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Sensibly Clever: A Thirtysomething Training Log


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This post is rather lengthy, so feel free to skip whatever sections bore you.

 

What’s the sensible thing about?

I recently experienced some nasty hip pain that put me out of commission for a week...and then some debilitating knee pain that took me off cardio and leg work for a week. Thankfully, I learned some physical therapy exercises (anyone else here use the foam rollers?) which, if I dedicate about a half hour to 40 minutes a day to doing them right, leave me pain-free--and took care of my plantar fascitis, which I've had for years as an annoying but rarely debilitating pain that had ceased to respond to the usual calf stretching.

 

HOORAY! It feels great to be pain free, and I just saw an orthopedist today who said my knee is completely normal, that I am in great shape and have excellent muscle development , and that I have the go-ahead to resume training as usual! That being said, however, I shouldn’t squat below parallel (and preferably not beyond 45 degrees), I should not lunge too deep, and I should keep my weight light and my reps high. Fine by me, since my legs are my bulkiest feature. I’m not saying this to put myself down, just as a statement of fact—I’d like to build more symmetry by building my upper body and calves. But back to the training plan…

 

What’s the clever thing about?

 

I have a sneaking suspicion that these PT exercises are going to be a necessity for a looooong time, perhaps indefinitely. That’s 30-40 minutes to tack on to my workout. My current routine involves an hour to 1:15 to warm up and get done with weights, followed by 35 minutes of foam rolling and stretching, followed by 20 minutes of cardio. You can see that takes over 2 hours if done properly. I want to keep the workouts to 2 hours from entering the gym to hitting the shower. That’s the clever part…and it’s sensibly so, because limiting the length of workouts is practical not only time-wise but as a way to guard against further injury.

 

OK, so what’s the new routine?

 

Big picture: between July 29 and the end of the year (this week is dedicated to finishing out the last week of this training cycle), I will complete two 10-week training cycles with the 11th week devoted to rest (whether I do cardio during rest weeks remains to be determined). That leaves Xmas week available for rest, which works perfectly, as I intend to fly to MA to visit family during that time.

 

What the split looks like: I’ve been doing a total split routine for the past year and a half or so (i.e. chest and biceps; butt, legs, calves, and abs; back and triceps; butt, legs, calves, and abs; and shoulders). I’m going to do an upper-lower split instead for two reasons: from what I’ve read, it’s important to change the split up every so often, and because I am prone to left shoulder and neck pain, which I think may be somewhat relieved by spreading the types of upper body stress around instead of devoting an hour straight to shoulders, chest, or back. So here’s the split for the first 10-week cycle (may use for the second or go back to total split):

 

M: butt, legs, calves, obliques (stationary lunges, bent-knee calf raise, leg press, and trunk twists)

Tu: chest, back, shoulders, bis/tris (lat pulldown, pushups on medicine ball, db shoulder press, seated dip machine, 21s)

W: rest (12 hour work day)

Th: chest, back, shoulders (incline press, narrow grip pullup, rear delt machine, decline press, cable pulldown)

F: butt, legs, calves, abs (hack squats, SLDL, decline crunch, wall sits, and standing calf raise)

Sa: chest, back, shoulders, bis/tris (bench press, cable row, db shoulder press, hammer curls, and rope pushdowns)

Su: rest (leisurely hike, bike, or recreational activity optional)

 

I’ve reduced the number of shoulder exercises from 6 to 3 (eliminating shrugs, which I am sure aggravate the shoulder-neck pain, front raises, because I think front delts may be sufficiently targeted by the incline press, lateral raises, which I’ve replaced with the overhead press on another day, and rear delt rows, for the same reason as shrugs--we'll see how the rear delt machine is). I’ve added one chest and one back exercise for a total of 4 per week (was 3 before) and reduced tris and bis from 3 per week to 2.

 

The cardio will be interval training on upper body days and steady state on lower body days. During every workout, I will listen to my body and stop what I’m doing if it hurts. Failure to do this is what resulted in my having to lose time in the gym and go through a lot of knee and hip pain! I humbly acknowledge I am out of my twenties and cannot afford to ignore my body when it tells me “Holy f#@%, that hurts!” and that exclamation comes from a joint rather than a muscle. Finally, I will follow Saturday’s workouts with a gentle yoga session at my gym—very relaxing and stretching-oriented.

 

What the cycle looks like:

51 reps total per exercise; 5 exercises per weight training session (has been 6—this will help with cutting down workout time).

Week 1: 3 sets of 17 (no warm-up set necessary—aiming for 2 minutes on the wall sits)

Weeks 2-4: warm up set of 15, 3 working sets of 12

Weeks 5-7: warm up set of 15, 4 working sets of 9

Weeks 8-10: warm up set of 15, 6 working sets of 6

Week 11: rest

EXCEPTION: first 5 weeks, lower body work will remain at 3x17; second 5 weeks will have a warmup set of 15 and 2 working sets of 12. I think my calves and abs may respond better to higher reps throughout...I've heard this may be so for some folks.

 

What the workouts look like:

5 minutes cardio warm up

45 minutes weights (no rest between sets—using super sets)

35-45 minutes foam rolling (physical therapy) and stretching

20 minutes cardio (intervals or steady state)

5 minutes cool-down

On Saturdays, 1 hour yoga class

 

Discussion of food plan/approach and the "why" behind keeping a training journal/my goals for this "challenge" of sorts will be delineated in future posts. I'm open to feedback and looking forward to sharing my journey!

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Starting August 4 (next Saturday), a friend who shall remain nameless (well, let's call him Joe for the sake of simplicity) is done with all his summer classes. He said he can commit to a food challenge with me through the end of 2007. It's simple: write down what we ate each day and, to the best of our ability (restaurants can be tricky), the calorie count in what we ate. I'll be logging that HERE! Simple. But not easy...

 

We'll be logging on holidays.

 

We'll be logging at parties.

 

No more head-in-the-sand approach to "off-plan" days for me!

 

I haven't had success doing this alone...but knowing I can set a healthy example for Joe, who has some slight cholesterol issues, should help. I know the typical thinking is "You have to do it for yourself," but I don't want to wait until I'm no longer co-dependent to do this thing.

 

Besides, recent research has shown that people don't have to enter drug and alcohol rehab "for themselves" in order to succeed. I think healthful habits can be the same way...we can commit to getting healthier for others, in my opinion. In turn, we may end up sticking to the healthier habits for ourselves.

 

I'll post more later about my food plan for non-restaurant/non-party days. I think of my food plan as a tool to make everyday life easier (in not having to think about what I'll eat on busy days) rather than as a diet that limits my enjoyment. That said, it's nice to have some variety and treats...just not as an all-or-nothing proposition. In other words, not "Well, I'm off-plan anyhow, why not binge?"

 

So, food challenge starts August 4 for the log (though I'm sticking to my plan during the week for the most part anyhow). T minus 7...

 

Beth

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Hey!!

 

Thanks for posting on my journal - that was very sweet! And - yes, I know all about the foam roller - I need to be more dedicated to it like you are - thank you for the inspiration!

 

First of all - praise where it is it due - gorgeous, lean body ... whatever you are doing - you are doing it very well.

 

Thank you for detailing your workout plan for the next five weeks - very complete and looks like it will be very effective . . . I like the odd number of reps . . .

 

Keep posting - can't wait to see your progress!

 

Take Care,

 

Lindsay

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First of all - praise where it is it due - gorgeous, lean body ... whatever you are doing - you are doing it very well.

 

 

Thank you! I was more consistent food-wise at that point in my life (around November of 2006). Hope to be looking like that again soon...may be around 10 lbs heavier now! The cool thing is that when I'm consistent, RESULTS HAPPEN. (Duh!) Let's just say that I won't be eating the way I ate today once I'm logging and tracking...having a vegan restaurant in town that serves delicious, fat-laden and salty food is a double-edged sword! Chili fries, chicken parm, cheesecake...it's all there. Feeling junky and bloated right now. But a new, more healthful way is coming soon! No foods will be off limits, just keeping tabs on calorie consumption...so if I eat 15,000 or something crazy in a day, I'll be posting it here. That in itself will motivate me to be more moderate!

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Here's my food plan I follow during the week. It makes it easier to pack a lunch and not have to stress each night about what to bring to work the next day. I try to each a good balance of carbs, fat, and protein at each meal. The total cals are between 1868 and 1952.5, depending on whether you trust the labels/calorieking.com data OR whether you tally up the calories by multiplying the fat grams by 9 and carbs/protein by 4, then adding up all the totals. I love figuring things out like that; I know my body doesn't much care about that level of detail. I only included the food and time here but am happy to post the cals, macros, fiber, and sodium if anyone is curious. Of course, it looks a lot nicer in excel.

 

 

6:30 AM (preworkout)

sprouted barley or FF multigrain bread, 1 slice

boca burger

flaxseeds, 2 T

 

9:00 AM (postworkout)

CLIF Builder's Bar

 

11:30 AM

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

3:30 PM

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

7:30 PM

boca burger

 

9:00 PM

leafy greens, 1/2 lb.

onion, 1/2 medium

1 apple or medium grapefruit

2 clementines

carrot, 1 large, or bell pepper

calorie-free dressing, 1 c

Hi-Lo, 1/2 c

almonds, 12

 

I followed the food plan to a T yesterday. It doesn't leave me hungry between mini-meals, yet when it's time to eat, I definitely am getting hungry! If I were to stay in this general calorie range on the weekends, I'm certain I'd drop some body fat.

 

Yesterday, I worked out my lower body, 3 sets of 17.

Superset 1:

A. left leg lead stationary lunges with trunk twist to stretch hip flexor

B. Right leg lead, same as above

C. bent-knee seated calf raise

Superset 2:

A. horizontal leg press machine (plate-loaded machine and squats hurt my hips)

B. trunk twists on decline bench

 

Then did 20 minutes of steady state cardio on the stairmaster...

 

Finally, 50 minutes of foam rolling and stretching.

 

2 hours total.

 

Hip flexors felt stiff yesterday but not pain, just discomfort. Still no knee pain!

Edited by Clever Name
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One aspect of my challenge I'm doing with "Joe" is that I'm committing to read my list of affirmations first thing in the AM and last thing at night. I'm working on reducing my anxiety and depression--I'm a total worrywart and a gloom-and-doom finder. As a counselor, I really ought to be taking care of this! So I have a nifty list of affirmations, and the best times of day to do them are when your brain is still half-asleep and most open to "reprogramming." So part of this log will include my mental stretching (I see the affirmations as foam rolling and stretching for my mind--the thing I'm most likely to blow off when time is tight yet it's what's absolutely necessary to keep me going).

 

Last night and this AM, I did my affirmations.

 

Today's workout (3x17, no rest between supersets):

Superset 1:

A. pushups w/alternating arms on medicine ball, then dropping to floor at point of fatigue (10/8, 8/10, and 8/8 for a total of 52 pushups)

B. lat pulldown

Superset 2:

A. rotary shoulder press machine

B. tricep pushdown machine

C. 21s w/barbell

Cardio: intervals on stairmaster

50 minutes foam rolling and stretching

2 hours total

 

Feeling great!

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Today is my 12-hour work day and my rest day.

 

I read my affirmations last night and this AM.

 

Followed my food plan yesterday:

 

6:30 AM (preworkout)

sprouted barley or FF multigrain bread, 1 slice

boca burger

flaxseeds, 2 T

 

9:00 AM (postworkout)

CLIF Builder's Bar

 

11:30 AM

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

3:30 PM

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

7:30 PM

boca burger

 

9:00 PM

leafy greens, 1/2 lb.

onion, 1/2 medium

1 apple or medium grapefruit

2 clementines

carrot, 1 large, or bell pepper

calorie-free dressing, 1 c

Hi-Lo, 1/2 c

almonds, 12

 

Feeling good this AM, but not necessarily about the intensity and duration of the day ahead (if only work, like workouts, should focus on intensity, volume, OR frequency)!

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Did affirmations last night and this morning.

 

Good workout today. 3x17:

Superset 1

Incline press

underhand assisted pullups

rear delt machine

Superset 2

Decline press

Cable pulldowns

Cardio: intervals on recumbent bike

50 minutes foam rolling and stretching

 

Hip still stiff and HURT after rolling it out on the medicine ball and STRETCHING!

 

Followed food plan yesterday, just not in the same order:

 

6:30 AM

sprouted barley or FF multigrain bread, 1 slice

boca burger

flaxseeds, 2 T

 

10:00 AM

1 grapefruit

 

noon

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

3:15 PM

CLIF builder's bar

 

5:00 PM: part of...

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

7:30 PM

boca burger, rest of pintos and edamame

 

9:00 PM

leafy greens, 1/2 lb.

onion, 1/2 medium

2 clementines

carrot, 1 large

calorie-free dressing, 1 c

Hi-Lo, 1/2 c

almonds, 12

 

Delicious, delicious salad! Was tempted to top it off with a bowl of junky cereal even though full, but thought about posting that here and decided against it!

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Food lapsed a bit yesterday. Followed my food plan as listed in previous posts, but woke up in the middle of the night hungry and ate a medium-sized bowl of Choco Dyno Bites (cheap version of Cocoa Pebbles). Tasty, tasty simple carbs. Mmmmmm. To prevent this in the future, here is what I can do...

 

Try to limit caffeine better during the day to curb midnight awakenings

 

If I've had a high caffeine intake, as I did yesterday (3 cups coffee), take a Benadryl or 2 and/or a Clonidine (prescribed by my doc to sleep better through the night as needed). Granted, these meds are surely not vegan...but one step at a time for me.

 

Save the carrot or bell pepper I eat with dinner for the midnight awakenings. I've had success with this in the past. The process of chewing may make me tired enough to sleep. And if I don't wake up needing it, I can snack on it the next day.

 

As of tomorrow, all food outside The Plan is getting measured with calories recorded...so any late-night sugar snack sessions will be reported in greater detail! I believe knowing this also contributed to my snacking last night...getting the last of the unmeasured cheats out of the way before having to really come to terms with them. Not a great mentality, but I'm happy to report no crazy binges this week in preparation for the 5 months ahead. And I know having a partner in this will help me stay accountable.

 

Said affirmations last night & this AM.

 

Today's workout (3x17, working toward 1:45 on wall sits)

SUPERSET 1:

1 set hack squats, then 2 sets wall sits--with the light weight on the hack squats, I didn't feel them in my muscles, but my knee wasn't thrilled with them, so I did wall sits instead, which really fire up my quads.

SLDL

decline bench crunch

SUPERSET 2:

horizontal leg press

standing calf machine

 

Cardio: 20 minutes SS recumbent bike

 

50 minutes rolling and stretching

 

Tomorrow I will have to miss yoga to take 2 of my hairiest/sheddiest dogs to the groomer.

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Hello there! I had a bit of variation in yesterday's food from The Plan. Had a couple of samples at Costco of a Bora Bora bar (a raw nut/seed/fruit bar that's tasty but pricey), which may have added 20 or so calories. Didn't eat the carrot--so down about 30. Didn't have the grapefruit, so down about 80. Had one pound of leafy greens instead of 1/2 pound, so up about 32.5 (ABOUT 32.5...hahaha! ). Extra onion with this...up about 30. No 2nd boca burger, down 100. Extra 1/2 cup Hi-Lo, up 90. It all comes out, according to my calculations to being about 37.5 calories under usual total, so between 1830.5 and 1915. Yes, I'm pretty OCD.

 

I read affirmations last night and this morning.

 

Today, I had a great workout.

 

Weights--3x17 (no rest between supersets, as always)

SUPERSET 1:

bench press

cable rows

SUPERSET 2:

rotary shoulder machine

hammer curls

tricep rope pushdowns

 

20 minutes cardio--intervals on treadmill

 

45 minutes foam roll/stretching

 

Today has been my first day of being completely off any sort of plan but tracking my calories. There are way too many calories in Chipotle's burritos and chips! So I practiced portion control...ate only half the burrito and split the chips with "Joe." I got guac on the side, only ate half. The rest will go on the other half of the burrito tomorrow. I wish I could say it felt great to stop before I felt full...but I just wanted to keep eating. I wanted to eat Joe's chips as well as my own, and even now, it's hard to leave that half burrito in the fridge! But I will make this commitment: if I eat any more tonight, it'll be the grapefruit from yesterday and, if I still want more, some salad, perhaps with some Hi-Lo. Here's what I've eaten so far today with calorie counts:

 

slice sprouted barley bread (70)

boca burger (100)

2T ground flaxseeds (90)

CLIF builder's bar (270)

sample of gazpacho at Whole Foods (20?)

ABC Snickerdoodle vegan cookie (420)

Half of a Chipotle burrito w/extra beans and rice, fresh tomato salsa, green tomatillo salsa, and guacamole (547.5--thanks, calorieking.com!)

Half order chips (245)

Half side guac (85)

Total calories: 1847.5

 

I'll be back to report tomorrow if I eat any more tonight. Hope everyone's enjoying the weekend!

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Clever,

 

Do you have a goal right now - such as weight loss or calorie restriction?

 

If you're trying to avoid overeating, or eating beyond the point of feeling full then you might want to stay away from Clif Bars or any other bars, if you have the same problem with them that I do. Sometimes the bars actually stimulate my appetite for more dense, sugary or high fat foods. I keep them in my locker at work for emergencies. Hopefully, you don't have the same problem with them as they are very convenient!

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My goals are as follows:

 

1) To drop inches (I haven't weighed in a while and don't intend to until I feel that it will be helpful to me) from my waist, abdomen, hips, and thighs. I would like to gain more muscle in my arms, chest, and back; this, coupled with fat loss, may lead to no inches lost if the muscle gain takes the space of the fat loss, but it could go either way...so I'm not worried as long as I'm dropping body fat in my other areas. I'd like to add size to my calves, which are lean (i.e. I don't think I can drop any fat off them), to develop better symmetry with my thighs. Measurements (all relaxed; I want to know what I measure when I'm just standing around, not trying to look buff or sucking in) will be done 1st Sunday of each month. Took 1st measurements this AM.

 

Waist at smallest point 28

Abdomen at belly button 29.75

Hips at widest point 37.5

Bust at nipple 34.5

R thigh and L thigh at widest points both 21.5

R arm at widest point 11

L arm at widest point 11.125

R calf and L calf both 13.25

 

2) Stabilize my eating behaviors on the weekends so that my daily caloric average stays at 2000 or lower (1868.5 during the week)

 

3) To reduce my depression and anxiety by consistently doing affirmations 2x/day

 

I didn't feel the need to set a goal for my workouts, as I don't ever miss them unless I am literally physically incapable of doing them. I've got those down pat.

 

Yesterday, I did eat a grapefruit and a soy delicious orange creme bar (80 cals each), bringing my daily caloric total to 2007.5. Hooray--got to eat some treat foods and didn't binge!

 

About the Clif builder's bars...I understand what you're saying, as they are so tasty and sweet that I want more...however, I have that reaction with many foods that are tasty to me (see Chipotle description...mmmmmmm). Knowing I can have one bar every day (or more on the weekends, if I'm hungry and eating reasonably) seems to make them OK for me. That being said, I'm aware they're processed and all. But for now, I really enjoy eating what tastes like a candy bar after a workout, and my body feels as though it's rejoicing in the opportunity to refuel itself with some great carbs and protein. Also, we once went on a road trip and I packed umpteen builder's bars for convenience. I got pretty sick of them by the 2nd day. So...I'll keep them for now. But thank you for the feedback, and please keep commenting!

 

Said my affirmations last night, forgot to this AM.

 

But I'm thrilled at how I ate yesterday and how much fun (sometimes) it is to be a teammate with Joe on this! He's gone all nerdy with setting up excel spreadsheets to monitor our progress, both behaviorally (cals, exercise, affirmations) and results-wise (inches at each measuring point). I'm blessed and lucky, and I intend to honor that by giving this challenge my most honest, good-faith effort.

 

I'm grateful for all the support.

 

Oh, and today is a rest day. Household chores...laundry and food prep.

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Hey lady!!

Looks like you are really on track . . . I need to detail my strength workouts more like you do . . .

To answer what you asked me . . . for filling foods . . . I try to eat a lot of fiber and good fat. I'm not keeping track of calories right now - because it always makes me feel deprived. But, if I just choose whole, unprocessed foods - maninly fruits, veggies, beans, nuts . . . I feel like I don't need to count.

I have been trying to cut out most of the processed stuff - even tofu and whole grain ezekial bread- unless I go out. I save it for then when the choices are limited.

If I feel hungry - I eat . . . which usually is about every 2-3 hours.

 

I also feel like if I chew my food A LOT . . . I get hungry less.

 

I'm not sure if this really answers your question . . . I am truly perpetually hungry - always have been. I'm always thinking about my next meal!!

 

Keep on doing what you're doing!

 

Have a wonderful week!

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Thanks, all, for the feedback! What a cool experience this has been thus far. This post will be short, as it's bedtime and I haven't had an opportunity to log on yet today...

 

Said affirmations last night, forgot this AM. Already said for tonight. Will try to remember to do again as I'm drifting off to sleep.

 

Today's workout

3x17

Superset 1

lunges w/hip flexor stretch twist, L lead

lunges w/hip flexor stretch twist, R lead

seated calf raise

Superset 2

horizontal leg press machine

elbow twists on decline bench

Cardio: 20 min SS treadmill

45 min foam roll/stretch

 

Yesterday's food:

Chipotle leftovers (632.5)

Divided between 2 meals: 26 meatless meatballs, ~2 c marinara sauce (850)

1 lb spring mix (75)

~1 onion (60)

2 clementines (70)

apple (80)

1 c Hi-Lo (180)

TOTAL: 1947.5

 

Today's food:

 

sprouted barley bread, 1 slice

boca burger

flaxseeds, 2 T

 

CLIF builder's bar

 

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

leafy greens, 1/2 lb.

onion, 1/2 medium

1 apple

Hi-Lo, 1/2 c

almonds, 12

 

If I wake up hungry in the middle of the night, I have a boca burger, a grapefruit, and a carrot waiting for me in the fridge that are part of the 1883 calorie food plan.

 

And now it's time for me to get the hell to bed...need to be up in 8 hours, 7 minutes!

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Update to yesterday's food: did not wake up hungry, so did not eat grapefruit, carrot, or boca burger. That puts yesterday's caloric total at 1673. Sweet! Interesting how listening to my body, I ate way more calories on a rest day than yesterday, when I worked out. I guess my body knows.

 

Read affirmations last night (as posted, but not as drifting off to sleep) and this AM, but kinda half-assed. I think I need to change it up a bit, but until I do, I recommit to focusing on the affirmations twice a day. I do them while I'm putting in my contacts, brewing my coffee, etc...and I think this is OK, because the idea is to think about them when my mind is in dreamland, so I think it's OK to do them on autopilot while doing other autopilot things.

 

Today's workout: warm up set of 15, then 3x12. For pushups, warm up is bent-knee pushups.

Superset

pushups w/alternating arms on medicine ball (had to drop to regular pushups during 3rd set after 8th medicine ball pushup)

lat pulldown wide grip

Superset

shoulder press machine

tricep dip machine

barbell 21s

Cardio: 20 min interval stairmaster

45 min roll/stretch

 

OK...I'm going to look for podcasts of guided meditation. Need something calming to do between workouts and work, which is when I'm most vulnerable to anxiety.

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Hey lady,

I have to ask - because I just noticed . . . is your hair very short - like buzz cut short??

I have dreads - have had them for the last 6 1/2 years . . . and I'm very tempted to just cut it all off.

Especially after what happened to my dog last night . . . I feel a transformation coming on.

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To answer Lindsay76: Yes, my hair is super short...1/2" long, to be exact. I use a #4 "foot" all the way around with my own clippers every 2 weeks. I've had it like this for a little over a year. I felt my own transformation coming on after a bad dye job at an Aveda salon resulted in some of my hair, piece by piece, snapping off when I combed it wet, like it was cooked spaghetti. I tried to tell them my hair can't take bleach and to just do the red...but NOOOOOOOOO, "Don't worry, hon, we'll use a really gentle bleach." Bah, says I! Ah, well...I had been toying with the idea of cutting it all off as I began thinking about turning 30 in July of 2006...and clearly, I like it this way, at least for now.

 

My affirmations really need some work. I was reading a book about overcoming worry last night in bed and fell asleep before I could do my affirmations. At least I was reading about how I can help myself...but I did say them this AM.

 

Yesterday's foods went as planned. 1883 calories...

 

sprouted barley bread, 1 slice

boca burger

flaxseeds, 2 T

 

CLIF builder's bar

 

grapefruit

carrot

boca burger

 

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

leafy greens, 1/2 lb.

onion, 1/2 medium

1 apple

Hi-Lo, 1/2 c

almonds, 12

 

Today is a rest day. I'm happy to report that the past couple of weeks, I've felt my muscles the day after my workouts. I was a little concerned that going from a full split to an upper-lower split (not sure if I'm using the correct terminology here) would lower the muscle-building benefit...but, as has been suggested in the training forum here and elsewhere, hitting a muscle group 2-3 times a week instead of once means it gets to grow 2-3 times a week instead of once. And you can lift more overall weight for that body part since by the time you get, say, to the incline press, the chest is recovered from its workout the other day and thus stronger, instead of being pre-fatigued by the bench press from 10 minutes ago. But the mirror will tell the truth...which may be that none of this matters and keeping things ever changing is the factor behind success. Or maybe the full split will prove to be better. Well, I digress...that's perhaps a discussion better saved for the training section than my training journal. I love the variety of sections here and will take care not to "contaminate" them with inappropriate content!

 

And now I'm going to get ready for work. I have a stressful situation to deal with and am practicing positive self-talk...which is affirmation-like!

 

I AM MAKING TODAY A GREAT DAY!

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Read affirmations last night (as posted, but not as drifting off to sleep) and this AM, but kinda half-assed. I think I need to change it up a bit, but until I do, I recommit to focusing on the affirmations twice a day. I do them while I'm putting in my contacts, brewing my coffee, etc...and I think this is OK, because the idea is to think about them when my mind is in dreamland, so I think it's OK to do them on autopilot while doing other autopilot things. .
I do my affirmations as a mantra while doing cardio (walking & bicycling), and I do short meditative visualizations while stretching after a good workout. I read a book Spirited Walking years ago that gave me the idea.
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Fantastic idea, Bunnylalu! I love the multitasking angle. I have tended to ruminate over problems while working out...sometimes it helps, because I think of potential solutions, or I get a better perspective...but to get AWAY from the problem entirely and focus only on envisioning my life and myself as I want them to be is better.

 

Yesterday's food (1783 cals):

 

FF multigrain bread, 1 slice

boca burger

flaxseeds, 2 T

 

boca burger

10 almonds

 

grapefruit

carrot

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

boca burger

 

leafy greens, 1/2 lb.

onion, 1/2 medium

1 apple

Hi-Lo, 1/2 c

almonds, 12

 

Today's workout:

weights--warm up set of 15, then 3x12

Superset 1:

incline press

underhand assisted pullup

rear delt fly machine

Superset 2:

decline press (only got 10 reps on last set)

cable pulldowns

cardio--20 min intervals on recumbent bike

45 min rolling/stretching

 

Slight discomfort in right knee--spent extra time massaging, rolling w/a medicine ball, and stretching the area

 

Read affirmations last night and this AM.

 

Will be practicing positive self-talk in preparation for work today.

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Yesterday's food (1883 cals):

 

FF multigrain bread, 1 slice

boca burger

flaxseeds, 2 T

 

CLIF builder's bar

 

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

boca burger

grapefruit

1 chocolate mint candy from front office staff same cals as carrot, so I subbed it...hit the spot, too!

 

leafy greens, 1/2 lb.

onion, 1/2 medium

1 apple

Hi-Lo, 1/2 c

almonds, 12

 

Last night, I thought about what was troubling me work-wise and THOUGHT positive thoughts instead of reading through the affirmations to see how that helped. I think affirmations are better. It was hard to think positive thoughts in the moment, specific to my situation, when I was on the brink of sleep, and my sleep was restless. I'm exhausted.

 

But I read my affs this AM!

 

Today's workout

 

Weights: 3x17

SUPERSET 1:

wall sits (aiming for 1:45--and did for 1st 2 sets, but only made it to 1:30 on 3rd set)

SLDL

crunches on decline bench

SUPERSET 2:

horizontal leg press

standing calf raise

 

Cardio: 20 min SS treadmill

 

45 min foam roll/stretch

 

I'm going to have a nice big salad now and get to bed ASAP...I'm looking forward to a good night's sleep after a long week!

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Read affirmations last night but forgot to this AM. I've revised and narrowed it down to three that I can memorize and say any time, which I think will improve my "compliance" in this area.

 

Yesterday's food (1883 cals):

 

FF multigrain bread, 1 slice

boca burger

flaxseeds, 2 T

 

CLIF builder's bar

 

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

 

beans, 2 oz.

edamame, 1/3 lb.

boca burger

grapefruit

 

1 carrot

leafy greens, 1/2 lb.

onion, 1/2 medium

1 apple

Hi-Lo, 1/2 c

almonds, 12

 

Today's workout:

 

warm-up set of 15, followed by 3x12

SUPERSET 1:

bench press

cable row

SUPERSET 2:

shoulder press machine

hammer curls

rope pushdowns

 

Cardio: 20 min stairmaster intervals

 

45 min roll/stretch

 

yoga class

 

Happy Saturday!

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Did affirmations last night and this AM, but not 1st thing. I'm going to put them on post-its and put them on the bathroom mirror so I'm focusing on them while putting in my contacts, brushing my teeth, etc. I've narrowed them down to the top three!

 

Yesterday's food (1929 cals):

 

FF multigrain bread, 1 slice

boca burger

flaxseeds, 2 T

 

CLIF builder's bar

 

1 c corn w/boca burger smashed up and stirred in. Added taco sauce, lemon juice, garlic, and hot pepper...TASTY!!! Sodium-heavy, of course...I'm a total salt addict. One thing at a time, though...one day, I'll deal with the sodium and caffeine. My weekday food plan tracks sodium, and it's at around 2250 mg, largely due to the boca burgers and the mustard in my homemade cal-free salad dressing. I'm using less of the dressing, though, and this week I'm going to cut the mustard in half and use water for the rest. I'll see how that goes. ANYHOW, back to the food journal...

10 almonds

1 c frozen grapes (if you haven't tried this, you should--nature's sorbet!)

 

Clif builder's bar

 

1 c Hi-Lo

10 almonds

 

1/2 lb leafy greens

1/2 onion

apple

2 clementines

1 c Hi-Lo

10 almonds

 

Today is a rest day.

 

Happy Sunday! Today, "Joe" and I had our weekly review session of how our challenge is going so far. I'm pleased to report that my weekend eating has been stable, which is my utmost goal in entering this challenge. We compared notes--I won't share Joe's, because that's his work, not mine. But it sure feels good to have a partner who is also struggling to have a more healthful lifestyle. Although our struggles are different, we both know offering simple "Why don't you just..." suggestions doesn't help, and we can empathize with one another's difficulties over what may, to others, seem easy. (For example, stopping after one cookie instead of eating the whole bag is easier for others than it is for me, and for someone to say to treat myself in moderation when they don't know about my struggles with bingeing is annoying.) The simple act of tracking is raising awareness for both of us, and I'm so happy and grateful to have Joe's partnership in this.

 

I also want to extend my gratitude to all here on the forum for your support and encouragement. I'll continue to check in on your training journals, even when I'm not posting replies daily. Seeing that we all have good days and less good days reminds me to keep going.

 

To all our health and happiness,

Beth

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1 c frozen grapes (if you haven't tried this, you should--nature's sorbet!) (For example, stopping after one cookie instead of eating the whole bag is easier for others than it is for me, and for someone to say to treat myself in moderation when they don't know about my struggles with bingeing is annoying.)

I have a mature grape arbor and spent all of Sunday picking and distributing grapes (3 bushels) to friends! I plan on freezing some of them today, and juicing the rest. Also - the ability of others to snack in "moderation" is completely dumbfounding to me! However, when I stay true to the Thrive Diet - my cravings are minimized so that the sweet munchie recipes in Thrive are very satisfying. Good luck to you - I totally understand your struggles...

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