Training 2014 - Week 24

As usual, Sarah and I trained on Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.  Surprise, surprise.

Sunday morning,  I was super sore.  My low back and low abs were bothering me for absolutely no reason I could think of.  I had taken the previous two days off as rest days, so I have no clue what was going on.  Everything was a little sore.  My right knee, my left ankle.  You name it, it hurt.  I made Sarah aware so we proceeded with caution.  (None of my pains were very strong, just dull and very annoying).

Sunday was total body day and super-setting day.  This time we only super-set two exercises and there was no kettle bells swings or rowing machine.   My cardio was stair stepping, but this time it was with the step aerobics step and risers.  I think we used 5 steps on each side.

It wasn't all fun or exercises that I liked.  I did have to do walking lunges, which I hate.  But there were also exercises that I like, squat rows and chest press on the floor.

When I came home, I showered and then took a two hour nap.  Yeah, a two hour nap.

Wednesday was just awful.  My weight was up and my body fat percentage was up over two percent.  I don't understand why this is happening.  My diet is the same, I'm exercising.  D.tox was supposed to get me out of my plateau and it's not happening.  The scale has not been kind this year.  I'm up in weight and body fat percentage.  I see a change, but that's not enough.  I have to change something. 

Do I not continue with training?  Do I leave Lifetime for some place new?  What do I do about Pilates?  I'm going to take the next few days to think and reassess.  I'm not quitting, but I have to tweak things a little bit to get to my goal.

Jumping Jehoshaphat

I had a super tough workout schedule this week.  I worked out five days in a row.  I usually work out four or five days, but I break it up.  This week I felt extra confident and went for it.

I worked out with Sarah on Sunday and Wednesday.  You can read our training post here.

Monday, I took Tammy's 4:45 yoga class.  I love Tammy's classes and I haven't taken a yoga class in almost two weeks.  June is actually a yoga challenge month and I have failed miserably in trying to squeeze in some yoga.  Between two training days and two Pilates days, I have to try and fit some yoga in at least once a week.  I also have to be careful to not get myself into an adrenal fatigue situation again.  (That sucked).

Tuesday was my regular Pilates class with my girls, Linda and Maureen.  It was a great class and I really got a good workout.  I always get a good workout, but lately Pilates has really been kicking my butt.

Thursday was Jumpboard Pilates.  This was the most excruciating Jumpboard class to date.  Cassie introduced three new exercises and each one was more challenging than the last.  The first two were arm exercises where we laid down on the reformer box (lengthwise) and pushed off the jumpboard with our arms.  Wow, those were rough.   To me, the toughest exercise was the new leg exercise that had us laying on our sides.  Even though it was tough, I can only imagine how beneficial this exercise will be for my glutes and my hips.  Unfortunately, when I was laying on my left side, I had some sharp pain.  I don't think it was an injury pain, but more of a killer cramp.  I did significantly better when we switched sides.

My sugar cravings go into overdrive after Pilates.  Each night after Pilates, I come home and want sugar, sugar, and more sugar.  It's gotten to the point that I am now drinking two protein shakes a day.  One at work as a mid-morning snack and another in the evening after my workouts.

Friday and Saturday were well deserved rest days.

I am really glad I took a yoga class this week.  I have a free morning on Friday, so I might squeeze in Tammy's Friday morning class.

Have a good week!

So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodbye

These are not just the lyrics from the most bitchin' musical of ALL TIME, but it's a sentiment to some very special peeps that have left Lifetime Fitness Novi.  

Angela 

Always there for encouragement and a positive word.  I almost don't feel guilty for high-fiving her once.  I'm sad to see her go.  She was the trainer that did my Buck session when I first joined Lifetime two years ago.  She didn't make me feel like a total blob starting out and she got me signed up for TEAM Weight Loss.   I'm sure I'll see her working out at Lifetime, but I'll miss seeing her on a somewhat basis.

Charlie

Charlie was one of the earliest fans of this blog.   He always made me laugh because he would always self -five himself when he saw me.   I could always count on him for a friendly hello.  He guarded the Alpha zone like a pitbull and once kicked Sarah and I out of there.  Whatever, we were done anyway.

Good luck, Angela and Charlie.  Also, good luck to Kristie and Dave, who also left Lifetime but I didn't get the pleasure to get to know them or work with them.

Training 2014 - Week 23

Training this week was on Sunday morning and Wednesday afternoon.

I was really in a panic about how Sunday's workout was going to go.  This was after all my first workout since my crazy Friday night.  Turns out, I did great.  Hmm, maybe I should get wasted every Friday?  Just kidding.

Both days were full body days.  Sunday was a traditional workout, Wednesday was a little different.

On Wednesday, we super-setted three exercises and then did another super-set of three exercises.  I really enjoyed it except that the third exercise of both groups of exercises was kettle bell swings.  I HATE kettle bell swings.  It didn't even matter that the kettle bell was super light, I essentially did 6 minutes of kettle bell swings.  My arms did hurt the last couple of times I  did the swings, but my abs hurt the entire time.  The only justification for continuing on is that one day my abs are going to show through and will look amazing.   I swear if Sarah would have told me ONE MORE TIME to go lower in my squats, I would have swung the kettle bell into her chin.  I seriously HATE kettle bell swings.

Kettle bells aka Devil bells

To add insult to injury, we ended this workout on the rowing machine, again.  It didn't suck as bad as the last time and actually didn't seem as long.  I still had a tough time getting my feet out of the pedals.  

Weight-wise, I was up a few pounds, but I I had eaten two meals and a protein shake before coming to the gym.  On the positive side, my body fat percentage went down about 1.3 percent.  I guess those BCAAs are working!

Next week I will be working out on Sunday morning anf Wednesday evening.  

The Week That Was

This past week was an okay week.  I took three rest days: Monday, Friday, and Saturday.  Friday I was crazy sore and I was away from home all day, and Saturday I was hung over.  Monday is usually a rest day.

Sunday and Wednesday were personal training days with Sarah and you can read about it here.

Tuesday and Thursday were Pilates days.  Pilates really kicked my ass this week.  I came home Tuesday after class, showered, and passed out while watching Extreme Weight Loss.  I did well in class with all of the poses and exercises, but holy crap I felt rough.  My judge heard me sighing on Wednesday morning and asked what was wrong and I said Pilates class.

Thursday was Jumpboard Pilates class and it went super fast (thank God!).  My quads were burning as usual, especially during the warm up.  Once we get to the timed exercises it's not so bad.  It was a packed class, so packed Cassie had to turn someone away.  Eastside Cassie came out.  I was scared. LOL

As I said earlier, I took Saturday off because I was hung over.  I had a wild and crazy Friday.  I had a busy social calendar this weekend with my buddy Sara graduating on Saturday from South Lyon High School.

My goal for the upcoming week is to squeeze in at least one yoga class.  I really miss yoga.  I need to sweat the toxins out and get my yoga on.

Have a great week!

The Mother Of All Cheat Days

Fridays are historically my cheat day.  I don't pack a lunch,  I dine out for dinner,  and I don't exercise.  It's my day to let loose, sort of and within some boundaries.  Mainly I just allow more gluten, carbs, and calories than a normal day.  It keeps me sane.

This past Friday was an epic saga of over-consumption and over-indulgence, and I love it!   It was an all-around blast.  One of those days you remember for years.

Friday was a gorgeous day in Detroit.  The sun was shining, it was just hot enough.  Perfection.

For lunch, I went out to lunch with my friends Sharon and Cynthia.  We walked to Greektown and ate at Pizza Papolis.  I ordered the pizza/salad lunch combo.  I chose the spinach pizza and the garden salad with ranch dressing.  I ate every single bite, I left nothing uneaten.  It was delicious!

Sharon and I at Pizza Papolis   June 6, 2014

I spent the afternoon at work because I was going to attend the evening's Detroit Tigers game with my friend Brittany and her cousin Tarra.  I haven't been to a Tigers game since the Tigers-Yankees playoff series in 2006.  So embarrassing considering I work across the street from the ballpark.  

Brittany and I met up just after 5.  The area around the ballpark was busy with game attendees and the Jehovah's Witness conference concluding next door at Ford Field.  It was crazy busy with car traffic and pedestrian traffic.

We started by heading to Bagger Dave's for dinner and a beer.  I ordered the Bacon BBQ Burger (AMAZING!!!!), Brittany ordered a chicken sandwich, and we both drank a Mount Pleasant Train Wreck (or as I like to call it The Brittany).  Then we went next door to The Well and we each had a Miller Lite.

By the time we finished our beers it was time to head back towards the ballpark and meet up with Tarra.  We stopped at Elwood's and had another beer.

Me and Brittany at Elwood's  June 6, 2014  Detroit, MI

Once we met up with Tarra, we went into the park.  We took the steps.....millions of steps up to our seats.   I was a little out of breath, but I was pretty happy to get up them.  A year ago, I would have probably suffered some chest pains.  Our first trip was to a lounge to get some complimentary CMU t-shirts.  I got a Large, and it fit!!!!!

Then it was time to go to our seats and watch the game!

Detroit Tigers v. Boston Red Sox  June 6, 2014  Comerica Park Detroit, MI

Seriously, how beautiful does Detroit look in this picture?  It was a gorgeous evening.  Super lucky.

The game was great.  The Tigers won.  During the game I had three more beers and split a daiquiri.  There were fireworks after the game and then I went home.

My previous blog entry was all about how I was pop and fast food free for a year.  On my way home, I stopped at White Castle, my favorite fast food place.  I ordered a two double cheeseburger and fries combo....with a bottled water.  I went home, sat on my couch, and loved every single bite of my White Castle.  It was happiness in a white and blue bag.  White Castle truly is the food of royalty.

Now, you might be asking why I am blogging about all this alcohol I drank and all the crappy food I had.  Because I am human and in the wise words of my dearest Jackie, "Sometimes you have to live a little."  I don't consider myself a drinker because I only have the occasional glass of wine, but sometimes you just have to have a wild night with your friends and it's okay.  This is real life.  You can indulge, you can go crazy.

I did do a lot of walking and step climbing during the day.  According to my Galaxy S5, I got over 10,000 steps for the day and that's only the times that I had my phone with me.    I laughed with the girls so much that my abs hurt.

One of the things I was happiest about was how roomy my seat at Comerica was.  I had no issue fitting into it.  I was comfy and I was excited about that.

I am writing this blog entry two days after the fact and I have gotten back on track with my eating and exercising.  I had my day of fun, booze, and junk food.  Now, it's back to business and that's really what it's all about.  I am at a place where one day doesn't derail the train and doesn't send me into a tailspin.  This is what doing this "the old-fashioned way" is all about.  You learn, you make mistakes, you have fun, YOU LIVE!

Back to the grind.

One Year Pop and Fast Food Free

Tuesday, June 4 marked one year of me being pop and fast food free!!!  I started this when I began D.Tox in 2013 and it stuck!  I really had no expectation of never having pop or fast food again, I honestly don't know how that happened.  I've gone months without having pop before, but never this long.  I'm pretty proud of myself.  Coca-Cola was my heroin.

Being Coke free was tough in the beginning.  I would pass a vending machine anywhere or a mini cooler at the checkout line at the grocery store and look at the pop and drool.  I really missed Coke.  I missed Coke so much that I was dreaming about it.  In my dreams though I was disappointed in myself for caving in to the temptation.

I may not have mentioned it in this blog, but Coke was the ONLY thing I drank.  Coke bloated me, made me gain weight, and whenever I would wake up I was always thirsty.  Thirst is a HUGE red flag for diabetes.  What would I do to remedy my thirsty feeling?  Drink more Coke, of course.

Since I've done away with Coke, I'm less bloated, my glucose readings are better, and my kidneys don't hurt anymore.  I do have to say that my body really wasn't loving the Coke at the end.  It wasn't as refreshing to me as it used to be.  I think I was almost just drinking it out of habit and addiction.

I would say that by the end of Summer 2013, the temptation was over.  That being said, I avoid going to movie theaters like the plaque because other than peanut butter and chocolate, buttered movie popcorn and a large pop is the best food combination ever.

By comparison, being fast food free was relatively easy.  I have gone to the local McDonald's when I visit my mom to get a large unsweetened ice tea and on Valentine's Day, I went with friends and got an ice cream cone.  But other than that, I have not gotten anything from the standard menu of burgers and fries.

I did a blog post in January about fast food temptation and you can read it here.

Now, there are some food chains that I do patronize, but I do not consider to be typical fast food chains.  I go to Panera regularly and I usually stick to a breakfast souffle or the Greek Salad and Creamy Tomato Soup (minus croutons).  I absolutely love Chipotle and I am so thankful that I don't live that close to one.  I order my burrito bowls with brown rice, steak, grilled veggies, hot salsa, mild salsa, black beans, and guacamole.

I also occasionally go to Five Guys.  I've probably gone there 5 times in a year.  Plus they don't have a drive thru, so that doesn't count.  LOL  I avoid the french fries even though they taste like heaven.  I get the little hamburger (no cheese).   Some of the condiments that I enjoy are grilled mushrooms, A1 sauce, mustard, raw onion, and ketchup.   What I like about Five Guys is that you can make your burger as healthy or unhealthy as you want and the meat tastes and feels like meat.  I swear the meat at McDonald's makes a weird tearing noise when you bite it.

Anyone who is considering giving up pop, I recommend switching to iced tea, which is what I did.  Unfortunately, I still used artificial sweetener in my iced tea, but since this last turn at D.tox I have gone completely sugar/sweetener free in my iced tea.  I was actually getting the same blah over it feeling with the artificial sweetener that I had when I gave up pop.

Maybe next year, I can do a post about being artificial sweetener free!