Tuesday, May 24, 2011

The last two weeks and food choices

The past two weeks have gone pretty well. The week of May 9th, I did three 100-minute workouts and one 80-minute workout. Last week, the week of May 16th, I did three 100-minute workouts. Yeah, I kinda slacked-off a bit. I should’ve gotten a workout in on Saturday, but I went grocery shopping and then came home and I was cleaning and getting things done around the house, so I counted that as a bit of a workout. A total cop-out, right? I definitely know it wasn’t the same as a real workout. That’s okay; I just resolve to do better and be more diligent this week and that’s all I can do. =)


I’ve been doing much better with switching up my workouts. One day, I might do all cardio; another day, I might do half-cardio and half-strength-training; another day, I might do a lot of cardio with some strength-training. I've found that I work-up more of a sweat on the days that I incorporate strength-training, as opposed to the days that I do cardio only, so I pretty much incorporate strength-training into the majority of my workouts each week.


I took my measurements this morning, after my first 100-minute workout for this week (which I did to the tune of Jillian Michaels’ Banish Fat Boost Metabolism DVD). It’s been a little over three weeks since I last took my measurements (April 29th); I’ve lost 1 inch around my waist (from 27.75 to 26.75), 1 inch around my hips/butt (from 39.25 to 38.25), and 1-1/2 inches around each thigh (from 25.5 to 24). Not too bad.

I still haven't weighed myself; I wanna avoid the scale right now and fully rely on other measurements to help me determine if I’m making any progress or not. I would recommend this to ANYONE. =)


One of the biggest things I’m trying to focus on right now is eating better. I’ve done pretty well with staying in my daily caloric range and making good food choices, but I know there’s always room for improvement and that I can always be trying to do better.


I allow myself one “blow it” day per week, but I’m wondering now if I should skip it and be super strict with my calories and maybe have a “blow it” day only every other week (or maybe even just once a month). OR if I should just be sure to be more strict with how many calories I can “blow it” with on my weekly “blow it” day. I don’t know… If anyone has any feedback on this, I’m open to it!


I also REALLY need work on doing better on the weekends. I’ve started trying to do a Saturday workout instead of taking the whole weekend off, and I tend to do better with staying within my daily calorie range on the Saturdays that I do workout, which also usually means that I have more motivation and willpower to make it through Sunday without blowing it. However, on the Saturdays that I don’t workout, I tend to lack discipline and willpower, and I usually end up going over my calories a bit, which usually continues on through Sunday. =/ :: sigh :: I REALLY need to fix this problem.


Incorporating more fruits and veggies into my diet will help me immensely, not just with getting the nutrients that my body needs to be strong and healthy but also with helping me more easily stay within my daily calorie range. Being smart about how I “spend” my calories each day is crucial. And when it comes to fruits and veggies, for the most part, I’m spending less while getting more. It’s kinda like going to the grocery store and finding out they’re selling a pack of 10 rolls of paper towels for $18 and a pack of 20 rolls of paper towels for $10. Which are you gonna buy? …No-brainer, right? It should be the same way when we choose what we eat, but many of us, myself definitely included, lack the willpower to constantly and consistently choose the right things every single day. This willpower and motivation doesn’t come overnight; it takes time for the willpower to make better food choies to develop from a thought-out and planned action into a natural habit. This is why it’s so important for me to surround myself with healthy food choices and be smarter about what I buy at the grocery store and bring into my home. Allowing yourself to experience temptation so that you can be strong and learn to withstand it is great and all, but especially when you’re starting out and haven’t quite gained that natural willpower yet, you need to completely avoid temptation as much as possible. Once making good food choices is developed into a habit, then it’ll be easier to experience and withstand temptation. I’ve been asking my mom and a few friends for suggestions on great low-calorie meals and snacks, and I’m open to more suggestions! =)

Monday, May 9, 2011

Weeks 1-5 of "Operation: Make Changes, Not Excuses"

So I just finished week 5 of "Operation: Make Changes, Not Excuses" and things are going quite well. I'm making progress, which is obviously very motivational and encouraging.


As far as the workouts are concerned, I'm gonna share what I've done differently in different areas during the past 5 weeks, just to show some simple comparisons:


Total number of minutes of working out per week:

Week 1: 280 (4 sessions, 70 minutes per session)
Week 2: 280 (4 sessions, 70 minutes per session)
Week 3: 300 (4 sessions, 75 minutes per session)
Week 4: 400 (5 sessions, 80 minutes per session)
Week 5: 360 (4 sessions, 2 80-minute session and 2 100-minute sessions)


Workout DVDs used:

Week 1: Last Chance Workout (4 sessions)
Week 2: Last Chance Workout (4 sessions)
Week 3: Last Chance Workout (4 sessions)
Week 4: Last Chance Workout (4 sessions), Jillian Michaels' Banish Fat Boost Metabolism (1 session)
Week 5: Jillian Michaels' Banish Fat Boost Metabolism (1 session), Totally Fit with Mel B. (1 session), Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred (1 session), Jillian Michaels' Last Chance Workout (1 session)


Weights:

Week 1: 5-pounders only
Week 2: Mostly 5-pounders, little bit with 8-pounders
Week 3: Mostly 8-pounders, little bit with 5-pounders
Week 4: 8-pounders only
Week 5: Mostly 8-pounders, some with 10-pounders


Not bad, eh? Yeah, I wish I would've done more variety as far as my workouts were concerned to start off with, but I really wanted to be careful and ease myself into a full-blown workout regimen.


A little over a week ago, I weighed myself and took my measurements for the first time in about a month. I'd only lost about three pounds. Yeah, I was a bit disappointed, but when I took my measurements, I found that I'd lost 2.25 inches around my waist (27.75 inches), I lost 1.75 inches around my hips/butt (39.25 inches), and I lost two inches around each thigh (about 25.5 inches around each one).



As far as daily calorie intake, I've done pretty well with sticking to 1200-1300 calories on days that I don't workout and 1500-1600 calories on days that I do workout. I have blown it here and there, but I'm doing better and learning.



This is all supposed to be a learning experience and not a rushed process. I'm taking one day at a time and trying to do the best that I can. If I make mistakes, then I try to not be too hard on myself and not beat myself up about it; I learn from the mistakes I make and then move on. Every day is a new day, right? =)