Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

What a day yesterday was!

It was so beautiful at 50 degrees + and the trail was calling to me, but I went to the gym to do the Kettlebell class instead as we already signed up for it. My poor partner hurt herself trying to keep up with everyone else. I did not keep up with everyone else and was not afraid to just sit in Child pose when I couldn't take much more of it (50 swings, 100 sit-ups, etc. - too much for a muscle-bound BBer to take on the first time). She said she didn't want to look stupid during the class, so I guess that meant I looked stupid ("NO! NO! that is not what I meant" for me she said). I didn't look stupid, but she would?

I wonder when I am going to get thru to her, that looks/pride are for certain situations. Not your first time in an exercise class. The girl next to me was down in Child pose half the time - at least more than me, and I was jealous of her ability to just look at everybody else killing themselves!

So to say that Leg Day was not a great workout with my partner would be an understatement. She complained the whole time about her neck being hurt again (just after our nice neck/shoulder massages on Monday) and I couldn't understand why she kept complaining. It was Leg day, not Upper body day, and her legs and mine were just fine to work those muscles. I am very hard on myself and put up with alot of pain. If I am not using that hurt/sore bodypart directly in the gym that day for the workout, then I would go ahead and work that bodypart out - and not complain about the one part that is sore. OK, maybe I might notice the twinge at first and make a comment, but it wouldn't stop me from pushing the other bodypart - though I have an image of the sore bodypart talking to the working out bodypart saying that this is going to be you tomorrow! . Maybe it is a gift that I have developed over the years of weightlifting. She just started back in from a long break (more than 5 years) so maybe she is overtraining. Especially when she was down right pissed off at the end of the workout session because she is always being sore all the time and not feeling great at least once: classical sign of overtraining. I told her maybe we should (actually her) take the weekend off (of course I will be in the gym). She was smart in saying that she should wait till Friday and see how she feels about it then after having a day off to recover.

I also had the great idea to have my cheat meal as meal#1 yesterday, in order to be able to use the calories up thru out the day. Worked! I was still so hungry at night! Spot of green tea at night makes the cravings go away. I do a little hip hop dancing to get rid of the caffeine energy, and off to bed I go. Woke up with a flat tummy (always nice) and went up to 168.2 (with no BM yet in sight). That is OK. That is what it read yesterday when I first woke up, then I had my BM and went down to 167.8. It is already Thursday, and I am working on losing that 2 lbs for this week. Too cold for a trail run today (so sad). I guess it can be spinning for an hour or the elliptical for 45 minutes today, or BOTH! My butt cheeks are the only things sore today from the Kettlebell class. In fact, my butt feels really hard right there - like it!

PS - I took a 2 mile trail walk after working Legs (I couldn't resisted the trail calling to me! and I had not worked my Legs too hard that day) and before dinner. It was great to see all the kids and parents out on their bikes, couples walking their dogs, and the guys out on their bikes that they had rearranged into weird recombinant positions! So cool! Alas, today it is grey and cold and windy again. . . sigh.

Kettlebells=serious business..

_________________
Darth Vader from Sandlot once said, "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." Then he later died.
https://www.facebook.com/BigMeeeeech

Kettlebells rock! Turkish get ups are my fav!

_________________
I do because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't.

I don't make excuses... I make results

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you

I want to send you half my energy level every day! I am tired of trying to burn out off every day

_________________
I do because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't.

I don't make excuses... I make results

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you

Today was an hour of spinning to my favorite K-pop songs that I made a CD for the boombox in the spinning room. I laugh when I see people going by the spinning room and trying to figure out what language the lyrics to the songs are: though K-pop seems to be half English and half Korean lately.

I shall blame a friend of mine that introduced me to Boys Over Flowers (Korean version) Drama, that started me off on this path to Asian dramas and music.

New fav:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAbokV76tkU

Snow on the ground again. Geesh! winter sure is trying to hold on here in Michigan! I am slowly waking up and drinking my Energizer tea to help me get going. I just read about Synny's peanut butter and that gave me a warm feeling all over. Maybe something with peanut butter for my next cheat meal? and chocolate!!!

My legs hurt this morning - so much spinning yesterday and the lame Leg workout the day before have taken there toll. Maybe I will just cruise with an Elliptical workout this morning for my cardio pick me up. Back and Triceps are later on, and I won't need my Legs for that workout (just to stand and use the weights though I guess ^.^).

Afraid to step on the scale. I don't have JungleInTheFrunk's problem of the scale moving back and forth. When I step on it, it will be what it will be. And I'm afraid higher. No BM this morning (come on tea! work that BM magic!), so it will be high today per usual. I can't use the mirror yet because I am still at that 'fat' looking stage - though that does inspire me to keep pushing forward with the exercise and the diet (no cruising yet! it is fight! fight! - little pep talk here!). I think I might be getting Synny's energy!!!!! Thanks!!!! or maybe the tea is kicking in already! I will take it ALL!!!!

I am thinking a peanut butter pie is in my future and sending all the energy I can towards you and and jungle!

_________________
I do because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't.

I don't make excuses... I make results

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you

I'm now thinking of a peanut butter crust and chocolate cheesecake for my cheat meal next week! Yes! Yes! Yes! A chocolatey cheesecake mousse sounds so good right now.

I am trying to eat my chili for Meal #5 right now, and I only got half of it down. I do not want to eat the rest. Interesting. My hands are still a little shaky though (tough Back and not so much on the Tricep workout tonight - my partner was back in good spirits today, but used light weights so as not to aggravate her injuries). Perhaps the calories are not kicking in yet. Chili with seiten is pretty dense to digest.

I opted to do the HIIT on the Elliptical this morning for my cardio (lvl 4 now - my legs were talking alittle back to me as I did an hour of Spinning yesterday).

Have a new supplement that came by Royal (UK) Mail today. It is World ABS's BTT Pro, which is Bulargian Tribulus Terrestris. Not going to start it today - tomorrow on an empty stomach. I shall go off their Pro Stack to try this and get a baseline reaction to it (still way early in my diet to see how this stuff works on my body). Another herb to try out - always game for herbs and natural plants.

I found a peanut butter cream pie recipe on Peta's website that I am going to make if I can find a gluten free vegan crust

_________________
I do because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't.

I don't make excuses... I make results

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you

Leg day today. I couldn't do the 11 plates on each side of the Leg Press today. That 5 mile trail jog yesterday cut into my weights today. Oh well. It was so nice outside yesterday that I was just itching to put on my Vibram shoes and off I went for an hour + for a nice 5 mile loop. I took my time doing the leg curls and leg extensions after the Leg Press, and my legs felt really swollen that I did not do the Sumo Squats. I knew intuitively that my Legs had had enough thrashing, so I stopped. The quads right above the knee are still feeling swollen/full, so I guess a trail walk would not be good tonight. I shall have to baby them tonight at least.

Diet is going well. The scale will tell you otherwise, but my tummy is getting so flat lately that I will go with that as progress. Cheat night is tomorrow morning for me - though I am tempted to do it right now being that my legs are screaming at me to feed them. . . . but I will be a good girl and wait till tomorrow morning to load up on calories, and then burn it off by doing Back and Triceps tomorrow afternoon.

Laid out in the sun yesterday and got a good dose of Vitamin D. Felt wonderful to feel so warm all over.

Last night was something I want to take a note of. I woke up at 2 AM, went back to sleep within half an hour, but then woke up at 4 AM starving. Went downstairs to the kitchen and took a small shot glass and mixed up some BCAAs and slammed it down. Was able to go back to bed after 20 minutes (did not have the grumbling tummy anymore and could concentrate on going back to sleep). The scale did not move downwards in the morning when I weighed myself. Holding water from the aminos? I shall go with that to appease my dieting persona (my alter ego will probably start appearing soon as usual from the dieting - PMS alter ego has nothing on the cutting alter ego! jk).

Did not do a legit cheat meal today. I just doubled my raw vegan shake this morning, though not the protein powder (2 bananas, whole bag of frozen mango, 1/2 cup of blueberries).

This is because the scale did not show a significant decrease yet to warrant a cheat meal (2 lbs a week is not alot to ask my body to lose, so I am doing something wrong). If tomorrow's scale shows a good weight, then maybe I will do a Chiptole burrito tomorrow for lunch (with guacamole of course!).

Legs are still hurting from my workout 2 days ago! And I did not get up to my PB weight. All the spinning and trail jogging must be taking its toll on them. I feel the need to up my protein I bit to get them to recover faster. I tried Vega's new One protein powder in the Vanilla Chai flavor - Yum!!! even though it has carbs in it, it is good for a meal replacement for me.

I did Back today, with no triceps. I will do those tomorrow. I am thinking about doing one body part each day, and doing cardio in a confusing chaotic way also during the day (like a long trail jog one time, with a lighter body part to workout that day - and just a trail walk on a day that has a big body part to workout that day). I went up to 10lbs from my PBs with the weights for my Back today, and kept it in the 10-15 rep range for about 4 sets, and then 2 descending sets of 25 reps or less (till failure). I shall be taking a protein powder with water at night before bed (instead of relying on the shot glass of BCAAs in the middle of the night to get me thru the night without hunger pains waking me up).

Another gorgeous day in Michigan - even after a night of tornadoes (way to the South of me, in the Ann Arbor/U of M area) and heavy hail (which ping-ponged all over my deck! Like white gumballs falling all over the place! My analogies seem to reference some kind of sweets lately. )

How are your jeans fitting?

_________________
Darth Vader from Sandlot once said, "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die." Then he later died.
https://www.facebook.com/BigMeeeeech

I don't wear jeans. . funny eh? Workout pants is pretty much all I wear, and yeah, they are getting really loose.
Also, I can say that my bra is now starting to be alittle looser too (one of the first places that I lose major weight at)!

Yesterday was all by myself for the day (partner had something she had to do that day). I started it off with a nice leisurely 5 mile trail run, laid out in the sun, did triceps in the gym (and boy I assaulted them as they were the only thing I was doing), and then a 2 mile trail walk just at dusk (so cool. but the trail is also the way to the local Frosty Boy/Dairy Queen type stand, so all the teenagers with all their energy - how they can talk! - were also on the trail with me).

Right now I am thinking of doing a 10 mile bike loop on the trail. I have Chest to do in the gym today with my partner at 2 PM. My legs will be shot, but I can still do a Chest workout - but will I have enough energy for such a big bodypart? Maybe I won't do the whole 10 mile loop. . . I shall have to go by how I am feeling as I ride my bike (I've been spinning 4 times now. . wonder how much that is going to help in an actual bike trip).

I had to go off the Green tea/caffeine as I was getting huge headaches. So far, I feel good. Haven't been that hungry since I have been off of it yesterday and today. Drinking more water though, and keeping busy outside seems to help alot.

Off I go to see how this bike ride is going to pan out.

I wish my bike was in working order. Will be thinking of you as I hit the trails soon

_________________
I do because I can. I can because I want to. I want to because you said I couldn't.

I don't make excuses... I make results

If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you