2 week challenge
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Good Morning Ladies :happy:
I am embarrassed to say this weekend was a pretty big fail. Friday I split the bottle of wine instead of having my apple with PB for my evening snack. Saturday I was good all day had some drinks, but didn't go crazy. But, then my friend brought over a giant cookie to announce they found out she was having a boy (which was written on the cookie) and I just kept eating it, like all my self control went out the window! Then yesterday I did well most of the day, but I did have a few beers and a bloody mary and then pizza for dinner. But, on the plus side I got all my workouts in!
But, today is a new day. I have all my meals planned through Friday. No drinks all week until maybe Saturday night. It is my rest week so workouts will be mainly cardio and yoga.
Jen- I tried out an Insanity workout yesterday and I really liked it. I think I am just going to incorporate it in as cardio for my next 3 month program. I am not ready to give up my running yet.0 -
I hope you end up moving, jeno - it sounds like it's something you really want.
I'm not gonna talk about "failing" - bad juju, I think.
I *did* make the mistake of stepping on the scale (Saturday, I think - or maybe it was Friday) and I weigh more NOW than when I started mfp. So, now I don't have 10 lbs. to lose....it's more like 15. Which make me feel bad. (Which is why I should stay off the scale.) My husband says it's muscle growth - but who knows?? If it was muscle growth, wouldn't I be down a dress size (or two)?? Anyway, serves me right for stepping on the scale....
In *good news* reports, I've been doing VERY well on my late-night snacking. I have had snacks 2 times this month. I am okay with this.0 -
The weekend was a little rough, I hosted a family party and we did a taco bar but plenty of margs and beer too. But yesterday I cooked for the week, I didn't drink, and I am ready for the next two weeks. Doing Stronglifts 3 times per week and trying to keep my diet cleaner, 90%, which means 6 meals per day, but only 4 cheat meals per week. Also, the cheat meals aren't going to be over on cals for me, I am going to try to make the meals about 300 cals each, so a cheat meal would also be 300 cals.0
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beeps - don't feel to bad about stepping on the scale, the fact that you can't even remember what day means you probably aren't hyper focusing on it anyway
Yesterday I totally blew the "no sweets thing" - even though I started the day out good by skipping donuts AND birthday cake - just to have it all fall apart that evening. I think cutting out sweets completely was a bad idea for me so I'm going to alter it to planned sweets only and nothing over 100-150 cals0 -
I think the BEST revenge, when I'm mad at myself, is to go lift something heavy.
I *finally* broke 100 lbs on my lat pull-down. Crap, that took FOREVER, but I did it!! (Hmmmm....maybe I'm underestimating some of my other lifts, too????????)
Anyway, that felt VERY good. Now, BOOM, watch out, kiddies, 'cause I'm just getting started and who KNOWS where 2012 will take me???????????????
Yay!!
(thanks, c3nterstage - scales stink - that's all there is to it!!)0 -
OMG, 100 lbs on lat pull down?! That is awesome, Beeps!0
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Funny to share
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Amy- LOVE the graph! Excellent visual and so true! :laugh:
Beeps- Great accomplishment! Loved the 'boom..watch out' comment too. Got a good giggle coming on this board today! Appreciate it!!
c3- Sometimes an all or nothing goal can be hard!! I think adjusting to what you've know set is smart. I'm a firm believer in taking things 1-2 steps at a time. Granted it's taking me longer. But I've watched myself fail too many times when I try to just go all out without considering how 'life' can jump out at you. One thing I did read on a blog awhile back though from a fitness competitor was- she kept a journal called 'Things I said 'No' to...' Everytime she declined a piece of cake at a party or a doughnut at a meeting, she'd record it so she could remind herself that she has the ability to say no consistently. Depending on your goals, small changes might be a good transition in.
I know I missed a bunch, I'm way behind. We are in the midst of this living room reno (spent the night sanding mud on drywall!) It's thrown my transition into a new workout plan for a loop since I workout at home in the living room @ 5am most days...and now we don't really have a living room! So I'm modifying this week with what I can get in. As long as I keep the diet in check, and keep moving, all will be well with the world!!
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Hey All!!!
First thanks for all the kind comments...such positive reinforcement and really adds to the "victory"
SO much to catch up on!
Jen - good luck on the move!!! That's very exciting and I hope it brings lots of opportunity for you and your family! I assume you'll still be in Omaha in a month when I come? Really hoping to squeeze that coffee in
Shannon - so happy you liked the gym! I think it is going to be great for you! a 65 lbs deadlift is a GREAT first lift. Uh Awesome. Just make sure you're getting enough protein I told my veggie friend that egg whites were her new best friend.
Beeps - congrats again on the lat pulldown, I think its quite an accomplishment. Try not to worry about the weight. Since you're not weighing often you have no idea how much is water retention...that's the downside to infrequent weigh ins, perhaps you were 5 lbs lighter a few days before! Also - I notice guys doing dumb things in the gym all the time and they look at me like i'm crazy when I am front squat/push pressing. Yeah, I am sure your joke of a squat on the smith machine is much superior.
Chloe - congrats on P90x! SUCH an accomplishment...take pictures next time! Even if you show them to no one, just for yourself
Welcome to regular posting Abigail and c3nter Looking forward to getting to know you!
Amy - LOVE the graph
Reese - we all fall behind! There's this little thing called real life begging our time...good luck with the reno!
As for me, back and at it for the next 10 days before vacation number 2. As always, working on marginal improvements so I am working on cutting my daily bagel out of my routine and replacing this carb with fruit. I also am working to stop eating unnaturally sweetened greek yogurt by replacing it with plain natural greek yogurt and stevia. I am not to the point where this is 100% my routine but I am hopefully getting there! Starting stage 3 NROL today!0 -
Beeps - Congrats on the 100lbs for lat pull down!!! That is amazing!!!!
Amy - I LOVE the graph... it is beyond true! But that's how we should think! Celebrate the losses and brush off the gains knowing we'll lose it again
Mama - remember that doing all of the reno on your living room is a bit of a work out too!! That stinks that you can't do your normal one, but all of the filling and sanding does work your muscles! You'll be happy with the outcome too I'm sure Keep your head up!!
Kate - Great job on cutting the daily bagel! I did that last year & replaced it with my high protein Kashi GoLean... I know not the cleanest, but it gives me 13g protein!! I'm trying to find more protein sources too... so hard!! Where is your next vacation to??
Sooo it turns out I DO have a barbell set at home!! My parents had gotten rid of the bench years ago, and when they said that I assumed they meant the weights as well!! But no, they've been collecting dust in my basement for years just waiting for me to find them! I'll be taking them out tonight after Jazzercise so I can do a short routine at home!! I'm not sure what weights we actually have for them, but I'll find out later!
Is it bad to use the smith machine for the bench press? I get nervous that if I try it without it then I'll get stuck!! I'm going to do my squats without it, but just the bench press I'm worried about! Also... what are some good vegetarian protein sources??? I'm going to try some lentils soon, I know they're healthy and high protein! And of course eggwhites are... other than that I'm lost on high protein choices!
Happy Tuesday everyone 0 -
Good morning ladies!
Beeps- FABULOUS! What a great accomplishment! And I agree with Kate on the scale, that is why I like to weigh in everyday bc I can see the fluctuations. But, of course to each her own
Jen- Good luck on the move!
Reese- I am sure you are burning tons of cals doing your remodeling, so don't feel guilty for skipping workouts.
Kate- try mixing some pure honey or frozen/fresh berries in with plain greek yogurt, still very clean, but will give you some sweet too!
As for me. I'm embarrassed to say I took some pics and deleted them right away....I know ridiculous. Maybe I'll try again this weekend before I start Chalean next week. This week I am just going to work out when I feel like it. Yesterday I really felt like I needed a rest day. But, kept my diet very good and clean. Today I am not sure, I am supposed to go to dinner with a friend and if I do I will order a salad with grilled chicken, no cheese and oil and vinegar for dressing. If not then I will probably do some yoga.0 -
Solar - I can't remember if anyone asked, but a couple of things -1. did you enter all your stats (i.e. weight, height, etc)? and 2. Does your chest strap require wetting it first and if so, did you wet it? 3. was it positioned in the right place?? Those are just some things I can think of off the top of my head.
Thanks for the feedback. Yep, yep, and yep. I entered all my stats right when I got the monitor and did wet down the chest strap and had it positioned properly. The numbers on my runs seem spot on, so it's accurate for some things. That's why I'm questioning the super high numbers. I'm thinking it really must have been b/c my heart rate was so high from lack of sleep and dehydration...0 -
Amy - your graph made my day - YAHOO!!
mama - I think keeping a journal of "small successes" is an AWESOME idea. I really like that - I am not a very good journal-person, but on an 80/20 basis, I *know* I am doing a good job 80% of the time. Actually, I'm probably doing an excellent job 70% of the time, an okay job 20% of the time and a poor job 10% of the time. This is actually why I can live with myself, lol!!
chui - I think you're going to love stage 3 - I sure did!! (and I'll be glad to repeat most of it in stage 5!)
shan - I think that is AWESOME about finding the weights!! Like you said, it's as if they have just been waiting there, for you....kind of like "when the student is ready, the teacher shall appear...." LOVE THIS.
Chloe - sheesh, go take the pictures. I cried in December and january and February, but by March, I'm kinda glad I'm taking pictures....put your BIG GIRL PANTIES ON and GO TAKE YOUR PHOTOS!!
solar - what are your numbers doing now??0 -
I am wondering if I am TOO regimented about my diet.....meaning, I eat the exact same thing for breakfast every single day - and the same morning snack/lunchafternoon snack/dinner every single weekday. Maybe my body has adjusted too well??
The suggestion to zig-zag my calories has intrigued me. And, I'm going to try and zig-zag my calories over the next 2 weeks - 1,700 one day, 1,950 the next, maybe 2,100 and then back to 1,825 or whatever. Oh, and I am NOT weighting myself until end of month - which is SUPPOSED to be the ONLY weigh-in day I'm allowed (as per my fitness challenges).0 -
You all inspire me:happy:
I did the 5x5 Stronglifts last night and it was good. I didn't feel that strong, but I tried to do things right. I benched 55, squated 65 and barbell rowed 45.
Shan, you might want to check out the stronglifts.com there are instructions for the basic lifts and videos and it seems good if you can get past the muscled up dudes
Beeps, I think zigzagging is a good idea. You could try lower carb on workout days too.
Jen, I never addressed your pending move, cuz I know you'll still be on MFP, but that is a big thing! I was in Phoenix, it is a nice place but the summers are sure hot!
Kate, you did "Rent the Runway"? I am considering that for this formal event in June. I think it would be fun. It is still kinda pricey, but the dresses are gorgeous.0 -
As always, working on marginal improvements so I am working on cutting my daily bagel out of my routine and replacing this carb with fruit. I also am working to stop eating unnaturally sweetened greek yogurt by replacing it with plain natural greek yogurt and stevia....
Asjerven - do you barbell row from the floor with back parallel to floor (as in the stronglifts videos) or do you row from midair, with back at an angle (as in Jillian Michaels DVDs)??
Beeps - congrats on reaching a new milestone! Now for the next one...
Chloe - great job pushing through to the very end of P90x! I agree - take pictures next time so you can see the difference yourself.
Chu - Congrats on subbing fruit for your bagel. have you tried eating plain unsweetened Greek yogurt for a few days in a row? Or adding in a few healthy berries instead of pure sweetener? Eating it straight for a few days may help your taste buds adjust more quickly than if you add stevia right from the start. At least that was the case with my taste buds. I don't like sweet yogurt at all now...
As for me, I must confess that my 2 week challenge isn't going that well. I've had 2.5 protein bars and it's only been one week! I think I should modify my challenge to say I won't have more than one a week. That way I won't feel like I'm "depriving" myself and I might not give in to wanting one right away. Weird psychological games, but sometimes I have to fool my own mind... The strange thing is, I find them too sweet and only grab one when I'm running around and don't have healthy high-protein food to grab and go. I need to make those Southwest Muffins so there's an alternative to the Larabars...0 -
Last night was my first barbell row and I read about how I was supposed to do it from the floor but I was using the bar, and it needs 25 lb weights on either side to be high enough off the floor for the lift, so I did it from the lowest rack position but it still wasn't as low as it would be if it were on the floor with 25 lb weights.
Some said you could put the bar on plates, or maybe the smith rack has lower pegs, I should check.0 -
Mamareese - somehow I missed your post. You nailed it on the head with your "all-or-nothing" comment.
For me, if I tell myself "Nope, none allowed, nothing at all - not even a bite." it backfires. I may not eat that particular item, but I'll consume 800 calories eating substitutes to "get over" the temptation of that particular thing. It was SO difficult when I discovered my food allergies and had to cut out all gluten (forever - no cheating allowed at all), and then dairy, that I actually went into a sort of depression both times. Stupid, really, when the discovery of the allergens saved my life - and yet focusing on what I could NOT have anymore was making it so much harder than it had to be. For some people, telling themselves NO and finding they CAN pass on a tempting treat builds up their confidence and ability to resist even more. This was crucial for me with gluten and dairy products. (I can't believe that I don't even miss ice cream anymore. Well, almost never.)
That helps me, too, but what helps me even more is this mantra: "Maybe I'll have a bite later if I still really want it." And for some reason, I can just keep pushing back the "later".
Anyone else have this experience?0 -
Shander - I am going to new orleans next week. My meeting in Boston got cancelled this week and I am no at all sad about a weekend at home. On the smith machine - its really good for inverted rows and pull ups...anything else it isn't the best because it doesn't incorporate balance or full range of movement...not as detrimental in bench press as squat but still not preferable. My solution would be to not use and just work up slowly/don't pull blocks on the end of the bar so you can slide off the added weight to get it off you OR even better, get a spotter Oh - veggie protein. Beans are good but egg whites are the only non meat source i've seen that approximates meat's nutritional structure that's not bizarre (like seitan or something). Whey powder is also going to help you out.
On the yogurt stevia is all natural calories free so I like using it but perhaps I'll try without anything. Baby steps Thanks Chloe and solar!
Beeps - I have heard that consistent eating is actually good for health but I don't know where/what the logic was/if it was sound. Either way, I don't think cycling could hurt!
Amy - nice job on the lifts! And yes, I love rent the runway! My suggestions are to follow them on facebook/twitter to get coupons/go to retailmenot.com for codes and order with a friend...the best way! You always get the "second look" for $25 so if you split the overall cost including shipping it goes down a lot. Combine that with a code and voila - you're looking at something much more affordable.
Also on your barbell row I use plates to get it to appropriate heights. It can be kind of annoying but its the best solution I've found. Some exercises were designed with a certain barbell plates - like deadlifts - and if you change the height you change the exercise and make it more difficult/easier. This is a relatively minor tweak. Shander - your deadlifts should technically be from the height of 45 lbs plates. Now obviously you don't want to jump to 135 but you can adjust the starting height with plates. Pulling it from the ground actually makes it a negative deadlift, different variation.
Solar - honestly my biggest help was just resisting then my tastes change and it helps me stay with it. I stopped eating dessert...now I don't crave it...and its easy to not eat it.0 -
Hey ladies! Just having a quick check-in, I have been following the board but too busy to write - then I got an email/message from Solar wondering where I was (thanks for thinking of me :flowerforyou: ) nice to know when your miseed I guess. :blushing:
It sounds like everyone is doing really great! That is so awesome! Talking about the cravings is so interesting - through this trainining process I have actually noticed that my cravings have changed - things that I use to crave no longer even cross my mind, however I was NEVER a sweets person before, and now, you put a piece of chocolate or cake infront of me and watchout!! I think that is partially because I have cut back my carbs so much, so I am hoping after the competition when I go back to normal Clean Eating, some of that sweet tooth will go away - at that time I will be able to incorporate things like natural peanut butter, home-made granola with almond milk, etc. so I think those sweeter type foods will be just what I need.
I will try and check-in more often, but between work, and now working out 3 hours a day - its getting to be a lot...only 4 weeks of training left - 5 weeks till competition - its becoming very real and very scary all at the same time....I am now facing the struggle of mentally preparing for the stage - working up the courage to actual get up there, which has been the biggest challenge I have faced so far....I am terrified beyond words!
I also have to start taking photos every weekend to send to my trainer so she can carefully monitor my body fat :ohwell: countdown is on ladies!!0 -
3 hours a day! Wow, AScheif, that is dedication. You are going to rock it, and I hope you can get that swagger, cuz I know how you can psych yourself up or psych yourself out but you know how hard you are working and really, just "actually getting up there" is a huge accomplishment, so much greater than what 99% of the population is capable of, really, really amazing!
Thanks, Kate, for the tips, I think I did like them on facebook but maybe I was hiding the feed since I had no plans. But I can probably rent with a friend or sister-in-law who is going to the event and there is another event the next day but more casual so I could do a second dress too.0 -
I posted this to the resources but I wanted to add it here, I am not done reading it but I keep thinking, this is great information for the "not that heavy" girls-it really helps you understand why it is so hard to lose fat when you are closer to goal:
http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/adding-muscle-while-losing-fat-qa.html0 -
solar - for me, it actually *does* help to say, "I can have that a little bit later, if I want...." and then when later comes, the "urge" might have passed. So, for me, this is a good method. However, I actually also thrive on masochistic discipline - which simply means that if I REALLY want to PROVE that I'm "mentally tough", then the answer just has to be "no". And, I can get by like that for a week- or two-. And then I'll have a crazy binge-out on something or other. (Probably not optimum, but it is what it is!)
greek yogurt just does NOT appeal to me. Blech. Kudos to those of you who have managed to get it into your diet. nada pour moi.
AScheif!! My gosh, it is ALL SO REAL NOW! Close at hand! If your biggest jitters are about getting up there on stage, then your body must be ONE HOT THING! Good for you. I think you'll find that it'll all be over before you know it and you'll wonder what you were nervous about in the first place! How very exciting!! You should be so very proud of yourself for the path you have chosen to walk - and walked it.
It's restaurant club for me, tonight: please vote on what you think I should have as an entree!!
SURF AND TURF
dry aged bison tenderloin and butter poached lobster with caviar
leek and bread pudding
TRIO OF RABBIT
confi t, bacon wrapped saddle and sausage, casseolet
CONFIT OF LAMB SHANK
smoked tomato sauce, braised lentils and shaved truffl es
SEARED NORTH ATLANTIC TURBOT
pea purée and citrus pearls, porcini risotto
SWEET POTATO AND GOAT CHEESE AGNOLOTTI
roast tomato sauce and sage butter
DUO OF PORK
pork belly with barbeque tuille and brined tenderloin with leek ash
Jack Daniels root beer sauce and white cheddar grits0 -
Beeps are we voting for taste or nutrition???
Because I vote with a menu that lovely you eat whatever you damned well please.0 -
chui, you are NOW my NEW BFF!!
(I think I'm going to go for the turbot....that way I can also have an alcoholic beverage and still be within my calorie range.)0 -
I agree, that menu sounds delish. I want the surf and turf or duo of pork, but I bet the turbot is the healthiest option!0
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It's healthy until I drink my beer with it. What-evah!0
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oh, didn't you hear? beer's good for you now-it has selenium which is good for bones! it has to be an ale though, not lagers.0
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I think corona is an ale??
What about rum and diet coke?? Where does that fit on the spectrum of beneficial alcohols??
(At least my rums have a wedge of lime in 'em!)0 -
Personally I would go for the sweet potato & goat cheese dish But that's only because I don't eat any of the others!! But I agree, eat whatever you'd like!!! They all look good 0
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