Well, since I spend so much time here on this blog, I figured I'd stick this here. Feel free to use it if you wish. I'll be updating it within the next week. This is just for me mostly so it'll just be the shows I want to watch.
Private Practice
Grey's Anatomy
House
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Monday, January 4th, 2010 to Sunday, January 10th, 2010
MONDAY 9.30a Craig TurboKick Donalin 58/592/35, 175/93, 149/79
MONDAY 10:30a Craig Cardio Dance Party (30 mins) Donalin 29/257/45, 155/82, 139/74
MONDAY Noon Agassi Lift Rachel 58/353/60, 149/79, 114/60
Today I start training for the triathlon. All the triathlon training info is here: http://fitdeb.blogspot.com/2010/01/aflac-iron-girl-may-15th-2010-sprint.html
I'll just stick to thoughts about the whole process in the weekly blogs but all the core training info will be there. After my 6p class I'll head over to the LVAC indoor track and run Week 1 Day 1 of the C25K program.
20 days, 2.5 lbs. 168 lbs now. This is getting old. 11 more days until I measure body fat % and inches again. I lost 47.5 lbs with the South Beach diet in 2004 (and no exercise) and gained it ALL back, to the pound. So half a lb more and I will have lost the same, but I think I'm much better off now nutritionally and physically. About to call the doctor to make an appointment to go see him for bloodwork and I'll compare if there's any progress, especially with triglycerides and cholesterol. I had the bloodwork done around the second week of September, right when I started going to Group X classes, and 2 months or so after I started exercising, so the bloodwork will show what if any impact the GX classes and diet improvements have done internally. I think with the bloodwork, body fat %, and inches I will have a better picture of what if any progress I'm making, because the scale is now useless (at least I'd like to think it's useless instead of a true representation of a lack of progress in 3 weeks).
I've been thinking about why I ate emotionally on the 1st. This time I wasn't sad, I was angry. And the problem had been solved, as I had a class to go to and had my workout for the day, so it wasn't even a problem that hadn't been solved yet. But I think I got a handle on sadness already having had a lot of practice these past few months. But really when you are sad what's the worst that could happen, that you'll go cry on someone? And when you're happy what are you going to do, laugh right in front of someone's face? But anger is different because it can cause someone to lose control and be destructive. That's the key difference with anger. And the last thing I ever want to do is hurt someone. So I guess anger scares me because I never ever want to lose control. So I guess I haven't really learned to deal with anger yet, and when I do, I'll be able to be angry without eating emotionally. The trick is going to let anger overtake every part of my body so that every last inch of my being is angry, and then not act on it. Be angry without do angry. Allowing myself to become angry and feel it.
This ties in into cheat days. What is a cheat day by most people's definitions? Eating "forbidden" foods, i.e. pizza, cake, cookies, burgers, etc. But what are you really doing when you have a cheat day? You are eating emotionally. I realized this when I had a whole pizza on a cheat day. Calorically I can work it into my week's intake, but I found that I can't turn on the emotional eating switch on and off, it's too draining to go back and forth between emotional eating and rational eating. You can still enjoy food with rational eating, but when you do rational eating, you deal and satisfy your emotions without food and live life in a way that you are able to feel all emotions constructively without having to act on them, and you enjoy a closer relationship to your food and its effects on your body without having to use food to nourish your emotions, which are being nourished somewhere else. It's about having a closeness with food and enjoying it and thinking of food as more than fuel, it's thinking of food as a friend that nourishes your body and soul.
Emotional eating is about using food to counter emotions; make you feel better when you're sad, calming you when you're anxious, giving you something to physically do when you're happy. It's about extinguishing or dealing with emotions through food and its effects on the body. It's about having unresolved emotions that are pacified by the chemical effects of food. But the emotion is never really dealt with, just pacified until the next time it spikes again.
So the reason I don't do cheat days is because I don't want to have that kind of relationship with food. I can't put my body through that roller coaster of emotional/rational eating.
I think I'm ready to try and write my book. Starting this weekend (Wednesday/Thursday for me).
New instructor today, Linda. Going because Erika is going. Met Erika at Kelly's class last Saturday, she just started at the gym. Reminds me of me. Whenever I see someone new at the gym I want them to have my experience, to arrive where I'm at, to go where I'm going. I hate "losing" people to whatever it is that derails people from making this change. I feel that it's my personal responsibility to offer whatever I can to give people what they need to keep on going. Do for others what Rachel, Kathy, Kelly, Donalin, and Dallas have done for me. Pass it on. After don't we all have a responsibility as human beings to be there for one another? Aren't we all in this together? We're really not that different, we're really all the same, irrational emotional beings with sporadic spasms of rational thought.
I've started to picture gym people telling me to do something when I'm trying to get the courage up to do it, which I guess is the first step. And it worked yesterday. I called on the Force of the Gym and it came through for me. If I can do 24 classes, why can't I do that? If I can go through an experience like this, is there really anywhere else to go but forward? Can't go backwards even if I wanted to. I think we're braver that we give ourselves credit for, and we let fear dictate our actions. I asked myself what I was scared of and once I answered that, it appeared to be something perfectly capable of scaring someone. So now I had my very rational answer. So that backfired (because sometimes what we're scared of is really ridiculous once we identify it). But I referred back to a quote from the movie "Under The Tuscan Sun" - "Life offers you a thousand chances. All you have to do is take one." And there was a chance in front of me. It's actually a chance I had back in 2003-2004 but I wasn't strong enough or brave enough back then to take it. But I had to do something I've never done before and which terrified me. Something I never thought I could do. But I pictured some of the people in that list above telling me to do it, that it'd be ok, and that I could do it. And after 15 minutes of that I got out of the car. And while I was in the middle of it they were right there holding my hand. That helped a lot. Isn't it amazing the changes you can help someone else do just by being yourself without even being present? Small actions have big ripples. So now here I am sitting down at home having done something beneficial that I never thought I'd be able to do. And you think, well, what kind of person am I now having done something I never thought myself capable of? Having conquered one of the most terrifying things in my life. What kind of person does that make me now? What kind of things are going to be possible now that I have that behind me? Because once you conquer mind-numbing fear, you can't really be the same person on the other end. I don't know yet what it means.
MONDAY 6p Agassi Zumba Linda 57/570/40, 164/87, 146/77
I tell myself that I won't take new people anymore and I break that promise. I blame Erika. Every time I take a new instructor part of me hopes the class sucks and I hate the instructor. But I never do. So now I have a new regular Monday class. Sigh.
TUESDAY 9a Cheyenne TurboKick Kathy 57/537/40, 167/88, 143/76
TUESDAY 10a Cheyenne Pilates Rachel 59/189/60, 115/61, 92/49
TUESDAY 6:30p TurboKick Donalin 50/476/40, 167/88, 143/76
Forgot to turn on monitor until after warm-up. What's funny is that I have the same max and average HR as Kathy this morning and the same fat %. Calories per minute were 9.4211 for Kathy and 9.52 for Donalin.
I'm back to the front of the class. I want somebody fat in the front. Classes are starting to fill up already with a bunch of new people. Met a mother and young daughter today, and she will be back tomorrow for Wednesday night Zumba. There's still some small classes so I'm enjoying having some large classes. I like both the small intimate setting and the huge all-out party. Maybe when I'm skinny I'll go to the back, or maybe I'll feel like the back next week. But for now it's the front, mostly because I have to do SOMEthing to help keep people coming and maybe I can shatter the misperceptions of what a fat person can or cannot do. I keep wanting to do something to help others and maybe I can use my body to that end. Went up half a lb today so on 12/18 I was at 170.5 and now I'm at 168.5. I've pretty much given up on that for now and will reassess on 1/15 with inches and body fat %. Wonder how much the BodyBugg will help (get to order it Friday).
One week a month I wish I were a man. This is that week for January. Going to the gym sucks. Counting down the days.
Didn't bike the 2K today but I estimate I do at least 4K in a spinning class, giving me this week and next week to find out how long the trail is at the park next to the house and the bike in working order.
WEDNESDAY morning: I am sooooo -not- looking forward to spin this morning (see above reference to wanting to be a man). I so want to skip it. At least I can get that and then Zumba out of the way and then be free until Zumba tonight. I hate taking classes like this but I can't take a week off a month. I'm not doing Yoga tomorrow, want to stay upright as much as possible.
WEDNESDAY 8a Ann Cycle Dallas 56/526/40, 166/88, 144/76
WEDNESDAY 10a Sahara Zumba Michelle 57/478/50, 153/81, 132/70
I'm off today, lower numbers. My energy's zapped and during that monthly week you are sluggish, tired, and just zapped. Shows in the numbers. Last month I even skipped a workout. Not skipping any workouts this month. But I'm disappointed in the 478. I hate this. Hopefully it'll be gone by Saturday or Sunday. Spin was fun, but I really don't enjoy going to the gym like this because I don't move as freely as the other weeks.
WEDNESDAY 6.30p Craig Zumba Donalin 57/500/50, 153/81, 136/72
THURSDAY 8a Ann SET Beth 55/431/50, 155/82, 130/69
THURSDAY 9a Agassi TurboKick Rachel 36/335/45, 162/86, 142/75 (got there late to be able to take Beth's class)
THURSDAY Noon Cheyenne Lift Rachel 60/346/60, 136/72, 111/59
As the days pass, my calories are slowly going back up to normal. I give it two more days tops (hopefully). Had to skip swimming this week. Day 2 of running is tonight after Donalin's class. Had one spinning class already, having another one Sunday. Sunday I will also fix up my bike and get spinning shoes.
Going to become TurboKick, Hip Hop Hustle, and PiYo certified in late February, early March. And Schwinn certified within the next two months. Next up sometime in the near future: Zumba. I want to get as many certifications as possible. Then maybe start teaching locally to get some experience. And I want two of the main personal training cerfitications. Linda's teaching the PiYo one and Michelle Olsen is teaching the other two. She seems like a really fun energetic person, I'm psyched.
Body fat went down about 1.5% since December 30th, weight's pretty much the same. If I can keep the same weight and drop body fat for now, I'll be happy. Sooner or later I will hit goal body fat and start losing weight again.
Tried Beth today, against my better judgment (see Linda above). Thanks to Rachel's class moving up an hour on Thursdays, I now have a new Thursday class. I'm scared to try Ginger. I don't think I can take any more classes. Since I have Michelle on Wednesdays, thinking of alternating Michelle and Beth on Fridays, Zumba/TurboKick.
THURSDAY 7p Sahara Zumba Donalin 54/587/35, 167/88, 153/81
Slowly coming back as the week progresses. Tomorrow I get to order the BodyBugg.
I really don't exercise well by myself. If it wasn't for the GX classes, I don't think I would have stuck with this. I'm into my seventh month. So the running is a different experience because I'm by myself at the LVAC track. Get a lot of time to think. I'm really enjoying running. The C25K program is nothing short of amazing. I feel like I fly when I run and it's really a rush. But there's nothing in between me and completing a triathlon but me. How bad do I want this? Bad. I have to draw into my inner strength to achieve something on my own without any extra outside help or support when it comes to running (and biking and swimming) so it's a new experience. You're running towards something (completing a triathlon in m case) and there's nothing but a big open space in front of you, and nothing that can stop you except yourself.
Had to skip swimming this week, will pick it up at 4 laps next week, and will transition from spin class to spin class plus real bike.
FRIDAY 9a Agassi Zumba Michelle 54.509/45, 162/86, 142/75
FRIDAY 6p Craig Zumba Donalin 56/564/40, 164/87, 147/78
SATURDAY 9a Agassi Lift Mai 55/238/60, 135/71, 101/53
SATURDAY 10a Agassi TurboKick Kelly ~1 hour ~500 calories
I am soooo ticked off that I forgot to turn off the monitor for about 40 minutes after class. I had fasted for 13 hours so far when I took the class and I remember looking at it and it being high 500s, but don't know how high. Calling it 500. I wish I had the stats for this one. No food or water for 13 hour and high TKB numbers after Lift. Taking 40 minutes and 228 calories off the weekly total to account for the extra time.
So I had my fasting bloodwork done, total of 17 hours and 45 minutes fast (a combination of an early-ish dinner (ended around 9p), then work, then gym (2 classes), then finding lost paperwork, then about 2 hours waiting at the lab to go in, then going home and preparing the meal). Had an awesome 620 calorie meal == 6 oz raspberries, cheese wrap, fruit juice with fruit pieces, and pistacchios. Going to have a couple of protein drinks and protein bars tonight (740 for all four of them). That still leaves me 340 calories. I think I'm just going to be short today. Goal was 1700. Maybe I'll even just have one of each. Too many missed calories until 2:45p to make up. Tomorrow is a 1600 day.
On my 1900 day I used up 600 calories in protein drinks, I think I can get the same protein in 400.
I'm ready to write. My dream has always been to be a writer. But I guess out of everything, being a writer is what defines me. It's how I define myself. I may not have anything else, but I have my writing. I can't dance, I can't sing, I can't draw, I can't act, and I don't know if I can write, but of anything I do, I do writing the best. So I define myself as a writer, as who I am inside. So what happens if I write something and it sucks, it never sells, and it turns I can't even write? What do I have left if I lose the one thing that I've always relied on to be there for me, to BE me? But I'm strong enough now that I can lose the one piece that I have always used to identify myself and be ok at the other end. I am ready to write because I'm ready to fail at it. I'm ready to lose being a Writer. As a result of the past four months, of course.
It's amazing that I've only gone to GX classes just over four months. My life is changing in other areas that I don't write about (and don't plan to; I've mentioned before that this blog is the censored version and I plan to keep it that way). It's a work in progress. But I don't think you can embark in a journey to better yourself physically without bettering yourself emotionally, mentally, and spiritually at the same time. It all comes bundled together. So you pretty much embark on a mission to make yourself the best you you can be.
I am still terrified of teaching. But part of me "knows" I will be a GX instructor one day. I want to do all this to someone else. I want to pass it on. It's more of a duty, something I have to do. I was given this, now I have to give it to somebody else. So I'm going to have to get over my fear of making mistakes and my shyness being the center of attention in a crowd. It's almost as if you're just a vessel for the mission to propagate. But there's no way to keep this gift all to yourself. It has to be passed on.
I'm starting to hear inspirational more and more, from more and more people. I've never thought of myself as an inspiration, even now. You know who the inspiration are? The GX instructors. They are the ones that should be getting ALL of the credit, not me. I would have quit a long ago if it wasn't for them. I don't take classes, I take people. It's funny because for the triathlon running now I have to rely on myself, and it's hard. It's hard for me to exercise by myself and I don't enjoy it that much. I do enjoy running, which makes it easier. But it's funny that I exercised by myself for two months in order to be ready to exercise with people and then I exercised with people for four months in order to be ready to exercise by myself. Full circle.
SUNDAY 9.30a Agassi Cycle Eliza 66/601/45, 159/84, 139/74
// Dallas out of town, saw Eliza Saturday on the way to Lift and wanted to try her. I better not like her. Sunday is Dallas time. Who am I kidding. I'll figure out how to fit Eliza in on Monday.
Loved Eliza. Forgot to turn off the monitor but not by much, the class passed the one hour mark so at most if was six minutes. VERY close to 600. Let's compare the heart rate's with Dallas' Wednesday class:
166/88, 144/76
Very close. Dallas still gave me higher. But I found Eliza tough, which is good. Dallas is just too much fun to be tough. I'm going to figure out how I can fit Eliza and Leanna in while keeping 2 Dallases.
So I have 2 resolutions for 2010.
#1 is to go to at least one GX class every day of the year. So far, so good. I will have to go to LVAC when 24HF closes like Christmas Day. There are two main things I need to do to insure I can do this: #1: Not get sick, and #2: Not get injured. So I have to eat right and start sleeping more and once I get the test results back, see how the iron is and start taking vitamin supplements. I'm going to have to get over my psychological aversion to Yoga, as it will keep me stretched and elongate the muscles, further strengthening them.
#2 is to do 1 pullup. I found this awesome assisted pullup machine at LVAC. No bells or whistles but does exactly what I need. The one thing I wish it had was weight increments of 5 lbs instead of every 15 lbs (or maybe it does and I haven't figured it out yet). So I'm able to do it with an assist of 100 lbs but not 85 lbs, and I weight 166 lbs. So I can pull 66 lbs but not 81 lbs. If I get down to 110 lbs this year that means I have to be able to lift 44 more lbs to get from 66 to 110. So lose about another 56 lbs (49 lbs lost so far, almost halfway) and gain 44 lbs more of muscle-pulling ability.
My motto is "One-ten in twenty-ten."
Plan to post updates twice a month, starting with the 31st of this month.
I'm close enough to 165 lbs that I'm going for 1650 average cals consumed a day (I calculate my basal metabolism as weight * 10). Down from a current 1700. Zig-zag for next week:
1525
1625
1725
1825
1725
1625
1525
total 11575, average 1652/day. 75 less calories a day per 5 or so lbs lost.
Just for fun, this would be goal (110 lbs, 1100 cals a day).
1000
1100
1200
1300
1200
1100
1000
Total 7900/week, 1128 + whatever I burn to maintain
1000 may seem low, but here's what a 1000 day looks like:
Cheese wrap (250), 50 cherries (200), 2 egg wraps (405), apple (95), peach (70), 1045 calories
That's 6 "meals" a day. Taking away 6 hours sleep, that's something to eat every 3 hours at least. And this week for example I burned 6606 calories, that's an extra 943 calories a day to maintain, or almost double. If I just take one class a day that's at least an extra 300 calories or pistacchios and a banana. And those are just my low calorie days. And I plan to put on quite a bit of muscle, which will allow me to eat more at rest (without taking into account physical activity).
_________________________________
FOOD
1600 1700 1800 1900 1800 1700 1600
Monday: 2 cheese wraps (500), 2 egg wraps (400), 2 Pistacchios (340), 22 cherries (88), protein bar (180), pear (95), total 1603
Tuesday: Pear (95), 17 strawberries (153), cheese wrap X 2 (500), pistacchios (170), 3 egg wraps (605), raspberries (90), 1 peach (70), total 1683
Wednesday: 3 peaches (210), turkey footlong (560), cheese wrap X 2 (500), pistacchios (170), salmon (150), 2 chunky fruit juices (240), total 1830
Thursday: Cheese wrap (250), pistacchios (170), protein drink (300), protein drink (300), 6 oz raspberries (83), Albertson's Multi-grain pasta X 4 (888), total 1991 (goal 1900)
Friday: Cheese wrap (250), pistacchios (170), raspberries (82), pasta (220), fruit drink (110), partial total 832. For dinner has 2 bowls of soup (nothing in it), three pieces of chicken (no skin), four chicken patties, and fruit. Calling it 1000 calories and calling it 1832 for the day.
Saturday: (goal 1700) 2 X protein drink (280), 2 protein bar (360), cheese wrap (250), 6 oz raspberries (80), pistacchios (170), 2 X fruit juice with fruit pieces (220), total 1360 (had blood drawn for 4-month bloodwork results, fasted until 2:45p (out of work at 8a, gym 9a to 11a, back home to find missing paperwork, 2 hours wait time at the lab, getting back home and preparing food)).
Sunday: 23 strawberries (207 calories), 77 cherries (308 calories), protein drink (190), protein bar (180), cheese wrap (250), chips (200), pistacchios (170), 4 sugar-free Jello (40), total 1545 (goal 1525)
_________________________
1603, 1683, 1830, 1991, 1832, 1360, 1545, total for the week estimated 11844, average 1695/day
2014 cals burned at rest a day (based on 166 lbs), 14098 a week
Weekly totals: 19 classes, 8818 gross cals - 228 (forgot to turn off monitor), 1065 minutes - 40 (forgot to turn off monitor) = 8590 gross cals, 1025 minutes, 7103 net cals
14098 - 11844 + 7103 = 9357 caloric deficit, goal 7000
Another week come and gone. Bring on the next week.
MONDAY 10:30a Craig Cardio Dance Party (30 mins) Donalin 29/257/45, 155/82, 139/74
MONDAY Noon Agassi Lift Rachel 58/353/60, 149/79, 114/60
Today I start training for the triathlon. All the triathlon training info is here: http://fitdeb.blogspot.com/2010/01/aflac-iron-girl-may-15th-2010-sprint.html
I'll just stick to thoughts about the whole process in the weekly blogs but all the core training info will be there. After my 6p class I'll head over to the LVAC indoor track and run Week 1 Day 1 of the C25K program.
20 days, 2.5 lbs. 168 lbs now. This is getting old. 11 more days until I measure body fat % and inches again. I lost 47.5 lbs with the South Beach diet in 2004 (and no exercise) and gained it ALL back, to the pound. So half a lb more and I will have lost the same, but I think I'm much better off now nutritionally and physically. About to call the doctor to make an appointment to go see him for bloodwork and I'll compare if there's any progress, especially with triglycerides and cholesterol. I had the bloodwork done around the second week of September, right when I started going to Group X classes, and 2 months or so after I started exercising, so the bloodwork will show what if any impact the GX classes and diet improvements have done internally. I think with the bloodwork, body fat %, and inches I will have a better picture of what if any progress I'm making, because the scale is now useless (at least I'd like to think it's useless instead of a true representation of a lack of progress in 3 weeks).
I've been thinking about why I ate emotionally on the 1st. This time I wasn't sad, I was angry. And the problem had been solved, as I had a class to go to and had my workout for the day, so it wasn't even a problem that hadn't been solved yet. But I think I got a handle on sadness already having had a lot of practice these past few months. But really when you are sad what's the worst that could happen, that you'll go cry on someone? And when you're happy what are you going to do, laugh right in front of someone's face? But anger is different because it can cause someone to lose control and be destructive. That's the key difference with anger. And the last thing I ever want to do is hurt someone. So I guess anger scares me because I never ever want to lose control. So I guess I haven't really learned to deal with anger yet, and when I do, I'll be able to be angry without eating emotionally. The trick is going to let anger overtake every part of my body so that every last inch of my being is angry, and then not act on it. Be angry without do angry. Allowing myself to become angry and feel it.
This ties in into cheat days. What is a cheat day by most people's definitions? Eating "forbidden" foods, i.e. pizza, cake, cookies, burgers, etc. But what are you really doing when you have a cheat day? You are eating emotionally. I realized this when I had a whole pizza on a cheat day. Calorically I can work it into my week's intake, but I found that I can't turn on the emotional eating switch on and off, it's too draining to go back and forth between emotional eating and rational eating. You can still enjoy food with rational eating, but when you do rational eating, you deal and satisfy your emotions without food and live life in a way that you are able to feel all emotions constructively without having to act on them, and you enjoy a closer relationship to your food and its effects on your body without having to use food to nourish your emotions, which are being nourished somewhere else. It's about having a closeness with food and enjoying it and thinking of food as more than fuel, it's thinking of food as a friend that nourishes your body and soul.
Emotional eating is about using food to counter emotions; make you feel better when you're sad, calming you when you're anxious, giving you something to physically do when you're happy. It's about extinguishing or dealing with emotions through food and its effects on the body. It's about having unresolved emotions that are pacified by the chemical effects of food. But the emotion is never really dealt with, just pacified until the next time it spikes again.
So the reason I don't do cheat days is because I don't want to have that kind of relationship with food. I can't put my body through that roller coaster of emotional/rational eating.
I think I'm ready to try and write my book. Starting this weekend (Wednesday/Thursday for me).
New instructor today, Linda. Going because Erika is going. Met Erika at Kelly's class last Saturday, she just started at the gym. Reminds me of me. Whenever I see someone new at the gym I want them to have my experience, to arrive where I'm at, to go where I'm going. I hate "losing" people to whatever it is that derails people from making this change. I feel that it's my personal responsibility to offer whatever I can to give people what they need to keep on going. Do for others what Rachel, Kathy, Kelly, Donalin, and Dallas have done for me. Pass it on. After don't we all have a responsibility as human beings to be there for one another? Aren't we all in this together? We're really not that different, we're really all the same, irrational emotional beings with sporadic spasms of rational thought.
I've started to picture gym people telling me to do something when I'm trying to get the courage up to do it, which I guess is the first step. And it worked yesterday. I called on the Force of the Gym and it came through for me. If I can do 24 classes, why can't I do that? If I can go through an experience like this, is there really anywhere else to go but forward? Can't go backwards even if I wanted to. I think we're braver that we give ourselves credit for, and we let fear dictate our actions. I asked myself what I was scared of and once I answered that, it appeared to be something perfectly capable of scaring someone. So now I had my very rational answer. So that backfired (because sometimes what we're scared of is really ridiculous once we identify it). But I referred back to a quote from the movie "Under The Tuscan Sun" - "Life offers you a thousand chances. All you have to do is take one." And there was a chance in front of me. It's actually a chance I had back in 2003-2004 but I wasn't strong enough or brave enough back then to take it. But I had to do something I've never done before and which terrified me. Something I never thought I could do. But I pictured some of the people in that list above telling me to do it, that it'd be ok, and that I could do it. And after 15 minutes of that I got out of the car. And while I was in the middle of it they were right there holding my hand. That helped a lot. Isn't it amazing the changes you can help someone else do just by being yourself without even being present? Small actions have big ripples. So now here I am sitting down at home having done something beneficial that I never thought I'd be able to do. And you think, well, what kind of person am I now having done something I never thought myself capable of? Having conquered one of the most terrifying things in my life. What kind of person does that make me now? What kind of things are going to be possible now that I have that behind me? Because once you conquer mind-numbing fear, you can't really be the same person on the other end. I don't know yet what it means.
MONDAY 6p Agassi Zumba Linda 57/570/40, 164/87, 146/77
I tell myself that I won't take new people anymore and I break that promise. I blame Erika. Every time I take a new instructor part of me hopes the class sucks and I hate the instructor. But I never do. So now I have a new regular Monday class. Sigh.
TUESDAY 9a Cheyenne TurboKick Kathy 57/537/40, 167/88, 143/76
TUESDAY 10a Cheyenne Pilates Rachel 59/189/60, 115/61, 92/49
TUESDAY 6:30p TurboKick Donalin 50/476/40, 167/88, 143/76
Forgot to turn on monitor until after warm-up. What's funny is that I have the same max and average HR as Kathy this morning and the same fat %. Calories per minute were 9.4211 for Kathy and 9.52 for Donalin.
I'm back to the front of the class. I want somebody fat in the front. Classes are starting to fill up already with a bunch of new people. Met a mother and young daughter today, and she will be back tomorrow for Wednesday night Zumba. There's still some small classes so I'm enjoying having some large classes. I like both the small intimate setting and the huge all-out party. Maybe when I'm skinny I'll go to the back, or maybe I'll feel like the back next week. But for now it's the front, mostly because I have to do SOMEthing to help keep people coming and maybe I can shatter the misperceptions of what a fat person can or cannot do. I keep wanting to do something to help others and maybe I can use my body to that end. Went up half a lb today so on 12/18 I was at 170.5 and now I'm at 168.5. I've pretty much given up on that for now and will reassess on 1/15 with inches and body fat %. Wonder how much the BodyBugg will help (get to order it Friday).
One week a month I wish I were a man. This is that week for January. Going to the gym sucks. Counting down the days.
Didn't bike the 2K today but I estimate I do at least 4K in a spinning class, giving me this week and next week to find out how long the trail is at the park next to the house and the bike in working order.
WEDNESDAY morning: I am sooooo -not- looking forward to spin this morning (see above reference to wanting to be a man). I so want to skip it. At least I can get that and then Zumba out of the way and then be free until Zumba tonight. I hate taking classes like this but I can't take a week off a month. I'm not doing Yoga tomorrow, want to stay upright as much as possible.
WEDNESDAY 8a Ann Cycle Dallas 56/526/40, 166/88, 144/76
WEDNESDAY 10a Sahara Zumba Michelle 57/478/50, 153/81, 132/70
I'm off today, lower numbers. My energy's zapped and during that monthly week you are sluggish, tired, and just zapped. Shows in the numbers. Last month I even skipped a workout. Not skipping any workouts this month. But I'm disappointed in the 478. I hate this. Hopefully it'll be gone by Saturday or Sunday. Spin was fun, but I really don't enjoy going to the gym like this because I don't move as freely as the other weeks.
WEDNESDAY 6.30p Craig Zumba Donalin 57/500/50, 153/81, 136/72
THURSDAY 8a Ann SET Beth 55/431/50, 155/82, 130/69
THURSDAY 9a Agassi TurboKick Rachel 36/335/45, 162/86, 142/75 (got there late to be able to take Beth's class)
THURSDAY Noon Cheyenne Lift Rachel 60/346/60, 136/72, 111/59
As the days pass, my calories are slowly going back up to normal. I give it two more days tops (hopefully). Had to skip swimming this week. Day 2 of running is tonight after Donalin's class. Had one spinning class already, having another one Sunday. Sunday I will also fix up my bike and get spinning shoes.
Going to become TurboKick, Hip Hop Hustle, and PiYo certified in late February, early March. And Schwinn certified within the next two months. Next up sometime in the near future: Zumba. I want to get as many certifications as possible. Then maybe start teaching locally to get some experience. And I want two of the main personal training cerfitications. Linda's teaching the PiYo one and Michelle Olsen is teaching the other two. She seems like a really fun energetic person, I'm psyched.
Body fat went down about 1.5% since December 30th, weight's pretty much the same. If I can keep the same weight and drop body fat for now, I'll be happy. Sooner or later I will hit goal body fat and start losing weight again.
Tried Beth today, against my better judgment (see Linda above). Thanks to Rachel's class moving up an hour on Thursdays, I now have a new Thursday class. I'm scared to try Ginger. I don't think I can take any more classes. Since I have Michelle on Wednesdays, thinking of alternating Michelle and Beth on Fridays, Zumba/TurboKick.
THURSDAY 7p Sahara Zumba Donalin 54/587/35, 167/88, 153/81
Slowly coming back as the week progresses. Tomorrow I get to order the BodyBugg.
I really don't exercise well by myself. If it wasn't for the GX classes, I don't think I would have stuck with this. I'm into my seventh month. So the running is a different experience because I'm by myself at the LVAC track. Get a lot of time to think. I'm really enjoying running. The C25K program is nothing short of amazing. I feel like I fly when I run and it's really a rush. But there's nothing in between me and completing a triathlon but me. How bad do I want this? Bad. I have to draw into my inner strength to achieve something on my own without any extra outside help or support when it comes to running (and biking and swimming) so it's a new experience. You're running towards something (completing a triathlon in m case) and there's nothing but a big open space in front of you, and nothing that can stop you except yourself.
Had to skip swimming this week, will pick it up at 4 laps next week, and will transition from spin class to spin class plus real bike.
FRIDAY 9a Agassi Zumba Michelle 54.509/45, 162/86, 142/75
FRIDAY 6p Craig Zumba Donalin 56/564/40, 164/87, 147/78
SATURDAY 9a Agassi Lift Mai 55/238/60, 135/71, 101/53
SATURDAY 10a Agassi TurboKick Kelly ~1 hour ~500 calories
I am soooo ticked off that I forgot to turn off the monitor for about 40 minutes after class. I had fasted for 13 hours so far when I took the class and I remember looking at it and it being high 500s, but don't know how high. Calling it 500. I wish I had the stats for this one. No food or water for 13 hour and high TKB numbers after Lift. Taking 40 minutes and 228 calories off the weekly total to account for the extra time.
So I had my fasting bloodwork done, total of 17 hours and 45 minutes fast (a combination of an early-ish dinner (ended around 9p), then work, then gym (2 classes), then finding lost paperwork, then about 2 hours waiting at the lab to go in, then going home and preparing the meal). Had an awesome 620 calorie meal == 6 oz raspberries, cheese wrap, fruit juice with fruit pieces, and pistacchios. Going to have a couple of protein drinks and protein bars tonight (740 for all four of them). That still leaves me 340 calories. I think I'm just going to be short today. Goal was 1700. Maybe I'll even just have one of each. Too many missed calories until 2:45p to make up. Tomorrow is a 1600 day.
On my 1900 day I used up 600 calories in protein drinks, I think I can get the same protein in 400.
I'm ready to write. My dream has always been to be a writer. But I guess out of everything, being a writer is what defines me. It's how I define myself. I may not have anything else, but I have my writing. I can't dance, I can't sing, I can't draw, I can't act, and I don't know if I can write, but of anything I do, I do writing the best. So I define myself as a writer, as who I am inside. So what happens if I write something and it sucks, it never sells, and it turns I can't even write? What do I have left if I lose the one thing that I've always relied on to be there for me, to BE me? But I'm strong enough now that I can lose the one piece that I have always used to identify myself and be ok at the other end. I am ready to write because I'm ready to fail at it. I'm ready to lose being a Writer. As a result of the past four months, of course.
It's amazing that I've only gone to GX classes just over four months. My life is changing in other areas that I don't write about (and don't plan to; I've mentioned before that this blog is the censored version and I plan to keep it that way). It's a work in progress. But I don't think you can embark in a journey to better yourself physically without bettering yourself emotionally, mentally, and spiritually at the same time. It all comes bundled together. So you pretty much embark on a mission to make yourself the best you you can be.
I am still terrified of teaching. But part of me "knows" I will be a GX instructor one day. I want to do all this to someone else. I want to pass it on. It's more of a duty, something I have to do. I was given this, now I have to give it to somebody else. So I'm going to have to get over my fear of making mistakes and my shyness being the center of attention in a crowd. It's almost as if you're just a vessel for the mission to propagate. But there's no way to keep this gift all to yourself. It has to be passed on.
I'm starting to hear inspirational more and more, from more and more people. I've never thought of myself as an inspiration, even now. You know who the inspiration are? The GX instructors. They are the ones that should be getting ALL of the credit, not me. I would have quit a long ago if it wasn't for them. I don't take classes, I take people. It's funny because for the triathlon running now I have to rely on myself, and it's hard. It's hard for me to exercise by myself and I don't enjoy it that much. I do enjoy running, which makes it easier. But it's funny that I exercised by myself for two months in order to be ready to exercise with people and then I exercised with people for four months in order to be ready to exercise by myself. Full circle.
SUNDAY 9.30a Agassi Cycle Eliza 66/601/45, 159/84, 139/74
// Dallas out of town, saw Eliza Saturday on the way to Lift and wanted to try her. I better not like her. Sunday is Dallas time. Who am I kidding. I'll figure out how to fit Eliza in on Monday.
Loved Eliza. Forgot to turn off the monitor but not by much, the class passed the one hour mark so at most if was six minutes. VERY close to 600. Let's compare the heart rate's with Dallas' Wednesday class:
166/88, 144/76
Very close. Dallas still gave me higher. But I found Eliza tough, which is good. Dallas is just too much fun to be tough. I'm going to figure out how I can fit Eliza and Leanna in while keeping 2 Dallases.
So I have 2 resolutions for 2010.
#1 is to go to at least one GX class every day of the year. So far, so good. I will have to go to LVAC when 24HF closes like Christmas Day. There are two main things I need to do to insure I can do this: #1: Not get sick, and #2: Not get injured. So I have to eat right and start sleeping more and once I get the test results back, see how the iron is and start taking vitamin supplements. I'm going to have to get over my psychological aversion to Yoga, as it will keep me stretched and elongate the muscles, further strengthening them.
#2 is to do 1 pullup. I found this awesome assisted pullup machine at LVAC. No bells or whistles but does exactly what I need. The one thing I wish it had was weight increments of 5 lbs instead of every 15 lbs (or maybe it does and I haven't figured it out yet). So I'm able to do it with an assist of 100 lbs but not 85 lbs, and I weight 166 lbs. So I can pull 66 lbs but not 81 lbs. If I get down to 110 lbs this year that means I have to be able to lift 44 more lbs to get from 66 to 110. So lose about another 56 lbs (49 lbs lost so far, almost halfway) and gain 44 lbs more of muscle-pulling ability.
My motto is "One-ten in twenty-ten."
Plan to post updates twice a month, starting with the 31st of this month.
I'm close enough to 165 lbs that I'm going for 1650 average cals consumed a day (I calculate my basal metabolism as weight * 10). Down from a current 1700. Zig-zag for next week:
1525
1625
1725
1825
1725
1625
1525
total 11575, average 1652/day. 75 less calories a day per 5 or so lbs lost.
Just for fun, this would be goal (110 lbs, 1100 cals a day).
1000
1100
1200
1300
1200
1100
1000
Total 7900/week, 1128 + whatever I burn to maintain
1000 may seem low, but here's what a 1000 day looks like:
Cheese wrap (250), 50 cherries (200), 2 egg wraps (405), apple (95), peach (70), 1045 calories
That's 6 "meals" a day. Taking away 6 hours sleep, that's something to eat every 3 hours at least. And this week for example I burned 6606 calories, that's an extra 943 calories a day to maintain, or almost double. If I just take one class a day that's at least an extra 300 calories or pistacchios and a banana. And those are just my low calorie days. And I plan to put on quite a bit of muscle, which will allow me to eat more at rest (without taking into account physical activity).
_________________________________
FOOD
1600 1700 1800 1900 1800 1700 1600
Monday: 2 cheese wraps (500), 2 egg wraps (400), 2 Pistacchios (340), 22 cherries (88), protein bar (180), pear (95), total 1603
Tuesday: Pear (95), 17 strawberries (153), cheese wrap X 2 (500), pistacchios (170), 3 egg wraps (605), raspberries (90), 1 peach (70), total 1683
Wednesday: 3 peaches (210), turkey footlong (560), cheese wrap X 2 (500), pistacchios (170), salmon (150), 2 chunky fruit juices (240), total 1830
Thursday: Cheese wrap (250), pistacchios (170), protein drink (300), protein drink (300), 6 oz raspberries (83), Albertson's Multi-grain pasta X 4 (888), total 1991 (goal 1900)
Friday: Cheese wrap (250), pistacchios (170), raspberries (82), pasta (220), fruit drink (110), partial total 832. For dinner has 2 bowls of soup (nothing in it), three pieces of chicken (no skin), four chicken patties, and fruit. Calling it 1000 calories and calling it 1832 for the day.
Saturday: (goal 1700) 2 X protein drink (280), 2 protein bar (360), cheese wrap (250), 6 oz raspberries (80), pistacchios (170), 2 X fruit juice with fruit pieces (220), total 1360 (had blood drawn for 4-month bloodwork results, fasted until 2:45p (out of work at 8a, gym 9a to 11a, back home to find missing paperwork, 2 hours wait time at the lab, getting back home and preparing food)).
Sunday: 23 strawberries (207 calories), 77 cherries (308 calories), protein drink (190), protein bar (180), cheese wrap (250), chips (200), pistacchios (170), 4 sugar-free Jello (40), total 1545 (goal 1525)
_________________________
1603, 1683, 1830, 1991, 1832, 1360, 1545, total for the week estimated 11844, average 1695/day
2014 cals burned at rest a day (based on 166 lbs), 14098 a week
Weekly totals: 19 classes, 8818 gross cals - 228 (forgot to turn off monitor), 1065 minutes - 40 (forgot to turn off monitor) = 8590 gross cals, 1025 minutes, 7103 net cals
14098 - 11844 + 7103 = 9357 caloric deficit, goal 7000
Another week come and gone. Bring on the next week.
Monday, December 28th, 2009 - Sunday, January 3rd, 2010
MONDAY morning - I really like Mondays nowadays, favorite day of the week for me. It's a fresh new week, with a week's worth of classes to look forward to. By the time we get to the weekend, the week feels old and stale. Really happy about TKB yesterday, finally felt in tune with the class after about a week of feeling off. Still have cold symptoms (everyone it seems is sick with the flu... I wonder if I have a mild case of something for about 3 weeks now instead of something stronger because of all the exercising). I've been so hungry lately. I try to space my meals and I try not to be hungry, and the trick is making those of two things happen at the same time. Going to shoot for 1700 a day this week. I always feel like a meal behind, like if I added a 100 calorie something I would catch up. Maybe I'll have to try going one day to 1800 and the rest at 1700. Heavy day today, with TK and SET in the morning, then an hour rest until Lift, then six hours rest until another TK and SET. New combo - Michelle and SET. I think TK is edging out Zumba as favorite class right now, and SET is giving Lift a run for its money. I'm going to try Core Central with Kathy this Wednesday and it seems the class has weights, which I didn't know. So now I have four weights classes, Lift, SET, PowerSculpt, and Core Central, although it seems I just add to Lift days instead of replacing. Never done three weights in one day, so this is a bit of an experiment. Depending on how I feel at the end I'll decide whether to repeat it or not. 24T going on on Thursday, right before mom comes back from an extended trip overseas. She hasn't seen me since the day before I started going to the gym, about 44 lbs ago.
This past couple of weeks I've stopped losing. I'm not worried yet as I added Spin and heavy weights. I'm keeping a close eye on it. If it's just muscle I'm building, it will peter out eventually and then all that extra muscle will burn the rest of the fat off. So if you're going to try to add muscle while losing weight you're going to have to need the patience and the faith that you're not gaining fat and actually making progress while the scale doesn't move, so I lost the scale. Waist has same measurement. Haven't done arms and legs lately. I think I have more muscle in my legs. I wish there was an accurate way to measure muscle-building progress other than doing the "right" things (eating enough and right, going heavy) and hope it all works out in the end. I'm at a stage where the positive reinforcement (i.e. the scale going down) stops and you just go to the gym just because you go. But that's enough for me, nowadays I'm either at the gym or writing on Facebook how I miss the gym. I feel great when I go and love pushing myself harder and harder each time. I can't wait until I'm 110 lbs and can start doing what I want in class instead of what I can.
I start preparing for the triathlon in a week. Running is going to be the hardest, but I'm up for the challenge. I have to conquer running once and for all. I can take 3 classes back to back but I get winded after one minute of running; it's the darndest thing. I just can't run. So I'm going to do the Couch25K program (and the running portion of the triathlon is conveniently 5K) which takes you from no running to running 5K, and my training window is 18 weeks, conveniently twice the length of the program, so I can do it once. That program is about 30 minutes three times a week. It's also 30K bike ride. Have to ask Dallas on Wednesday about how many kilometers we bike in a class to get an idea. Got a bike pump and a helmet so I can get the bike ready and start training on the park next to the house three times a week. Thinking of starting with 2K and adding 2K a week, so I'll be doing 36K by the end of the training period. It's 32 laps swimming, so I plan to start with 2 laps and add 2 a week, making it 36 laps at the end of the training period. Plan to do that three times a week also. Plan to do them on the same day but not necessarily together. At the end of 4 weeks I will try a quarter of the whole thing together, at the end of another 4 weeks half of the whole thing together, and the end of week 12 three quarters of the whole thing together, at the end of 16 weeks the whole thing together, and then three weeks rest until the triathlon. Wasn't planning to do a triathlon this soon but why the heck not. Thinking of renting a pro bike for the day if it's not too expensive ($60 or less or so for the day).
MONDAY 9a Sahara Michelle TurboKick 57/526/45, 163/86, 140/74
MONDAY 10a Sahara Michelle SET 53/349/55, 148/78, 118/62
MONDAY 6.30p Ann TurboKick Kathy 59/552/45, 165/87, 142/75
MONDAY 7.30p Ann SET Kathy 45/298/60, 149/79, 118/62 (monitor stopped working towards end of class)
TUESDAY morning - Had scheduled a Lift at noon but after that TurboKick/SET combo, I couldn't. I don't think I'm going to do combos with SET anymore, right now that's really a standalone class for me. That class really wears me out. Cardio/Lift or Cardio/Sculpt works. And TKB/Zumba. But the specific combination of TKB/SET is too much for me right now, especially twice in one day. Maybe if I haven't gotten a good workout that week and I want to go all out, but I'm going to try to stay away from it. The thing of pushing myself like in TKB/SET is that SET really suffers -and- so does the next class, usually. I don't perform well -and- further wear myself out. Better to rest and just go all out in the next class.
I decided to start using the handheld Omron bodyfat measuring device. 12/28 5:30p 34.5 % Body Fat, indicated at High. I'm almost positive I was at Very High when I was at around 205 lbs. I GAINED 3.5 pounds in the last ten days as of yesterday, from a lowest of 170.5 to 174 lbs yesterday. Curious to see what it's like this morning. I won't do BF again until two weeks from yesterday. Even if the reading itself isn't accurate, it should be as inaccurate every reading, so I'll be able to see progress (or the lack thereof). It's important for me to have some numeric representation of how I'm doing so that I know if I need to adjust what I'm doing.
I'm having a hard time with the calories. Yesterday I ate over 1900. So I don't know if to go for 1900 a day, missing the 7k weekly caloric deficit, and suffer from no hunger, or go a little hungry and hit 1700 and the 7k deficit. Still mulling that out. Today I did something different in that I brought no food to work on purpose and after five hours, I'm not hungry at all. I think I'm going to stop eating at work and just have all my calories at home, with a meal right before work and a meal right when I get home. If I go straight to the gym I'll just take a protein drink with me.
Mom comes back in two days. She hasn't since me since BG (Before Gym). Numerically I'm 41 lbs lighter counting the 3.5 lbs I gained back. She has seen pictures on Facebook but I don't think it's the same. That will be interesting. My family gets together and eats, that's what it does. Hispanic Jews. My family loves food. As do I, I just like a different kind of food.
I've been reading about fasting and I want to start reading more about it, I haven't found any site that talks about it being negative, it's just praise after praise. I could write a bunch about it but your body basically first releases gunked up toxins into the blood for energy, and eventually burns it off or just expels it next time you eat, so it's great in order to get rid of toxins. Then it uses up all glycogen in the bloodstream, THEN it goes a bit for muscle and also a lot for fat. So if you have a good workout and weighlifting regimen you shouldn't worry about muscle loss (after all, muscle is being broken down -all- the time). Also just ordered The Warrior Diet on Amazon about eating light throughout the day and heavy at night, worth a read.
So right now I'm kind of in a holding position for the next couple of weeks, and wondering if I eat to a caloric deficit or to a point of no hunger.
TUESDAY 9a TurboKick Kathy 56/541/40,170/90, 145/77
TUESDAY 10a Pilates Rachel 60/299/60, 126/67, 106/56
TUESDAY 6.30p TurboKick Donalin 57/509/45, 164/87, 139/74
What is keeping you right now from being the perfect version of yourself? Neat and tidy house, even temper, no procrastination, etc. What keeps us from making choices that are good for us, what keeps us stuck in situations we want to get out of? Change seems so simple. You want to be tidier, or neater, or a better dancer, or go hiking, or a better parent, or a better listener, or lose weight, or gain muscle, or make new friends, or achieve a particular goal. And the step or steps are really so simple and so within your reach. But for whatever reason it never gets done. Fear? What is it that we are so scared of? Failing? Is it better to have a dream that you -could- change if you wanted to than to try and fail? And what happens if we really are never good enough?
I thought of something in the car on the way back from the gym. Let's say you come across the chance to do something that will change your life. Something that terrifies you. You are on the cusp of finally breaking free if you could reach out and do it. And you don't. And you freeze. Next time, repeat after me: You have two seconds to figure out what's scaring you and two seconds to get over it. Go. Isn't it really that simple? And yet why don't we? Simple vs. easy. Most things in life really are simple, few are easy. What is that invisible wall that is always seeming to keep us from what it is that we want to do to become the people we want to be doing the things we really want to do?
WEDNESDAY 8a Cycle Dallas 57/572/40 163/86 146/77
WEDNESDAY 10a Ann Zumba Donalin 55/504/45 171/90 140/74
Ok, so one of two things is happening. I either hit my first plateau or I'm gaining muscle because of the heavy weights and spinning. I measured my body fst % on Monday and will measure again in two week's time. Today I'm starting what's called a zig-zag diet, which is just varying the amount of calories you consume in a day to keep your body from plateauing.
For the past two weeks or so I've been at 170.5-174, with a current of 173.
The good thing about all this is what if something's not working, you just change, even from one day to the next. I have to figure out how to break plateaus (and even if I'm in one) and how to measure muscle mass progress, and I've started both, now it's just a matter of waiting a week and a half to see what the results were'
I'm using an Omron body fat monitor. Even if the number itself is not accurate, it should be as innacurate every single time, making it easy to track progress. I have a little rant about insurance companies. They should cover the cost of at least one DEXA scan per year (measures body fat and muscle mass accurately). Aren't I saving them uncountable money in future medical bills? So I got the body fat taken care of. Here's the caloric breakdown for the rest of the week:
W: 1600
Th: 1700
F: 1500
Sa: 1800
Su: 1600
WEDNESDAY 5.30p Craig Core Central Kathy 61/282/60, 138/73, 103/55
WEDNESDAY 6.30 Craig Zumba Donalin 55/489/50, 195/103, 137/72
FINALLY went down. FINALLY. New lowest weight, 168.5. Went down some inches throughout my body. Extremely pleased. Day 2 of Zig-zagging, 1700 calories today. Slept 8 glorious hours. My New Year's Resolution is to sleep more.
THURSDAY 9a Agassi TurboKick Rachel 66/590/45, 160/85, 139/74
FRIDAY 12:30p LVAC/Sahara Zumba Olga 64/574/45, 173/92, 138/73
I was going to do Spin with Leanna but all the bikes were taken, so I was turned away. 24HF had no classes after 11a, so I was out of luck for the day. I was a bit pissed. I really wanted to take the spin class. So I drive home and since LVAC is on the way I drop by to see if there's any classes. There isn't (the last ones were already over their halfway mark and I don't do Yoga at noon), but there's a 12:30p Zumba at another location. Who was teaching it? Olga!! Taking her class again made me realize how much I missed it. I'm going to restart going to LVAC and taking her mostly. Only thinking 3 LVAC classes or so a week. So 24 HF turned be away and right into LVAC's open arms. No worries, I still like 24HF better. I'm so glad I got my workout in.
I ate emotionally today. I was waiting to go to class at the other location and I was pissed at not being able to take the spin class so I ate a 16oz cup of plain yogurt with real fruit pieces and assorted nuts. I enjoyed the hell out of it. But I'm even more pissed because I let myself eat emotionally, I hadn't done that in a long time, and it depresses me that I'm not stronger than my emotions and that I have to turn to food to make myself feel better. It's not what I ate, I'll live eating yogurt, fruit, and nuts, it's eating to make myself feel better that's pissing me off. And on the first day of the new year, too. Great start to twenty-ten (sarcasm). Still keeping to around 1500 calories for the day, I'm overestimating the calories on that yogurt to 400. But I had Olga again and realized how much I missed her class and met another spunky instructor, Lola. Haven't taken her class but I like her already. So now my LVAC favorite instructors are up to 3. I really like outgoing personalities, the ones that don't mind putting on a show. That's why I like going to shows so much, also. I'm not like that and I don't get like that around people like that, but I like being around that. Poster child of that type of personality is Dallas. It just brings up the energy in the room tremendously.
So I woke up to 169 lbs, missed a workout, ate emotionally, made up the workout, still pissed and depressed. I'm off to bed (I do work tonight so that's an excuse to sleep ..............). Doing English only at work tonight (got stuck with it, I normally do Spanish/English, mostly Spanish... they're giving me a temp login for the occasion). So Jan first wasn't that great of a day, let's see what Jan 2nd brings.
This is the first year that I really looked forward to the new year. All other years I was indifferent, it was just a new year. I can finally stop saying "My dad died this year." It's a little thing, but it's a big difference. I can leave that horrible year behind. And I do think that time helps. I don't think time heals all wounds, but I do think it numbs them. Something broke when my dad died that can never be put back together again, but maybe it can be mended with glue so it's almost the same. So many things have changed and I have changed so much in ways that make it impossible to go back to the way things were. So, for the first time in my life, I looked forward to a new year. And the first day sucked.
Going to try to sleep more this year. Debbie out.
SATURDAY 9a Agassi Lift Mai 55/265/60, 127/67, 104/55
SATURDAY 10a Agassi TurboKick Kelly 54/538/35, 172/91, 149/79
The thinner I get, the fatter I think I look and feel. I guess what fat is left is more noticeable in a smaller package. Stuck at 169lbs with a lowest of 168.5. 17 days, 2 lbs lost. Fat % seems to remain the same. Lost some inches. I measured myself on the 30th, plan to do it again mid-month and end-of month from now on. Plan to record weight, inches, and fat %. Hoping SOMEthing starts moving soon.
I realized I will need plastic surgery. It's not a question of vanity but necessity. Skin's not retracting. I never thought I was the kind of person who would get plastic surgery. I'm not against people who do, it's a personal choice, it just wasn't a personal for me until now. It just saddens and ticks me off at the same time that I caused permanent physical damage to my body by allowing myself to go to 230 lbs.
Time to recommit. Time to go harder from now on that I've gone before. I'm watching the food and eating tons of fruit so that can stay the same.
SUNDAY 9a Sahara Cycle Dallas 58/615/35, 172/91, 153/81
FINALLY broke 1600 on the bike. But now I know what I need to do to break 1600 (go faster than I thought I could). Getting some spin shows Tuesday before the next spinning class. It felt awesome, and felt like I was going to pass out a few times in the class. I'm actually surprised I only went to 91, I thought this was going to be my highest peak. It's my highest average but not my much, Kelly's average was very close.
SUNDAY NIGHT - I find that this whole working out thing is spilling over into other parts of my life and I find myself doing things I've never done before. This is going to be one of those general, not-in-detail things, but today was good. The impact that 24HF has had in my life is just barely showing itself. I may have found my most favorite corporation in the world. And I certainly want to do something to help other people change; trainer, instructor, motivational speaker, etc. SOMEthing.
Week over. Start over tomorrow. Still holding around 169 lbs, not losing weight, going to write final weight in about 3 hours. Have my body fat % and inches measured so that I can do it again on the 15th.
Total so far: 16 classes, 7503 gross cals, 904 mins, 6183 net cals.
_____________________
FOOD
Monday: 15 strawberries (135), 2 bananas (210), 2 shakes (380), protein bar (180), cheese wrap (250), 3 egg wraps (610), Pistacchios (170), total 1935
Tuesday: Shake (190), cheese wrap (250), Pistacchios (170), 2 Turkey Breast Footlongs (1120), protein bar (180), 19 strawberries (171), total 2081
Wednesday: 2 apples (190), 2 protein bars (360), 3 cheese wraps (750), 2 serving Pistacchios (340), total 1640
Thursday: 1 serving Pistacchios (170), cheese wrap (250), 6 oz blueberries (100), 2 egg wraps (420), 4 chips (20), Apex Brownie Delight (230), total so far 1190, goal 1700 for the day. Had tilapia, some meat, and some turkey, one crab leg, and 2 oysters for dinner. Calling it 1700 for the day.
Friday: 1 serving Pistacchios (170), cheese wrap (250), egg wrap (200), yogurt with nuts and fruit (calling it 400), 25 cherries (100), 2 egg wraps (410), total 1530
Saturday: 51 cherries 204, 16 strawberries 144, cheese wrap 250, protein bar 180, pistacchios (170), banana (105), peach 70, 2 egg wraps 410, total 1533
Sunday: 3 peaches (210), banana (105), egg wrap (200), cheese wrap (250), Pistacchios (170), protein bar (180), 40 grapes (80), apple (95), banana (105), total 1395. I couldn't make myself eat more.
1935, 2081, 1640, 1700, 1530, 1533, 1395, total 11814
Lowest weight of the week: 168.5 lbs. 2030 calories burned a day (based on 168 lbs), 14210 a week.
14210 - 11814 + 6183 = 8579 caloric deficit
This past couple of weeks I've stopped losing. I'm not worried yet as I added Spin and heavy weights. I'm keeping a close eye on it. If it's just muscle I'm building, it will peter out eventually and then all that extra muscle will burn the rest of the fat off. So if you're going to try to add muscle while losing weight you're going to have to need the patience and the faith that you're not gaining fat and actually making progress while the scale doesn't move, so I lost the scale. Waist has same measurement. Haven't done arms and legs lately. I think I have more muscle in my legs. I wish there was an accurate way to measure muscle-building progress other than doing the "right" things (eating enough and right, going heavy) and hope it all works out in the end. I'm at a stage where the positive reinforcement (i.e. the scale going down) stops and you just go to the gym just because you go. But that's enough for me, nowadays I'm either at the gym or writing on Facebook how I miss the gym. I feel great when I go and love pushing myself harder and harder each time. I can't wait until I'm 110 lbs and can start doing what I want in class instead of what I can.
I start preparing for the triathlon in a week. Running is going to be the hardest, but I'm up for the challenge. I have to conquer running once and for all. I can take 3 classes back to back but I get winded after one minute of running; it's the darndest thing. I just can't run. So I'm going to do the Couch25K program (and the running portion of the triathlon is conveniently 5K) which takes you from no running to running 5K, and my training window is 18 weeks, conveniently twice the length of the program, so I can do it once. That program is about 30 minutes three times a week. It's also 30K bike ride. Have to ask Dallas on Wednesday about how many kilometers we bike in a class to get an idea. Got a bike pump and a helmet so I can get the bike ready and start training on the park next to the house three times a week. Thinking of starting with 2K and adding 2K a week, so I'll be doing 36K by the end of the training period. It's 32 laps swimming, so I plan to start with 2 laps and add 2 a week, making it 36 laps at the end of the training period. Plan to do that three times a week also. Plan to do them on the same day but not necessarily together. At the end of 4 weeks I will try a quarter of the whole thing together, at the end of another 4 weeks half of the whole thing together, and the end of week 12 three quarters of the whole thing together, at the end of 16 weeks the whole thing together, and then three weeks rest until the triathlon. Wasn't planning to do a triathlon this soon but why the heck not. Thinking of renting a pro bike for the day if it's not too expensive ($60 or less or so for the day).
MONDAY 9a Sahara Michelle TurboKick 57/526/45, 163/86, 140/74
MONDAY 10a Sahara Michelle SET 53/349/55, 148/78, 118/62
MONDAY 6.30p Ann TurboKick Kathy 59/552/45, 165/87, 142/75
MONDAY 7.30p Ann SET Kathy 45/298/60, 149/79, 118/62 (monitor stopped working towards end of class)
TUESDAY morning - Had scheduled a Lift at noon but after that TurboKick/SET combo, I couldn't. I don't think I'm going to do combos with SET anymore, right now that's really a standalone class for me. That class really wears me out. Cardio/Lift or Cardio/Sculpt works. And TKB/Zumba. But the specific combination of TKB/SET is too much for me right now, especially twice in one day. Maybe if I haven't gotten a good workout that week and I want to go all out, but I'm going to try to stay away from it. The thing of pushing myself like in TKB/SET is that SET really suffers -and- so does the next class, usually. I don't perform well -and- further wear myself out. Better to rest and just go all out in the next class.
I decided to start using the handheld Omron bodyfat measuring device. 12/28 5:30p 34.5 % Body Fat, indicated at High. I'm almost positive I was at Very High when I was at around 205 lbs. I GAINED 3.5 pounds in the last ten days as of yesterday, from a lowest of 170.5 to 174 lbs yesterday. Curious to see what it's like this morning. I won't do BF again until two weeks from yesterday. Even if the reading itself isn't accurate, it should be as inaccurate every reading, so I'll be able to see progress (or the lack thereof). It's important for me to have some numeric representation of how I'm doing so that I know if I need to adjust what I'm doing.
I'm having a hard time with the calories. Yesterday I ate over 1900. So I don't know if to go for 1900 a day, missing the 7k weekly caloric deficit, and suffer from no hunger, or go a little hungry and hit 1700 and the 7k deficit. Still mulling that out. Today I did something different in that I brought no food to work on purpose and after five hours, I'm not hungry at all. I think I'm going to stop eating at work and just have all my calories at home, with a meal right before work and a meal right when I get home. If I go straight to the gym I'll just take a protein drink with me.
Mom comes back in two days. She hasn't since me since BG (Before Gym). Numerically I'm 41 lbs lighter counting the 3.5 lbs I gained back. She has seen pictures on Facebook but I don't think it's the same. That will be interesting. My family gets together and eats, that's what it does. Hispanic Jews. My family loves food. As do I, I just like a different kind of food.
I've been reading about fasting and I want to start reading more about it, I haven't found any site that talks about it being negative, it's just praise after praise. I could write a bunch about it but your body basically first releases gunked up toxins into the blood for energy, and eventually burns it off or just expels it next time you eat, so it's great in order to get rid of toxins. Then it uses up all glycogen in the bloodstream, THEN it goes a bit for muscle and also a lot for fat. So if you have a good workout and weighlifting regimen you shouldn't worry about muscle loss (after all, muscle is being broken down -all- the time). Also just ordered The Warrior Diet on Amazon about eating light throughout the day and heavy at night, worth a read.
So right now I'm kind of in a holding position for the next couple of weeks, and wondering if I eat to a caloric deficit or to a point of no hunger.
TUESDAY 9a TurboKick Kathy 56/541/40,170/90, 145/77
TUESDAY 10a Pilates Rachel 60/299/60, 126/67, 106/56
TUESDAY 6.30p TurboKick Donalin 57/509/45, 164/87, 139/74
What is keeping you right now from being the perfect version of yourself? Neat and tidy house, even temper, no procrastination, etc. What keeps us from making choices that are good for us, what keeps us stuck in situations we want to get out of? Change seems so simple. You want to be tidier, or neater, or a better dancer, or go hiking, or a better parent, or a better listener, or lose weight, or gain muscle, or make new friends, or achieve a particular goal. And the step or steps are really so simple and so within your reach. But for whatever reason it never gets done. Fear? What is it that we are so scared of? Failing? Is it better to have a dream that you -could- change if you wanted to than to try and fail? And what happens if we really are never good enough?
I thought of something in the car on the way back from the gym. Let's say you come across the chance to do something that will change your life. Something that terrifies you. You are on the cusp of finally breaking free if you could reach out and do it. And you don't. And you freeze. Next time, repeat after me: You have two seconds to figure out what's scaring you and two seconds to get over it. Go. Isn't it really that simple? And yet why don't we? Simple vs. easy. Most things in life really are simple, few are easy. What is that invisible wall that is always seeming to keep us from what it is that we want to do to become the people we want to be doing the things we really want to do?
WEDNESDAY 8a Cycle Dallas 57/572/40 163/86 146/77
WEDNESDAY 10a Ann Zumba Donalin 55/504/45 171/90 140/74
Ok, so one of two things is happening. I either hit my first plateau or I'm gaining muscle because of the heavy weights and spinning. I measured my body fst % on Monday and will measure again in two week's time. Today I'm starting what's called a zig-zag diet, which is just varying the amount of calories you consume in a day to keep your body from plateauing.
For the past two weeks or so I've been at 170.5-174, with a current of 173.
The good thing about all this is what if something's not working, you just change, even from one day to the next. I have to figure out how to break plateaus (and even if I'm in one) and how to measure muscle mass progress, and I've started both, now it's just a matter of waiting a week and a half to see what the results were'
I'm using an Omron body fat monitor. Even if the number itself is not accurate, it should be as innacurate every single time, making it easy to track progress. I have a little rant about insurance companies. They should cover the cost of at least one DEXA scan per year (measures body fat and muscle mass accurately). Aren't I saving them uncountable money in future medical bills? So I got the body fat taken care of. Here's the caloric breakdown for the rest of the week:
W: 1600
Th: 1700
F: 1500
Sa: 1800
Su: 1600
WEDNESDAY 5.30p Craig Core Central Kathy 61/282/60, 138/73, 103/55
WEDNESDAY 6.30 Craig Zumba Donalin 55/489/50, 195/103, 137/72
FINALLY went down. FINALLY. New lowest weight, 168.5. Went down some inches throughout my body. Extremely pleased. Day 2 of Zig-zagging, 1700 calories today. Slept 8 glorious hours. My New Year's Resolution is to sleep more.
THURSDAY 9a Agassi TurboKick Rachel 66/590/45, 160/85, 139/74
FRIDAY 12:30p LVAC/Sahara Zumba Olga 64/574/45, 173/92, 138/73
I was going to do Spin with Leanna but all the bikes were taken, so I was turned away. 24HF had no classes after 11a, so I was out of luck for the day. I was a bit pissed. I really wanted to take the spin class. So I drive home and since LVAC is on the way I drop by to see if there's any classes. There isn't (the last ones were already over their halfway mark and I don't do Yoga at noon), but there's a 12:30p Zumba at another location. Who was teaching it? Olga!! Taking her class again made me realize how much I missed it. I'm going to restart going to LVAC and taking her mostly. Only thinking 3 LVAC classes or so a week. So 24 HF turned be away and right into LVAC's open arms. No worries, I still like 24HF better. I'm so glad I got my workout in.
I ate emotionally today. I was waiting to go to class at the other location and I was pissed at not being able to take the spin class so I ate a 16oz cup of plain yogurt with real fruit pieces and assorted nuts. I enjoyed the hell out of it. But I'm even more pissed because I let myself eat emotionally, I hadn't done that in a long time, and it depresses me that I'm not stronger than my emotions and that I have to turn to food to make myself feel better. It's not what I ate, I'll live eating yogurt, fruit, and nuts, it's eating to make myself feel better that's pissing me off. And on the first day of the new year, too. Great start to twenty-ten (sarcasm). Still keeping to around 1500 calories for the day, I'm overestimating the calories on that yogurt to 400. But I had Olga again and realized how much I missed her class and met another spunky instructor, Lola. Haven't taken her class but I like her already. So now my LVAC favorite instructors are up to 3. I really like outgoing personalities, the ones that don't mind putting on a show. That's why I like going to shows so much, also. I'm not like that and I don't get like that around people like that, but I like being around that. Poster child of that type of personality is Dallas. It just brings up the energy in the room tremendously.
So I woke up to 169 lbs, missed a workout, ate emotionally, made up the workout, still pissed and depressed. I'm off to bed (I do work tonight so that's an excuse to sleep ..............). Doing English only at work tonight (got stuck with it, I normally do Spanish/English, mostly Spanish... they're giving me a temp login for the occasion). So Jan first wasn't that great of a day, let's see what Jan 2nd brings.
This is the first year that I really looked forward to the new year. All other years I was indifferent, it was just a new year. I can finally stop saying "My dad died this year." It's a little thing, but it's a big difference. I can leave that horrible year behind. And I do think that time helps. I don't think time heals all wounds, but I do think it numbs them. Something broke when my dad died that can never be put back together again, but maybe it can be mended with glue so it's almost the same. So many things have changed and I have changed so much in ways that make it impossible to go back to the way things were. So, for the first time in my life, I looked forward to a new year. And the first day sucked.
Going to try to sleep more this year. Debbie out.
SATURDAY 9a Agassi Lift Mai 55/265/60, 127/67, 104/55
SATURDAY 10a Agassi TurboKick Kelly 54/538/35, 172/91, 149/79
The thinner I get, the fatter I think I look and feel. I guess what fat is left is more noticeable in a smaller package. Stuck at 169lbs with a lowest of 168.5. 17 days, 2 lbs lost. Fat % seems to remain the same. Lost some inches. I measured myself on the 30th, plan to do it again mid-month and end-of month from now on. Plan to record weight, inches, and fat %. Hoping SOMEthing starts moving soon.
I realized I will need plastic surgery. It's not a question of vanity but necessity. Skin's not retracting. I never thought I was the kind of person who would get plastic surgery. I'm not against people who do, it's a personal choice, it just wasn't a personal for me until now. It just saddens and ticks me off at the same time that I caused permanent physical damage to my body by allowing myself to go to 230 lbs.
Time to recommit. Time to go harder from now on that I've gone before. I'm watching the food and eating tons of fruit so that can stay the same.
SUNDAY 9a Sahara Cycle Dallas 58/615/35, 172/91, 153/81
FINALLY broke 1600 on the bike. But now I know what I need to do to break 1600 (go faster than I thought I could). Getting some spin shows Tuesday before the next spinning class. It felt awesome, and felt like I was going to pass out a few times in the class. I'm actually surprised I only went to 91, I thought this was going to be my highest peak. It's my highest average but not my much, Kelly's average was very close.
SUNDAY NIGHT - I find that this whole working out thing is spilling over into other parts of my life and I find myself doing things I've never done before. This is going to be one of those general, not-in-detail things, but today was good. The impact that 24HF has had in my life is just barely showing itself. I may have found my most favorite corporation in the world. And I certainly want to do something to help other people change; trainer, instructor, motivational speaker, etc. SOMEthing.
Week over. Start over tomorrow. Still holding around 169 lbs, not losing weight, going to write final weight in about 3 hours. Have my body fat % and inches measured so that I can do it again on the 15th.
Total so far: 16 classes, 7503 gross cals, 904 mins, 6183 net cals.
_____________________
FOOD
Monday: 15 strawberries (135), 2 bananas (210), 2 shakes (380), protein bar (180), cheese wrap (250), 3 egg wraps (610), Pistacchios (170), total 1935
Tuesday: Shake (190), cheese wrap (250), Pistacchios (170), 2 Turkey Breast Footlongs (1120), protein bar (180), 19 strawberries (171), total 2081
Wednesday: 2 apples (190), 2 protein bars (360), 3 cheese wraps (750), 2 serving Pistacchios (340), total 1640
Thursday: 1 serving Pistacchios (170), cheese wrap (250), 6 oz blueberries (100), 2 egg wraps (420), 4 chips (20), Apex Brownie Delight (230), total so far 1190, goal 1700 for the day. Had tilapia, some meat, and some turkey, one crab leg, and 2 oysters for dinner. Calling it 1700 for the day.
Friday: 1 serving Pistacchios (170), cheese wrap (250), egg wrap (200), yogurt with nuts and fruit (calling it 400), 25 cherries (100), 2 egg wraps (410), total 1530
Saturday: 51 cherries 204, 16 strawberries 144, cheese wrap 250, protein bar 180, pistacchios (170), banana (105), peach 70, 2 egg wraps 410, total 1533
Sunday: 3 peaches (210), banana (105), egg wrap (200), cheese wrap (250), Pistacchios (170), protein bar (180), 40 grapes (80), apple (95), banana (105), total 1395. I couldn't make myself eat more.
1935, 2081, 1640, 1700, 1530, 1533, 1395, total 11814
Lowest weight of the week: 168.5 lbs. 2030 calories burned a day (based on 168 lbs), 14210 a week.
14210 - 11814 + 6183 = 8579 caloric deficit
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Introduction - notes on the blog posts.
At first I just put some info here and then more detailed stats but it wasn't until the 24 classes post that I started really blogging and I liked it so much that I kept doing it the next week (this week) and plan to continue it. I like to have a snapshot of the changes inside as well as the changes outside. I don't think I missed much because I think while the changes were preparing to happen, most of them started actually happening last week, so I got it all on record.
Here's my mantra: Safety first. Know your body, know your limits, live your body. Don't do what you should do, do what you can do.
Keep that in mind as you read what I write. I am not about to land myself in a hospital. If you're going to push your body hard, you have to build it up with food, rest, and care. Food is my friend. Helps me to manipulate my body.
I refer a lot to things that happen in the past so you may be a bit lost sometimes if you start reading from the middle of what I write. It's a continuous running commentary.
One important thing is that the one thing I believe in is to be constantly changing, evolving, learning, researching. I started eating just about 1100 calories a day because that's about how much filled me up, then upped it to 1300 in preparation for heavy weights, then 1500, then 1600, now 1700-1800. I was a firm believer of 40-40-20 protein/carbs/fat, but now I lean more towards 25-55-20 protein/carbs/fat. Just because I write something it doesn't mean I'm taking that belief to the grave. I like to listen and learn from people (and books and the web and magazines, etc.), and I will change my mind if the evidence warrants it. The one certain thing is that things are always changing. So just because I say something on one blog entry doesn't mean I won't be espousing the opposite view in the next one.
I log what I eat just to have a record, not to show people what to eat. I didn't set out to eat as healthy as possible, I set out to eat as healthy as I could. For one thing I've never eaten vegetables in my life. This blog is not about telling you what to do, this blog is about chronicling a life-changing journey and inviting you to share in it.
Have fun, do what you can do, and take care of your body so that your body can take of you.
Here's my mantra: Safety first. Know your body, know your limits, live your body. Don't do what you should do, do what you can do.
Keep that in mind as you read what I write. I am not about to land myself in a hospital. If you're going to push your body hard, you have to build it up with food, rest, and care. Food is my friend. Helps me to manipulate my body.
I refer a lot to things that happen in the past so you may be a bit lost sometimes if you start reading from the middle of what I write. It's a continuous running commentary.
One important thing is that the one thing I believe in is to be constantly changing, evolving, learning, researching. I started eating just about 1100 calories a day because that's about how much filled me up, then upped it to 1300 in preparation for heavy weights, then 1500, then 1600, now 1700-1800. I was a firm believer of 40-40-20 protein/carbs/fat, but now I lean more towards 25-55-20 protein/carbs/fat. Just because I write something it doesn't mean I'm taking that belief to the grave. I like to listen and learn from people (and books and the web and magazines, etc.), and I will change my mind if the evidence warrants it. The one certain thing is that things are always changing. So just because I say something on one blog entry doesn't mean I won't be espousing the opposite view in the next one.
I log what I eat just to have a record, not to show people what to eat. I didn't set out to eat as healthy as possible, I set out to eat as healthy as I could. For one thing I've never eaten vegetables in my life. This blog is not about telling you what to do, this blog is about chronicling a life-changing journey and inviting you to share in it.
Have fun, do what you can do, and take care of your body so that your body can take of you.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 21st, 2009 - Sunday, December 27th, 2009
Light week. They closed the gym on me on Christmas (Jewish here for anyone who's about to throw a humbug, and the gym was opened on Hannukah). And the day before is light.
MONDAY morning before classes: I'm reading the book Ultrametabolism and I think I'm a convert. It's not the amount we eat and not even the macros (carbs/protein/fat percentages), but where the calories come from; slow-absorbing or fast-absorbing. Just getting into the book so I'll be writing a lot about it. I had decided a couple of days ago to go from 1600 calories to 1700-1800 calories and the book suggests that your basal metabolic rate is weight with a zero at the end. That means don't go below that. And right now I'm 170.5-173, so 1700-1800 was actually perfect.
The topic of the day is mistakes. I've been thinking about mistakes a lot lately. And this is what I decided about the topic: None of us want to make mistakes. We have a decision to make and sometimes it's the wrong one. Or maybe we weren't brave enough to do something. But do we really ever want to fail? Do you wake up in the morning and go, "Gee, I want to screw up my life today." (and if you did, e-mail me or call 911!) No, we don't. We don't want to make mistakes, but sometimes we do. And sometimes we fail to act. I want to address both of those separately.
Making mistakes - since you didn't set out to make a mistake, why would you beat yourself up about it? Are you a bad person because you made a mistake? I don't think so. Sometimes we just make the wrong choice, but we don't want to make the wrong choice, it just works out that way. So why beat yourself up over something that you didn't mean to happen or at least happen in that way or for something you didn't mean to do? Learn from it, regroup, move on. Accept where you are at that point in time.
That last sentence ties into failing to act. Sometimes we wish we could do something but we don't. Maybe we're scared or anxious or think we can't do it. Don't beat yourself up over that either. I had a chance to do something back in 2006 and I didn't. And I wish I had. And I try not to beat myself up about it because I recognize that I wasn't ready and I didn't have the necessary experiences to take action. Sometimes we just can't. And that's ok. Allow yourself to Can't sometimes. Maybe it's something you'll never be able to do. In that case, are there alternatives? Maybe it's something you just can't do right now but may be able to do later. I have another chance now to do what I didn't back in 2006. And it's terrifying. But by now so many things have happened in the last six months and a half or so that really leave no alternative but to brave up and do it (and it's a good thing to do). Sometimes you just go through so many experiences and events that make you realize you can never go back to who you were back then. Not even because you don't want to, but because that person is not there any longer. Sometimes events change you irreversible (and depending on the changes this may be a good thing).
So allow yourself mistakes and indecisiveness. Sometimes it's just who you are and what you have and where you are at the time. And sometimes it changes and sometimes it doesn't. But if you didn't specifically set out to do the wrong thing, there's really no point in dwelling on it after learning as much as you can from it.
MONDAY 9a Sahara TurboKick Janet (first time) 54/641/30, 181/96, 161/85 (Six Turbos, good start for the week)
MONDAY Noon Agassi Lift Janine (spelling?) 54/357/60, 139/74, 118/62
Lift was TOUGH. Hardest class of any format I have taken at 24 Hour Fitness so far, even counting my first one. 90% of the exercises I had never done in Lift before and every other exercise involved upper AND lower body. And for some reason TurboKick wiped me out more than usual. I normally only have 200-250 calories between classes and this time I had 440 calories, and it took me 180 more after Lift to finally feel full. 4:23p and I've had about 1250 calories out of my allotted 1800. Egg wrap, 2 bananas, and an apple to go for today.
I just noticed yesterday that a health issue that, while not life-threatening, was annoying, is completely gone after pretty much a decade of existence. Multiple doctors provided no explanation of solution. Just poof, gone. Who knew it could be health-related? Quality Of Life + 10.
MONDAY 6.30p Craig SET Donalin 53/510/45, 165/87, 143/76
Great end to the day. Awesome Monday. I was really hungry today and really ate throughout the day. One banana and apple to go today and it's almost 9p. 1862 calories today. First day of seeing how 1800 calories works. Going to really study the glycemic index at work tonight. I think I figured out the key to nutrition. 1. Never eat below your weight * 10 (in my case 1700-1800) and eat foods that have slow-absorbing calories instead of fast-absorbing calories (and I think this correlates with the glycemic index (GI) in that those foods with a low GI number are absorbed slower (better). So eat at least your weight with a zero at the end end eat foods low in GI. Easy peasy. Now to see if it works.
I want to talk a bit about the non-aesthetic changes that losing weight brings. A huge one was the health condition disappearing, something that has taken time, money, and peace of mind away from me for about a decade. Poof, just like that, gone one day. That is a quality of life issue. There's length of life and there's quality of life, and my quality of life just increased by leaps and bounds. I had no idea losing weight would help me with that.
And then there's all the little changes. Being able to cross my legs at the knees. Having an easier time crossing my arms. Folding my legs into myself while laying down in bed. And just moving. I can move better. And I am so grateful that I can move better that sometimes I have to keep myself from crying during class. And it sounds corny but it is such a wonderful feeling to feel yourself moving in ways you haven't felt before.
I'm also just full of energy now, all the time. I'm barely tired anymore, and I work an overnight shift. Before I used to be tired all the time no matter how much I slept, and now I have energy to spare. Then there's just the general well-being. It's like I was city air before, and now I'm mountain air. I'm cleaner, purer, fresher, better.
There are so many many many benefits that have come from losing weight that I wasn't counting on, that they overshadow a small waist. And it's all interconnected, i.e. the small waist is part of what brings on the other changes, but your mindset changes in that looking good is suddenly not that important at all when you compare it with everything else.
Oh, and all the inside changes I've been blogging about also.
Just for the record I have been shedding more hair than usual lately but I have such thick hair it's not noticeable and I researched it and when you exercise your testosterone goes up (yes, even for women) and a side effect is hair loss. Just for the record.
So even though I can't really tell the physical changes (i.e. because I see myself all the time and because I always go all out in class so that I don't notice if I'm getting better), I can certainly see these other changes. And all of a sudden you start looking around at your entire life and realize you are in a very good place.
TUESDAY Morning: Lowest yet is 170.5 and right now at 173, which I'll take... a 2.5lbs fluctuation isn't bad. If I can stay the same weight and build muscle I'll be happy because sooner or later the muscle tops out and the weight starts going down again. Work food was bananas, morning food was pasta, in-between workouts is chocolate (protein barand drink), and apples and peaches at night. Wonder how the pasta will do as a pre-workout meal. Get to find out soon enough. It has 7g of protein per serving and I ate about 1.5 servings. 5g of fiber, 1.5 of fat, 20's carbs.
TUESDAY 9a TurboKick Kathy 59/661/30, 174/92, 157/83
TUESDAY 10a Pilates Stephanie 52/260/60, 125/66, 106/56
I wasn't hungry in-between classes but my energy was completely zapped, so I will try wheat pasta before class one more time but will take a protein drink for afterwards.
TUESDAY 5.30p Ann Lift Kathy 55/414/55, 146/77, 126/67
The word of the day is baby steps. I did something today I hadn't really done before. But I didn't go as much as I was wishing to do. But I'm going to try my hardest to allow myself baby steps on it. Maybe the small little bit was good enough, and there's always next time. Maybe it doesn't have to be all at once, and maybe it doesn't have to be perfect the first time around. Still wish it had been more, but going to work on being happy on the little that was.
Who are we, really? Are we set in a certain way or are we fluid? Can we be whoever we say we are? Lately I'm trying to get away from shoulds. Started at the gym and now I'm trying to port it over to other aspects of my life. Whenever I wonder whether to do something or not, I'm trying to shift from whether that's what should be done or not to am I the kind of person who does that or not. I.e. doesn't matter if anyone else would, would I? What kind of person do I want to be? Even if no one else did something, would I like to be the kind of person who does?
WEDNESDAY 8a Ann Cycle Dallas 59/590/40, 163/86, 148/78
WEDNESDAY 10a Sahara Zumba Michelle 58/583/40, 165/87, 147/78
Had good numbers this morning. I am very close to breaking 600 in cycle. Hopefully that means I'm getting better. And I'm starting to near 600 again in Zumba.
I had a Lift scheduled right before Donalin but I think I'm going to skip it. I had Lift on Monday and Tuesday. I want to rest up a bit and go hard in Zumba. Going to skip the half hour Zumba on Thursday also and leave this week at 13 classes, recuperate a bit.
Since I go all out on Wednesdays cycle, Wednesday morning Zumba is hard. But I'm not about to skip either of them, so I'll just have to keep trudging through the pain until I can take both properly.
Hungry Monday, hungry today also. All I have left are two egg wraps for today (just ate 3 servings of pasta and a cheese wrap in the last two hours). But I haven't slept yet. So one wrap before Zumba and one after, then bed. I upped the calories 100-200 and I'm now hungrier!! But I've been eating low glycemic (LG), I wonder if that has anything to do with it. I shudder to look at the scale. Will do so tomorrow after I wake up.
I've been feeling fat lately. For some reason the more weight I lose the more self-conscious I get over my weight. The more I notice it. Now I hate looking at myself at the gym mirrors. I seem huge. But I didn't notice it when I was 230 lbs. And it didn't really bother me when I started the group classes in September. Just this past week, it started. I go to new classes with people I don't take regularly (not the instructors, the other gym-goers) and it's almost like I have to prove that I'm not a hopeless fat person. At first I went mostly to the Cheyenne location, and eventually got to know people there who I took class with all the time. Then went a couple of times to other locations and hated it because I didn't know anybody and almost stopped going to other locations. But I wanted to take more instructors and specific instructors and so I hover between five different locations. But I much rather prefer when I know people in class than when I don't. I started eating 1800 calories a day and LG and I hope that wasn't a horrible idea. If tomorrow I'm anywhere less than 174 I'll be happy (lowest weight 170.5). What I hate about muscle-building is that it's not easily quantifiable. You THINK you are building muscle, but you don't really know. And I haven't found an accurate way to measure body fat. Last time I measured I was 173. So a week went by, and I gained 2.5 lbs. And it's easy to say it's water weight or muscle, but it could always be fat. Weight loss is not an exact science and I'm finding lately that there's a lot of faith involved in it. You do something because you think it will work but you don't really know if it will or not, and sometimes you go through periods of non-movement or even movement backwards and you just hope you're still in the right path.
I've found lately that the thinner I get the more self-conscious I get. I've never really had to worry about my body. When I started I was fat, out of shape, could barely move, and didn't know any of the moves, but I was front and center. I find it that the better I know the moves and the better I can do the moves and the better I move and look period, the more I want to go hide in the back. The shift back has started in one class where I like to just hide out in the sea of people. It's just kind of hard to move because if for almost four months you've been in the front, people notice you moving back. But I definitely noticed that, the better I get at knowing and doing the classes, the more I want to hide out. Maybe it goes hand and in hand with the thinner I get the more self-conscious I get.
At the risk of sounding conceited, I've been thinking that once I get to my goal weight of a muscular 110 lbs at 5'4", men could start looking. And I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't think I like it. I've always been overweight/obese (mostly obese) so I haven't really have had to deal with that "problem" before. I'm not necessarily a shy person but I have shy moments. And I look at other people at the gym and think "they look GOOD" but I wouldn't want somebody to look at me and think the same thing, because that would necessitate them looking at me. I'm not sure I want to enter the meat market. And as I change sizes I wear comfortable-fitting clothes, so I don't think I'll be hiding behind oversized sweats (the sweater doesn't count). So all of this has been on my mind lately. And I want this blog to be a record of the journey, both the good and the bad, the positive and the negative. I want to show the progression in thoughts, feelings, and actions as someone goes from highly obese to Fit (the chunk below normal, athletes and such).
I have set a date for the 24 Turbos in a row. Sunday. That's getting its own blog post. Going to ask to borrow a TurboKick DVD. I pretty much know the routine already: Freezing alternating lunges, then swing arms with opposite leg, then double arms, repeat last two, then skate X 4, skate right, 2 airs, skate X 4, skate left, 2 airs, jumping squats, then I believe comes the double-jab/speed/jab/jack X 4 alternating, then skate X 4, jack around to the back, skate X 4, jack around to the front, then run up, then jack right, jack left, jack both, air, run up, jack right/left/both, air, then hee-haw X 4, throws X 4, then single knee slaps then single single double, then lunge up then down X 3, air X 2, lunge up then down X 3, air X 2. If I don't have it down as it is, at the most it'll be 1-2 tweaks. So I have the routine already, all I need is the music. And if I mess up I'll just keep on going through that Turbo as long as I just keep moving I'll count it as a Turbo, and just start fresh the next one. So this Sunday it happens. Me and the iPod Nano recording. Thinking it'll take an hour. So all I really need is the DVD to make sure I got the sequence right and then all I need is to just go and do it. Going to go to my home gym after Zumba tonight and ask to borrow the exercise room for a couple of hours on Sunday. It really is as simple as looping the music over and over again and just pressing record and doing it. No practicing. Just doing it (of course a bit of stretching beforehand). So on Monday you will be able to know and see the aftermath.
WEDNESDAY 6.30 Craig Zumba Donalin 55/563/40, 163/86, 148/78
Weighed myself before class. 171!! Half a pound over lowest weight, and into my third day of 1800+ calories a day. I am pleased. I THINK my pants may be getting a little looser. I don't look good in Medium anymore. I won't wear anything bigger than Small nowadays, I hate the baggy look.
I don't know what scares me more about the 24 Turbos... that I'll be able to do them or that I won't. I won't collapse over it and I won't push beyond my limit, but I have every intention to push to my limit. There's part of me that hopes that if I can do that, it'll show people what the human spirit is capable of and will maybe motivate people to do something they didn't think possible. I feel it's my duty to use this body I've been given and push it so that others can see what a person can do.
Someone narrated the following to me the other day: When foals are young, they are tied to a post and they fight against it but are not strong enough to break free. When they grow up they ARE strong enough to break free but after spending their whole childhood unable to break from the post, they don't think they can do it anymore, so they don't even try. They are defeated, they give up. What is your post called?
There's another story that when lions are young they are powerful and strong but have a weak roar because they haven't perfected it. Old lions are sickly and thin and weak but have a powerful roar based on a lifetime of practice. So they send the old sickly lion to stand in front of prey and growl and the prey turns around and runs... right into the rest of the lions. That which scares you the most may be the easiest thing to accomplish.
I think I sleep better nowadays.
THURSDAY 5:15a. Went to sleep around 9 and got a good 7.5 hours of sleep. I rarely did that before I started exercising. Went up a lb to 172 so a little deflated but still 1.5 lbs away from lowest weight. Just one class today.
THURSDAY 9a Agassi TurboKick Rachel 67/622/45, 165/87, 141/75
FRIDAY -- OFF!! May bike a little around home.
FRIDAY MORNING - Ever since I started eating Low Glycemic, I am hungry all the time. Not even 3a and I've already eaten 140 calories (2 tangerines).
What is LG? It's eating foods that have a low-glycemic index value. People equate that with low-carb but it isn't. I don't take a look at my carbs and I usually have a 50-30-20 carbs/protein/fat ratio, so about half my calories come from carbs. But I try to eat 4-5 things throughout the day that are LG. The whole concept behind LG is how energy enters your body. Something that is HG releases all its energy at once, and anything you don't use up right away gets converted into fat. Something that is LG releases its energy slowly over time, giving you more of a chance of using all up. That's the whole science behind LG. Insulin plays a role but I haven't found out what it is yet.
LG food effects carry over into meals. It's like a highway. If someone is going slow, others behind get bottlenecked. "Fast" foods get slowed down also and turned into kind of LG when they follow LG meals, and they recommend doing at least one LG item per meal. I think I may switch to full LG by the next couple of weeks. Anything below 55 is LG. Here are some fruit examples:
Cherries Low 22
Grapefruit Low 25
Apricots (dried) Low 31
Apples Low 38
Pears Low 38
Plums Low 39
Peaches Low 42
Oranges Low 44
Grapes Low 46
Kiwi fruit Low 53
Bananas Low 54
Nectarines in particular seem to stop the hunger.
There is no scienfic study of the glycemic index of nectarines. It is often assumed to be similar to peaches. Study results for peaches ranged between 28 to 56, with an average of 42.
FRIDAY later that morning.
560 calories and it's only 6a. Why am I so hungry? Trying to stick to 1700 calories a day. At least I'm finally full. Going to try to hit 850 calories by noon so I got an egg wrap and an apple to go in the next six hours, but I feel the rest of my good night's sleep coming. And I work tonight, so part of today will be spent sleeping.
SATURDAY did some weights on my own. About 25 minutes. The class is definitely the way to go.
SATURDAY 10a Agassi Cycle Daniela 62/578/45, 158/84, 143/76
SUNDAY morning. Someone asked me to give them my thoughts on food, and I wanted to write about it here also, so here's what I wrote her.
Here's the bottom line: Eat foods that are low in the Glycemic Index (nothing over 55). You can Google Glycemic Index and find it easily.
Here's the longish explanation:
There are foods that when you eat them, release all their energy at once, spiking your blood sugar. This has a two-fold result. First, if you have all that energy coming out at once, whatever you don't use, you store. If you have a food that releases the energy slower, there's more of a chance of using it all and not storing it (and guess what it's stored as... F A T).
The second result is that a spike in blood sugar promotes the creation of insulin. Insulin stops the body from using stored fat and converts over to glucose (which I believe is mostly carbs) for fuel. Diabetes is what happens when this mechanism doesn't work anymore. I'm still trying to figure out in more detail the whole deal about insulin but let's just say it's bad.
The lower the GI, the slower the energy is released, the less gets stored as fat. And I find that foods that are LG (low glycemic) fill me up more.
By the way, I think everybody should love food. Food is good. I've heard at the gym that some people train themselves to derive no pleasure from food and instead think of it as just fuel. I think that's depressing, and as disordered eating as emotional eating (both ends of the scale). Food lets you manipulate your body and do things with it you never thought possible. Food is your friend. I've learned just the tiniest bit about food so far and I'm already impressed (and overwhelmed).
Here's the equation to figure out what and how much of each of the foods to eat: There is none.
In my opinion here's the "secret" to losing weight which is not highly commercialized because it would make for a very short book: There is none. You should eat what your body needs. You should exercise what your body needs. Only YOU can decide how many calories YOU need for your GOALS. We could both be 100 lbs and eat the same exact thing and you could gain 5 lbs and I could lose 5 lbs and then go in reverse the following week. I can't tell you how much per day or cups or restrictions because there are none and it all depends on you.
Here's what I do. And this is not to tell you what you should do, but it illustrates the thought process that I go through.
I go to http://www.24hourfitness.com/resources/fitness_tools/ and use the last one, daily calorie calculator. My lowest weight has been 170.5 lbs (attained Friday the 18th) and now I'm at 171, so I "gained" half a lb in over a week and haven't lost (and trust me, I have to work as hard as anyone else not to freak out over something like that). I personally use the lowest attained weight because usually I don't fluctuate too much away from it. So if I plug in 170 5'4" 31-year-old female with the LOWEST amount of physical activity, I get that I burn 2044 calories a day, or 14308 a week. This has been one of my lightest weeks at the gym with 12 classes and I usually do around 18-20, so why put Light activity? Because I keep track of my exercise calories manually so I don't count them as part of this.
I used to strive for a 7k caloric deficit but I'm leaning away from caloric deficits and just paying attention to two things: What should I eat and how much. So I still do the equation but it's more for my records than anything else.
The equation is pretty much
caloric deficit = calories burned at rest + net calories exercised - food consumed
Let's say I burn 500 calories in a one-hour Zumba class. If I had stayed home and posted on Facebook, I would have still burned SOMEthing. So Zumba didn't really make me burn 500 calories. If you take 2044/24, that's about 85.17 calories burned an hour. So I really burned 414.83 BECAUSE of Zumba. That's net calories. If you use calories burned at rest, using net calories burned at exercise will help you not to double count those calories.
How much should you eat per day? Simple: What you need. I ate 1836 calories today (and trust me, I'm trying hard not to freak out about THAT). And I didn't particularly exercise too much, just one class and 25 minutes of weights on my own. I personally subscribe to weight+0. So at 170 I should be capping out at 1700 a day. At 110 I should be capping out at 1100 per day. Someone at 200 should be capping out at 2000 per day. Is this a hard and fast rule? Nope. Is this a guideline? Not even. That's just a shot in the dark. Try it, if it works, great, if it doesn't, change it!! A lot of times I'll start the week with one goal and end it with another, having changed it in the middle of the week (like this week, goal went from 1800 to 1700). 1710 or 1770? Doesn't really matter. Even 1650 might work one day.
Also adjust to what you are doing. If you're doing a Triathlon, you're going to eat. A lot. Eat enough to sustain what you're doing that day.
So if I eat 1700 a day that's 11900 a week.
14308 - 11900 = 2408. 7000 - 2408 = 4592 for exercise to "make up." I usually do more than that. And remember that's NET exercise calories. So at 12 classes this week, I needed 4592 + (11*85.17) calories if I were eating 1700 calories a day. But don't get hung up on caloric deficits. Three apples have the same calories as a slice of cheese pizza but their effect on your body is night and day. It matters WHAT you eat and WHEN you eat it and HOW MUCH you eat. WHEN you eat it is crucial. I'm still trying to optimize my before- and post-workout meals and still get confused in the whole carbs vs. protein before or after. For myself I've found I don't really like solid food before working out, so I drink protein shakes that are low in fat. Fills me up for a couple of hours and allows me to move during class. I eat/drink something before EVERY class and 99% of the time after the class, but 100% of the time after every weights class.
So how do you figure out how much to eat? Weight+0 for a few days. Going up, going down, the same? And for G-d's sake, if you're hungry, EAT!! There's nothing worse than going hungry. Love your food, communicate with it, listen to your body and what it needs, nourish it. Food should feel like a blessing, not a curse. I've been trying to give in to cravings. One day I was craving fat and nuts so I had TWO servings of nuts which for the day was almost twice the recommended daily value. I recorded it and moved on. Weight stayed the same. Today I craved turkey footlongs on wheat, so I had that. I eat what I crave. I want a carb-heavy day, I'll have a carb-heavy day. I try to do 20% fat (fat is like water in that it lubricates your insides (I think)). You NEED FAT. Fat is good for you. In the right amount. Then I try to do 50% carbs and 30% protein. Carbs are what fuel your brain and your workouts. You NEED carbs. The right amount of carbs. The same goes for protein.
The glycemic effect works in tandem. If you eat cherries for breakfast and something high-glycemic for lunch, the cherries are still on the highway and will bottleneck the HG food. That's why they recommend and I agree that one LG food per meal is optimal to have the fat-burning effect going on all the time.
You also have to take into consideration your goals. My goal is to lose fat AND gain muscle. Let's pretend you are 100 lbs and have found that eating 1000 calories a day maintains you. How much should eat beyond the 1000 calories? 1000+however many calories you want to turn into muscle and however many classes you take.
Start listening to your body. When do you get hungry? Why? What do you eat? Does it fit your goals? Did that apple make your body happy? How do you know when you're hungry? What does hunger feel like to you? Pick any random number between 1000 and 2000 and eat that many calories, and adjust daily until you find YOUR range.
A note on food planning. I use http://www.myapex.com (the BodyBugg site) which I pay $80 a year for, and gladly, because for me it's the easiest to use. You can even create your own items and meals. I plan what I will eat the following day the night before taking into account what, how much, and when I'll be at the gym. If I'm going to go ... See Morestraight from work to the gym not only do I have to take enough food to sustain me throughout the night, but I also have to take shakes*classes taken and a protein bar if I'm doing my weights. But most days I change what I eat throughout the day. I can pretty much tell calorie and nutrient-wise how I'm doing even while not at the front of the computer. Plan ahead so that you're equipped to deal with the day ahead.
So that's that for my thoughts on food right now.
I've been feeling out of sorts this week. I'm still burning about the same amount of calories in the classes but I don't feel it like I usually do. I've been sniffling so maybe I have a cold. I don't really feel a cold, though. I just don't feel like I'm exerting enough even though the numbers have not changed downward. Even the day off didn't change that. Hopefully taking just one class today and then the rest of the day helps me recuperate.
I'm always excited for Mondays because there's a whole new fresh week. By Sunday it feels like I already used up that week.
SUNDAY 9:00a Ann TurboKick Michelle 53/555/40, 169/89, 151/80
FINALLY felt like a good workout. Calories are pretty much the same but I felt it today after a week of feeling out of sorts. Maybe it's just a cold.
Food: (going to try to hit 1800 daily)
Monday: 61 cherries (244, work), 3 SK shakes (570), cheese wrap (250), SK bar (180, after lift), 2 bananas (210), 2 egg wraps (420, afternoon, before work), total 1874. Really hungry today. Burned around 1250 netcals through exercise.
Tuesday: 2 bananas (210), 2 SK shake (380), SK protein bar (180), Cheese wrap (250), Kroger Penne 1/2 box (630), 2 peaches (160), total 1810
Wednesday: 1.5 apples (142), 3 servings whole wheat pasta (630), 2 SK protein shakes (380), 2 egg rolls (420), cheese wrap (250), total 1822
***GOING DOWN TO 1700***
Thursday: I hate food today. Macros, indexes, calories, grams, healthy. Sometimes I like writing down what to eat because after a few minutes of planning in the morning, there's no more thinking about it the rest of the day, just eating. 4 nectarines (280), cheese wrap (250), 2 egg wraps (420), SK shake (190), footlong roast beef sandwich (580), total 1720
Friday: Apple (95), Cheese wrap (250), 26 cherries (104), 2 Nectarines (140), 2 servings Pistacchios (340), 2 Special K bars (360), 2 protein shakes (380), total 1669
Saturday: 2 protein shakes (380), protein bar (180), 22 cherries (88), 7 strawberries (49), 2 turkey breast footlongs (1120), 14 cherries (56), total 1892
Sunday: 18 cherries (72), 2 banana (210), cheese wrap (250), egg wrap (210), shake (190), 2 apples (190), 2 pistacchios (340), protein bar (190), 23 cherries (92), 1744
Sunday: Still have left 3 egg wraps
1874, 1810, 1822. 1720, 1669, 1892, 1744
Food intake: 12531
Taking a weight of 170lbs, that's 2044 calories burned a day, 14308 burned a week.
14307 - 12531 = 1776
This week: 12 classes, 6334 gross cals, 675 mins, 5348 net cals
5348 +1776 = 7124
MONDAY morning before classes: I'm reading the book Ultrametabolism and I think I'm a convert. It's not the amount we eat and not even the macros (carbs/protein/fat percentages), but where the calories come from; slow-absorbing or fast-absorbing. Just getting into the book so I'll be writing a lot about it. I had decided a couple of days ago to go from 1600 calories to 1700-1800 calories and the book suggests that your basal metabolic rate is weight with a zero at the end. That means don't go below that. And right now I'm 170.5-173, so 1700-1800 was actually perfect.
The topic of the day is mistakes. I've been thinking about mistakes a lot lately. And this is what I decided about the topic: None of us want to make mistakes. We have a decision to make and sometimes it's the wrong one. Or maybe we weren't brave enough to do something. But do we really ever want to fail? Do you wake up in the morning and go, "Gee, I want to screw up my life today." (and if you did, e-mail me or call 911!) No, we don't. We don't want to make mistakes, but sometimes we do. And sometimes we fail to act. I want to address both of those separately.
Making mistakes - since you didn't set out to make a mistake, why would you beat yourself up about it? Are you a bad person because you made a mistake? I don't think so. Sometimes we just make the wrong choice, but we don't want to make the wrong choice, it just works out that way. So why beat yourself up over something that you didn't mean to happen or at least happen in that way or for something you didn't mean to do? Learn from it, regroup, move on. Accept where you are at that point in time.
That last sentence ties into failing to act. Sometimes we wish we could do something but we don't. Maybe we're scared or anxious or think we can't do it. Don't beat yourself up over that either. I had a chance to do something back in 2006 and I didn't. And I wish I had. And I try not to beat myself up about it because I recognize that I wasn't ready and I didn't have the necessary experiences to take action. Sometimes we just can't. And that's ok. Allow yourself to Can't sometimes. Maybe it's something you'll never be able to do. In that case, are there alternatives? Maybe it's something you just can't do right now but may be able to do later. I have another chance now to do what I didn't back in 2006. And it's terrifying. But by now so many things have happened in the last six months and a half or so that really leave no alternative but to brave up and do it (and it's a good thing to do). Sometimes you just go through so many experiences and events that make you realize you can never go back to who you were back then. Not even because you don't want to, but because that person is not there any longer. Sometimes events change you irreversible (and depending on the changes this may be a good thing).
So allow yourself mistakes and indecisiveness. Sometimes it's just who you are and what you have and where you are at the time. And sometimes it changes and sometimes it doesn't. But if you didn't specifically set out to do the wrong thing, there's really no point in dwelling on it after learning as much as you can from it.
MONDAY 9a Sahara TurboKick Janet (first time) 54/641/30, 181/96, 161/85 (Six Turbos, good start for the week)
MONDAY Noon Agassi Lift Janine (spelling?) 54/357/60, 139/74, 118/62
Lift was TOUGH. Hardest class of any format I have taken at 24 Hour Fitness so far, even counting my first one. 90% of the exercises I had never done in Lift before and every other exercise involved upper AND lower body. And for some reason TurboKick wiped me out more than usual. I normally only have 200-250 calories between classes and this time I had 440 calories, and it took me 180 more after Lift to finally feel full. 4:23p and I've had about 1250 calories out of my allotted 1800. Egg wrap, 2 bananas, and an apple to go for today.
I just noticed yesterday that a health issue that, while not life-threatening, was annoying, is completely gone after pretty much a decade of existence. Multiple doctors provided no explanation of solution. Just poof, gone. Who knew it could be health-related? Quality Of Life + 10.
MONDAY 6.30p Craig SET Donalin 53/510/45, 165/87, 143/76
Great end to the day. Awesome Monday. I was really hungry today and really ate throughout the day. One banana and apple to go today and it's almost 9p. 1862 calories today. First day of seeing how 1800 calories works. Going to really study the glycemic index at work tonight. I think I figured out the key to nutrition. 1. Never eat below your weight * 10 (in my case 1700-1800) and eat foods that have slow-absorbing calories instead of fast-absorbing calories (and I think this correlates with the glycemic index (GI) in that those foods with a low GI number are absorbed slower (better). So eat at least your weight with a zero at the end end eat foods low in GI. Easy peasy. Now to see if it works.
I want to talk a bit about the non-aesthetic changes that losing weight brings. A huge one was the health condition disappearing, something that has taken time, money, and peace of mind away from me for about a decade. Poof, just like that, gone one day. That is a quality of life issue. There's length of life and there's quality of life, and my quality of life just increased by leaps and bounds. I had no idea losing weight would help me with that.
And then there's all the little changes. Being able to cross my legs at the knees. Having an easier time crossing my arms. Folding my legs into myself while laying down in bed. And just moving. I can move better. And I am so grateful that I can move better that sometimes I have to keep myself from crying during class. And it sounds corny but it is such a wonderful feeling to feel yourself moving in ways you haven't felt before.
I'm also just full of energy now, all the time. I'm barely tired anymore, and I work an overnight shift. Before I used to be tired all the time no matter how much I slept, and now I have energy to spare. Then there's just the general well-being. It's like I was city air before, and now I'm mountain air. I'm cleaner, purer, fresher, better.
There are so many many many benefits that have come from losing weight that I wasn't counting on, that they overshadow a small waist. And it's all interconnected, i.e. the small waist is part of what brings on the other changes, but your mindset changes in that looking good is suddenly not that important at all when you compare it with everything else.
Oh, and all the inside changes I've been blogging about also.
Just for the record I have been shedding more hair than usual lately but I have such thick hair it's not noticeable and I researched it and when you exercise your testosterone goes up (yes, even for women) and a side effect is hair loss. Just for the record.
So even though I can't really tell the physical changes (i.e. because I see myself all the time and because I always go all out in class so that I don't notice if I'm getting better), I can certainly see these other changes. And all of a sudden you start looking around at your entire life and realize you are in a very good place.
TUESDAY Morning: Lowest yet is 170.5 and right now at 173, which I'll take... a 2.5lbs fluctuation isn't bad. If I can stay the same weight and build muscle I'll be happy because sooner or later the muscle tops out and the weight starts going down again. Work food was bananas, morning food was pasta, in-between workouts is chocolate (protein barand drink), and apples and peaches at night. Wonder how the pasta will do as a pre-workout meal. Get to find out soon enough. It has 7g of protein per serving and I ate about 1.5 servings. 5g of fiber, 1.5 of fat, 20's carbs.
TUESDAY 9a TurboKick Kathy 59/661/30, 174/92, 157/83
TUESDAY 10a Pilates Stephanie 52/260/60, 125/66, 106/56
I wasn't hungry in-between classes but my energy was completely zapped, so I will try wheat pasta before class one more time but will take a protein drink for afterwards.
TUESDAY 5.30p Ann Lift Kathy 55/414/55, 146/77, 126/67
The word of the day is baby steps. I did something today I hadn't really done before. But I didn't go as much as I was wishing to do. But I'm going to try my hardest to allow myself baby steps on it. Maybe the small little bit was good enough, and there's always next time. Maybe it doesn't have to be all at once, and maybe it doesn't have to be perfect the first time around. Still wish it had been more, but going to work on being happy on the little that was.
Who are we, really? Are we set in a certain way or are we fluid? Can we be whoever we say we are? Lately I'm trying to get away from shoulds. Started at the gym and now I'm trying to port it over to other aspects of my life. Whenever I wonder whether to do something or not, I'm trying to shift from whether that's what should be done or not to am I the kind of person who does that or not. I.e. doesn't matter if anyone else would, would I? What kind of person do I want to be? Even if no one else did something, would I like to be the kind of person who does?
WEDNESDAY 8a Ann Cycle Dallas 59/590/40, 163/86, 148/78
WEDNESDAY 10a Sahara Zumba Michelle 58/583/40, 165/87, 147/78
Had good numbers this morning. I am very close to breaking 600 in cycle. Hopefully that means I'm getting better. And I'm starting to near 600 again in Zumba.
I had a Lift scheduled right before Donalin but I think I'm going to skip it. I had Lift on Monday and Tuesday. I want to rest up a bit and go hard in Zumba. Going to skip the half hour Zumba on Thursday also and leave this week at 13 classes, recuperate a bit.
Since I go all out on Wednesdays cycle, Wednesday morning Zumba is hard. But I'm not about to skip either of them, so I'll just have to keep trudging through the pain until I can take both properly.
Hungry Monday, hungry today also. All I have left are two egg wraps for today (just ate 3 servings of pasta and a cheese wrap in the last two hours). But I haven't slept yet. So one wrap before Zumba and one after, then bed. I upped the calories 100-200 and I'm now hungrier!! But I've been eating low glycemic (LG), I wonder if that has anything to do with it. I shudder to look at the scale. Will do so tomorrow after I wake up.
I've been feeling fat lately. For some reason the more weight I lose the more self-conscious I get over my weight. The more I notice it. Now I hate looking at myself at the gym mirrors. I seem huge. But I didn't notice it when I was 230 lbs. And it didn't really bother me when I started the group classes in September. Just this past week, it started. I go to new classes with people I don't take regularly (not the instructors, the other gym-goers) and it's almost like I have to prove that I'm not a hopeless fat person. At first I went mostly to the Cheyenne location, and eventually got to know people there who I took class with all the time. Then went a couple of times to other locations and hated it because I didn't know anybody and almost stopped going to other locations. But I wanted to take more instructors and specific instructors and so I hover between five different locations. But I much rather prefer when I know people in class than when I don't. I started eating 1800 calories a day and LG and I hope that wasn't a horrible idea. If tomorrow I'm anywhere less than 174 I'll be happy (lowest weight 170.5). What I hate about muscle-building is that it's not easily quantifiable. You THINK you are building muscle, but you don't really know. And I haven't found an accurate way to measure body fat. Last time I measured I was 173. So a week went by, and I gained 2.5 lbs. And it's easy to say it's water weight or muscle, but it could always be fat. Weight loss is not an exact science and I'm finding lately that there's a lot of faith involved in it. You do something because you think it will work but you don't really know if it will or not, and sometimes you go through periods of non-movement or even movement backwards and you just hope you're still in the right path.
I've found lately that the thinner I get the more self-conscious I get. I've never really had to worry about my body. When I started I was fat, out of shape, could barely move, and didn't know any of the moves, but I was front and center. I find it that the better I know the moves and the better I can do the moves and the better I move and look period, the more I want to go hide in the back. The shift back has started in one class where I like to just hide out in the sea of people. It's just kind of hard to move because if for almost four months you've been in the front, people notice you moving back. But I definitely noticed that, the better I get at knowing and doing the classes, the more I want to hide out. Maybe it goes hand and in hand with the thinner I get the more self-conscious I get.
At the risk of sounding conceited, I've been thinking that once I get to my goal weight of a muscular 110 lbs at 5'4", men could start looking. And I'm not sure how I feel about that. I don't think I like it. I've always been overweight/obese (mostly obese) so I haven't really have had to deal with that "problem" before. I'm not necessarily a shy person but I have shy moments. And I look at other people at the gym and think "they look GOOD" but I wouldn't want somebody to look at me and think the same thing, because that would necessitate them looking at me. I'm not sure I want to enter the meat market. And as I change sizes I wear comfortable-fitting clothes, so I don't think I'll be hiding behind oversized sweats (the sweater doesn't count). So all of this has been on my mind lately. And I want this blog to be a record of the journey, both the good and the bad, the positive and the negative. I want to show the progression in thoughts, feelings, and actions as someone goes from highly obese to Fit (the chunk below normal, athletes and such).
I have set a date for the 24 Turbos in a row. Sunday. That's getting its own blog post. Going to ask to borrow a TurboKick DVD. I pretty much know the routine already: Freezing alternating lunges, then swing arms with opposite leg, then double arms, repeat last two, then skate X 4, skate right, 2 airs, skate X 4, skate left, 2 airs, jumping squats, then I believe comes the double-jab/speed/jab/jack X 4 alternating, then skate X 4, jack around to the back, skate X 4, jack around to the front, then run up, then jack right, jack left, jack both, air, run up, jack right/left/both, air, then hee-haw X 4, throws X 4, then single knee slaps then single single double, then lunge up then down X 3, air X 2, lunge up then down X 3, air X 2. If I don't have it down as it is, at the most it'll be 1-2 tweaks. So I have the routine already, all I need is the music. And if I mess up I'll just keep on going through that Turbo as long as I just keep moving I'll count it as a Turbo, and just start fresh the next one. So this Sunday it happens. Me and the iPod Nano recording. Thinking it'll take an hour. So all I really need is the DVD to make sure I got the sequence right and then all I need is to just go and do it. Going to go to my home gym after Zumba tonight and ask to borrow the exercise room for a couple of hours on Sunday. It really is as simple as looping the music over and over again and just pressing record and doing it. No practicing. Just doing it (of course a bit of stretching beforehand). So on Monday you will be able to know and see the aftermath.
WEDNESDAY 6.30 Craig Zumba Donalin 55/563/40, 163/86, 148/78
Weighed myself before class. 171!! Half a pound over lowest weight, and into my third day of 1800+ calories a day. I am pleased. I THINK my pants may be getting a little looser. I don't look good in Medium anymore. I won't wear anything bigger than Small nowadays, I hate the baggy look.
I don't know what scares me more about the 24 Turbos... that I'll be able to do them or that I won't. I won't collapse over it and I won't push beyond my limit, but I have every intention to push to my limit. There's part of me that hopes that if I can do that, it'll show people what the human spirit is capable of and will maybe motivate people to do something they didn't think possible. I feel it's my duty to use this body I've been given and push it so that others can see what a person can do.
Someone narrated the following to me the other day: When foals are young, they are tied to a post and they fight against it but are not strong enough to break free. When they grow up they ARE strong enough to break free but after spending their whole childhood unable to break from the post, they don't think they can do it anymore, so they don't even try. They are defeated, they give up. What is your post called?
There's another story that when lions are young they are powerful and strong but have a weak roar because they haven't perfected it. Old lions are sickly and thin and weak but have a powerful roar based on a lifetime of practice. So they send the old sickly lion to stand in front of prey and growl and the prey turns around and runs... right into the rest of the lions. That which scares you the most may be the easiest thing to accomplish.
I think I sleep better nowadays.
THURSDAY 5:15a. Went to sleep around 9 and got a good 7.5 hours of sleep. I rarely did that before I started exercising. Went up a lb to 172 so a little deflated but still 1.5 lbs away from lowest weight. Just one class today.
THURSDAY 9a Agassi TurboKick Rachel 67/622/45, 165/87, 141/75
FRIDAY -- OFF!! May bike a little around home.
FRIDAY MORNING - Ever since I started eating Low Glycemic, I am hungry all the time. Not even 3a and I've already eaten 140 calories (2 tangerines).
What is LG? It's eating foods that have a low-glycemic index value. People equate that with low-carb but it isn't. I don't take a look at my carbs and I usually have a 50-30-20 carbs/protein/fat ratio, so about half my calories come from carbs. But I try to eat 4-5 things throughout the day that are LG. The whole concept behind LG is how energy enters your body. Something that is HG releases all its energy at once, and anything you don't use up right away gets converted into fat. Something that is LG releases its energy slowly over time, giving you more of a chance of using all up. That's the whole science behind LG. Insulin plays a role but I haven't found out what it is yet.
LG food effects carry over into meals. It's like a highway. If someone is going slow, others behind get bottlenecked. "Fast" foods get slowed down also and turned into kind of LG when they follow LG meals, and they recommend doing at least one LG item per meal. I think I may switch to full LG by the next couple of weeks. Anything below 55 is LG. Here are some fruit examples:
Cherries Low 22
Grapefruit Low 25
Apricots (dried) Low 31
Apples Low 38
Pears Low 38
Plums Low 39
Peaches Low 42
Oranges Low 44
Grapes Low 46
Kiwi fruit Low 53
Bananas Low 54
Nectarines in particular seem to stop the hunger.
There is no scienfic study of the glycemic index of nectarines. It is often assumed to be similar to peaches. Study results for peaches ranged between 28 to 56, with an average of 42.
FRIDAY later that morning.
560 calories and it's only 6a. Why am I so hungry? Trying to stick to 1700 calories a day. At least I'm finally full. Going to try to hit 850 calories by noon so I got an egg wrap and an apple to go in the next six hours, but I feel the rest of my good night's sleep coming. And I work tonight, so part of today will be spent sleeping.
SATURDAY did some weights on my own. About 25 minutes. The class is definitely the way to go.
SATURDAY 10a Agassi Cycle Daniela 62/578/45, 158/84, 143/76
SUNDAY morning. Someone asked me to give them my thoughts on food, and I wanted to write about it here also, so here's what I wrote her.
Here's the bottom line: Eat foods that are low in the Glycemic Index (nothing over 55). You can Google Glycemic Index and find it easily.
Here's the longish explanation:
There are foods that when you eat them, release all their energy at once, spiking your blood sugar. This has a two-fold result. First, if you have all that energy coming out at once, whatever you don't use, you store. If you have a food that releases the energy slower, there's more of a chance of using it all and not storing it (and guess what it's stored as... F A T).
The second result is that a spike in blood sugar promotes the creation of insulin. Insulin stops the body from using stored fat and converts over to glucose (which I believe is mostly carbs) for fuel. Diabetes is what happens when this mechanism doesn't work anymore. I'm still trying to figure out in more detail the whole deal about insulin but let's just say it's bad.
The lower the GI, the slower the energy is released, the less gets stored as fat. And I find that foods that are LG (low glycemic) fill me up more.
By the way, I think everybody should love food. Food is good. I've heard at the gym that some people train themselves to derive no pleasure from food and instead think of it as just fuel. I think that's depressing, and as disordered eating as emotional eating (both ends of the scale). Food lets you manipulate your body and do things with it you never thought possible. Food is your friend. I've learned just the tiniest bit about food so far and I'm already impressed (and overwhelmed).
Here's the equation to figure out what and how much of each of the foods to eat: There is none.
In my opinion here's the "secret" to losing weight which is not highly commercialized because it would make for a very short book: There is none. You should eat what your body needs. You should exercise what your body needs. Only YOU can decide how many calories YOU need for your GOALS. We could both be 100 lbs and eat the same exact thing and you could gain 5 lbs and I could lose 5 lbs and then go in reverse the following week. I can't tell you how much per day or cups or restrictions because there are none and it all depends on you.
Here's what I do. And this is not to tell you what you should do, but it illustrates the thought process that I go through.
I go to http://www.24hourfitness.com/resources/fitness_tools/ and use the last one, daily calorie calculator. My lowest weight has been 170.5 lbs (attained Friday the 18th) and now I'm at 171, so I "gained" half a lb in over a week and haven't lost (and trust me, I have to work as hard as anyone else not to freak out over something like that). I personally use the lowest attained weight because usually I don't fluctuate too much away from it. So if I plug in 170 5'4" 31-year-old female with the LOWEST amount of physical activity, I get that I burn 2044 calories a day, or 14308 a week. This has been one of my lightest weeks at the gym with 12 classes and I usually do around 18-20, so why put Light activity? Because I keep track of my exercise calories manually so I don't count them as part of this.
I used to strive for a 7k caloric deficit but I'm leaning away from caloric deficits and just paying attention to two things: What should I eat and how much. So I still do the equation but it's more for my records than anything else.
The equation is pretty much
caloric deficit = calories burned at rest + net calories exercised - food consumed
Let's say I burn 500 calories in a one-hour Zumba class. If I had stayed home and posted on Facebook, I would have still burned SOMEthing. So Zumba didn't really make me burn 500 calories. If you take 2044/24, that's about 85.17 calories burned an hour. So I really burned 414.83 BECAUSE of Zumba. That's net calories. If you use calories burned at rest, using net calories burned at exercise will help you not to double count those calories.
How much should you eat per day? Simple: What you need. I ate 1836 calories today (and trust me, I'm trying hard not to freak out about THAT). And I didn't particularly exercise too much, just one class and 25 minutes of weights on my own. I personally subscribe to weight+0. So at 170 I should be capping out at 1700 a day. At 110 I should be capping out at 1100 per day. Someone at 200 should be capping out at 2000 per day. Is this a hard and fast rule? Nope. Is this a guideline? Not even. That's just a shot in the dark. Try it, if it works, great, if it doesn't, change it!! A lot of times I'll start the week with one goal and end it with another, having changed it in the middle of the week (like this week, goal went from 1800 to 1700). 1710 or 1770? Doesn't really matter. Even 1650 might work one day.
Also adjust to what you are doing. If you're doing a Triathlon, you're going to eat. A lot. Eat enough to sustain what you're doing that day.
So if I eat 1700 a day that's 11900 a week.
14308 - 11900 = 2408. 7000 - 2408 = 4592 for exercise to "make up." I usually do more than that. And remember that's NET exercise calories. So at 12 classes this week, I needed 4592 + (11*85.17) calories if I were eating 1700 calories a day. But don't get hung up on caloric deficits. Three apples have the same calories as a slice of cheese pizza but their effect on your body is night and day. It matters WHAT you eat and WHEN you eat it and HOW MUCH you eat. WHEN you eat it is crucial. I'm still trying to optimize my before- and post-workout meals and still get confused in the whole carbs vs. protein before or after. For myself I've found I don't really like solid food before working out, so I drink protein shakes that are low in fat. Fills me up for a couple of hours and allows me to move during class. I eat/drink something before EVERY class and 99% of the time after the class, but 100% of the time after every weights class.
So how do you figure out how much to eat? Weight+0 for a few days. Going up, going down, the same? And for G-d's sake, if you're hungry, EAT!! There's nothing worse than going hungry. Love your food, communicate with it, listen to your body and what it needs, nourish it. Food should feel like a blessing, not a curse. I've been trying to give in to cravings. One day I was craving fat and nuts so I had TWO servings of nuts which for the day was almost twice the recommended daily value. I recorded it and moved on. Weight stayed the same. Today I craved turkey footlongs on wheat, so I had that. I eat what I crave. I want a carb-heavy day, I'll have a carb-heavy day. I try to do 20% fat (fat is like water in that it lubricates your insides (I think)). You NEED FAT. Fat is good for you. In the right amount. Then I try to do 50% carbs and 30% protein. Carbs are what fuel your brain and your workouts. You NEED carbs. The right amount of carbs. The same goes for protein.
The glycemic effect works in tandem. If you eat cherries for breakfast and something high-glycemic for lunch, the cherries are still on the highway and will bottleneck the HG food. That's why they recommend and I agree that one LG food per meal is optimal to have the fat-burning effect going on all the time.
You also have to take into consideration your goals. My goal is to lose fat AND gain muscle. Let's pretend you are 100 lbs and have found that eating 1000 calories a day maintains you. How much should eat beyond the 1000 calories? 1000+however many calories you want to turn into muscle and however many classes you take.
Start listening to your body. When do you get hungry? Why? What do you eat? Does it fit your goals? Did that apple make your body happy? How do you know when you're hungry? What does hunger feel like to you? Pick any random number between 1000 and 2000 and eat that many calories, and adjust daily until you find YOUR range.
A note on food planning. I use http://www.myapex.com (the BodyBugg site) which I pay $80 a year for, and gladly, because for me it's the easiest to use. You can even create your own items and meals. I plan what I will eat the following day the night before taking into account what, how much, and when I'll be at the gym. If I'm going to go ... See Morestraight from work to the gym not only do I have to take enough food to sustain me throughout the night, but I also have to take shakes*classes taken and a protein bar if I'm doing my weights. But most days I change what I eat throughout the day. I can pretty much tell calorie and nutrient-wise how I'm doing even while not at the front of the computer. Plan ahead so that you're equipped to deal with the day ahead.
So that's that for my thoughts on food right now.
I've been feeling out of sorts this week. I'm still burning about the same amount of calories in the classes but I don't feel it like I usually do. I've been sniffling so maybe I have a cold. I don't really feel a cold, though. I just don't feel like I'm exerting enough even though the numbers have not changed downward. Even the day off didn't change that. Hopefully taking just one class today and then the rest of the day helps me recuperate.
I'm always excited for Mondays because there's a whole new fresh week. By Sunday it feels like I already used up that week.
SUNDAY 9:00a Ann TurboKick Michelle 53/555/40, 169/89, 151/80
FINALLY felt like a good workout. Calories are pretty much the same but I felt it today after a week of feeling out of sorts. Maybe it's just a cold.
Food: (going to try to hit 1800 daily)
Monday: 61 cherries (244, work), 3 SK shakes (570), cheese wrap (250), SK bar (180, after lift), 2 bananas (210), 2 egg wraps (420, afternoon, before work), total 1874. Really hungry today. Burned around 1250 netcals through exercise.
Tuesday: 2 bananas (210), 2 SK shake (380), SK protein bar (180), Cheese wrap (250), Kroger Penne 1/2 box (630), 2 peaches (160), total 1810
Wednesday: 1.5 apples (142), 3 servings whole wheat pasta (630), 2 SK protein shakes (380), 2 egg rolls (420), cheese wrap (250), total 1822
***GOING DOWN TO 1700***
Thursday: I hate food today. Macros, indexes, calories, grams, healthy. Sometimes I like writing down what to eat because after a few minutes of planning in the morning, there's no more thinking about it the rest of the day, just eating. 4 nectarines (280), cheese wrap (250), 2 egg wraps (420), SK shake (190), footlong roast beef sandwich (580), total 1720
Friday: Apple (95), Cheese wrap (250), 26 cherries (104), 2 Nectarines (140), 2 servings Pistacchios (340), 2 Special K bars (360), 2 protein shakes (380), total 1669
Saturday: 2 protein shakes (380), protein bar (180), 22 cherries (88), 7 strawberries (49), 2 turkey breast footlongs (1120), 14 cherries (56), total 1892
Sunday: 18 cherries (72), 2 banana (210), cheese wrap (250), egg wrap (210), shake (190), 2 apples (190), 2 pistacchios (340), protein bar (190), 23 cherries (92), 1744
Sunday: Still have left 3 egg wraps
1874, 1810, 1822. 1720, 1669, 1892, 1744
Food intake: 12531
Taking a weight of 170lbs, that's 2044 calories burned a day, 14308 burned a week.
14307 - 12531 = 1776
This week: 12 classes, 6334 gross cals, 675 mins, 5348 net cals
5348 +1776 = 7124
My first Zumba routine (post started 12/17/2009)
I'll chronicle here the makings of my first Zumba routine. My second Zumba routine's existence depends on how this first one turns out.
I have the song picked out: Evanescence's Bring Me To Life (which if you read the 24 classes post sounds very appropriate). It's kind of a dark song but it's catchy and people don't listen that closely to lyrics and I wanted to try something different.
I found out today there's all kind of rules to making a Zumba routine, and someone's going to let me borrow an instruction manual. First step is to learn the manual backwards and forwards.
12/20 update: Waiting for the handbook. This may be delayed a few weeks, but all systems are a go.
I have the song picked out: Evanescence's Bring Me To Life (which if you read the 24 classes post sounds very appropriate). It's kind of a dark song but it's catchy and people don't listen that closely to lyrics and I wanted to try something different.
I found out today there's all kind of rules to making a Zumba routine, and someone's going to let me borrow an instruction manual. First step is to learn the manual backwards and forwards.
12/20 update: Waiting for the handbook. This may be delayed a few weeks, but all systems are a go.
24 Turbos in a row at 24 Hour Fitness (Planning stages/idea: 12/17/09)
Not going into what a Turbo is, so this is mostly for 24HF folks who are familiar with the terminology or other people who want to Google.
Going to attempt to do 24 Turbos in a row. I don't know if I can do it. The plan is to learn the current round 38 Turbo, practice it until it's second nature, press play on the stereo, press record on the camcorder, and start with one. Then two. Then three. So on and so forth. I will keep going until I give out or until I do all 24.
If you read my posts in order you know my mantra by now. Safety first. Know your body, know your limits, live your body.
Going to ask to make a video of an instructor on Sunday doing the Turbo so that I can learn it the exact same way we do it at the gym and then see if I can borrow the music for this experiment. Going to ask the folks at my home location to borrow the Group X room for a couple of hours to do this (it should take about an hour for the Turbos plus some preparation and clean-up). So this is just the beginning/planning stages. Will keep updating this as I prepare for it. Will videotape it and put it on YouTube and link here and on Facebook.
Why? Because I can.
Going to attempt to do 24 Turbos in a row. I don't know if I can do it. The plan is to learn the current round 38 Turbo, practice it until it's second nature, press play on the stereo, press record on the camcorder, and start with one. Then two. Then three. So on and so forth. I will keep going until I give out or until I do all 24.
If you read my posts in order you know my mantra by now. Safety first. Know your body, know your limits, live your body.
Going to ask to make a video of an instructor on Sunday doing the Turbo so that I can learn it the exact same way we do it at the gym and then see if I can borrow the music for this experiment. Going to ask the folks at my home location to borrow the Group X room for a couple of hours to do this (it should take about an hour for the Turbos plus some preparation and clean-up). So this is just the beginning/planning stages. Will keep updating this as I prepare for it. Will videotape it and put it on YouTube and link here and on Facebook.
Why? Because I can.
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