Long Time No Blog

Ugh, I know I haven't blogged in a while.  I'm still here!!!  

I've been crazy busy with work.  I've gotten a lot of transcript orders and I had seven due last week alone!  But that just means I have extra money to pay for my Lifetime lifestyle.

I usually do my weekly workout threads and I haven't, but I'll try to catch you all up in this one post.

The week of August 17 to the 23, I worked out five days in a row!  I had two days of training with Sarah (Sunday and Wednesday) and you can read about it here.  I did THREE days of Pilates with Cassie.  Yes, THREE!!!  I totally earned Friday and Saturday off after that.

This past week, August 24 to 30, I worked out three days.  Yeah, I know...three days is pretty low for me.  I did two days with Sarah and jumpboard Pilates with Cassie.  I was just super tired.  I was a little scared that my adrenal fatigue was coming back.

I just couldn't get enough rest.  I was getting plenty of sleep, but I was just tired.

Last Thursday, I met up with Eastside Tony for our nutrition follow up.  I'm doing pretty well with avoiding the foods that I am sensitive to.  My tummy is flatter, my clothes are fitting looser, but the scale is still not budging.  That is really annoying me.  My diet is okay and I am making decent enough choices, but I really can't get into the whole food logging and carb cycling.  I don't like to think about my food all the time.

I plan on making more of a concerted effort in September.  This Labor Day weekend is just a disaster, in my mind at least.  I'm sure my eating is fine for the most part but I am starting to have anxiety about eating and that's causing anxiety on top of anxiety.  

Oh, and I plan on blogging more in September, too.  My goal is to blog every day for the month of September and see if that helps.

Training 2014 - Week 34

This week was a recovery week.  I was kinda bumming because I was doing pretty well, but then as the week went on I was really glad to take it easy this week.  I was extremely tired.

Sarah and I worked out on Sunday and Wednesday.  It definitely was an easier week although after my session on Wednesday, but glutes hurt.....bad.  This is quite an incredible fete because nothing can every tire my legs or make them sore.  Just some simple TRX squats did the trick.

This week Sarah and I will be working out on Labor Day (Monday) and Wednesday morning.

Sorry for the short post, but I'm kind of brain dead lately and I did want to blog about my training this week.

Training 2014 - Week 33

It was back to our regular schedule this week:  Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon.

I was still sore from Friday afternoon so we had to alter a few things.  For example, my first exercise was Squat Thrusters, but I just held the weights at shoulder height and didn't raise them overhead like originally planned.  We did quite a bit of leg work like kickbacks and hamstring curls.
Wednesday was a definite heavy lift day.  I did my favorite Icarian Squats with 270 pounds and then with the added weight of the machine it was up to 340!!!  Then it was time to deadlift.  Sarah has caught up to me and can deadlift 115!!!  CRAP!!  I did all of my sets today at 115.  My hands hurt, so I came home and ordered some weight lifting gloves.  We continued on with more arm exercises and I think I did pretty good.  Sarah took it easy on me, but we gradually increased the weights on everything because I can't stand light lifting.  ;)

As is typical after I workout with Sarah, I came home and napped....hard.

A Week To Build An Ark

Rain was the big story locally as local freeways were submerged.  It seriously felt like it rained every day or it was super cold for being mid-August.

The Pilates Studio suffered a caved in roof.  Classes resumed but my Tuesday class time is the only time that there are two classes taught simultaneously.  Linda and I had the choice to sit in with Heather's class but we both declined.  I like Heather, but this was a last minute switch and I like the challenge Cassie gives me.  Plus Heather's class is made up of people who have done Pilates for less than a year, so I just didn't want to go.  I will be making the class up on Monday at 7.

Sunday morning I did Week 1, Day 1 of the Couch To 5k program.  I'm not doing the program again, I just used it as some HIIT training since Sarah wasn't working on Sunday and I needed something to do.  I did well, but sweat like crazy.  I may try to incorporate that some place in my weekly program.

Monday and Saturday were my rest days or in the case of Saturday, try to use my arms as little as possible.  Sarah killed my arms on Friday afternoon.   For more on my training sessions go here.  Seriously, my arms were jello.

Thursday was Jumpboard Pilates.  It was just me, Megan, and Rose.  We were in the back room due to the roof mess.  I didn't like it, it was more like sardine pilates because we were on top of each other and I kept banging into Megan's legs during leg circles.  I have been really whiny in jumpboard the last two weeks.  I'm usually not a whiner, but sometimes I just like to annoy Cassie.

So, that was my week.  The upcoming week has me doing Pilates three times.  That combined with personal training will have me working out five days in a row, which I try to avoid.  This should be interesting.

Training 2014 - Week 32

The fact that I can even type this blog entry is a miracle after what Sarah did to my arms yesterday.  But first things first....my training schedule.  This is a little different.  I worked out with Sarah on Wednesday morning before work at 5:45 am and Friday afternoon at 2.

Wednesday morning was pretty uneventful.  We did some bent over one arm rows.  We hadn't done that in forever.  Probably the most interesting thing about that workout was the very last exercise we did.  It was something that Sarah learned from the current intern working at the gym.  The intern trained her last Friday and this exercise totally killed her obliques.  I guess the best way to describe this exercise is Plank with Viper Slides.

When Sarah demonstrated the exercise, I thought I might have to do the modification because it seemed a little awkward.  I actually did well with it and I didn't really feel it anywhere.  And then I drove to work and I could feel my abs starting to hurt.  I really felt it on Thursday when my abs were crazy sore.

Friday, Sarah just killed my arms.  We started off innocently enough with some legs exercises: leg press and kettle bell squats.  Then it was time for my arms to die.  We just did arm exercise after arm exercise.  With about 20 minutes left to go, we did bench press.  I love bench pressing.  Last time I benched 85 pounds six times.  That was towards the beginning of the hour.  This was at the tail end.

I benched 75 pounds with virtually no problem.  Then Sarah added five pounds.  80 pounds was tough, but I did 2 sets of 8 reps.  I struggled a bit, but my arms were already beat.  We did shoulder presses and my left shoulder did well.  I did bicep curls with 35 pounds.

I really felt it leaving the gym.  I even feel it along my rib cage.  Holy crap.  But at the same time, I love being this sore because I really want to work on definition.  I know that I good deal of being successful with that is a proper diet.  So, I am all stocked up to really go at the diet portion this week.  I've done good this past week, but not completely fabulous.

I guess I better go to sleep.   Week 33 starts tomorrow.

The Pilates Studio Got Douched

For those of you not in the Metro Detroit area, Monday afternoon brought historic rainfall.  Freeways were closed for days, many ended up with flooded basements, commutes were affected.  Talk about a crappy Monday.   Luckily Novi was spared from a lot of the damage.  We suffered temporarily flooded street and slow traffic.  

But there was one victim of the rainfall that hit a little too close to home for me.  The roof of my beloved Pilates studio caved in.  There were some air conditioning issues a couple weeks prior and the old and new AC units were stored on the roof above the Pilates studio area.  All that weight did structural damage and then all of that rain added insult to injury.  

And BOOM CRASH...the ceiling came down.

Here are some pics of the damage.

Repair work has already started and classes continued to be taught in the back room of the studio.

Thanks to Cassie and her staff for keeping it together and keeping the program rolling.

My Workouts Last Week

I can't believe I didn't do a week review last week.  What the heck!?!?!?!   Oh, well, I'll start back up this week with my weekly review.

I worked out four days this week.  I took Monday, Friday, and Saturday off as rest days, but I still went to Lifetime on Friday and Saturday.  On Friday, I met up with Eastside Tony for our nutrition appointment.  On Saturday, I had a massage with Drea.  My left calf has been so tight lately and Drea worked it out.  It hurt like a bitch, but after it felt good to feel the release of the tension in the muscle.  I'm not sure what is happening with that leg, but it feels much better.

I worked out with Sarah on Sunday and Wednesday and you can read all about it here.

My regular Pilates class was on Tuesday, but my homies Linda and Maureen weren't there.  It was just me and then Rose from my jumpboard class joined me.  I kicked ass in Pilates on Tuesday.  I always give 100 percent, but I was really going beyond that night.

Thursday was jumpboard and I was quite whiny in class.  I did everything Cassie told me to do, but I was just such a crabby whiner about everything.  But on the plus side, my buddy Sitwat was back from her Ramadan break.  I missed my little buddy.  I'm glad she's back.

So that was my exercise week.  I kind of wish I had squeezed another work out, but I am on par to get 5 workouts in next week.

This coming week I am working in my least favorite location, so keeping my diet in check will be a challenge, but I really don't want to disappoint Eastside Tony.  I don't like him when he's angry.

Nutrition Follow-Up No. 1

Today was my first follow-up with Eastside Tony, the dietitian at the gym.  I had sent ET my food log the night before of the first five days incorporating what I learned.  I did pretty good, I must say.  I am down 3.8 pounds since Sunday by cutting the foods that I tested sensitive for.

While I'm not perfect, I am definitely on my way and my plan is do-able.  I swear that Food Sensitivity Test is probably the smartest move I've made in getting over this plateau.

I don't see ET again until the 21st, so we've decided to carb cycle.  I've heard about it and read about it, but I have to admit I'm very curious to see how this will work for me.    That's pretty much all I'll say since I am paying good money for this and the plan ET and I have worked out is what is best for my situation.  I will keep my readers updated on my progress though.

I'm pretty glad that ET was happy with my cooperation and changes this week.  It really wasn't that hard, I just have to meal plan and grocery shop smarter.

Training 2014 - Week 31

This week, Sarah beat the crap out of me.  Seriously.

Sunday was cray-cray.  First of all, I set a straight leg deadlift PR of 115 pounds.  I did one full set of that and boy was it tough.  (The other two sets were at  85 and 95 pounds)  I  always feel fabulous when I break a personal record.  Next, she put me on the rowing machine, which I HATE!!!  And we then did lat pulldowns.  Now, I don't mind lat pulldowns at all.  My only complaint is that I need to remember to buy some gloves to wear.  We started at 85 pounds, which I have done in the past.  Unfortunately, the deadlifts and rowing made gripping really difficult.  We had to lower the weight twice on the pulldowns, which I hate to do, but there was no way I could grip heavy weights after the deadlifts.

Since Sarah took jumpboard and learned what it was all about she's kind of taken it easy on my legs on Wednesdays.  I appreciate her looking out for me, but it is really impossible to kill my legs.  Seriously,  my legs are crazy strong and can take a beating.  Jumpboard Pilates may seem like fun and games, but we're some of the toughest broads around.    I asked Sarah to NOT take it easy on me.  I can handle whatever she throws at me.

So, Wednesday we started with Icarian Super Squats, my favorite!!!!!  We did 230 pounds.  It was challenging, but I think we can bump it up a little more next time.  I gotta get that ass built up more.   We also did kettle bell deadlifts.  We did battle ropes again at the end.  I'm kind of starting to hate the battle ropes, but I prefer them to kettle bell swings and I feel like they get my heart rate up higher than kettle bell swings ever did.

I always feel good after my two workouts, but I felt really good this week and like I had accomplished a lot.

Next week, we will be training early Wednesday morning and Friday afternoon.

Food Sensitivity Test Results

In an effort to get to the bottom of my plateau, I decided to take the Food Sensitivity Test that Lifetime sells.  It is newly revised and now tests for 96 different foods.  It is a blood test that you have to go to a LabCorp location to take.  It is not a fasting test, so you are encouraged to eat a light meal before your blood is drawn.

I went on Friday, July 18th.  It was fairly quick.  I went to the Farmington Road at Plymouth Road location.   I took my test kit and clearly they've been doing a ton of those tests there because they were pros in the procedure for this test.

I received my CBC results the next morning, which I didn't really understand the results.  I got the Food Sensitivity results on Friday, July 25th and immediately emailed Tony, the Dietitian to set up a time for my results.  The results were this afternoon.  I was so excited.

Of the 96 foods tested, I showed a sensitivity to 25!!!!  Yeah, 25!!!

The Class 3 "Severe Sensitivity" foods were Peanuts and Cottage Cheese. .

The Class 2 "Moderate Sensitivity"  foods were Corn, Cow Milk, Coconut, Almond.

The Class 1 "Mild Sensitivity" foods were Barley, Rye, Orange, Mustard, Safflower, Lemon, Cabbage, Watermelon, Celery, Carrot, Black Tea, Cashew, Chili Pepper, Wheat, Oat, Gluten, Malt, Asparagus, and Clam.

So, now for the next three months, I am going to avoid these foods.   Then Tony will help me slowly reintroduce them in.

Apparently, this test has been flying off the shelf at Lifetime and people who implement the results are having tremendous results.  Everyone in my Tuesday Pilates class has now taken the test.

I've decided to add Tony to my little fitness army (along with Sarah and Cassie).   I am going to meet with him twice a month to get the diet under control and just work on everything nutrition wise.

I'm super glad I took this test.  I find the results to be completely fascinating.  I KNEW I would be sensitive to peanuts.  I had already told my friend Brittany that I would give her my PB2 if I did indeed come up sensitive to peanuts.  I packed up my PB2 and gave it to her the day I got my results.  I had one last peanut butter bar from my favorite bakery that day to say a fond farewell to peanuts and I thought I was going to die.  My tummy hurt so bad.

I will be saving money on almond and coconut milk since I'll now be putting water in my shakes.

So, I can't wait to see the results and then get retested in a few months.  I have a feeling peanuts will be out of my diet for a long while.

Training 2014 - Week 30

This week Sarah and I worked out on Sunday and Wednesday morning!  Yeah, Wednesday morning!  How about that!

Both days were total body days although Sarah took it easy on my legs on Wednesday morning because of jumpboard the following day.

I thought I did pretty awesome both days.  Squat rows, stability ball hamstring curls, battle ropes.  Boom!  I have developed a love/hate relationship with the battle ropes, but I prefer them to doing kettle bell swings by far.  My abs kill after do the ropes and I am out of breath.  I honestly think they are more effective, too.

We did a lot of super-setting this week.  I hate the squat thrusters/walking lunges most of all.   My favorite super-set combo was the T-bar row and diamond pushups.

I did really well this week considering I hated my work environment this week.  I will mention more about that in a subsequent post.  Working out this week really helped me keep my sanity.