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Hi All! Belated Merry Christmas and a joyous Happy New Year!
I am still not logging food. I have been enjoying the foods of the holiday, although admittedly I have eaten way more sweets than I would ever normally do. I always do the Daniel Fast in the new year as part of church....praying and fasting. It is normally fasting meats, sweets, alcohol. I am thinking about fasting processed carbs instead of meats along with sweets and alcohol.
I am also still enjoying my workouts. I have been doing the fab 5 compound lifts adding in to mix it up as I go along. I am also doing progressive sets, then dropping to starting weight to go to failure.
Bench: 12 x 105lbs 8-10x 115lbs 5 x 125....if I have a spotter I will go higher
DL: 10 x 135 8 x 155 5 x 175
OHP: 10 x 85 8 x 95 5 x 105 (PR! this past Friday)
Squat: 10 x 135 10 x 155 5 x 175 ( PR! this past friday)
Rows: This varies greatly...I will do barbell, long bar ( also barbell), dumbell....
10 x 85 8 x 105 5 x 115
I will add in lat pulls, push ups, bicep curls, tricep ext, weighted back extensions, ab roll outs( wheel), back lunges with barbell, upright rows, lateral fly...just to mix things up and push myself.
My husband got me versa grip gloves and a weight belt for Christmas. I used the gloves and have to say they help tremendously for deadlifts! I just got the belt yesterday--so am looking forward to using it too as I get heavier. I have found that I feel like I need it for DL and overhead press as well as squats....
My new year goal is to work on un-assisted pull ups without a kip. I can do assisted with only 40 lbs of compensation....so really I this goal is obtainable. But for some reason THIS is the one mental thing I can't shake is other people watching me fail. Silly, right?
As for weight....I haven't officially weighed myself on weigh in day for a few weeks. On the off days that I weigh...I am up a pund or two depending on how I eat or work out. Overall? I think I have put on a pound or maybe two...not too bad.Looking in the mirror? I have more belly fat than I did. I am not happy with that....but it comes with the eating more crap food territory---and not logging. I will be going into deficit eating in January. This has been my plan--along with cleaning up my eating more.
This ends my EM2WL post....
**************************************************************.the following is a blog/rant/vent about food. and why what you eat is so important. I am not asking for anyone to agree with me. I am merely stating the way I see and understand food and why I need to do what I can can to help change the food system as we know it. For those that don't really know me....I don't eat processed food unless we eat out. I cook using organic ingredients, locally sourced meats, raw milk, raw honey. If I bake I use maple syrup or organic sugar. I especially dislike artificial ( chemical) ingredients: colors, flavors, preservatives. I avoid these as much as I can. Christmas with kids? very hard....all the candy is artificial flavor, color. I source what I can organic. I make what I can and limit things like the red and green sprinkles......
Why? Because our bodies are bombarded daily with all types of environmental toxins. We eat them, we breath them, we sleep on them, we bathe in them, we inject them into our bodies. The human body is a wondrous feat of engineering. It's ability to take what we eat and turn it into energy is nothing short of a miracle. But with the bombardment to all of the systems of our body to just try to keep up with the daily demands we put on it has lead to an astronomical increase of disease. 1-in-3 women. 1-in-2 men. Cancer. Statistics don't lie. And that number is increasing.
The FDA, EPA and a few other government agencies have allowed known carcinogens into our food, and into the materials our food comes into contact with ( packaging, processing). If you read the list of "known and suspected carcinogens" the reasoning behind this allowance? Because studies have not shown an increase in cancer in conjunction with the increase of these substances. The problem with the studies? generally done with one substance on a rat whose life cycle is very limited. Studies don't cover multiple substances over long periods of time. But then statistics don't lie. I have just found out another person I know has been diagnosed with "very rare" brain tumors. Another person. I have heard "very rare brain tumor" 3 times in this past year--and these are just people I know. How many people do you know have been diagnosed with some sort of cancer in the past year?
What is the answer to this scary and overwhelming situation? Would you believe it is NOT racing for a cure? The short and simple answer is this: Prevention. Do what you can to BEGIN to eliminate the ingredients in your food that don't add to it in a healthful way. Read the label. If it is an artifical color, flavor, stabilizer, mold inhibitor it is not there because it is good for you. It is there to extend shelf life, make it prettier, trick your tastebuds. Google a few ingredients....and read up on ingredients you find.
I realize that many people will say that they can't afford to eat organic. This is another problem of our food system. Organic is not more expensive to produce. It merely costs the farmer more to have regulated. Yes, you read right. Organic food is actually much more cost effective to produce. But our govt. has said that in order for foods to be labeled organic...they must go through an extensive and pricey regulation process which then dis-allows them to be part of any subsidizing programs that are offered to "conventional" farmers. It is not fair that you can buy a fast food "meal" for less than a gallon of organic milk. Why is the "bad" food so cheap? The cash crops in the USA: Corn, wheat, soy. They are subsidized by our government. Which means that we the people are paying farmers to grow them and companies that own the patents on the seeds ( GMO seeds) are reaping huge profits at our expense.
Naturally....this is a lengthy topic...on which I could go on and on. But I won't. If you would like more information or want to have a discussion about anything that I have said---just PM me! If you don't agree with what I have written? That is fine. I am not looking for a debate. And I certainly don't want to shame anyone for their food choices. I know that we all have many points in our lives that are "aha" moments. And that we all come to those moments as we walk through our lives and learn and discover things. If this is all new to you? Take it with a grain of salt, do what you do when faced with something new or foreign to you.
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I totally agree and have changed my eating habits dramatically (although I am not as diligent as you are..) I eat organic whenever possible, and if it has a bar code, I try to avoid it entirely. I have to say, I feel so much better eating this way (never mind the fact that once I started doing so and avoided those processed foods, my sugar cravings decreased dramatically!) Certainly, not everyone will want to change their habits, but it is scary to see what we put in our mouths sometimes!0
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Can it really be that it has been 5 months since my last update???
After several months at TDEE + some, I gained about 3-5 lbs over the winter. I didn't realize it....clothes didn't change that much, but measurements went up. Mostly I felt it in my mid-section.
I started my first cut about 1 month ago. Down to 175 (from the winter 178-180).
I thought it would be mentally more difficult to cut after eating 2600-3000/day for so long! It was good to be so mentally prepared, because don't feel like I am struggling. For me this means getting a lot of protein in earlier in the day and really eating enough protein throughout. I get that hungry feeling if I don't meet the protein requirement.
My workouts. Still lifting. I went through a deload and have been doing some lifting with a lot of body weight stuff (pull ups, jumps, push ups, etc.) My goal for this year is to do unassisted pull ups. I get to about 25 lbs of assistance and then feel like my shoulder strains. I discovered a huge imbalance in my shoulders due to a tear from 9+ years ago. One of the trainers that I trust at my gym is working me through rotator cuff rehab/strength. I am still using the machine that assist...down to 25 lbs of help....but the stance is unnatural for doing pull ups...as it requires the body to be straight, and I feel like I need my chest to come up/body forward to pull using more back. I am working up the oomph to do assisted with bands. I don't know why THIS intimidates me.....like Nike says...I gotta just do it!
I think my biggest struggle at this point is just staying the course and watching the SLOW progress....I want the fat to fall off. Nope. I also have a friend who went on VLCD diet, and lost 45 lbs......and can't understand why she doesn't like her body and sagging skin. Note to all of us: don't do that.
I will post pix on Friday! But here is one from last week:
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This is from August 2013
This is from last week: 0 -
Great job! For pullups get one of those doorway things for home. You can then either (1) just try it every time you walk through, several times a day at least, or (2) Jump up and pull to get to the top, then slowly lower yourself concentrating on using those back muscles not biceps! or (3) get the "perfect pullup" strap from walmart. You hang it over the bar and it has resistance bands that act like the machine at the gym - helping you. You can reduce the help by removing bands.
The trick is to do it as often you as can - I put it on my bathroom door, and went through all 3 suggestions above. It took about 2 weeks of using the strap to be able to do one without it (despite using the strap, occasionally i just try it plain to see how close I am and one day it just worked!). Really concentrate on using your back not biceps - dont think of it as pulling up with your arms/back, think of it as pushing your elbows down to the floor. BTW - I returned the strap for a full refund as I only had it 2 weeks
Also try bending your knees or holding your legs out in front of you (need strong core) for the pullup - seems like it would be harder but it actually takes some weight off like the assistance machine does.
For some intermediate encouragement, try doing chinups with your hands reversed - this uses more biceps and will likely be much easier for you. Also try with your hands parallel to your body - also easier. Gives you some early feel-good wins.
I can now do 5-10 pullups in a row, rest then do another 5, etc and usually do at least 20 per day. I still do one or two every time I walk through the doorway just because I can!
Good luck - I love doing pullups now - feels like SUCH an accomplishment!!0 -
Thanks Aylajane!
I do have the door jam pull up bar, and i do use it....but the door jams in our house....not so good...so I have to be cautious....which sucks.
And for me...I have a small tear in my right shoulder...a bit of scar tissue, so warming up is essential which means I can't just do them at will. This also affects my hand placement for chin ups...this really bothers my shoulder...so I either go with neutral grip or pull up grip. But I should probably revisit chin up position now that I am stronger just to see how it feels!!!
Go girl with your bad 20+ pull ups!! That is me soon!!!! Thanks so much for the encouragement!!!!!0 -
Sorry about the door jams! I think the key is to just do them as often as possible - not just when in the gym. So Figure out what the min/mod amount of warm up you need (i.e. a few stretches/arm swings? etc) then dedicate twice a day to doing what you can - either attempting real ones or using the assistance band or doing modified or standing on a chair then lowering yourself down slowly.
My trainer gave me "homework" of ten pullups in the morning and ten at night, regardless of workout days. That consistency really moved things along.
Definitely try some variations - be aware which muscles they are working differently, which is the first step in knowing what to work on in the gym. For regular pullups, lateral rows are awesome at working the back muscles you need. Googling or asking on here for what other exercises would is a good start too. Hit those muscles away from the bar too and things will happen sooner or later for you! Keep at it!0 -
Quick update!
Guess who can do pull ups? Uh huh, that's right....oh yeah *doing the butter churn dance*
Granted...right now I can only do 2 in a row....but trying everyday. My husband even modified our door-frame pull up thing so I can do them at home. So, Yay!
So about 3 weeks ago my weight jumped up 3-4 pounds....2 to 3 remain. Yet my measurements have gone down, and I am getting the "have you lost weigh comments" again every day. I *think* what happened is that I switched up my back and shoulder workout to really work on the small muscles in my back so I could get those darn pull ups. The only thing I can think of is that I put on some LBM. I'm okay with that. Though i have to admit the scale drives me batty.
I am eating intuitively, only tracking once or twice a week. If anything I find that my body responds better and feels more lean when i cut the carbs a bit and up the greens, fat and protein.
Heybales~what do you think???0 -
Quick update!
Guess who can do pull ups? Uh huh, that's right....oh yeah *doing the butter churn dance* Granted...right now I can only do 2 in a row....but trying everyday. My husband even modified our door-frame pull up thing so I can do them at home. So, Yay!
AWESOME!!! Way to go!!!! Consistency over time is the "trick" to pullups, and you got it
Unfortunately, I separated my shoulder AC joint crashing a motorcycle a week ago... no more pullups for a few weeks, then I will be starting back from scratch to build back up.
Thanks so much for checking back in to let us know!0 -
Quick update!
Guess who can do pull ups? Uh huh, that's right....oh yeah *doing the butter churn dance* Granted...right now I can only do 2 in a row....but trying everyday. My husband even modified our door-frame pull up thing so I can do them at home. So, Yay!
So about 3 weeks ago my weight jumped up 3-4 pounds....2 to 3 remain. Yet my measurements have gone down, and I am getting the "have you lost weigh comments" again every day. I *think* what happened is that I switched up my back and shoulder workout to really work on the small muscles in my back so I could get those darn pull ups. The only thing I can think of is that I put on some LBM. I'm okay with that. Though i have to admit the scale drives me batty.
I am eating intuitively, only tracking once or twice a week. If anything I find that my body responds better and feels more lean when i cut the carbs a bit and up the greens, fat and protein.
Heybales~what do you think???
Where's the like button - excellent progress. Still a workout then for ya on those pullups.
If new muscles being used to a much greater extent then prior, probably water retention too. You may think smaller muscles back there, but some are bigger, and don't get used much with normal compound lifts.
Congrats on losing the stress of the eating side. Keep at it.
Are pullups every other day to allow recovery?
Just to confirm, you'd never do weighted squats that you could only get 2 reps out of, and attempt it the next day, right?0 -
I *was* doing pull ups everyday, but am now allowing at least a day in between to allow full recovery. So you were reading my mind with the whole recovery thing. I was doing everyday because I was excited....but logic would be to recover so that maybe I can do more the next time!
I taught 6 classes last week. 3 bootcamp ( minimal participation), 2 HIIT (full participation), Total Body (full participation) plus I lifted after 2 of the classes. So busy week. My body feels good, and feels like I am recovering. But with multiple days of lifting lighter weights when I teach, I was concerned about over doing it. After last week...not so concerned, as my body gets used to it. But....the caveat....now I have to lift heavy when I do just lift to keep the progress going.
I had DOMS Saturday after 2 classes and then lifting...we went tube floating down the river. We ended up walking in the river as it was so slow moving. You can bet I ate a huge burger, sweet potato fries and beer after that!! Sunday felt great, total day off. Feeling good today too.
Progress pix from this past weekend:
August 2013...almost a year ago:
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AWESOME!!! Way to go!!!! Consistency over time is the "trick" to pullups, and you got it
Unfortunately, I separated my shoulder AC joint crashing a motorcycle a week ago... no more pullups for a few weeks, then I will be starting back from scratch to build back up.
Thanks so much for checking back in to let us know!
OHHHHH nOOOOOOO! Huge bummer acromioclavicular joint....no one knows it's there until they seperate it! Booo! Are you having the repair surgery--or was yours just a partial tear?0 -
Yes it is a PITA injury! Basically I couldnt do anything because every.single.lift. requires your shoulder in some capacity!
It was a grade 2/3, usually 4-6 requires surgery. I have been doing range of motion exercises daily, and slowly adding in a little weight every other day (i.e. no weight first few days, 1 pound a few days, 2 pounds a few days, today I threw a few 5 pound reps in the middle). And I am doing baby pushups Mostly just my upper body weight with lower body supported on bench. But I can do 3-4 regular pushups very slowly. For pullups, I can only now do the negative portion (lowering slowly down). Hoping to do the up side up in a few days.
Otherwise a TON of squats in any format that doesnt require me to hold weights in my hands, as well as lower body machines (boo), and LOTS AND LOTS of walking and running. FOr most of my non-ROM exercise I have been wearing a 12 pound weighted vest just to make it a little harder so I dont get all fluffy and weak
Next week I get to start back up on deadlifts, bench etc with half my old weights or lower if needed... sigh... at least it shouldnt take as long to get back to where I left off as it took to get there in the first place !
Keep going! You are sooo active! I love it. I try to make sure I dont sit more than an hour in a row (desk job), I take a ton of little walks throughout the day, and I love being in the gym both at the real gym and my house (have a power rack and whole gym setup). Hurting my shoulder killed all my hobbies at once So very glad to be getting them back! 0 -
I loved reading through this post! Keep it up 0
