Exercise - 90 mins treadmill, 15 mins weights

Water - 20 cups

Food - 2036 calories (21% fat, 51% carbs, 25% protein)

Breakfast - 12-grain toast, jam, 3 clementines (245)

Lunch - beef barley mushroom soup, smoked back bacon, apple, fruit salad (537)

Dinner - lasagne, broccoli, butter, salad, salad dressing (647)

Snacks - protein shake (x2), apple, fruit salad, biscotti, pita chips (607)

I rambled enough earlier, so it’s to sleep I go.

Deb - it’s very easy to get excited about changes, it’s another to follow through with them.  Although I think at this point I’m pretty solid on the eating (that’s why I’ll only change it around a little - aiming for more protein).  I think if you were starting out, the diet part of the book would be good.  In fact, it’s not really a diet book, but does talk of the benefit of strength training over other types of exercises.  I’m like you, I like the treadmill (strange but true), so I definitely won’t be dropping it.  On the lift days though I will cut it back.  In the end I think the reason for trying to push people into rest days is for muscle repair/rest.  I was skimming today, but I know they don’t say ‘do nothing’ on the in between days.  In my case (at the moment) I’m pretty sedentary - except for the treadmill, so I don’t think it’s a big deal.  If I was more active (as I might be in the spring/summer) I might rethink that part.  Oh well, I’ll learn something as I go I suppose.

Well, I got my new book today… The New Rules of Lifting for Women… and wasted way too much time reading it. Diet-wise I will take some things out of it (try to up my protein levels daily), but not truly change my eating patterns (since at the moment they work). Part of it is because I’m somewhat there already (ie. taking protein after the workout, but I’ll move a fruit from somewhere else). I know I’ll probably still end up always struggling to keep the carbs down, however, I will try and cut out some where I can. (ie. I could switch the baked pita chips for some almonds) I doubt in the end I’ll cut out the carbs from fruits and veggies much so I’ll see what I can do about the others. I may even try to add a few calories on the three days I do their workouts.

I will do my best to adjust to the equipment I have at home for the moment. (Dumbbells up to 16lbs ea, stability ball which I’m stealing from my mother, still working on something usable as a step - may eventually buy one) Once I’m sure I’m going to keep with it I’ll bite the bullet and perhaps invest in a few more items.

It’s unlikely I’ll stop the treadmill workouts, although so far I get the impression that the author is not a fan. Gee, that chapter “Step Away From the Treadmill” is a clue. Seriously though, I’m really using it more to build my endurance. So I’ll do a little in the mornings and on my off days. I’m not sure what I’ll do with the DVDs for the moment. I’m somewhat tempted to put them aside and focus on the workouts in the book. We’ll see how that goes.

I think next week when I change the food around I’ll move some of the snacks earlier or change the breakfast around. Some days I struggle to eat what I’ve picked (2000-2100) and so I end up eating a fair bit after dinner. This isn’t a perfect arrangement, but since it was usually my worst snacking time it’s kept me from taking unplanned food. It’s just that sometimes I feel like I’m eating because I should, not that I want it. I’m not going to change much this week, but I’ll spend some time planning a new strategy for next week.

I pretty much stole this from my forum post, but it was something I wanted to add to the blog as well. There’s nothing wrong with how things are going, but I’ve always wanted to work more strength training into my exercise routine. This seemed a good way to do it. I haven’t finished the book yet, but I think it’s based on a 6-month plan. If so this will work well as if I can find one I like I’ll probably join a gym in the fall. I see that a number of them offer student discounts with a valid student ID. We’ll see if they balk at giving me that rate. 

Deb - thanks - I think the best part was having options.  When you apply as a mature student you’re never quite sure where you stand (against the teens applying fresh out of school).