So I have a confession to make... for the last six weeks or so, I haven't been keeping a food diary. That's not to say I've been eating too much or awful things - I've mostly eaten healthful things in proper amounts, still worked out, and have maintained my weight, such as it is. But now I'm starting a food journal again b/c I need to get several pounds off. I guess I was sort of just taking a break to maintain for a while, even though I still weigh more than I'd like. Hopefully I won't repeat my normal cycle of POP for a few weeks, then far enough off plan to make up for any loss I had in those few weeks...
Last night I had a smaller than normal portion of turkey meatballs with pasta for dinner. Even though the "healthy" recipe feeds 4, I made it into 6 or so servings. Concentrating on the whole "80% full" thing, thanks Pat. I'm trying to up the cardio b/c I really need to blast the fat, but I feel like doing more high-intensity cardio is countering the lifting I do. I want to maintain the muscle I have, though, not lose it, but could do with just maintaining muscle tone and concentrating on losing fat right now. Despite my heavy Oxygen magazine reading I'm confused how one accomplishes this. Any thoughts? Hrmm...
As you all know I live in a very rural area. The grocery store is small and doesn't carry a lot of the things I like to eat, but does carry 6 oz. Stoneyfield Farms lowfat yogurt cups. Until two days ago... I walked into the store and another yogurt was on the shelf! I just can't eat other yogurts, they're gross...no Yoplait, no Dannon, no Weight Watchers, no no no! (Do we have a temper tantrum icon?) I'm hoping they're just temporarily out of stock... I love my SF yogurt.
Shane, glad to hear it sounds like you're getting over your cold and are getting back into the groove with exercise.
Shannon, isn't it nice when you end up accidentally under calories? I know plain old mowing a lawn is lots of work, but I'm totally picturing you riding a riding mower as a bull rider would ride a bull.
mod, I don't have kids, but can imagine that taking care of a child would put a major kink in my health and fitness routine! I hope today is better, but don't be too hard on yourself.
Michele, I hope the lunch options aren't too terrible. At least it sounds like you will be doing something semi-active. Enjoy the Latin dance!
Joci, I hope your mom recovers from her surgery and your kids get off to college ok. Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate right now - hang in there!
Heather, sadly my office network is blocking me from your picture site. It's like they don't want me to be on 3fc when I'm supposed to be working... I wish I could see the pics though.
Shane, do you have any photos from your bodybuilding competition? I'd love to see them!
I'm supposed to do my first workout B for stage 3 of NRLW today. We'll see if my legs can handle it. I swear, the workout A dumbell single-leg Romanian deadlift didn't feel that hard to do, but it killed my legs the next day! At least today I can walk normally again. I've now decided that any exercise that has "Romanian" or "Bulgarian" in the name is going to be a killer.
Just out of curiosity, did any of you ladies who did NRLW do modified versions of the exercises to match your available equipment? I don't have access to any barbells so I'm doing all the barbell exercises with dumbells. Hopefully that's okay. I know it's not quite the same.
Megan - here's my Cliffs Notes version on how to maintain your muscle and blast fat:
Doing HIIT is a very good idea, along with continuing your weight training. Make sure your diet is VERY clean. Keep simple sugars out of your diet (even natural ones like fruit) except for before and/or after your workouts. Make sure each meal has a complete protein source. Don't weight train for more than an hour at a time, as you risk the chance of burning muscle that way and "working your nerves". And of course, remember to eat every 2-3 hours.
This is about what I do for maintenance/fat loss and is a watered-down version of a bodybuilder's contest preparation. It's ok to cheat every now and then, of course -- you can still make progress even if you're not insanely obsessive.
Lori - Phoebe is SO adorable and her hair color + eyes are so pretty!
Jessica - there was a professional photographer at the competition taking pictures. He is supposed to e-mail me to let me know when the pictures are up... once I have them, I will most definitely share!
(Do we have a temper tantrum icon?) I'm hoping they're just temporarily out of stock...
You mean this guy? It's tantrum surrounded by colons. I don't blame you either! When my store discontinues something I rely on I feel like that too.
I woke up about 5 with a killer headache, took some advil, turned off the alarm and went back to bed for a couple hours. No workout for me this morning, and I have a meeting tonight. Guess I just made today my rest day, and will slip my weights to Fri/Sat and cardio to Sunday.
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Doing HIIT is a very good idea, along with continuing your weight training. Make sure your diet is VERY clean. Keep simple sugars out of your diet (even natural ones like fruit) except for before and/or after your workouts. Make sure each meal has a complete protein source. Don't weight train for more than an hour at a time, as you risk the chance of burning muscle that way and "working your nerves". And of course, remember to eat every 2-3 hours.
This is the essence of the Precision Nutrition program as well, though I've not heard the 1 hour limit on WL. It works pretty well for me, though I still crave some carbs for dinner, and will have a 1/4 cup or so of brown rice or sweet potato. PN doesn't recommend cutting out all fruit, just that you have more veggies than fruit in your "5 a day."
Mod - Phoebe is a cutie!
Shane - thanks for the pics, you look great!
Michele - hope you were somewhere you could make good lunch choices. Amazing Race is the only reality show I watch, and if I were younger I'd have tried out for it! Hope your version is fun.
I've been to the eye doc this morning. 20 min drive each way, 40! min wait, and 10 min with him. I just had to have my new contact prescription checked, and sure enough he's tweaking it. So a week's wait for another trial pair, but if I'm happy with those I can just order more without seeing him again. It's nice to have found a eye doc in my age group - others don't encourage contacts after 60, but he has them himself and understands the issues his patients have. I've worn them since I was 18 and much prefer them to glasses.
Jessica - the single leg deadlifts kill me, too. I'm not fond of single leg squats either. Ouch. I didn't do NRLW, but I remember someone modifying it. PhotoChick maybe? She is on my Facebook if you want me to ask her about it.
Megan - sometimes you just need a break from all the constant journaling.... And I would be mad about the SF yogurt! It is my absolute favorite yogurt, though Rachel's Wickedly Delicious Organic (not Rachel Ray) & Archer Farms, oddly enough, are close seconds.
Mod - gorgeous pics!
Shane - a deficit is always better than a surplus, even by accident! Did you stop doing high intensity exercise all together or are you just dropping down a little to recover after your competition?
Pat, I read your summary of the Precision Nutrition program and I think it sounds excellent. I have actually been keeping that 80% full idea in the back of my mind every time I eat as a perfect gauge. During the last month, I've eaten until I'm 300% full, which is not good! I got so used to be INSANELY hungry during bodybuilding contest preparation that I forgot in my regular ol' maintenance, I usually WAS only 80% full... therefore, I was always a TINY bit hungry but not to the extent of stomach growling or lightheadedness.
Thanks for the pic comment, too
Jessica - not to sound like an idiot, but what is NRLW ?
Shannon - I stopped high intensity exercise today and yesterday because I can't do it without coughing. I can't cough, because I have intense, raging pain in both sides from coughing too much... and it becomes 327840937490 times as bad if I cough. I'm trying my best to kick this cold-bug-hopefully-not-flu. I cough a little bit from time to time because I don't want mucus in my lungs, but I dread every time I do it. OUCH!!
Last edited by NightengaleShane; 08-20-2009 at 03:30 PM.
Reason: Didn't see Shannon's post
Jessica - the single leg deadlifts kill me, too. I'm not fond of single leg squats either. Ouch. I didn't do NRLW, but I remember someone modifying it.
Oh those single leg deadlifts are killers! I really have to hold on to something as well, esp on one side. I absolutely cannot do one-legged squats, it's too much weight on one knee. I did some of NRLW and I remember that some exercises talk about modification. And I'm sure you can do nearly everything they ask for a BB with DBs.....
Shane, thanks for posting the pics, you look amazing! Look at those abs!! NRLW is shorthand for the workout plans from the book "The New Rules of Lifting for Women" which a lot of folk around here have done/recommended.
I did make it through my workout okay today, although I probably used less weight for the single-leg squats than I normally would since I'm still so sore from Tuesday. The YTWL was a killer too! And I only used 3lb weights for that one.
Here's a question that I hope some of you can answer. How do you weight train AND do cardio? I mean, in theory, I would do cardio MWF and weights TTh. But I'm so sore from Tuesday's workout I couldn't possible manage to run or bike on Wednesday, and Friday I'm so sore from Thursday I couldn't do it, then I'm still recovering Saturday, and I end up only doing cardio maybe once a week.
Shane - yeah, lowering the intensity sounds like a good idea! Ouch! Hope that clears up for you soon!
Jessica - I've been doing weight training MWF, 20-40 minute intense sessions that I follow with 20-30 minutes of light cardio to stretch out and cool down after. TThSa I've been doing to longer cardio. I found for the first few weeks that I was pretty sore so the cardio the day after weight training was hard, but it has gotten easier. I do find that it is easier to do the elliptical after weight training than the treadmill. Oddly, I don't have trouble with my Saturday runs at the park even with strength training on Friday. One thing I found was that if I did the strength training in the afternoon and tried to do cardio in the morning the next day I was more sore -is much better when I get up and do everything in the morning... I did read somewhere that a cup of black coffee consumed before a workout will help with the muscle fatigue and make it easier to exercise with sore muscles, but I've only done it twice now so don't know it it is helping or not...
ETA - Even though I am more used to it though, that doesn't mean I'm not sore every day when I start cardio after weight training... today was killer... Last week after the 'filthy 50' on Monday I thought I was dying Tuesday morning...
Last edited by Shannon in ATL; 08-20-2009 at 03:47 PM.
Jessica - OH, I have heard of that book, but I have never read it! Should I?
Everyone is different, but here is what I do as far as my weight training/cardio split. It is fairly flexible now... I like to give myself options. And for me, options work. Monday - 1 hr - chest/back/abs - I either do no cardio or ride my bike for 30-60 minutes -if I feel extra ambitious with the weight training, I will train my chest 1 hr and train my back 1 hr later that day. Tuesday - 1 hr - legs - and 20-45 minutes HIIT on the tredmill (depending how motivated/inspired I feel) and bike riding anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half Wednesday - cardio day - 1.5 hours biking split up 45 minutes twice a day + 20-45 minutes HIIT Thursday - shoulders and back - 1 hr + either bike, HIIT, or both. Friday - Biceps, triceps, abs... if I do cardio, it's random bike riding. Saturday - Cardio day - if I have the time, I will go on a nice, super LONG bike ride... either to another town (50 miles round trip ish) or on nature trails. I MAY do stairs, instead. Sunday - either repeat, rest, or some fun form of activity like biking or rollerblading
Sometimes, I replace the tredmill with the stepper.
On any of these days, I may go for a 30-minute leisure walk.
And thanks for the abs compliment that was a big goal of mine... BIG, big goal... my stomach is honestly the most stubborn spot on my body... that, and my sides/hips.
You mean this guy? It's tantrum surrounded by colons. I don't blame you either! When my store discontinues something I rely on I feel like that too.
Yes, that's the one! Outside I was calm, serene. I imagine I had a slightly puzzled, perhaps searching look on my face as I scanned the yogurt shelves over and over... but inside:
I'm used to my small store not carrying the products I like, and going to the city every few months to stock up on some things. But to carry them and then take them away? That's just cruel!
Thanks ya'll for the !
It helped. Of course, there were ZERO healthy choices.
The amazing race part was fun though. We got separated into teams and given a clue. We had to figure out where to go and then we arrived, complete a task, get our next clue and so on. When we finished (we tied for 5th out of 8 teams) we were at a park with catered Mexican food. On the tables were chips, cookies, brownies... no fruits or veggies in sight. I helped myself to the smallest portion imaginable of rice, beans, and two bites of a chicken enchilada. I ate my stashed snacks with it!
Wow! Shane! Loved your pics. You do look amazing!
Megan-- I have gone through periods where I don't journal and I gain weight EVERY time. I have been journaling pretty religiously since I finally figured that out for myself.
Jessica-- I combine cardio and weights too but tend to do more cardio most weeks. On a typical week, I do the following:
Monday: Boxing Boot Camp (combination of weights, boxing, running, jump rope, etc)
Tuesday: usually nothing as I work two jobs
Wednesday: Spinning class
Thursday: Latin Dance class
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: usually elliptical (with lots of resistance and arms), but sometimes will run or lift weights
Right now I'm doing weights M, T, Th, F (usually with a 5-10 min cardio warmup) and HIIT cardio on W and Sat or Sun. The PN program changes every 4 weeks, so it may be different starting next week. I like that I don't have to design a program, just do it. I really don't like to do cardio the first thing in the morning, so I try to do it in the evening, or on the weekends late morning or in the afternoon. I do fine with lifting weights at 5:30 am though. Weird.
I got some new Nike Free shoes. They're superlight, "like barefoot" says the ad. I use them for lifting, but my regular cross-trainers for cardio.
Michele - that sounds like it was lots of fun. Boo, on no fruits or veggies! Glad you made it work.
Howdy everyone! I am back from an exhausting week in rural Arizona. It's the first I've really been back at my place here and so I am waiting until tomorrow to go grocery shopping... this means dinner was a piece of fry bread, some mixed nuts, and Annie's chocolate graham bunnies. gotta love it!
about that fry bread.... if you don't know what it is, it's basically wheat dough fried in oil and I had a bit sent home with me from the reservation. It's delicious and leaves my hands greasy. There are three more pieces in the fridge that I NEED TO THROW OUT! I just can't bring myself to do it. Maybe when I bring home groceries tomorrow the fridge won't seem so barren and I'll be able to part with it. At least it was made in canola oil and not lard...
I know what you mean....I have had a terrible week too...actually am up a bit but I am going to give myself till next Friday to get back to what my ticker says....then if it isn't the same, I will change it. I am still at my goal since now I just want to maintain within 5lbs of 130...and I am still in that range. Don't fret...it will come off again. It did once, it will again
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Originally Posted by Shannon in ATL
I had a good day yesterday, ended up about 250 calories below my normal level.
That's great on one level, but not on another. Remember you NEED to eat to lose and maintain. I know it feels good to not eat as much, but it can bite you in the end.
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Originally Posted by NightengaleShane
Oh I'm going to this ice cream social thing on Sunday. I promise I'll behave..
I always feel that if I am good all week, it is okay to have a little fun on the weekends. Plus it gives me a whole week till I weigh in on the next Friday to work off whatever I ate on the weekend before. Enjoy yourself, don't deprive yourself but still be sensible.
Have fun!!!
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Originally Posted by Megan1982
Joci, I hope your mom recovers from her surgery and your kids get off to college ok. Sounds like you've got a lot on your plate right now - hang in there!
Thanks so much...to say I have alot on my plate is an understatement...looking forward to Sunday when things will sort of be normal...well a new normal anyway. I hope to sleep all morning
That's not to say I've been eating too much or awful things - I've mostly eaten healthful things in proper amounts, still worked out, and have maintained my weight, such as it is. But now I'm starting a food journal again b/c I need to get several pounds off. I guess I was sort of just taking a break to maintain for a while, even though I still weigh more than I'd like. Hopefully I won't repeat my normal cycle of POP for a few weeks, then far enough off plan to make up for any loss I had in those few weeks... 
I just can't eat other yogurts, they're gross...no Yoplait, no Dannon, no Weight Watchers, no no no! (Do we have a temper tantrum icon?) I'm hoping they're just temporarily out of stock... I love my SF yogurt. 
I wish I could see the pics though. 
It's tantrum surrounded by colons. I don't blame you either! When my store discontinues something I rely on I feel like that too. 
Hope your version is fun.
!
