of thought that runs contrary to the mainstream diet industry that encourages men and women to stop cutting calories so drastically and focus, instead on building and feeding muscle. I stumbed upon this concept in the ebook “Burn the Fat – Feed the Muscle” by Tom Venuto. It’s a great read (very technical) for men AND women and it debunks a lot of myths perpetuated by the diet industry. I’ll probably touch on this in a separate blog at some point….

If you think about it…..if the diet programs you see touted in the media were really and truly the cure-all…..wouldn’t they put themselves out of business? Instead, they create elaborate points systems (yes, I’m talking about weight watchers!) that don’t necessarily translate easily to life AFTER you lose the weight. Other programs offer pre-packaged meals because they DON”T WANT you to know how to lose weight without them. So……after achieving your desired goal weight…..and you are left to your own devices…..the weight creeps back up on you and – ta-da! You have to go BACK to the program (and pay your dues or buy your meals) in order to lose the weight again! Don’t get me wrong, Weight Watchers (and others) are good programs and have really helped people to lose weight quickly (myself included)….but, at some point, we need to figure out how to do it on our own so we don’t gain the weight back when we stop the program…..

Stepping off my soap-box…….

I guess I’m just tired of relying on others for my weight loss and well-being. Even if it takes twice as long – I want to learn enough about my body that I work with it to achieve the desired result. For me (a chronic yo-yo dieter in the past) it really DOES need to be a lifestyle change. I don’t want to teach my daughters that food and weight is something you “battle.” Food is fuel for your life and lifestyle. Yes, some of it tastes sinful, decadent, and dare-I-say…….. “orgasmic” but….it should be enjoyed in moderation and with a certain level of “mindfulness” (to borrow from the Buddhist concept…..)

I’m sorry if this thought process is disjointed today….but I’m rushing to get this all down before the girls wake up from their naps…..I see that Keira is rousing so I’d better post my workout now and continue my diatribe another time….

Here is what I did today:

I felt great during today’s workout. I had 1/2 a Luna bar before and it seemed to help keep me energized.
Warmup: Treadmill run/walk, 9.5% incline, 10 mins.

Single-leg Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets of 10 reps. at 32 lbs. (I REALLY felt this today)

Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 8 reps at 32 lbs. (Will these ever get easier!!! I’m going to keep at it until I can do a FULL set of 10!!!!)

Lat pulldown, 1×10 @ 80, 2 X10 @ 110 lbs (this is on the Crossbow machine so it feels easier than a cable machine, I think….I can’t be THAT strong….)

Static Lunges, rear foot elevated: 3 X 10 @ 32 (These were challenging but much easier on my knees. I really felt it where I was supposed to feel it – as opposed to just in my knees)

Ball Crunch: 3 X 10 @ BW plus 20 lbs.

Duration: 50 minutes
Calories burned: 564 (including warmup) WOO HOO!