Strength Training & NSVs

A couple weeks ago, it hit me like a ton of bricks that really need to start strength training.

I was the passenger in the car with Nick, and I waved out the window to someone.  As I'm waving, Nick goes, "Hahaha, look at your arm jiggling in the mirror, it looks funny."  

I glance into the side mirror and to my horror, my "bat wing" is flapping around like I'm about to take flight.  Like flapping so much that I'm pretty sure the air flow created by it helped accelerate the car.

My arms have never really been muscular, but they definitely have never been flabby.  As we age, it gets harder and harder to maintain muscle definition.  The fact that I'm still in my 20's, and have some serious bat winging going on, I know I need to start incorporating strength training into my healthy lifestyle. 

Last year, I started, and stopped, Jamie Eason's LiveFit strength program 3 or 4 times.  

Well, I'm back at it, and this time, I am going to complete all 12 weeks!

This time is different though because I no longer have a gym membership.  Many of the moves are on cable machines, or other weight machines, so I have to do a lot of improvising and modifying at home.

For instance the seated leg extension that looks like this.

This is my at-home attempt.

I'm sitting on the coffee table, weight balanced precariously on my foot, slowly raising it and lowering it for 12 reps, one leg at a time. 

The weight fell of my foot a dozen times, but I just picked it up, re-balanced, and kept going.  This makes the workout take a little bit longer, but hey, I'm doing what I can with what I have. 

So far, I am half way through week 2, and my arms already feel less jiggly.  Before I get too far into the program, I should probably take some before pictures...

On to NSVs

First, I have been doing really well with getting my workouts in.  

When I get home from work, all I really want to do is grab a beer and either sit out on the patio with the dogs and a book, or watch TV.  Instead, I change into workout clothes right away, and I get shit done!  I feel great afterwards, and never regret it. 

Here is my 1.5 mile run from yesterday.  Holy pace on that 2nd half mile!  There is now way I could have maintained that for an entire mile at this point, but I'm still pretty proud :)

Second, I have been following my meal plan almost exactly.  I say almost because I had a little impromptu snack last night after dinner.  Around 8, I was hungry so I had two graham crackers with almond butter.  Probably not the best choice, but better than total junk.

Third, I have had ZERO candy in over 3 days.  I love candy and sweets! Love, love, love.  Standing in the Target check-out lane last night, the candy bars were calling my name, very loudly.  But, I have resisted all temptation, and will continue to do so through the rest of the week. 

Today on the schedule, I have a 2 mile run, legs and calves strength, and 2-3 mile walk with the dogs.

Have a healthy and happy Thursday, and be sure to link up with KTJ to celebrate YOUR non-scale victories!

WIW

It's Wednesday.  If you regularly read my blog, you know it's weigh-in time.

Up .1 lbs from last week. 

Not too surprised considering the poor food choices I made over the weekend, and all of the beer I consumed, but I am still disappointed.

I ate really well Monday and Tuesday, and busted ass last night, hoping to salvage this weigh-in. I was really hoping to see a tiny bit of a loss.  Even if I would have just went down .1 lb from last week, I would have been joyous.

This weekend, I have a bachelorette party and a bridal shower to attend.  If I want to see a loss next week, I need to make better decisions over the weekend, and really work hard the rest of the week.

Monday, I talked about my menu for the week.  Today, I am going to share my activity plans.

Monday, I was supposed to cross train and strength train.  I planned on walking the dogs and doing a workout video.  That didn't quite pan out though.  When I got home from work and grocery shopping, I had a splitting headache. I downed some ibuprofen, put away groceries, guzzled water, made dinner, and ate. 

 My head still ached.   

I ended up sleeping on the couch the rest of the evening, until Nick woke me up to actually go to bed.

Boo.

So Monday ended up being a fail in the workout department.

Last night, I changed into running clothes as soon as I got home from work, and headed out to get my two miles in. 

Not too shabby.  The accelerated pace of the 2nd mile really got me though.  I was ready to call it quits with 1/4 mile to go, but I powered through and finished.  I was gasping for breath and felt like my lungs were going to explode, but I felt great afterwards :)

It's tough to swallow, but I need to realize I am slower than I used to be from lack of training.  10:00 average pace, or quicker, is not where I am currently at.  In order to complete my long runs, I am going to have to slow it down, and be content with a 10:30-11:00 pace. 

After dinner, Nick and I took the dogs on a 2.24 mile walk, and I also strength trained.  Since I missed chest and triceps on Monday, that's what I did last night, and I will push back my other 3 strength plans a day. 

The rest of the week looks like this:

Today

1.5 mile run

2-3 miles with dogs (already have 1.04 done)

Back & biceps strength

Thursday

2 mile run

2-3 miles with dogs

Legs & calves strength

Friday

3 mile run

Shoulders & Abs strength

Saturday

Rest

Sunday

60 minutes of cross training

There you have it!

Link up with Heather, Ash, and Erin for Weigh-In Wednesday to meet some other awesome bloggers!

Weekend Reset, Meals & Goals

Why do weekends have to be so fun and derail all of my health plans?!

After another wonderful weekend of partaking in many libations, it is time to reset.  

I am guzzling water like it is going out of style to help eliminate alcohol and crappy food induced bloat, and eating as well as possible with what we still have in the house before I grocery shop tonight.

I am hoping that if I am strict with my diet and drink lots of water, my Wednesday weigh-in won't be a total disaster.  The rest of the week will be strictly meal planned also. The weekend will be a little sketchy once again because I have a bachlorette party...

Today, I have consumed/will be consuming:

Breakfast

Smoothie

1 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 Scoop Sun Warrior chocolate protein powder

1 C blueberries

1/2 C strawberries

1/2 banana

Snack

1 lite string cheese

20ish baby carrots

1 T hummus

Lunch

2 leftover grilled ribs with bbq sauce

10 pretzel thins

Snack

Smoothie

1 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/2 C blueberries

1/2 C strawberries

1/2 banana

Dinner

BLT

roasted carrots and zucchini

Dinners for the rest of the week will include:

Chicken sausage and veggie stir-fry

Steak and baked sweet potatoes

Chicken pesto bake with whole wheat pasta

Oven roasted ratatouille 

When it comes to meal planning, I decide on dinners for the week, and then I make enough so that Nick and I have can leftovers for the lunch the next day.  Then I just need to think about snacks.  My go-tos are Greek yogurt with fresh berries, lite string cheese, and vegetables with hummus. 

Besides meal planning this week, I have also scheduled all of my workout.  I unfortunately left my planner at home this morning, so I don't have my plan with me as I type this post.  Off the top of my head though, I at least remember what I have planned for today.  Crossing training and strength training.  

I will be taking the dogs for a nice long walk, and I will either do a workout video or play Just Dance on the Wii because that dancing shit makes me super sweaty and gets my heart rate up.  As for strength, I am on Phase 1 Week 2 of Jamie Eason's LiveFit plan, and today is chest and triceps.

On a final note, let's talk about some goals.

Last week, I had 4 goals.

#1 No beer during the week
Eh, I did alright.  I did have a beer Wednesday after work, and two glasses of wine with a friend on Friday night...Friday is technically the weekend though, right...?

#2 Track everything on MFP
I was doing awesome until Friday afternoon, and then I completely derailed.

#3 Run at least 3 times.
I ran twice. 1.5 miles each. Not so bad.

#4 Strength train twice.
Check!  I actually got 3 different sessions in!

This week's goals.

#1 Four strength training sessions

#2  No candy

#3 Log at least 20 miles between walking and running

What are YOUR goals this week?

NSVs and a Beer Run

It has been quite some time since I have had any non-scale victories.

Sometimes, we focus too much on that number on the scale during our health journeys, that we forget about the important little things that are making us healthy.  

For instance, you chose water over a Coke at lunch?  That is awesome! Go you! Celebrate that shit!

That is one small, but important step, in the overall process of becoming healthy.

My first NSV this week this just that fact that I have finally got back into a routine, and have a plan in place. 

 I have started running again, begun a strength training program, and have started making meal plans.  If I have a plan in place, I am much more likely to success.  I need structure, and notes, and a schedule.  If I don't have these things, I tend to binge, don't consider calories, and don't exercise.

My other NSV is that I registered to run a half marathon!

I signed up for the Tyranena Beer Run "Half Barrel".  For a girl that loves beer, a beer themed half is perfect! 

Besides the Half Barrel, there is also a Quarter Barrel (4.37 miles) run at this event.  A few of my friends are signed up for the Quarter Barrel, and Nick and one other friend also signed up for the Half.  It takes place on November 8 so I have 13.5 weeks to train...eek!  

I can do it!! 

Link up with KTJ to share you non-scale victories!

Weigh-In

Another Wednesday, another weigh-in. 

Wah, wah, waaaah.  178.6.

On Monday, I was up to 181.2 after a weekend of camping, brewery tours, and wine tastings so I guess I'll count this one as a win...

I am finally getting my act together though, so I KNOW next week's weigh-in will be great!

Speaking of getting my act together, I had an awesome day, fitness-wise, yesterday.  

20 minute AM walk with the dogs

Phase 1 Day 1 of Jamie Eason's LiveFit strength routine

1.5 mile run

20 minute PM walk with dogs

Boom.

It felt great to get out and run again.  I felt like I was flying the entire time, but I ended with just my usual average time.  I was a bit disappoint because I felt like I was going so fast.  I guess being out of shape makes the "usual" feel difficult.

Happy Wednesday!

Sucking It In or Sucking It Up

I have been sucking at life lately.  

I still haven't really been working out.  

I have been eating like calories don't count...lemme tell you, judging by how tight ALL of my clothes are, they do fucking count.  

I haven't been cleaning our house.  I haven't given the dogs baths, in months.  I haven't been reading.  I haven't been grocery shopping.  I haven't been tracking anything on MFP.  I haven't been running.  I haven't been blogging.

What have I been doing lately?

I have been sucking it in.

I am legit such a porkchop right now, that I walk around all day with my stomach sucked in so that nobody can see just how much havoc my laziness has been wreaking on my body. 

I'm tired of sucking it in, so it's time to suck it up.

It's summertime, and I really, really, like reallyreallyreally, really like beer and wine. But, it's time to get my shit together and stop reliving the glory days of college.  My waist line, and probably my liver, cannot handle it anymore.  Time to suck it up, and lay of the booze.

This leads to goal #1 for this week, no alcohol during the week!

To start getting my healthy lifestyle back on track, I have a few other goals.

#2  Track everything on MFP

#3  Start half marathon training, and run at least 3 times.

If I get it together, and start running consistently, I will run a half marathon on November 8, 2014.  That gives me 14 weeks to train.  I have a 12 week training plan so this week, and next week, will just be weeks to ease back into running.

#4  Strength train at least 2 times.

With that, I bid you adieu with this picture of my goofy dogs.