Halfway there!

It has been SIX months since I started this journey.  Can you believe that I have made it this far?  In six months I've lost 14 pounds and had one cheat day.  I am still pretty mad at myself over the cheat day.  I think my body had a hard time recovering from me treating it like a garbage disposal, so I really didn't see a single pound weight loss this month (no gains, but no losses either).  This will have been my first month without any weight loss. I could kick myself.

Since I am at the halfway point, I bit the bullet and asked my husband to check my body fat.  Body fat loss is more important to me than weight loss, and I was dying to know if it had changed.  I was terrified; what if I hadn't lost any body fat?  After what seemed like an eternity, my husband calculated that I'd lost 3% body fat.  When I started this journey, I was 27% body fat and I am now 24% body fat.  Yay for subtraction!  As a reference point, 25% body fat is considered overweight and 30% body fat is considered obese.  I am now out of the overweight category!  Can I get an AMEN?!  According to my calculations, I've been averaging a 0.5% monthly body fat loss.  I need to step it up a little, as I would like to end this journey 20% body fat or below.

Here's a photo from last weekend.  Sorry the lighting is weird, we get a lot of sun in our great room.  Or maybe it's my new, bright orange shirt that's blinding.

Since we ushered in 2013, I have had a marked decrease in motivation.  I could blame the cold weather or the fact that I have a toddler, but the real problem is me and my laziness.  I am not sure why I am unmotivated and lazy.  I just don't feel like doing anything, except playing with my son and spending time with my husband watching Amish Mafia.  Awesome right? This month, I am going to get off my booty and get back into the gym, after all I have a 5K coming up.  I am going to try out new recipes and limit my time aimlessly wandering around the Internet.  I've got to get back on track!  I cannot slip into old habits!

No physical training log...

I don't have a physical training log this week because I am lazy.  I am lazy and I have no blasted motivation to do anything but play with my boys and play on the Internet.  Oh yeah, and I pulled my groin.  I DID have motivation on Monday, but as I was warming up, I pulled my groin.  No bueno!  So now I am pouting about my groin injury and catching up on episodes of The New Normal.  I can actually feel myself getting less fit.  If you haven't noticed, I am having a pity party.  Hopefully, I will find my motivation next week and be able to work out a little in spite of my groin.    

Physical Training Log

Hello everyone!   Another week of PT has flown by, and I (of course) switched my program up mid-week.  Last week I said I was going to start snatching and back squatting.  I did snatch this week, but I was F-A-R too sore to back squat.  I may wait to resume that lift until I've run the 5K I am doing in February.  Also, I think I may take next week off.  I am tired, sore, and feel like I need a break.  The weather is supposed to be amazing next week, so I will try to walk with my baby a few times if I do end up taking the week off.

Remember, the workouts listed below are a representation of what I completed this week.  Please consult your physician before beginning a physical training program.  If you are starting a physical training program as a part of a New Year's resolution, begin slowly.  Rome wasn't built in a day.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Run the neighborhood loop twice

= 31:56

* According to mapmyrun.com, I ran approximately 3.15 miles.  This is only the second time I've been able to run this loop twice.  My time was about a minute slower this week, but that's fine with me.  Completing the run was my goal.  

Monday, January 7, 2013

Snatch technique work with the help of the world's most handsome trainer (my hubby)

-and-

Sprint to the end of the street

Walk back to the starting point

Complete 4 rounds

= 1:03, 1:01, 1:02, 1:03

* I used my brand new 15 kilo bar for the snatch work.  For those of you who don't know, 15 kilos equals 33 pounds.  Also, according to mapmyrun.com, each sprint distance was 0.16 miles for a total of 0.64 miles sprinted.  This is what caused my legs to be too sore to back squat. Sprints stink!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Run to my farthest neighbor's mailbox and back

Overhead squat (15K) x 5 

Complete 5 rounds

= 15:24

* According to mapmyrun.com, the run portion of this workout was approximately 1 mile.

Have a super weekend!!

Physical Training Log

I did it, I did it!  Two days before the end of 2012, I reached my goal of running my neighborhood loop twice.  I should mention that it was 32 degrees when I started my run, and I still finished!  3.15 miles is probably a short distance to most people, but not for me.  I am quite happy I ended 2012 by reaching my goal.  I am running a 5K in February with my sister (a legit runner), and now it doesn't seem quite as daunting.

My sister (the runner) and my mom.

Now that we've rung in the new year, I am going to switch my training up... again!  I am going to start lifting again, focusing most of my attention on the back squat and snatch.  Also, instead of completing metabolic conditioning workouts each week, I am going to focus on running.  After I complete the above-mentioned 5K, I will start metabolic conditioning workouts again.  I look forward to lifting again, and I even have a new women's weight bar (15 kilos) arriving Monday from Rogue Fitness.  If you've never checked out Rogue Fitness' website (www.roguefitness.com), I suggest you do so.  They have an awesome array of equipment, and their customer service is outstanding.

Remember, the workouts listed below are a representation of what I completed this week.  Please consult your physician before beginning a physical training program.  If you are starting a physical training program as a part of a New Year's resolution, begin slowly.  Rome wasn't built in a day.

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Run the neighborhood loop twice

= 30:58

* This loop is a little over 1.5 miles.  According to mapmyrun.com, I ran approximately 3.15 miles.  YAY!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Row x 100 meters

Dumbbell snatch (20 pounds) x 10

High to low planks x 7

Complete 7 rounds

= 14:28

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Run to the end of my street and back

-then-

Burpees x 10

Ball slams (25 pounds) x 10

Complete 5 rounds

= 13:04

* According to mapmyrun.com, the run portion of this workout was approximately 0.33 miles.

Happy New Year!  I hope 2013 brings all of your hearts desires!  Have a great weekend.

Resolutions...

Happy New Year!  Many of us will begin the new year with a list of resolutions a mile long.  By the third or fourth of the month, we've failed at all of them and have resolved to start anew next year.  Don't let another year pass by without trying to meet a goal of some kind, no matter how trivial.  If you start your resolution on the first and fail on the second, try again on the third.  You don't have to throw in the towel just because you've had a misstep in the beginning.  I started my flab to fab challenge in July, not January.  There is no hard and fast rule that you have to make changes as you ring in the new year; rather, try to make small changes throughout the year.  You may fail in the beginning with what you've resolved to change.  That doesn't make you a failure, it just makes you human.  Start fresh and try again!  Good luck and have a wonderful 2013!  

I cheated!

I did it, even though I knew it was a bad idea.  I knew I would regret it and kick myself for it, but I did it anyway.  I cheated on my diet.  It was my sweet baby's first birthday, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to resist his birthday cake.  So I made a day of it.  Five months of clean eating out the window for one day of gleefully eating anything I could get my hands on. And guess what?  It sucked... so, so bad!  

Below is a log of what I ate that day.  My friend, training partner, and neighbor told me this was a pathetic cheat day, but it messed my world (and stomach) up.

Breakfast - 1 banana, 2 pieces of sausage, 2 eggs, 1 corn tortilla, and water. I obviously eased my way into the day and ate a pretty normal breakfast.

Snack - 1 grande, decaf, soy peppermint mocha with no whip cream. DELICIOUS!  I could drink these daily, and I probably used to.

Lunch - an 8-inch club on a sub from Firehouse Subs, a diet caffeine free coke, and 7 Cheetos.  I used to be absolutely in love with Cheetos.  I could only stomach 7 of them before I almost tossed my mocha.  GROSS!  I will never eat Cheetos again as long as I live.  That being said, the diet caffeine free coke was divine, as was the sandwich.

Snack - 1 medium sweet tea, 2 bites of chocolate chip cookie dough, 1 freshly baked chocolate chip cookie, and several bites of my baby boy's birthday cake.  After this nutritious snack, I thought my teeth might rot right out of my head.  My teeth actually hurt, as did my stomach, and my head for that matter.

  

Dinner - 1 bacon cheeseburger from Five Guys, water, and 1 chocolate chip cookie.  I baked the chocolate chip cookies as a Christmas present to my neighbors.  As I was putting them into bags to take  across the street, one broke in half.  I couldn't bring myself to put a broken cookie into a gift bag, so I ate it.  At that moment I decided that I would have rather taken a butt kicking.  I could barely eat the darn cookie.  It was actually painful to finish it.

Shortly after I finished the above-mentioned cookie, I crawled into bed.  I was trying to escape the mental fog that was starting to envelop me.  I felt so incredibly ill that I wanted to go to sleep as quickly as possible.  I wanted to wake up and feel better, but I didn't.  I felt like I had the worst hangover of my life.  I had a headache for THREE days.  My stomach is only starting to get back to normal and it has been over a week.

Will I ever cheat on my diet again and risk feeling terrible?  Probably, but hopefully not until my 365 day challenge is over.  What I can say is that I will never eat as many "cheat" things in one day again, and that's a promise!  

Physical Training Log

I was so excited about posting my five month results last week that I forgot to post my physical training log.  So, here's a twofer; two weeks worth of PT!  Try not to get too excited.

Remember, the workouts listed below are a representation of what I completed.  Please consult your physician before beginning a physical training program.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Run the neighborhood loop + a bit more
= 21:12

* This loop is approximately 1.5 miles.  I added a bit more distance this week.  According to mapmyrun.com, I ran about 2.12 miles.  My goal is to eventually, run this loop twice!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Row x 500 meters
-then-
Power snatch (30 pounds) x 5
Ball slams (25 pounds) x 7
Complete 5 rounds
-then-
Row x 500 meters
= 10:44

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Run to the end of my street and back
-then-
Deadlift (65 pounds) x 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Push press (20 pound dumbbells) x 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
= 12:32

* According to mapmyrun.com, the run portion of this workout was approximately 0.33 miles.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Run the neighborhood loop + quite a bit more
= 28:39

* This loop is approximately 1.5 miles.  I added quite a bit more distance this week.  According to mapmyrun.com, I ran about 2.8 miles.  Last week, I only ran 2.12 miles.  Yay me!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Run to the neighborhood sign and back
-then-
Back squat (30 pounds) x 10
Pushups (knee) x 10
Burpees x 5
Complete 5 rounds
= 13:13

* According to mapmyrun.com, the run portion of this workout was approximately 0.47 miles.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Run to the neighbor's mailbox and back
Jump squats x 10
Sit-ups x 10
Complete 5 rounds
= 12:45

* According to mapmyrun.com, the run portion of this workout was approximately 0.85 miles.

Have a great weekend!!