I've been such a bad blogger! I haven't been here in a while... *sigh*

Historically, when weight loss/exercise/health conscious bloggers disappear it's because they have reverted to "old ways" and are embarrassed to post about it.

I used to feel that way.

Not anymore. Why?

Because I'm not "on" or "off" the "wagon" anymore. It's not all or nothing anymore. It's just life. Everyday, in and out. Eating mostly foods that make my body feel good and healthy, and eating some foods that don't make my body feel good. Learning from that, moving on from it.

I'm still putting up great numbers in my training, and I've started lifting-specific training 3 days instead of 2. Who wouldn't want to do something that makes them feel awesome? Not me! :)

The BEST part?? Are you ready??

The hubby is training with me!!!

It's a long story, but let's just say I am blessed with the most amazing trainers. I don't know how I deserve what they give me, but I'm just thankful!

So, yeah, hubby will be training with me 2 days for a week, maybe moving up to 3 depending on how he feels. Last night was our first training session and I am SOOO proud of how hard he worked! It was awesome!

I'm going back tonight for a nice heavy lifting session and I will enjoy my holiday tomorrow with my family. I'll be back in the gym on Friday morning.

Ahhh... now that's living!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Weekend recap, and stuff you *might* not know about me

Weekend Recap and stuff you *might* not know



My weekend was not all that exciting, guys. Busy, of course, but nothing really new. I will share a few PR type things from Sunday’s workout, and what I’m eating today.



Saturday, I PR’ed my hex-bar dead-lift 205x1. Stoked! I went for 2, but the clock timed out and that damn beep skewed my focus. I think I could have done it. Next time, for sure


I did 3 pull-ups with a purple band and a black band. As a reference, I started out doing pull-ups with 3 black bands and a purple band. I was very happy to see this progress. At Bodyology, they encourage you to pull-up to the chest instead of just to the chin, so I’ve been working on that with my normal pull-ups.



I HATE front wracking weights for weighted squats. I feel so uncomfortable. I will take an 80lb goblet squat over 40lb on each shoulder any day. Just sayin’.



What I’m eating today:

Every once in a while, I’ll pop my daily menu on here. You won’t see it every day anymore. Mostly because I am removing my compulsion over food by being more chill about it. So, here is the menu for today. Any of you who have been reading me for a while know that I cook for the week, so this means that with very slight variation, this will likely be my menu for most of the week!



Coffee, coffee, coffee, with one packet of cocoa.
Pumpkin oatmeal (crock pot) with a handful of almonds.
Apple and 2 cheese sticks
Maybe some more coffee
Vegetable zucchini lasagna
Quiche
Chicken nuggets (home-made), more almonds
Something else, ‘cause I’ll be hungry after class, but not sure what yet. During class I will be taste-testing the recipes we make for our assignments.


You might notice this menu has a little less meat than normal. This is mostly because I had tons of frozen veggies in the house and it was more economical to make my lasagna vegetable instead of buying more meat. That’s what’s up, folks.



And yes, I still used zucchini instead of noodles. Not because I’m staying away from carbs (not at ALL! LOL), but because I really like it this way!



All over Facebook lately I have seen this “survey” type status. Apparently someone gives you a number, and you are “obligated” to then reveal that # of things people may not know about you. I have not been so “lucky” to be tagged. I’m kinda glad. On some boards I frequent, it’s become a “this is how bad my life is and you have no idea”. And then each tries to one up. Yuck. BUT – since this is a different kind if forum, I figured I’d give it a go.

So, here is my list of stuff you might not know about me. I don’t know how many there will be.

1. I love, love, love the smell of my laundry detergent. (Arm and Hammer – Fresh Scent, I think) I could smell it all day long and it makes me SO happy. The hubby took a picture of me last week with my face in a basket of clean laundry.



2. I also love the smell of musty, old houses. Maybe it reminds me of my Mima’s house. I loved my Mima’s “basement smell”.

3. I think about running away. A lot. But, you might already know that.

4. I once ripped off my big toe nail walking in a pair of crocks. It took over a year to grow back.

5. I have broken my left ankle 3 times, fractured it 2 times, sprained it a million times and finally had to have surgery to repair it. I don’t have fully mobility in it.

6. My mom is my best friend

7. I met my husband for the first time when I was 10 and he was 15. I had a huge crush on him when I was about 16 (high school), but we didn’t get together till I was 26.

8. The first time hubby said “I love you” I said “thank you”.



Alright, that’s it, because frankly, it’s not all the interesting. Hope all of you are hanging in there, and if anyone is reading from Illinois, Ohio, or any place dealing the tornados right now, my prayers are with you

weights and mood going up!

Sorry for the lack of posting… Thing 1 was sick, and I was off work taking care of him… now I have a cold, but it’s no biggie. Just Sniffly and Sneezy. I’m like 2 of the 7 dwarves in 1. Ha!



Taking some rest time last week had its good and bad points. The good out-weighed the bad, for sure; however, the bad points are a little… um… painful.



As in, my poor, poor lats! LOL



Actually, most of my body is on fire right now, due to going back to my normal lifting schedule and going back to balls to the wall. (litteraly – we did wall-balls yesterday!) The GREAT thing is I felt like I was ABLE to do that.No longer totally exhausted! I guess I really did need it. Not only was I able, but went UP on a few of my weights:



#50 on single arm rows – 10x3

#80 Dumbbell floor press – 10x1, 8x1 (then #35x2), 2x1 (then #35x8)

#200 DL 3x1, 4x1

#95 Bench 3x2



Hands down, my barbell shoulder press is my weakest/slowest-to-develop lift. It’s so hard for me to lift strict, and not give myself a little “oomph” at the bottom. Worked at #70x3x2 yesterday, but the last few I needed that little pop from my lower body to stick it. Any lifters out there have any advise on this? Just keep trying?



I am slowly incorporating some more guidelines into my eating right now. Not rules. Not restrictions, just guidelines.



1. Eating only when hungry. This is something I work on continuously. I likely will for a very long time.



2. No more Starbucks. You guys know the Bux has been a thorn in my side for a while. I’ve had an on-off love affair with them. But frankly, they are just too pricy. And, they give me gas. So, to save my marriage, I have decided this is a must.



3. No more snacking in bed. For a while, my body was on a schedule where I was totally ravenous right before bed, so I would put together a little snack and bring it up to relax in bed and munch. Well, now I’m really not hungry right before bed and it’s just more of a habit than a necessity. Please see #1. IF I am hungry at that time of day, I will eat my snack downstairs and THEN go to bed.



These are the things I am concentrating on for the moment. Keeping things simple and focusing on just a few things at a time keeps me from feeling overwhelmed. Less overwhelmed = much happier girl.



How are you guys doing out there? Eating food? Lifting weights?

Changes

Before I get into any frivolous post: Please, please take a moment to think of the people in the Philippians right now, doing battle with the most ferocious storm in history. If you don’t pray, send good vibes. Then, get ready to stand up and help these people. They are going to need it.

We all know that change is the only constant in life.

Whenever I’m going through a bad time in life, my mom will always say “Remember, nothing stays the same. Everything always changes”

And she is so right.

A few months ago when I thought I would be unable to continue Bodyology, I was so incredibly crushed. If you have been following me for a while, you know what an important impact this establishment and the trainers have had on my strength, my fitness, and most of all, the self-esteem and confidence.

So it is with that confidence that I make the full decision to leave Bodyology for now. Hubby has made a pact with me. He KNOWS how important Bodyology is to me, and the fact that I am willing to replace it to workout with him on a regular basis – well, let’s just say he knows what a huge deal that is.

But, we are starting a different fitness journey together. It’s exciting, to be sure. I’m excited and happy to re-incorporate different fitness aspects back into my training. Spinning, Kickboxing, Yoga, lifting, HITT training. Bring it on – ALL of it!

Handing in my case study and taking my exam (which was HARD) was a weight lifted off my shoulders. At least for the weekend… oh wait. I just remembered I have an exam on Monday in my other class.

Crap. *Sigh* Eh, whatcha gonna do? The price of striving for what you want.

This weekend is very busy and special at church as well. Our new senior minister candidate will preach and be voted upon by the congregation. It’s been a very long road to get here, and it’s very, very exciting.

All this, plus other things that must get done will make for a very busy weekend. Just for fun, let’s do a run down. I have a feeling this might give me a heart attack:

Friday
5:30 – Mimi (my mom) picks up kids so Hubby and I can go to a cast party (yeah!)

Saturday
7:30 – Bodyology (I’m taking classes till the end of the month)
9:00 – pick up kids from mom
9:30-1:30 Shower, dress, bake for meet-and-greet, hang with kids, study, clean
2:00 – be at church to help set-up for senior minister meet-and-greet
3:00-5:00 – meet-and-greet
5:00 – clean up
6:00 – Major studying for exam on Monday, laundry, cleaning our room (looks like a cyclone hit it), change our kids clothes to all arm stuff and correct sizes (God, they grow like weeds!)

Sunday
9:00 - Choir rehearsal for church
10:00 - Special Service
11:15 - Set-up for special meeting, meeting, vote
12:15 - reception
1:00 – grocery shopping
2:00 – start cooking for week, let kids play outside, get homework finished, book-bags packed, clothes laid out.
7:00 – kids bath, bed
8:00 – continue studying for exam Monday
10:00 Fall over

Yup – gives me stomach pain just looking at it. But, there are people who have it a lot busier! I’m grateful for everything I get to do right now. I’m healthy and able. What a blessing.

Peace to you all. Have a wonderful weekend!

School Stressors and Row Machines

First – workout updates!

The workout I posted in my last entry went really well – the only modification was that we did each mini-circuit 2x instead of 3x. I came down about 10# on each of my lifts and even a little more on the Romanian Dead Lifts. BUT – my hams still feel it! 

Here was yesterdays goodie:

Row Machine Sandwich Workout (it made me want to eat a sandwich when we were done! LOL)
WARM UP
Rowing 500 M
10 Pull-ups (5x2) (assist machine)
10 Resistance band stability/core
X2

10 step-ups (each leg)
10 Push-ups
30 second plank (stable or up-down)
X2

15 Kettle bell swings (20#)
15 tricep dips
Rowing 500 M
X2

STRETCH/ COOL DOWN

Doing each x2 was the perfect amount of active recovery for me. I can use this again, up it to 3x through each and it would be more on par with a normal workout.

And the x2 was perfect push workout for my hubby. He wasn’t happy yesterday AT ALL. In his defense, he warned me that he might be pissy this first week. It’s not with me, but with him. The step ups were very difficult for him (The only steps they had were a little high for someone starting out), but he wouldn’t tell me why, and he wouldn’t allow me to change to a different exercise. LATER he tells me his knees were killing him.

ACK!!! I explained that he HAS to tell me these things. His response??

“But you always read everywhere that you need to “push through the pain””

*face-palm*

So, we talked about this. We talked about how joint pain and muscle “burn” (because you are working a muscle hard) are VERY, VERY different things. That pushing through joint pain is DANGEROUS.

I also DARED him to find me ANY research that says you should “push through” knee pain.

(not holding my breath on that one)

I think he gets it. I told him if we are going to work out together, he needed to be up-front and totally honest with me. We made that pact.

Another note on yesterday’s workout – I am developing a love/hate relationship with the row machine! It hurts so good!

Today in my Nutrition III class, I have a project (case study) due AND an exam. I have to say, as a former university instructor – this is POOR PLANNING unless you are trying to make your students insane. IF, however, that is your goal – WELL DONE.

I also have another gripe about this case study. There is certain information that is required in this paper that is found in a very specific professional resource book. This book was not on the list of needed resources for this class that we receive that the start of the semester. When I asked the instructor about it, she told me she “assumed we had it” from another class.

This is a BAD assumption. I am a part time, evening only student. This means that the class that she ASSUMED I already had obtained the book from I have NOT TAKEN yet.

But this info was not imparted until last week. Too late to get the book (and no money to do so). So NOW, I need to take PTO hours from work today to go to school, find the book in the library (pray for me please) to get this corrected terminology.

I’m sorry – tell me that don’t suck?

Anyway, enough bitchin’. Walking on lunch break today, but no formal workout because of class. Tomorrow is blissful Friday…

Peace, my peeps.

Rest/De-load - what does it mean to me?

You guys know I talked yesterday about taking a rest week. I’m considering it more of a de-load week, focusing on form. I’ll be working with my hubby as well, so we will be taking it a little slower together. It will work very well, I think.

I put together the following workout we will be doing today. There may be modifications, depending on what is available to us at the gym.

WARM UP
10 squats
10 Exp shoulder press
10 lunges (each leg)
10 Pushups
X3

10 Db floor press
10 Bridge lift
10 single arm row (each)
10 pause goblet squats
X3

10 kettle bell swings
10 scissors (each leg)
10 skaters (each leg)
10 Db Romanian dead lifts
X3

Core finish:
30 second center plank
30 second left side plank
30 second center plank
30 second right side plank
STRETCH/COOL DOWN


I’m taking my weights down – so, for example, on exploding shoulder press, I would normally do a few at #35, and then the rest at #30 (Working toward #35), but tonight I will do #25. Similar with Romanian DL – normally I would go about #110-#120, so tonight I’ll probably hang around in the #90’s.

Form is the prime focus this week. Things like really hinging at the hips and keeping a neutral neck for dead lifts, digging the heels into the ground and keeping the chest high during squats. Squeezing the glutes during bridge lift, activating the quads on lunges. You can effectivly work your muscles when you activate the BRAIN as well - focusing on the muscle to be worked increases the energy expended.

You’ll notice that plyo/HITT type movements are not present. Well, that’s part of the rest aspect, and also give the hubby a chance to really figure out form and his weight range on these movements (which are new to him). This is also why I did a rep-based format, instead of a timed interval-based format.

I showed it to hubby and waited for the “concern” to come back to me – he worries that he “can’t” do certain things… but, surprisingly, he simply said “Okey dokey”

Yup, that was it.

I’ll check in tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

Resting is hard, but allowing my body to crumble under too much pressure/work/strain – much, much harder.

Do you guys take rest weeks? Do you take a full rest, or do you engage in active recovery?

Babies, Mindsets and Rest

I spent most of Sunday this weekend in my car. 2 hour ride to New Jersey and a 2 hour ride back. For 2 hours in between I spent time with a dear friend, Maggie, from my Michigan days who is having her first baby. I was excited and felt honored to have been invited to her shower. She is going to be such a great mama! Sometimes when I see a happy/glowy pregnant lady, I start to think about a 3rd.

Then I come to my senses.

Going into a social situation where I don’t know a soul (save 1 or 2) makes me incredibly anxious. When I was obese, it was simply not an option. I would run and hide from such gatherings. I did this exact thing when Maggie had her bridal shower. I said I would go, and then I baled. I just couldn’t emotionally handle it. I know this was very disappointing to her, and I don’t blame her one bit.

So, while I was still incredibly nervous – ESPECIALLY driving so far on my own – my weight was not nearly as much of a factor. It’s a good thing too, because the rest of Maggie’s friends may or may not have looked like freaking super models. Just sayin’.

My biggest, awesome-est “ah-ha” moment was about the food (I know – shock). Well, let me re-phrase – it WASN’T about the food.

It’s been a while since I’ve been at a gathering like this, but I remember distinctly that each time I attended something I have been in one of two mind-sets. I was either going to “be bad” and binge on all the food, or I was going to “be good” and worry/obsess about what was in each dish.

Yesterday – I was of NEITHER mindset.

And it was AMAZING.


I didn’t worry/wonder/obsess about the food. There was food. I ate some. It was very, very delicious. And that was it. There was no overeating of the apps laid out, because I wasn’t that hungry. Lunch consisted of trying little of a few of the things offered, and no seconds, because I was not hungry for them. On top of which, I didn’t have to STOP myself from doing it – it just happened that way.

I left before dessert was officially served, so Maggie insisted I take some things with me. I chose 2 different mini things and took my little covered plate with me in the car. Once I got my bearings on the highway, I tried the goods, and they were just too sweet for me. I ended up tossing them when I stopped for gas.

The old me, besides being obsessive, would have:

1. Devoured those treats as soon as I was a safe distance from the house, and alone.
2. Eaten them even though they tasted too sweet for me.

These realizations felt so incredibly good to me. I started thinking about them on my long drive home and I felt so content.

REST: ah yes. Rest. That thing you are supposed to do every 4-6 weeks while lifting or doing very intense workouts. That thing I have NOT done since I came back full throttle from my surgery in March.

Last week was tough for me physically and mentally. My workouts felt a lot harder. I couldn’t push myself through the full intervals. This is very unusual. Because physically I felt so much weaker, my mental fortitude took a big wallop.

Instead of just trying to push through it. I consulted with the trusted few I go to when I’m struggling. Across the board, the question was the same “When was the last time you took a rest/de-load week?”

ME: “uhhhhh…………”

Them: “Yeah. You need to rest”

Rest makes me nervous. I have visions of attempting my heavier lifts and feeling like I have slid back instead of making strides forward. Then I saw this great quote from Girls Gone Strong: “Strength isn’t only on the bar”

How true that is.

My physical and mental weakness this past week needs to be addressed. Regardless of how it effects me NEXT week at the bar, it STILL has to happen for me NOW.

Because I need to be strong in ALL aspects, not just in iron.

So, this week is a “rest” week. I will still go to the gym, and hubby is going to join me. We will work functional fitness (Squats, lunges, pushups, pull-ups, core etc) but will keep plyo on the light end. This is good for the hubby too, because he is just starting to get back to the gym. Win-Win.

How was your weekend? Any realizations?