Ramblings from a fitness minded sports lovin chick

Nutrition really is the 'secret'...who knew?!?!?

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:23:06 -0500

Yes, this is my before nutrition photo. Taken 5 weeks ago. And the top is after. After being on a meal plan for 5 weeks. Finally I am seeing the results I want…

In April of 2009 I began what would quickly become my new addiction (translation…I love it!): strength training!!! From the beginning I have committed to 5 days a week of really good workouts. Went right to the ‘man zone’ and never left! A year into it I was still not seeing these amazing results I desired, so I changed gyms. Went from big box gym to smaller gym, personal training program, and continued to hit it hard. And still the scale would not budge, and my body fat was relentless. There were changes in my body, I was building muscle, I could feel it. But not enough for the training I was doing.

5 weeks ago I met my nutritionist. We started a dialogue, he was a fountain of information, and before I knew it I was on a meal plan. It included eating 6 times a day and a variation of high carb days, medium carb days, and low carb days to correlate with my workouts. So, I followed it. He insisted I take before pics and weekly progress pics. So I did.

The pictures tell the story. Every week I take pics and every week I am blown away by what I see. When I started working out people said “Nutrition is 75% of the equation.” I wasn’t ready to hear it.

Now I know it is true. I have lost 5 pounds, I have dropped body fat, and I have lost inches in 5 weeks that I didn’t lose in over a year. I know if I am looking forward to taking pics of myself we are in a good place!! A very good place.

So off to the gym I go!! I have a back to build and triceps to work over!! :)

A little late night/early morning motivation…..

Tue, 04 May 2010 02:47:47 -0500

A little late night/early morning motivation…..

Its been a while....

Sun, 02 May 2010 10:04:32 -0500

Wow. It has been months. Once my dad got sick in January my world kind of fell apart. Spent a few months going through the motions of daily life, with him in Michigan and me in Illinois. Thankfully my brother was able to be with him long term, but it hurt not being there. Hurt like hell.

In March, March 16th to be exact, he passed away. 14 days before his 62nd birthday. More going through the motions everyday. More hurts like hell. More, really? That just happened?

Found my way to the cemetery this week for the first time. So sad. But peaceful, tranquil, a really good crying place. I needed a good cry. Have a hard time letting that out. It was still hard there, but I tried to let it go.

4 more weeks of work until summer vacation and then 7 weeks of my last term until fall. Then hopefully I can rest some this summer. Slow down for a few minutes. I need it.

Workouts continue without fail. I switched gyms in March and it was the best decision I have made regarding my workouts in a longtime. 5 nights a week I am in the gym…without fail. It is my lifestyle. I love it. I will NOT let it go….

I am glad to be back. I missed this.

Lunch conversation with the kiddos....

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:45:10 -0600

J “Ms. Tabitha, my daddy home now. He not in jail no more.”

Me “I am glad to hear that. I am sure that makes you happy J.”

J “Yeah. The money got him out.”

T “My daddy still in jail. I wish my daddy home like J.”

Me “I bet you miss him T. That must be hard.”

T “Yeah. ”

JC “My daddy home from jail now too Ms. Tabitha”

Me “Yes, he came home for Christmas, right?”

JC “Yeah he was. He make my momma mad all the time.”

Me “Oh, I am sorry JC.”

M “Well my daddy in jail like you daddy T.”

Is it any wonder I want to take them all home every night??

YAY ME!!!!!

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 13:52:36 -0600

Workout today was back and biceps…2 1/2 hours of HEAVY weightlifting!!! :) 5th exercise was partial deadlifts, knees up! Okay so my LAST set was 225 pounds and I pulled that weight up 10 times before I lost my grip from my left hand!!!!

AND I am still NOT bulky!! But I am strong and getting stronger EVERY DAY!!!!!

Random thought of the day: A dream CAN be a wish your heart makes OR it can be an action plan for your life. You decide.

My two workout resources….I don’t need anything...

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:07:00 -0600

My two workout resources….I don’t need anything else! Love them.

SQUAT!!!! It does a booty good! :)

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:45:00 -0600

SQUAT!!!! It does a booty good! :)

protein....

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:24:37 -0600

thank god for whey! It’s the only way I can get enough protein in my diet. :)

Today I mixed one scoop with my XB drink and it tasted like a YUMMY creamsicle.. :p

Is it wrong....

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 11:30:19 -0600

That I am amused that parts of the country not used to snow are getting buried in it and, for once, it’s not us. :)

"Some women are afraid of getting too muscular, but my biggest fear is being thin and fluffy. Ew!"

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:41:13 -0600

“Some women are afraid of getting too muscular, but my biggest fear is being thin and fluffy. Ew!”

- tsfitjournal in this post

[too funny! (and true)]

(via runhayleyrun)

I always get….”Aren’t you afraid you are going to get bulky???” with a look of horror on their faces. My response….”Aren’t you afraid you won’t??”

If bulky = muscular…BRING IT ON!!!!! :) Bulk up time.

Tonights Workout...

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:02:52 -0600

Core. Which means the mid section of my body will get worked like a mofo!! :) And triceps/biceps thrown in. :) Then the dreaded cardio……..

I will be wearing one of my favorite workout shirts…..Nobody Trains To Bench The Bar!!! :)

Cliche of the day…Just Do It!

NSD....

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:28:42 -0600

Great class brought in by Rich Rod including Demar Dorsey and our 5 star QB Devin Gardner!! We are laoding up… y’all be ready for this!!!!

GoBlue!!!

DAy 4

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:24:30 -0600

of the new eating plan. I have not cheated once…I told you I would be dedicated to this 5 week plan! Same eats everyday so far has not been a problem. I like that I don’t have to think everyday about my food choices.

Weighed my self Tuesday monring and then today and I was down 1.2 pounds. I don’t put a lot of stock in the scale but of course I was happy to see the scale move.

My purpose is to rid myself of some of this stubborn body fat!! Fingers crossed. :)

Change in Routine...

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:03:00 -0600

Changed the workouts. After 9 weeks of strength training I am now doing hypertrophy training. What the heck is that you say???? Key word:VOLUME!

Leg training last night consisted of:

5X15 Leg Ext

5X15 Curls’

Calf Raises

3X25 leg Press

5X12 squats

8X4 DB Squats

3X15 Ins and Outs each

And I could feel it!!!

Day two of new eating regimine! I did well. No cheats even with all the stress of everything happening with my dad. Still had a hard time finishing all of my eggs this morning, but I am really anxious to see what the results are soo I will be dedicated for the next 5 weeks. This week is the VERY LOW carb week. I am trying to rev up my fat burning…a 40 year old me needs a little help and hardcore workouts alone are not cutting it.

Lesson of the week...

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:59:29 -0600

…do not think that a family member or loved one admitted to the hospital is being cared for. I can not even begin to update you all on what has occured today. i had to leave work in an emergency and am now in a holding pattern on whether or not I am driving to Michigan tonight. My brother is trying to get a flight in to Detroit from Arizona. All of this because not one single person at the hospital can answer any questions AND my dad has now gone 13 days without food or a feeding tube. The latest story is his doctor cancelled the feeding tube because he said my dad refused it. In reality my dad wants the DRAIN TUBE removed from his back….he did NOT refuse the feeding tube. A nurse and my dad’s ‘roommate’ confirmed this. Seriously…..

I am furious. and sick.

OR not...

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:14:15 -0600

No feeding tube for dad today. And apparently he did not get his pain meds on time last night, so he told my brother he was CRYING because he was in so much pain! WTH?!?!?! Guess I will be going to Michigan again this weekend. And calling the nurses station every four hours around the clock to make sure he gets his pain meds AS SCHEDULED.

Feeding tube tomorrow. Or so they say.

Frustration level…HIGH!

Reader Mail: "Why aren't I seeing results?"

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:00:11 -0600

nutritionista:

(Source)

Reader Johana recently directed me to this post on her blog. In it, she describes how she’s been eating well and working out regularly for the past few weeks. But she says she’s just not seeing any results:

Considering I am exercising more than I think I ever have continuously, I am eating much better and healthy foods. Which means, cutting a whole lot back on carbs, sugars and just fatty foods in general. And have added plenty of vegetables to my daily eating habits. I don’t want to call this a diet because it’s not, I’m just eating better, and I don’t plan to return to eating as badly as I had been (although I never really ate horrible, but my choices weren’t always the greatest).

A recent chat with a fitness expert revealed that Johana is only consuming between 1000-1200 calories a day. The expert pointed to that as the reason for her seemingly few visible results. Johana also admitted that besides boot camp, she hasn’t been doing much strength training. She asked me for my feedback, so here it is.

Your kickboxing instructor was right! You’re consuming dangerously few calories, and your body doesn’t want to allow any to be burned off! Here’s a trick I use: to lose 1-2 pounds a week, use 1200 calories as a BASE. Then, estimate calories burned through exercise and add that to the 1200. If you’re working out at a moderate intensity for 40 minutes to an hour every day, that should give you about 1500-1700 calories. I can also refer you to this post, which explains how to find your “sweet spot” in terms of calorie intake.

I’ve always recommended at least two hours of strength training per week. Boot camp-style classes are great, but they’re more cardio with a bit of toning thrown in. You also need to devote some time to heavy lifting. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I don’t ever see results from cardio alone. Cardio burns calories, but strength training can help mold the shape of your body. You will definitely NOT bulk up!

Patience is definitely a virtue when it comes to weight loss. Remember: the slower you lose it, the more likely you are to keep it off. I recommend 1-2 pounds a week. I know it’s painful at times to go that slowly, but it’s SO much more likely to last during the “maintenance” phase.

Johana, I’ve seen your pics, girl! You look fab already. You’re clearly already at a healthy weight for your height, and you’re clearly already very fit. So if all else fails, try working out your acceptance muscle. One of you amazing readers summed it up so well a few weeks ago:
“WHEN I lose [weight], that’ll be great, but I can’t wait to start living when I get to some number. Most people can barely tell the difference. I keep finding myself thinking, ‘I have to postpone this date until the end of the week so I’ll be skinnier,’ ‘I don’t want to go to that dinner with my family looking like this…’ But, where I am is fine! I’m fine! I can be better, and I will be, but there’s nothing wrong with where I am.”

I get these kinds of questions from readers all the time, and I know how frustrating it can be when you’re putting in the work but not seeing results. Here are some other posts that might come in handy:

Busting Out of a Fitness Rut

Veggie Booty’s Guide to Style & Eating

Lose Weight Fast! Melt Away Trouble Zones!

Falling Off the Wagon… And Then Getting Back On

NPR’s Top 10 Reasons Why the BMI is Bogus

Diet Myths That Keep Us Fat

The 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating

Burn It: Mixology

Update on Dad

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:13:15 -0600

Supposed to get his feeding tube today. I hate being here when things are happening there. Ugh moment.

Nutrition Boot Camp....

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:33:00 -0600

Okay so today I start a 5 week nutrition plan designed to help me see the difference some planned healthy eating can make in my workout routine. This has been brought about by the fact that I have been hardcore working out for almost a year ((strength training, cardio at least 4/week)) and I am still carrying about 25% body fat. Plus the fact that I am 40 years young makes lowering my body fat more difficult. I finally reached the point where I WANT to try this and see what happens.

So today starts Week 1 … very low carbs.

5:15 am Protein Shake ((Whey mixed with 6 oz of water))

6:00 am scrambled eggs (2) and egg whites (2)…couldn’t finish them all but I tried.

8:15 snack…almonds and apple slices and XB Fit drink

12:00 lunch….salad greens, oil, tuna

3:00 snack … almonds and apple slices and XB Fit drink

4:30 pre workout shake

7:00 post workout shake

7:30 Dinner 6 oz of round steak and asparagus

9:30 cottage cheese w/ ground flax

same thing each day this week. I like this because it takes the thinking out of it for me. And it switches every week. I CAN do this for 5 weeks.

On days I do not workout there will be no pre or post workout shakes. :)

Right now….missing coffee.

NSD.....

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:39:23 -0600

in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!!

What will the snake oil bring us this year????

GoBlue!!!