tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9526424516864184972024-03-05T05:01:42.443-05:00Becky's Body Challenge: From Puff To Buff Through Food & FitnessStop being a lazy fucking pig, Becks!Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.comBlogger1994125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-70397703765514342612020-04-03T05:00:00.000-04:002020-04-03T05:00:25.009-04:002020 - Week 13 & 14More of the same. Working from home sucks. I'm eating everything in sight and not getting my steps in.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-25941650144380307802020-03-20T11:02:00.001-04:002020-03-20T11:02:07.886-04:002020 - Week 11 & 12Food is still sucking. I'm not following my low sodium diet at all. I'm mostly on a Girl Scout cookie diet. With the Captain Tripps going around, everything is jacked up. I am still working in the office four days a week, one from home. I never had a social life so at least I don't need to worry about that. I had a follow up with my doc this week - she'd been ordered to work from home so it was just a phone call. I'm relieved I didn't have to go in to get weighed. I told her I'd been slacking on taking my blood pressure every day. She told me to go back to taking it every day, and she added a calcium channel blocker to my list of meds. I ended up canceling next week's appointment with the vascular specialist because all he was going to do was tell me to keep taking my medicine. For $250, I can figure that one out myself.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-534381252723046052020-03-09T19:12:00.000-04:002020-03-09T19:12:51.908-04:002020 - Week 10Finally some mother fucking progress. Not with food. That has been atrocious but I started lifting again this week and it was amazing. It's just a short workout but it makes me feel so damn good. I managed two work outs this week.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-57482579741683222922020-03-04T20:32:00.000-05:002020-03-04T20:32:20.901-05:002020 - Week 9Oh look. More suckage.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-900628957116058892020-02-23T19:00:00.000-05:002020-02-23T19:00:11.690-05:002020 - Week 7/Week 8I need to be honest here. I've slacked off everything the last couple weeks. I don't even care. Not one little fucking bit. My antidepressant is obviously not working because I hate everyone around me. OK, not everyone. One in particular. Work is stressful but I am actually happy at work and the chaotic shit show that is. But home definitely sucks. I don't even want to be here and I'm desperate for some kind of social life. Bah. Fuck.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-78856376557443896072020-02-09T11:05:00.000-05:002020-02-09T11:05:38.651-05:002020 - Week 6I sucked this week. Didn't track, didn't get to the fitness center. No excuses.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-77166450513929407142020-02-01T18:21:00.000-05:002020-02-01T18:21:30.963-05:002020 - Week 5It was an ok week. I was down two pounds, got three days of exercise, including one session of Turbo Jam. It was only the 20 Minute Workout and I had to modify the shit out of it, but I did it without too much agony.<br />
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I'm feeling pretty decent, physically. Mentally, I am still pissy that I can't do as much as I used to. I'm still struggling with the low sodium diet, and I don't really stick to it. I know I need to get better with that.<br />
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Ugh.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-83297375167136664302020-01-25T18:21:00.001-05:002020-01-25T18:21:27.246-05:002020 - Week 4Busy week at work, no time for me. I made it to the fitness center thrice. I need new walking shoes. Food was ok. I'm still alive.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-10806025312397166772020-01-18T18:35:00.000-05:002020-01-18T18:35:20.162-05:002020 - Week 3Sunday I went to the fitness center and did my usual 1.5 miles on the treadmill. So far, there isn't any improvement to the pain. I power through it but it's excruciating. I hate having to do this.<br />
<br />
I suspected I was getting sick and by Monday I was sure. I worried it was strep or the flu. I even went home from work early, which I never do. I canceled my guitar lesson and just vegged out on the couch. I spent the rest of the week coughing and not able to breathe half the time, but I managed to get a short walk in Wednesday and my regular treadmill workout on Friday. I was going to hit the fitness center again Saturday but I was just so drained. Food was decent all week though.<br />
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I went for my three month follow up with my PA on Wednesday. She ended up doubling my antidepressant and blood pressure dosages. I went for follow up blood work on Friday - I'm still waiting on those results.<br />
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Overall, I feel okay, even for being sick. My blood pressure is all over the map though. I've started the new dosage so hopefully that will start to help soon.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-76427038921053428852020-01-12T10:58:00.001-05:002020-01-12T10:58:26.135-05:002020 - Week 2 Sunday I finally managed to get to the fitness center. It was too windy outside to walk. I did 1.5 miles on the treadmill. My pace is slow as fuck. I need to walk 3 mph to hit my target distance in half hour but my legs can't handle it. So I go back and forth a bit on the pace but I can't sustain 3 mph very long. I ate well and logged all my food. I hit my steps goal but not my fluid intake.<br />
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Monday and Tuesday were kind of a shit show. I hit my hourly steps goals but not my fluid intake. I didn't track my food but I ate healthy crap.<br />
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Wednesday was just okay. I took my lunch to work but I was still so hungry so I went to the cafe and got a sandwich and soup. I'm sure the sodium was super high but they weren't awful choices. I went to the fitness center after work. I hit my steps goal for the day but fluid was under the target. I did get the bright idea while on the treadmill that I should do Couch to 5k, so I tried running. I lasted 30 seconds before I couldn't do it any more. The pain in my legs was excruciating and I almost couldn't finish my walk. I'm glad I waited until the last 5 minutes to try running. It's so hard. When I have my headphones on, my body wants to dance and move. My legs aren't there yet and I worry that they will never be healthy enough to do the things I want to do with them.<br />
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I don't even remember the rest of the week. I know I went to the fitness center Friday. I tried the elliptical and didn't even make it five minutes before my legs told me to fuck off. Food has been okay but I'm not measuring and logging. It's just too much work.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-19444264296815793612020-01-04T19:20:00.001-05:002020-01-04T19:20:54.134-05:002020 - Week 1Yeah it was a short week.<br />
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Wednesday I walked 1.5 miles on the treadmill, met my steps and water goal. I was hungry as fuck and wasn't really prepared for healthy eating but I managed. I logged all my food for the day.<br />
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Thursday I returned to work, took my lunch and ate it all pretty early in the day. Thankfully, I had some yogurt and clementines in the refrigerator. I got home, walked 1.5 miles around my parking lot, and hit my steps goal. I fell short on the fluid intake.<br />
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Friday was a bit of a shit show. I started off okay, but then I ate a few cookies I didn't have nutritional information for and then we had chili dogs for dinner. I didn't gorge by any means but I didn't log the cookies or dinner. I also didn't kit my steps goal. I wanted to take my walk but I had zero energy.<br />
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Saturday was better. I didn't exercise and I missed my hourly steps and water goal. But I ate well and logged all of my food.<br />
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Week 2 will be better.<br />
<br />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-32114911891998405742020-01-01T18:31:00.000-05:002020-01-04T11:04:12.108-05:00January 2020 GoalsDecember sucked. I was slack in everything and gained back a few pounds. I didn't track my food or really pay attention to sodium. I took a total of one walk. Meh, it's behind me now. 33.5 pounds to lose.<br />
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My goals for January are to make it to the fitness center three times a week to walk on the treadmill and exercise at home twice a week. I'm going to put together a full body resistance training workout. This month will surely be bodyweight only.<br />
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I have my Fitbit set up for 8,000 daily steps, and 250 steps every hour for 12 hours. I would like to hit both of those at least 5 days a week for now.<br />
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As far as food goes, I don't know. I would like to avoid processed shit as much as possible. I don't know how well I will do with the meal prep so I see a lot of chicken, eggs, and raw vegetables in my near future.<br />
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I need to drink more water. I'm aiming for 64 ounces a day, plus my tea.<br />
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This sucks.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-61758979363398580202019-12-08T18:31:00.001-05:002019-12-08T18:34:57.005-05:00I'm angry and resentfulAs always, I started my new me bullshit with good intentions. I had MFP and a lifting plan. After the first day, the lifting plan went down the drain. I pushed myself way too hard on that first workout, forgetting that my body is not the same as it was 8 years ago. I could barely walk without extreme pain and a limp for four fucking days. It was on the fourth day that I could finally exercise again. I rode my stationary bike for 20 minutes a day for the rest of the week, took it "easy" but it was agonizing. My legs burned and I was short of breath. Saturday I was determined to get a PR and got over 6 miles in 20 minutes. On level one. I suck.<br />
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Food has been good. I was logging with MFP until Thursday, when I opted to uninstall it and just use my FitBit app. I still use MFP for calculating the nutrition of recipes but that's all I plan to use it for. Once I finally figured out how to track sodium with the FitBit (through the Dashboard on their web site), I felt like the FitBit app was enough for my purposes. I'm trying to keep my calories under 1500 and my sodium under 2000 mg (but closer to 1500 mg if possible). So far I'm doing well. I've been sticking to mostly unprocessed foods. I'm down to 162 pounds, so that's a 10 pound loss (based on my scale) over the last 6 weeks.<br />
<br />
So why am I so angry? Lots of reasons. I was sitting there on my bike today, pedaling along and knowing I wasn't going to get a PR. I just didn't have the energy. I started thinking about how I can't do Turbo Jam because it hurts my legs, and how I can't dance (if you call what my body does when music plays dancing) because it hurts my legs and I get too winded. I'm reminded every time I walk up the flight of stairs to my apartment that there is something seriously wrong with my body. I shouldn't have to lie down and rest for 10 minutes after climbing 15 steps. I'm angry that I let my body fall apart, that I didn't keep up with the badassery I achieved back in 2010, that I can't run 5Ks anymore or Turbo for an hour. I hate that I can't do the simplest of chores without needing a break.<br />
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I'm also angry how expensive it is to eat healthy foods, and how long it is taking for my taste buds to adjust to no added salt. I am angry that in addition to reducing sodium, I also have to lose weight, while my boyfriend eats Little Debbies because they are low in sodium. Spare me that moderation bullshit (I told you I am angry and resentful). I can't do that. I can't stop at just one treat. This entire blog evolved out of my tendency to binge eat. It pisses me off that I can't have shit like that now and then because there is no such thing as now and then for me.<br />
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I'm also angry that I'm angry. PAD is not a death sentence. It's a manageable disease. Will I ever be 100%? No. I'm lucky I am being diagnosed and treated now, while I am still "young" and not after I've had a stroke or heart attack. I'm mad that I let it bother me this much, instead of living the best life that I can.<br />
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Speaking of best life, my doctor put me on Lexapro and it has helped a lot. There are times when I actually feel content. I don't feel hate anymore. I am planning a future I actually look forward to. I still wish I drank or smoked pot though. My mind and body are missing something. Just every now and then, I want to feel blissfully disconnected from myself. For now, the best I can do is an extra Benadryl.<br />
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When I'm not angry, I'm pretty okay.<br />
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<br />Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-50173716991266842962019-11-30T10:06:00.000-05:002019-11-30T10:06:17.883-05:00I Caved and... Bought a Fitbit Charge 3 and put MFP back on my phone. If I'm doing this, I'm all in. Fuck, this sucks. I still have no plan but I have gotten better at flying by the seat of my pants in the last couple weeks. I still have a day to hammer out the details. My son wants to start exercising again. He lost about 25 pounds all on this own. I am so fucking proud of him.<br />
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Everything I've read about PAD treatment includes walk therapy. I don't want to fucking walk. It's dark and cold out and I'm not joining a gym. I could walk around the apartment but that will get old fast and I'm sure it would annoy the shit out of everyone here. Bah. I just want to ride my stationary bike and lift.<br />
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I am mainly struggling with finding recipes that are low in sodium and taste good. I have all the Mrs. Dash flavors and those help but it is still a challenge trying to figure out what I'm going to pack for lunches during the week. Today I made a breakfast casserole that tastes OK but it does have sausage (I wanted to use up what I had on hand) and it's not all that filling. I'm interested in baked oatmeal but I still want to keep my carbs in check. And I have to watch saturated fats. I can only eat so much protein.<br />
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We have started incorporating more types of fish into our diet. We eat a lot of bell peppers and stir fry. I don't drink nearly as much coffee and soda as I used to. My son hardly ever drinks soda anymore. I'm enjoying the tea but I think, overall, I am consuming more Splenda, even though I only use half as much per cup - I'm drinking like a thousand cups of tea. I tried a cup last night without any Splenda and it was nasty. Who the fuck wants to drink hot water? Not me. Yuck.<br />
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Baby steps.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-72473013382664337242019-11-26T09:11:00.000-05:002019-11-26T09:11:35.124-05:00I can make changes, or I can dieExcuse any typos...I wrote this on my phone.<br />
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<br />
I realize that is a little dramatic but the second half of this year has been scary and eye opening. I have to make significant changes to my lifestyle or I won't have a life to style.<br />
<br />
Let me back up to last summer. I started noticing my legs would hurt when I went grocery shopping. I thought it was just because I fucking hated grocery shopping. Then I noticed my legs hurt any time I walked, and the longer I would walk, the more they would hurt. It was in both legs, starting in the calf and then into my thighs and hamstrings. Walking anywhere left my legs burning from hips to ankles, and I felt like I'd been running for miles. I thought maybe I needed to give them a good stretch but after a few months, climbing the stairs left me completely drained, in pain and out of breath.<br />
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So of course I went to Dr. Google and one of the first things to pop up was peripheral artery disease. I will be honest. The possibility scared the shit out of me. I knew my cholesterol was really high, I was overweight, smoking, lazy and had coronary disease in the family. I went through horrible months of fear and anxiety that I was going to die at home and my son would find me, or I would die at work on a Saturday when I work alone and no one would find me until Monday.<br />
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I wanted to see if it would get better if I quit smoking. After six months there was no improvement. It was getting worse but there were still things I could try before resorting to a doctor. If you know me, you know I really, really have a lot of anxiety about trying to find a doctor. I've had my new job and new insurance for almost five years and never once went to a doctor for anything. I knew without a shadow of a doubt I had PAD, and my new fears were that either the doctor wouldn't listen to me, or they were going to tell my I was going to die right away.<br />
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Then my boyfriend had his third heart attack. I will never forget any of that experience as long as I live. He wasn't feeling well one night and went to the ER. He sent me a text saying everything looked OK and they were just going to keep him overnight for observation. I went to see him the next morning and he looked terrible. He was having trouble breathing and the nurses told me I needed to leave so they could run some tests. I told him I would see him in the evening after I took my son to his dad's. I expected him to be home by the time I got back.<br />
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An hour after I left, the hospital called and told me I needed to come back right away because "he took a turn and went south pretty quick." Getting back to the hospital was the longest hour of my life, and it would be another three hours in the ICU waiting room before I could get back to see him.<br />
<br />
Long story short, he had a heart attack and went into cardiac arrest. They had to shock him eight times. They opened up his arteries and put more stents in. When I saw him, he was in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator. They didn't let me stay long. I went home that night, and it was the first night in five years that I had spent alone. It was surreal. I didn't know what to do with myself. So I Googled. The survival rate for this kind of shit is abysmal. That could happen to me, and I wouldn't have the "experience" to know something just isn't right. So I finally got online and scheduled an appointment. The soonest I could get in as a new patient was six weeks.<br />
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This fucker is as stubborn as I am and he lived. He has had to make some significant life changes, like quitting smoking and eating better, watching his sodium. Two months later, he is still wearing a LifeVest to monitor his heart and shock him if needed. So far so good on that. He is doing cardiac rehab and it will still be a while before he goes back to work. If he goes back. But he is doing much better and if he stays off the cigarettes, takes his meds and does all that other shit, he should live a good long while.<br />
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So back to me. This is my blog, not his. I saw a PA at Sentara in Virginia Beach. I weighed in at 175 pounds. My blood pressure was 186/93. We talked about everything. My depression, my anxiety, my cholesterol, my leg pain. She listened to everything I said. She immediately put me on medication for blood pressure and changed my antidepressant. She ordered blood work and an arterial ultrasound of my legs. When my labs came back the next day, she prescribed something for my cholesterol and a Vitamin D supplement.<br />
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I went for my ultrasound the other day. The procedure itself wasn't bad at all. The only part that sucked is they made me do calf raises so they could do the ultrasound a second time and compare the blood flow during claudication events vs normal resting blood flow. They wouldn't tell me anything because "I don't want you asking what's next" but I saw my ankle-brachial index for my legs on the screen. ABI is basically the ratio of the blood pressure in your legs to the blood pressure in your arms. Mine was 0.65 in one leg and 0.7 in the other. Anything below 0.99 is indicative of PAD and my numbers put me in the moderate PAD category. My doctor called a few hours later and said I have "abnormalities in my blood flow" and the vascular specialist would contact me in a few days to schedule an appointment.<br />
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So that's where I am now. I've been reading about the surgery for this shit and it is simply not going to be an option. The recovery time can be long, and I can't be off work right now. So I have to change how I eat and I have to start exercising. Just one week on medication, my blood pressure is already significantly improved. I cut way, way back on the coffee creamer. I drink two normal size cups a day, if that, with a lot less creamer than I used to consume. I've switched to tea and reduced the amount of Splenda I put in it. My heartburn is all but gone. Other than that, I still feel the same. But it's only been a week on medications.<br />
<br />
I spend a lot of time trying out calorie tracking apps but I really hate measuring and tracking. I get obsessive about numbers and being under my targets. Having to watch so many things is making me crazy. I took MFP off my phone. I have my FitBit app but that doesn't track sodium, which I need to watch. Since we have to make just about everything from scratch, it's very tedious. I don't have the mental energy for all that.<br />
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I also spend a lot of time looking at recipes and how to make things low sodium. That, too, is exhausting. Right now I'm so overwhelmed by all of it. Every day is a struggle.<br />
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The best exercise for PAD is walking, even though it's walking that brings on the pain. It's getting colder and I just don't want to walk outside. I have a stationary bike. I plan to start with that and yoga on December 1. My ultimate goal is to get back into weight lifting and eventually be able to Turbo Jam again. I want to lose about 40 pounds and be able to walk and roller skate without pain. Mostly, I want to live. I don't know if there are issues with my heart but I would be willing to be there are. Call it vain but I don't want to have open heart surgery and have my tattoo on my chest all fucked up.<br />
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I also miss blogging here. This blog was always my release. It kept me focused on my health and fitness. So, I'm going to try to start posting regularly again. At this point, I don't know what my actual plan is. I don't want to log food into MFP or any other app. I don't want to obsess about food amounts down the gram. I don't want to log every exercise calorie burned. So we will see...Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-76822901470804720642018-07-15T12:34:00.002-04:002018-07-15T12:34:59.147-04:00New Rules of Lifting For Women - Week 1It was an ok week. I am not crazy about the Stage 1 workouts because they are so quick but it's whatever. Food was good (still under-eaating when I track) until my son told me to eat one of his peanut butter balls. I went off the rails a little bit and had a bit too many carbs but I reigned in it. I'm down 12 pounds since I started all this shit back in June. I'm hoping to lose 5 more pounds before the end of August. I have a concert to go to and don't want to look like a whale.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-63805817033874464802018-07-07T16:45:00.001-04:002018-07-07T16:45:21.572-04:00New Rules of Lifting For Women - Round 3Don't get me wrong - I love the workout I put together but I want to do a "real" program. So I'm going to do NROL4W again. It's technically Round 2.5 because my second round, I bailed halfway through. <div>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1C9vFl0-92sqTk1FtgAK6ys5DYxCeO0x9fTI-GUGv_RE/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Oh look, my spreadsheet!</a> </div>
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I love snatches.</div>
Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-40859959079707008912018-07-07T16:31:00.001-04:002018-07-07T16:31:28.175-04:00Weeks 3 & 4It's been a little nuts around here the last two weeks. My refrigerator died and it took forever and a day to get a new one from the apartment manager. I couldn't keep perishables and I was too exhausted to meal plan and prep. I didn't eat whole lot for about a week and a half. On the 4th, I decided fuck it, and had Chinese. The next night I had spaghetti. Didn't track a thing. I've been trying to do Keto because I really hate tracking and it's just mentally easier. But I miss sweet potatoes and oatmeal and fruit, damn it. Even though I didn't eat a lot of fruit. I still want a fucking banana.<br />
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On a positive note, I'm off the coffee creamer. I'm using a bit of heavy cream, coconut or cashew milk, and some sugar-free vanilla syrup. It's not as luxurious as my beloved coffee creamer, but I can drink it. It saves a ton of carbs and about half the calories. Howeverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...I did buy some sugar free vanilla coffee creamer to try. It's the same carbs as the heavy cream, less fat. So it will probably suck because it won't be as luxurious. I need to play around.<br />
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I did my normal lifting routine last week, but this week I didn't work out. I spent two afternoons unloading my sister's moving truck. I bought a power tower off her, so of course I had to rearrange my entire apartment to make room for it. I also cleaned this shit out of the place. I almost cried when I put the final load of laundry away five days after starting all this nonsense. I've had two glorious days of a clean house and new refrigerator (and stove! and they are going to replace the dishwasher!!) but I get twitchy every time one of the cats uses the litterbox. I need a Roomba. I need to make sure I don't slack off. With housework, food, and exercise.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-48733964367511336902018-06-25T18:04:00.000-04:002018-06-25T18:04:13.180-04:00Week 2So I didn't plan shit all that well because I forgot I can't really lift after getting a tattoo. I got my chest piece fixed so I can't bench press or anything until it heals. I decided to start riding my stationary bike. The leg pain I have when walking makes itself known when I am on the bike, so I'm only going short distances for now, but try to go a little further each time.<br />
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I'm really struggling with food - mostly planning and prep. I'm not overeating but I am definitely having mental issues, mostly the fear of food. I'm not making poor choices. I'm just not eating enough, and my meals are not well balanced.<br />
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So, let me tell you about my workout. I really like it a lot. It's three full body workouts, different each day.<br />
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<b>Workout 1 - Sunday</b><br />
A1: squat - 5x5<br />
A2: plank - 5x20 sec (increasing every few weeks by 10 sec)<br />
B1: dumbbell bench press - 4x10<br />
B2: lying dumbbell row - 4x10<br />
C1: seated dumbbell overhead press - 4x10<br />
C2: split stance lunge - 4x10<br />
D1: dumbbell curl - 3x10<br />
D2: standing dumbbell triceps extension - 3x10<br />
D3: barbell calf raise - 3x10<br />
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<b>Workout 2 - Tuesday</b><br />
A1: barbell bench press - 5x5<br />
A2: plank - 5x20 sec (increasing every few weeks by 10 sec)<br />
B1: flat dumbbell fly - 4x10<br />
B2: leg extension - 4x10<br />
C1: hamstring curl - 4x10<br />
C2: inverted row - 4x10<br />
D1: seated lat raise - 3x10<br />
D2: dumbbell hammer curl - 3x10<br />
D3: triceps kickback - 3x10<br />
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<b>Workout 3 - Friday</b><br />
A1: Romanian deadlift - 5x5<br />
A2: plank - 5x20 sec (increasing every few weeks by 10 sec)<br />
B1: incline dumbbell bench press - 4x10<br />
B2: standing lat raise - 4x10<br />
C1: straight arm dumbbell pullover - 4x10<br />
C2: Bulgarian split squat - 4x10<br />
D1: EZ bar curl - 3x10<br />
D2: dumbbell skullcrusher - 3x10<br />
D3: barbell shrug - 3x10<br />
<br />
And at the end of each workout, I have a stability ball core workout, 3x20 reps for each:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>crunch</li>
<li>Russian twist</li>
<li>rollout</li>
<li>jackknife</li>
<li>pike</li>
</ul>
Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-26089836958981651132018-06-17T18:35:00.001-04:002018-06-17T18:35:15.376-04:00Week 1Week 1 of...who fucking knows. My plan is to stick to this lifting program for 15 weeks, then decide what I want to do next. I would love, love, love to do <a href="http://www.bignessproject.com/join-the-bigness-project/" target="_blank">The Bigness Project</a> but it's hellacious. Like the workouts in Phase 2 are well over an hour long and five times a week. I don't know if I have time for that. Well, I do. I just don't know if I have the motivation for it. The three days a week I have now are perfect. My workouts are in the mornings of my days off, or on a day I go into work late. And I mostly have the place to myself so I can play my music while I workout, and there's no one here to say, "Oh, that looks hard as hell." Yes, fucker, it is hard, shut up and eat your pint of ice cream.<br />
<br />
I put together three full-body workouts and now that the first week is behind me, I am pretty damn pleased with it. It's challenging, it gets my heart rate up, and I feel like I've worked hard when I'm done. I don't leave anything behind. I don't half-ass it. I love it. I'm not going to put it all here - you can find me on <a href="https://www.myfitnesspal.com/profile/22gnomes" target="_blank">MyFitnessPal and view My Diary</a><span id="goog_719751116"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_719751117"></span>.<br />
<br />
Food has been okay-ish. I've cut way back on the coffee creamer and use mostly unsweetened coconut milk. It's not great but it doesn't suck so I can deal with it. I may treat myself to creamer-only on Sundays, since I don't really drink a lot of coffee on Sundays.<br />
<br />
I'm still struggling with the fear of food. That is never going away. I don't want to eat anything "bad" because it will trigger a binge. At the same time, I'm resentful that I can't eat whatever I want. Well, I could, but then I would continue to be a fat fuck. Ugh. My body likes to be a fat fuck.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-92075137691815494562018-06-09T20:31:00.000-04:002018-06-09T20:31:37.231-04:0080 Day Obsession - Week 1 - Haha, just kiddingI am not going to bore anyone with daily posts. Mostly because I'm lazy about getting on the computer and it's too hard to blog from my phone or iPad.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 1: Total Body Core (Monday)</b><br />
<b><br /></b> I'll be honest - I almost bailed on this. I got off work super late and was worried I wouldn't get to sleep on time. I was going to double up and do this and Tuesday's workout on Tuesday morning but my amazing Beachbody coach talked sense into me. So I did it. I didn't phone it in. I tried my best. I modified the shit out of it but I did it.<br />
<br />
I struggled with food. My decision to use just milk in my coffee instead of creamer was a terrible one. I didn't even drink it. I bought creamer on my way home from work. I was soooooo hungry without my coffee, I ate my lunch almost as soon as I got to work, and when it was time for lunch, I had to suck it up and dip into my stash of trail mix. I ate a decent dinner after my workout but I was still hungry because there was practically no protein in it. Thank goodness for Triple Zero yogurt. I still came in under my calorie goal.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 2: Booty (Tuesday)</b><br />
<b><br /></b> This workout didn't suck. I didn't use the resistance bands and it still kicked my ass. It wasn't a pretty workout. For the most part, I could get through all the reps but by the second round, my hips were toast. It's not a super sweaty workout, which I liked, and there's a lot of work on the mat, which I loved. Still, my ass will be feeling it tomorrow. I guess that is the point. When I finished, I could feel the energy coursing through my muscles. I like that.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 3: Cardio something or other (Wednesday)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I seriously hated this workout. Hated. It. I literally cannot do even 2 minutes without agonizing pain in my legs. Yes, I know - I need to see a doctor. Food was decent enough today. I hope I have a chance to prep better for next week.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 4: AAA (Thursday)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
By the time I woke up, I knew I was not going to finish this program so I didn't bother. I would much rather do real weight lifting. Nothing against this program - it's just not for me. And I hate working out to video. I just want to sling iron and crank my music. Food was okay.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 5: Legs (Friday)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Nope. Instead of doing 80DO, I made a spreasheet for the lifting I will start on Sunday. And researched Fitbits because my Polar strap is all jacked up. But if I'm not doing cardio, what's the point? If I ever go to the doctor and get whatever this issue is under control, I will Turbo again. God damn, I miss Turbo. Food was okay - I'm resentful of people who eat whatever they want.<br />
<br />
<b>Day 6: More cardio nonsense that I didn't really do (Saturday)</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
I cleaned my house a bit after work, and spent a lot of time exercising on Pinterest. I tried Cardio Flow and it was a spectacular failure. I brought all my equipment out of my bedroom and back into my weight room where it belongs. Food was good. I still suck at planning and prep.<br />
<br />
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Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-56896854739022054512018-06-03T21:10:00.000-04:002018-06-03T21:10:25.024-04:0080 Day Obsession - Day ZeroSo...I am back for another lame attempt to get in shape. I have been having issues for about a year, with my legs hurting when I walk. I am 100% certain it is claudication from peripheral artery disease. I haven’t seen a doctor because I am in denial but I know my cholesterol is sky high, I am overweight, and a host of other things. My research says exercise and a better diet will help and I would like to make an attempt to get things under control on my own before giving in and seeing a doctor. Yes, I know, I should see a doctor. But I’m not going to. Yet.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I have had Beachbody On Demand for over a year and I should probably use it. I really wanted to just start lifting again, and I put together a pretty kick ass program. Then came Get Obsessed With Today. Apparently the Today Show is doing 80 Day Obession, and the nation is joining in. I checked it out and it looks awful so I told myself I should probably do it. I have a few more friends who are going to do it, so I joined the stupid Facebook groups, took my before pictures and measurements, and got rid of the junk in the house.<br />
<br />
I had the workout in place. I just needed to figure out what I was going to do with the nutrition part of things. I read through the nutrition materials for 80DO but I didn’t really want to do containers. It looked like too much brain power. So I figured I will go with macros and track everything in My Fitness Pal. The macro calculator gives me a generous 1524 calories per day: 114 g carbs, 114 g protein, 68 g fat. I think that is doable. I looked at foods I know I like and are fairly convenient and I think I can work with it. But...I have to give up my sanity, my precious coffee with lots of French vanilla creamer. There is just no way I can make it fit. I’ve tried alternatives to the creamer and it’s just not the same. So...no more giant cups of coffee to get me through my day. Instead, I will take one small travel mug of hot coffee with milk and a larger, cold brewed coffee with milk to work. Eventually, I would like to get off the coffee altogether, except for one or two cups on my days off.<br />
<br />
When to work out was the next issue I had. I loved my sleep, and don’t really want to get up any earlier in the morning. Besides, I have a roommate and I don’t want to wake him up with my cursing and crying at the buttcrack of dawn. I worry about exercising in the evening because I am fucking tired and lazy when I get home from work. But there is no reason not to work out in the evenings. I get home at a decent time, have no commitments to worry about. So from 6:30 to 7:30 every evening is going to be my time. Well, not on Tuesdays. I work late on Tuesdays so I can do my workout before going into work while still getting up at my usual time. So I feel good about this schedule. I just need to follow through. And make sure I am prepping my foods and all that shit because I have to take lunch to work now. My coffee held me over all day but without that, I will need to eat.<br />
<br />
I am desperately hoping this will get me back onto the path I was on back in 2011...best shape of my life. I am older now and I know it will be harder. I have to remind myself that it will take time, and forgive myself for not being perfect.<br />
<br />
I found myself immediately falling into the old habit of being afraid to eat. I had lettuce and salsa for lunch, for fuck’s sake. I entered my planned dinner into MFP and decided it was too many carbs and too much fat, even though I still would have been under my goals for the day. So I had chicken with salsa and guacamole. I should have made some veggies but I think I have mentioned that I am a lazy fuck.<br />
<br />
On the plus side, I did get my lunches prepped for the week. Now if I just “remember” to take them. I can’t stand the thought of food in the morning and even if it's ready, I don't want to take it with me.<br />
<br />
Today's abysmal food intake:<br />
<br />
coffee w/ (a little) creamer & Splenda<br />
scrambled eggs w/ salsa & guacamole<br />
salad w/ salsa & guacamole<br />
chicken breast w/ salsa and guacamole<br />
<br />
I obviously really like salsa and guacamole.<br />
<br />
857 calories - 56 g carbs, 43 g fat, 61 g protein<br />
<br />
I was going to make some oatmeal with protein powder and PB2 but have I mentioned that I'm lazy?Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-8112775558679903662017-07-01T07:26:00.000-04:002017-07-01T07:26:36.607-04:0026 WeeksThere are 26 weeks (+2 days) left in 2017. My work schedule has been changing frequently, but it is finally set and I'm only working one late night per week now. I've been dissatisfied with NROL and I really just prefer to make my own workouts. So I'm going back to what I like to do, short and sweet.<br />
<br />
The workout plan:<br />
<br />
<b>Workout A</b><br />
<b><br /></b>squat 5x5<br />
db shoulder press 5x5<br />
push up 3x AMRAP<br />
SHELC 3xAMRAP<br />
standing calf raise 3x8<br />
db fly 3x8<br />
<br />
<b>Workout B</b><br />
<b><br /></b>db pullover 3x8<br />
single arm db squat w/ OHP 3x8<br />
Romanian deadlift 5x5<br />
inverted row 5x5<br />
db hammer curl 3x8<br />
db row 3x8<br />
<br />
<b>Workout C</b><br />
<b><br /></b>Swiss ball jackknife 3xAMRAP<br />
Zercher good morning 3xAMRAP<br />
db skullcrusher 3x8<br />
single leg straight leg deadlift 3x8<br />
split squat 5x5<br />
renegade row 5x5<br />
<br />
The schedule:<br />
<br />
Saturday - Workout A<br />
Sunday - Cardio<br />
Monday - Workout B<br />
Tuesday - Off<br />
Wednesday - Cardio<br />
Thursday - Workout C<br />
Friday - Cardio<br />
<br />
Cardio will consist of Beachbody shit - Turbo Jam, Shaun T, random workouts that catch my attention. I probably won't have workout in mind until I fire up the Beachbody app. I'm going to try to get some recumbent biking in while I'm wasting my time on Netflix but no promises.<br />
<br />
I won't be keeping a spreadsheet. I bought a little notebook and will do it old school, with paper and pen. I will still be logging my food with MyFitnessPal, though.<br />
<br />
I'm also ditching Weight Watchers. I'm going to attempt <a href="https://www.iifym.com/" target="_blank">If It Fits Your Macros</a>. My targets are:<br />
<br />
Calories - 1400<br />
Carbs - 105 g<br />
Protein - 123 g<br />
Fat - 54 g<br />
<br />
I've made progress on the carb front, i.e. my coffee creamer. I've found it acceptable to my taste buds to use half & half with sugar free vanilla Torani syrup. It's not perfect, but it will do and free up a lot of carbs and calories for me.<br />
<br />
Another change - I won't be blogging daily. I'll just post weekly, with everything from the week in one post. I will also not be weighing in. Instead, I will take one measurement on the last day of the month, really the only one I care about, and that's the god damn lower stomach area. I don't care what the scale says. I don't care about the size of other body parts. As long as that particular area is getting smaller, none of the rest matters.<br />
<br />
Wait, I lied. I will be weighing in, but I''m going to try not to get on the scale more than once or twice a month. I'm starting the second half of the year up a couple pounds from my low. I weighed in today at 147.5 pounds. I guess that is what I get for eating junk for weeks. The other magic number that needs to go down is 41.25.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-12286668653144360992017-06-07T20:33:00.000-04:002017-06-07T20:33:14.198-04:00Day 67 - Blah!I'm still exhausted but I think my head is on a little straighter today.<br />
<br />
<b>Food</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Breakfast - coffee w/ Splenda & creamer [12]<br />
Lunch - Nothing<br />
Dinner - chicken & sweet potatoes - I didn't measure or track this.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-952642451686418497.post-2906787240975526122017-06-06T20:30:00.001-04:002017-06-06T20:30:58.031-04:00Day 66 - No WorkoutI had a really bad night. I have so much...shit...going on that I couldn't sleep, I was depressed, and I ate a god damn candy bar. I have no idea how much of it I ate. It was a king size but not a whole king size - maybe 2/3? At any rate, I didn't log it in my apps. So I slept like shit, didn't feel like working out this morning, and just wanted the work day to be over so I could go the fuck to sleep.<br />
<br />
<b>Food</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Breakfast - coffee w/ Splenda & creamer [12]<br />
Lunch - Nothing<br />
Dinner - pasta salad, chicken wrap, chocolate cake - I didn't log this. No fucks given.Beckyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17025939868888943121noreply@blogger.com0