Gulp- look at that date! This is it...the last week of summer, folks! Let's make it count.
I did pretty well on my "clean it up" recommitment. I dropped 3 pounds, 2 of which were water the first day. I want to keep this going for a while and get at least another 3 pounds off. At my usual glacial rate of loss, that should take another 3-4 weeks. One face plant in peanut butter slowed things down, along with not getting all the cardio I should have. Bad me.
I'm motivated! I'm ready! I'm going to kick some butt!!
Yesterday, the DF and I came up with a workable workout routine, at least for now. We have successfully added regular yoga in our routine (well sometimes I favor getting sleep/getting to work on time instead of yoga) so we wanted to figure out how to get in our regular exercise. My left knee has worsened since I stopped working out at the gym and it is difficult for me to replicate the workouts at home. Also, the gym has cardio equipment while we don't. So our plan is to go to the gym a few times a week, doing a leg workout or cardio. We'll do upper body workouts at home with our weights on our own time. We also bought a simple weight bench that will assist with doing some of the weight workouts. We do need to buy some adjustable weights or some more dumbbells but it is a workable plan. I am also planning to sneak in extra cardio sessions either by doing dvds after work or waking up early and going to the gym.
Yesterday, we found a weight bench at Walmart that had different incline levels and even declines (although I found out decline isn't much fun). So we were testing it before we decided to keep it and I can get myself up from laying flat (which I normally can't do on a bench). Also I was sitting on the bench facing the part that adjusts so I was bringing the back up to straight up position. Well a compact weight bench and my booty don't mix so when I tried to get up, I fell back and onto my butt on the floor. It was pretty funny but also I don't see a reason to use the bench in that particular way.
I'm also going to change up my diet routine just a little bit. I think I'm going to add protein powder back into my diet, which I had banished for a bit. My problem is I want a whey protein that has no added sweeteners and that is hard to find. I've found soy protein powders without sweeteners but not whey. I think I may spend a little extra and make some mixtures at proteinfactory.com.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting back to the gym regularly and committing to regular weights again. The Push workouts are fine but with my knee as it is right now, I need to work on strengthening it and I find weight machines are the best way to start. Oh! And yesterday, we did do legs at the gym and my legs are sore today
Slightly sore legs today from my workout yesterday. I ordered a new washing machine on the net, should be delivered at the end of the week. And I'm going to power class this evening.
I did not hear DD on her abs, so i guess my suspicions are true...she has no idea how to contract her abs, or relax her back muscles! I've sprinkled the living room with 3 stability balls, so she can try to get up from one when she watches TV or something like that.
Small question (in fact a few ), firstly - is an apple a portion of carbs? So I could only have a maximum of 6 pieces of fruit a day, and that is instead of a portion of oats, or a sweet potato etc? So eg this morning I had a cottage cheese pancake (with an oat portion) and an apple - is that 2 portions of carbs? And should I only really be eating one portion at a time?
Also, at one place in the book (I think in the Qs and As section) it says that you should aim to have your 3 carb portions early in the day? But in the sample menus, all the meals have a carb portion. I think I'm going to try to aim for 3 carb portions anyway - I can feel a bit ill with too many starchy carbs!
Also the meal timing - BP says not to eat for 3 hours before working out and not for another hour after working out BUT on the Hussman site is reckons to eat a small (less than 100kcals) snack of protein and carb within 10 minutes of exercising and eat a balanced meal within an hour. What's the deal? And is BP OUT OF HIS TINY MIND????? I'd fall over not eating for 5 hours!
Oh yeah, (sorry, last question I think!!!) and do you think it'd be ok if I did HIIT and LBW or HIIT and UBW on the same day? On Weds I'm thinking about doing HIIT in the morning, then a weights workout after work. Plus is it ok to do more than the prescribed 3 weights workouts? Eg could I do UBW Mon, LBW Tues, UBW Weds and LBW Fri? My muscles would still be getting enough rest, since there's 48 hours between workouts.
Do you think I'm worrying too much?
Today's plan - UBW at lunch (run to gym and back), then kickboxing this evening. I have tasty turkey burger with me for lunch, with lovely oven roasted veggies I've also found those pumpkin bars ab fab!!! They actually taste of CAKE!
Argh, I'm exhausted. I couldn't sleep last night and was tossing, turning, then reading until 3:30 am. Today's going to be a long one Chest and cardio scheduled if I can drag myself through it. Also a session with ds and the high school guidance counselor, and several clients.
Fru- It's been a while since I did straight BFL, but I'll try to answer:
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Small question (in fact a few ), firstly - is an apple a portion of carbs? So I could only have a maximum of 6 pieces of fruit a day, and that is instead of a portion of oats, or a sweet potato etc? So eg this morning I had a cottage cheese pancake (with an oat portion) and an apple - is that 2 portions of carbs? And should I only really be eating one portion at a time?
Yes, that's really 2 carbs per the book. I think you may be doing twice the exercise, tho.
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Also, at one place in the book (I think in the Qs and As section) it says that you should aim to have your 3 carb portions early in the day? But in the sample menus, all the meals have a carb portion. I think I'm going to try to aim for 3 carb portions anyway - I can feel a bit ill with too many starchy carbs!
BFL or BFL for Women? BFL is a carb with each meal- too many for most women, but again, I think you are getting far more exercise. I'd maybe drop the starchy carb in your last meal.
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Also the meal timing - BP says not to eat for 3 hours before working out and not for another hour after working out BUT on the Hussman site is reckons to eat a small (less than 100kcals) snack of protein and carb within 10 minutes of exercising and eat a balanced meal within an hour. What's the deal? And is BP OUT OF HIS TINY MIND????? I'd fall over not eating for 5 hours!
Right. I ONCE did a weight workout on an empty stomach and have the scars to prove it. If you can do it, try HIIT on an empty stomach. Some people can lift first thing with only a snack, but most need some real food.
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Oh yeah, (sorry, last question I think!!!) and do you think it'd be ok if I did HIIT and LBW or HIIT and UBW on the same day? On Weds I'm thinking about doing HIIT in the morning, then a weights workout after work. Plus is it ok to do more than the prescribed 3 weights workouts? Eg could I do UBW Mon, LBW Tues, UBW Weds and LBW Fri? My muscles would still be getting enough rest, since there's 48 hours between workouts.
Here's where you are on shaky ground. If you are really lifting to failure, you need about 4 days recovery time for major muscle groups (legs, back, chest). If you are doing BFL in addition to your biking, running, and kickboxing, I think doubling the lifting is going to put you into a pretty severely overtrained state in about 3-4 weeks. You won't see either the fat loss or muscle definition that you want, you'll just be tired. If you want to lift 4 days, do a 4 day split or a 3 day split rotated over 5 days- not BFL.
I think I'll stick to the 3 days a week of lifting - it just didn't seem enough, but then I'm doing twice as many sets with more reps on most of them, so I think I WOULD be tired doing all that! I'm also doing my short runs as HIIT sessions - so in addition to BfL it's just 1 long run, 5 hours kickboxing and 28ish miles cycling a week (if that saddle EVER turns up!). Ok that sounds like enough exercise for me!
Frus - I get exhausted just reading about the excercise you planned!
Mel - a session with ds and the high school guidance copunselor ??? is this as scary as I think it is? Good luck with ds and the counselor!!!
School has definnitely started here, together with questions from my side regarding homework status, and reports of dd about the daily biking trips to and from school. It is 5 kms (just over 3 miles) each way. Today I heard that she had fallen off the new bike already 3 - 4 times, but no harm done. I'm sure she will be used to it after the first 2 weeks. She just needs to develop the coordination and the endurance, and the muscle power to lift het school bag. DD is 27 kgs, and the bag is 10 kgs, so she has to adjust to heaving the bag on the bike and going to school with it. Fortunately, at school she can put a lot of stuff into her locker so she does not have to drag the total bag around. As far as i remember, she will be used to this is no time flat.
Easy day for me tomorrow, I work at home and i will do a home workout as well. nothing along Frus line, but at least something to get back on track.
Been busy dealing with a sick DH (cold only, but why, why are men such babies over being sick? ), insurance company/dr's billing office, and other such fun stuff - not! But, we've had 3 days of sun in a row!!
Rabbit - goodness your DD is carrying over 1/3 of her weight in her school bag! But you're right, she'll have the hang of it in no time.
Frus - sounds like a great plan. Is this the "countdown-to-the-wedding" plan?
Gotta scoot, too much going on, and hence too many interruptions to keep a train of thought on the tracks!
Busy couple days in the office here. I fell off the wagon a little bit over the weekend, overindulged in the brews at a concert on Friday night and then came home and ate almost an entire bag of mixed chips/pretzels. Beer + snack foods = danger!
Went to the beach on Saturday and spent a couple hours playing Frisbee and wiffle ball in the sand and boogie boarding, and I hit the pool for an hour of laps on Sunday. I’ve also been keeping up with the rollerblading, I’ve taken the dog out for his runs every day.
We had a special lunch today at a fancy restaurant for a co-worker who is retiring and I ate way too much. It was a pre-fixe menu and while the food was delicious it was way more salty and more dairy-laden than anything I’ve eaten recently. I feel pretty bloated and tired. I’m actually looking forward to going to the gym tonight because I know it will make me feel better! Imagine that.
Elliptical session and UB lifting on the menu tonight.
That BFL stuff sounds so complicated! I’m about halfway through BFL for Women, it’s a good read. I’m trying to come up with more lean protein vegan snack foods at present, I think I rely on nuts too much.
Pat - how did you guess!? Countdown to wedding indeedy, however it's 10 weeks to mine! I think Nelie's is 12...
HIIT today at lunch. Shouldda gone this morning but (surprise surprise) I felt DEAD after lifting BfL stylee at lunch and then kickboxing for an hour! It wasn't even a strenuous class last night! I'm really surprised at how intense those sets and reps are - it doesn't feel like it at the time. Although I did manage to lift to proper failure on an OHSP, which I thought was a little dangerous...
Not sure I've actually got much progress to report, but I feel good! I bought a Success Journal last night! I'm writing down things I did well on each day.
Oh yes, I was going to tell you about my adventures with Casein and soy milk! This morning I decided to have soy milk with protein powder over some home-made musli (oats etc), so I thought I'd use my unflavoured casein. Well it whizzed up into a mousse type thing! It was really thick and a bit gaggy! I did 200ml soya milk and a scoop of PP. I might try it with cocoa to make a pseudo protein pudding!
Shan- BFL really isn't complicated at all, which is why it's so good as a first step into an integrated eating-exercising lifetsyle. I think doing it as a vegan would make it difficult, tho. Your choices of protein sources are much higher calorie for the amounts of protein.
Fru- Sounds like a great first couple of days! Despite the gaggy mousse stuff. Just the idea of soy milk makes me gag, but I try to avoid soy due to my flakey thyroid.
Rabbit- Your daughter will be quite strong in no time! Session with guidance and ds wasn't bad. The scheduling for his classes this year turned into a nightmare and he lost the two classes he was most interested in taking because the specific levels of the academic classes that he needs conflicted. The guidance counselor was pretty useless, but we ran into the graphic arts teacher in the hall when we were unhappily leaving, and he suggested that ds take one of the missing classes (the most important) as an "independent art option" with him during the endless study halls and lunch which the computer arbitrarily assigned. So as long as the assistant principal signs off on this (and we have the teacher's permission!) it should all work out.
Long day today- my client load is light this week but everyone wants to train on the same day
I'm doing shoulders and cardio- probably a spin class. Clean eats!
You school system sounds complicated over there Mel Options and classes clashing are always a big PITA. I had that with my GCSEs (16yr old exams).
HIIT was a bit of a bust at lunch - I did halfway through, my first level 9 lasted about 30 secs rather than a minute and my second level 9 lasted all of 15 seconds. I completely conked out! I'm slightly worried about running on my knees at the moment, I forgot my knee support. I found it loads harder trying to adjust my pace "manually" since I was running outdoors. I figured if I could do it on the treadmill with incline and speed controls, then I'd probably be ok. I'll try again outside next time, just to see what kind of pace I need to set. I think I went too fast for my level 9s...
Last night I did upper body BFL style at home but with a twist. I did chest exercises and then bicep exercises during my rest for chest. I then did back and triceps together. I was really tired after all that but then I did shoulders. Even after all that, I tried to do some pushups but could only manage about 15 knee pushups.
For my food, I'm only doing a partly BFL style because I'm not eating a lot of meat these days. Every meal does have some protein but mostly vegetable protein and protein powder. I'm also thinking about buying some cottage cheese as well.
My wedding is in little over 11 weeks. I tried on my wedding dress again and it fits similar to last time I tried it on (maybe a little better) and that is without fancy undergarments. I would love to lose 10 lbs or so before the wedding so that is my goal. I think I can do it if I keep up my exercise and eating but I've already had a few encounters with stress eating.
Frus - are you doing any exercises specifically to strength the muscles around your knee, esp quads? I sporadically do some that I had in PT years ago, and since they're mostly isometric I can do them most anytime. I too find that running on jarring (i.e. concrete or asphalt) causes the most problems, along with aerobic type lunges, where you jump, twist, and land on your leg in a different direction. This plays havoc with mine since I never seem to land square and my knee gets torqued. I just do them by turning and planting my foot with my knee aligned.
Nelie - 10 lbs is quite doable, and of course the fancy undergarments will alter the fit too. I depend on cottage cheese for at least one protein a day, usually with fruit, but sometimes I go savory. Peas and finely chopped sweet onion are my favorite additions.
I'm working at the State Fair today from 4-8 pm, which means I'll have dinner there. Fortunately, they have one really good choice that I love - a seafood pita. It has shrimp and crab along with sunflower seeds, tomato and shredded lettuce, topped with sour cream. I have at least one every year, and tonight it will be my dinner. The greasy stuff has no appeal for me any more, and sweets have never been my downfall, so I think I can navigate the place fine. And if I have a real craving, there are 3 espresso booths strategically placed!
Exercise has been hit or miss between other obligations, and it looks like Friday before I'll get a formal gym workout.
Mel – That’s what I was thinking about the BFL eating plan, I think if I ate all the protein I’m supposed to I’d eat way more calories that I do now. I’m not exclusively vegan, but I’m definitely tweaking my diet in that direction. I find the more I lay off the dairy and eggs the better I’m feeling generally and I’m definitely experimenting with a more diverse range of foods. Seitan jerky is a quick and easy protein snack that’s also low carb/fat/calories, but it’s too expensive to eat regularly. If I had a food dehydrator I could make it much cheaper, maybe I’ll consider getting one of those.
nelie – That sounds a lot like how I generally conduct my upper body lifting sessions. I tend to move from one set to another so I’m constantly working. I can get a lot done in just 30 – 40 min that way.
Speaking of which, I’m properly sore today. Moved up to the 20 lb dumbbells for a couple of exercises.
Despite yesterday’s indulgent (and high sodium) lunch the scale clocked exactly the same as yesterday morning, 166.4! I drank a lot of water and sweated it out pretty good last night, must have done the trick.
LWL # 270 Aug 28 - Sept 3
I'm doin' ok with BfL! 
), firstly - is an apple a portion of carbs? So I could only have a maximum of 6 pieces of fruit a day, and that is instead of a portion of oats, or a sweet potato etc? So eg this morning I had a cottage cheese pancake (with an oat portion) and an apple - is that 2 portions of carbs? And should I only really be eating one portion at a time?
and not for another hour after working out 
I've also found those pumpkin bars ab fab!!! They actually taste of CAKE! 
:
Chest and cardio scheduled if I can drag myself through it. Also a session with ds and the high school guidance counselor, and several clients.
thank you very much! 
), insurance company/dr's billing office, and other such fun stuff - not! But, we've had 3 days of sun in a row!! 
Pat - how did you guess!? Countdown to wedding indeedy, however it's 10 weeks to mine! I think Nelie's is 12...
I might try it with cocoa to make a pseudo protein pudding!
