Almost Vacation Time!

My vacation is almost upon me. We'll be leaving on Saturday morning for a 10:30am flight, so we'll probably have to leave the house around 8am. If I get up early enough, I can do my 20 minute run in the morning.

My goal for the trip is to maintain my progress. I'll probably boost my calorie intake a bit since we'll be eating out, but I'm not going to go crazy. Honestly, I think if I did, it would probably upset my stomach like the Thai food did. I'm also going to get in some workouts throughout the week. Most of the hotels have workout areas in them. One has a whole fitness club right across the street. I'll have to see how that work, though. And, when we're staying at the hotel on the beach, I'm going to go for a run along the water and maybe splash around a bit. Also, I've looked online and have come up with several 20-minute full body workouts that can be done in a hotel room.

E.g. Workout 1:
1 minute of each activity. Repeat entire series.
1. High knee run in place
2. Jumping Jacks
3. Push-ups
4. Rest
5. Squats
6. Crunches
7. Leg Lifts
8. Rest/Water
9. Dips (from a chair)
10. Lunges
11. Arm Circles

E.g. Workout 2:
1. Cardio Boxing Warm-up
2. Side Shuffle
3. Squats
4. Rest
5. Push-ups
6. Planks - Left
7. Planks - Right
8. Rest/Water
9. Calf Raises
10. Dips (from a chair)
11. Superman

So, things like that - also stretching. I'm going to bring my IsoPure and some Fiber One bars so that I will have post-workout nutrition and healthy snacks. I might try to write down my food intake on the trip. I'm not sure about that one. I don't want to interfere with my enjoyment of the vacation. I will record what I do for exercise, though. Hooray vacation here I come! Only one more work day to go!

Thursday, Week 3

The legs weight training last night was good. I hadn't done a comprehensive lower body workout in a long time. When I used to take gymnastics, they used to have us do conditioning exercises, and a lot of times we had to do lunges or mountain climbers or other lower body exercises. I'm thinking this will be a good addition to my regimen. Hopefully it will build my leg muscles up a bit to better support my running, which will hopefully reduce the potential for injury.

Today I'm really looking forward to running. I'm going to do interval training again. Eventually I want to build up so that my recovery periods are still at a jog rather than fast walking. That way I will easily be able to run/jog for a full 20 minutes. By keeping my time on the treadmill limited, I'll be able to focus on intensity.

I've found it easier to get up in the morning lately, which means that I've been able to have real breakfasts - not just quick on the go ones. I've been loving the Kashi Lean cereal in the morning.

Breakfast: Little over 1/2 Kashi Lean Cereal w/ Milk (130)
Snack: Fiber One Bar (140)
Lunch: Salad w/ turkey (50), Veggies w/ Chicken (160)
Snack: Honeydew Melon (100)
Post Workout: IsoPure (100)
Dinner: Egg Beater Omelet (130), Green Beans, Turkey (120)
Snack: 1/2 peach (25)
Total: 955

Exercise: 28 min total
Treadmill: 22 min - 1.9 miles
Stretching: Throughout day
Abdominal: 20 leg lifts, 50 misc crunches

Wednesday, Week 3

Hooray! I don't have any bad repercussions with my knee from the running from last night. It's strange, though, that stairs are still a bit odd, but the running was fine. There was a little strain in my knee during the running, but there was even more strain in my right ankle, so I figured it must just be par for the course of getting back into it. But, today everything is good!

This is going to be my first leg strength training day, so it will be pretty cool. I'm going to try to keep the weight light and do lots of reps. In the past, my quad muscles grew pretty easily, so I want to make sure that they don't get too big. Hopefully, the light leg strength training will help with the running as well.

Food:
Breakfast: Little over 1/2 Kashi Lean Cereal w/ Milk (130)
Lunch: Salad w/ 1 turkey slice (50), Broccoli and Cauliflower with Meatball and Wheat Pasta (230)
Snack: Watermelon (100)
Snack: Fiber One Yogurt (80)
Post Workout: IsoPure (100)
Dinner: Egg Beater Omelet (130), Veggies, Chicken, Turkey (150)
Snack: Blue Bunny Fudge Bar (50)
Total: 1020

Exercise: 45 minutes
Weights: Legs
Outer Thigh Lift - 20 reps each side, 20 reps each side w/ 5lb weight
Inner Thigh Lift - 20 reps each side, 20 reps each side w/ 5lb weight
Leg Press - 12/35, 8/45, 8/55, 6/65, 12/55
Calf Raises - 10/35, 10/45, 6/55, 6/65, 10/55
Leg Extension - 12/10, 6/15, 5/15, 5/15, 10/10
Leg Curl - 10/10, 8/15, 6/15, 4/20, 8/10
Squat - 20/5, 15/10, 10/20, 8/25, 20/10

Stretching: Thorough Pre and Post Workout (One cool note, I tried doing a split today, and I was able to go all the way down with my right leg in front. It can use some improvement, though, but it was cool anyway.)

Tuesday, Week 3

Yesterday my knee was hurting again when I went down to get my salad for lunch (down 2 flights, down 1/2 flight, up 1/2 flight and then reverse). So, today I skipped the steps and took the elevator. I still did the 1 flight up in the morning and will do the 1 flight down at the end of the day. Except for a lot of steps, everything is good.

So, let's get on with today. It's a cardio day, so I'll have to see what I can do. The minimum will be 20 minutes on the treadmill walking.

Food:
Breakfast: Little over 1/2 Kahi Lean Cereal w/ milk (130)
Lunch: Leftover Thai Curry with extra veggies (220), salad (30), 1 turkey (20)
Snack: Watermelon (100)
Snack: Fiber One Yogurt (80)
Post-Workout: IsoPure (100)
Dinner: Roasted Pork (180), Broccoli and Cauliflower (90)
Snack: Blue Bunny Fudge Bar (50)
Total: 1000

Exercise: 25 minutes total
Treadmill: 21 minutes, 1.7 mi, interval running
Stretching: Pre and Post Workout

Monday, Week 3

My knee is getting even better. Walking is no problem now, and steps have been fine, too. I still haven't run on it yet, but that will come soon enough. I want to make sure that I don't re-injure it before my vacation, though. Tonight is my 2nd strength training workout. Normally, I would do legs today, but I want to give my knee a bit more time before that, so it will be back and biceps tonight.

Last night it stormed like crazy. The power went out for about 2 hours, too. So, I didn't get as much sleep as I would have hoped. But, I got about 7 hours. So, not too bad.

Food:
Breakfast: IsoPure (100)
Lunch: Stir Fry Veggies, Meatball, Wheat Pasta (220), Salad (30), Turkey (20)
Snack: Watermelon (100)
Snack: Fiber One Yogurt (80)
Post Workout Snack: IsoPure (100)
Dinner: Salmon (230), Veggies w/ Chicken (100), Spinach (120)
Snack: WW Fudge Bar (60), 4 oz milk (40)
Total: 1200

Exercise: Total 40 min
Assisted Chin: 12/85, 8/80, 6/75, 4/70, 9/80
Bicep Curl: 12/10, 8/15, 6/20, 4/25, 11/15
Lat Bar Pull Down: 12/20, 10/25, 8/35, 4/45, 8/35
Seated Row: 12/20, 10/25, 8/30, 8/35, 10/45
Chin Pull Down: 12/25, 10/35, 10/45, 5/55, 9/45
Upright Row: 10/20, 8/20, 8/25, 6/25, 8/25

Sunday, Week 3 (with Progress Update)

Overall, I've been pleased with this week. I did a good job of sticking with it, even with my knee injured. Today would have been an aerobic day, but I still have to hold off. Now, walking around doesn't hurt at all, but steps are still a strain. My goal for today is just to be a little bit more active overall. For example, I just spent 10 minutes outside weeding. Also, I'm going to the grocery store later. And, I might do 1 or 2 10 minute walking sessions on the treadmill over the course of the day.

Progress: From last week, it doesn't appear from these numbers that I have made progress. But, I think I'm gaining muscle, and I would bet that I have lost a little fat. At least my waist measurement is down 1/4 inch.

Weight: 135.4lbs (137.8 baseline, up .6 from last week)
Waist: 31.25 inches (31.5 baseline, down .25 from last week)
Below Waist: 33.25 inches (33.25 baseline, same as last week)

Food:
Snack: IsoPure (100)
Breakfast: Egg Beater Omelet (120)
Lunch: Stir Fry Veggies, 1 big meatball, Little Wheat Pasta (260)
Snack: Watermelon (100)
Dinner: Veggies and Chicken (180), 3 Turkey Slices (60)
Snack: Fiber One Yogurt (80)
Snack: Skinny Cow Fudge Bar (100)
Total: 1000

Exercise: 30 minutes (low intensity)
Overall activity during the day. Would have been aerobic day, but still resting knee.
Treadmill: 2, 12 minute walking sessions (total 1 mile)
Abdominal: 20 leg lifts, 50 crunches
Stretching: Light throughout day

New Fitness Plan

I'm going to be putting more focus on weights and less on cardio for now. My weight routines should take about 45 minutes, and my cardio should be about 20-30 minutes. Also, but working different muscles each session, recovery should be good for my muscles, which should help with injury prevention. I'm going to make sure to have IsoPure as my post-workout recovery food, and I'm going to try to have food 5-6 times a day, working up to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Right now, though, my goal is at least 60 grams per day. I'm going to try to eat mostly unprocessed food - lots of fruits and veggies, lean mean/protein.

I'm still having to go easy on my knee, but it seems to be better every day. Major cardio is out for a while now, until I'm convinced that my knee won't get injured from it. I might try 5 minutes of walking or elliptical machine as I go along to ease into it.

For weights, I'm going to do 5 sets (1 warmup set of light weight with 12 reps, then pyramid down with 3 additional sets of higher weight, lower reps, and then a final set reducing the weight and increasing reps to the point of failure). Hopefully, I'll have sets that are 12/8/6/4/max.

Workout 1
Pecs, Delts, Triceps

1. Push Ups
2. Chest Press
3. Shoulder Press
4. Assisted Dips

Do 2 of the following:
Butterfly
Lateral Raise (dumbells)
Front Raise (dumbells)
Military Press (dumbells)
Close Grip Bench Press (dumbells)
Triceps Pushdown (machine)

Aerobic 1:
Treadmill
2 min warm-up
2 min slow jog
2 min run (high intensity)
2 min recovery (slow jog)
2 min run (high intensity)
1 min recovery (fast walk)
1 min run (high intensity)
2 min recovery (slow jog)
1 min run (high intensity)
1 min recovery (fast walk)
2 min run (high intensity)
1 min recovery (fast walk)
1 min run (high intensity)
2 min recovery (slow jog)
2 min cool-down
Total: 24 min

Workout 2
Glutes, Quads, Hams, Calves, Thighs

1. Leg Presses
2. Calf Raises
3. Leg Extension

Mat Work:
Outer Thigh Lift
Inner Thigh Lift
OR
Hip Raises/1 Leg Hip Raises
Raised Hip Making Circles with Extended Leg

Do 1 of the Following:
Lunge
Squat

Aerobic 2:
Elliptical
2 min warm-up
Alternate 1 min fast/1 min slow
2 min cool-down
Total: 24 min

Workout 3
Lats, Traps, Biceps, Forearms

1. Assisted Chins
2. Lat-Bar Pulldowns
3. Seated Rows
4. Biceps Curls

Do 1 of the following:
Wrist Curl (dumbells)
Bend Over Rows (dumbells)
Upright Rows

Aerobic 2:
Treadmill
2 min warm-up
12 min run (moderate pace)
2 min recovery (fast walk)
2 min run (high intensity)
1 min recovery (fast walk)
2 min run (high intensity)
2 min cool-down
Total: 23 min

Off Day:
Crunches
Optional easy/moderate Exercise Video

Saturday, Week 2

Last night I came up with a better fitness plan, which I have put into action today. Hopefully, this will bring about even better results, with even less chance of injury! So, today is Weights - Pecs, Delts, and Triceps.

Food:
Post Workout: IsoPure (100)
Breakfast: 1/2 Kashi Cereal (110), Watermelon (80)
Lunch: Stir Fry Veggies, 1 big meatball, Little Wheat Pasta (260)
Snack: 3 turkey slices (60)
Dinner: Tilapia (100), Veggies and Chicken (150)
Snack: Watermelon (120)
Snack: 6oz skim milk (60)
Total: 1040 calories

Exercise: (# reps/weight)
Name Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5
Push Up 12/knees 8 6 4 7/knees
Chest Press 12/20 8/25 6/30 6/35 10/30
Assisted Dip 12/90 8/85 6/75 4/70 5/80
Shoulder Press 12/15 5/20 6/20 4/20 6/15
Butterfly 10/10 8/10 6/15 4/15 4/15
Tricep Press 12/15 3/20 7/15 5/15 7/15

(For "assisted" exercises, the less weight assisted, the more of my body weight I'm lifting.)

www.hussmanfitness.org

I found this awesome fitness website: http://www.hussmanfitness.org/index.html. In it Dr. John P. Hussman lays out everything that someone would need to know about a fitness program. The ideas are based on human physiology, and they all make sense based on what I've read so far. I might just go with his program (free) once I get back from the California trip. Maybe it would bring me the results that I was with better efficiency and less chance of injury.

Friday, Week 2

So, I had an influx of calories last night to make up for my low calorie day from before. Still, I didn't go too overboard. Today, I'm doing some abdominal work and light stretching. Also, I'm going to walk a bit more. My knee is doing better. Walking is ok now. Just stairs are still to be avoided.

We ate at Mimi's Cafe for dinner tonight. I had the turkey from the low fat menu. It was very bland, but that's what I needed to counter balance the Thai food from last night (which upset my stomach a bit). So, it was perfect, and I would get it again. I had a salad and then the turkey dinner, but the jasmine rice seemed to be just plain white rice, so I only ate a little of that. But, I left the restaurant very full.

Food:
Breakfast: IsoPure (100)
Lunch: Black Bean Soup (170), Cabbage (40)
Snack: Watermelon (100)
Dinner: Salad (30), Turkey, Veggies, Few Bites of White Rice (500)
Total: 940

Exercise:
Stretching: Morning (light)
Abdominal: 50 crunches in the morning

Leek Soup Stats Update

I realized I was just estimating the calories in my leek soup, so I checked and figured up the real values. It was about 50 calories per serving less than what I had estimated, so I went back and updated my posts. Also, I added the calorie info to the leek recipe post.

Thursday, Week 2

My calories were not enough yesterday. I had a dentist appointment right after work, and I had to wait about 30 minutes before I even got in. So, I didn't get home until late. By the time I got home, my knee was not feeling the best, so I figured I'd rest up a bit until my husband got home from his guitar lesson. He got home but wound up talking with the neighbors outside for like 20 minutes. When he finally came in, we talked a bit and then I went and fixed some leftovers. We didn't eat dinner until around 9pm - way too late.

Today, my knee is still not totally well, so I'm not going to do cardio again. But, I am going to do weights tonight. My upper body muscles seem to have fully recovered. I think the 2 full days of rest was good. But, it's time to get back into it. I'm not going to let a bum knee totally stop me.

Food:
Breakfast: IsoPure (120) - put a little extra
Lunch: Leek Soup (120 - not much left), 2 turkey slices (40), Fiber One Yogurt (80)
Snack: Watermelon (100)
Pre-Workout Snack: Fiber One Bar (140)
Dinner: Thai - Panang Chicken Curry w/ White Rice (no idea, a lot), 1 wine (100)
Snack: Skinny Cow Fudge Bar (110)

Exercise: 15 min total
Weights: Standing Arm Curl, Lat Pull-Down, Row
Stretching: Pre and Post Workout (light)

Wednesday, Week 2

My knee is feeling much better than yesterday, although it has a ways to go still. Yesterday, every time I even took a single step, I had a blinding pain in my knee. Today, it's MUCH better. Last night I had a pillow under it, elevating it for most of the night. I got up only to get dinner, snacks, etc. I have my ace bandage on today, and there is MUCH less pain when I walk. I'm going to avoid steps as much as possible for the next couple of days and am going to rest it as much as I can. Also, I'm going to keep up with the Ibuprofen for today and tomorrow and will ice my knee whenever I can.

So, today is another total rest day. Tomorrow I'm going to get to some weights and perhaps some crunches, but nothing that will put a strain on my knee. After the knee is well, I will incorporate some leg raises with very light weight to help strengthen my knees. Another change that I'll make is that I'm not going to do weights and cardio on the same day (at least for the first month or so back). This will help give my different body parts rest throughout the week.

Food:
Breakfast: IsoPure (100)
Lunch: Leek Soup and 2 Deli Turkey (200)
Snack: Watermelon (100)
Dinner: Chicken and Leftover Bertolli's (300)
Snack: Skinny Cow Fudge Bar (110)
Total: 810

Exercise: Rest Day

Upper Limits Rock Gym & Pro Shop

http://www.upperlimits.com/stlouis/inclasses.html

Upper Limits Rock Gym & Pro Shop

Rock Gym 101
This two hour class teaches new climbers how to toprope, the basic form of roped climbing. The class teaches safety procedures, proper belay technique, knot tying, and equipment usage. After the class, students will have the proper knowledge and technique to climb indoors.

• Class cost is $30 which includes rental gear, two hours of instruction, climbing for the rest of the day after the class, and coupons to use on your next visit.

• Participants must be 15 years or older. Anyone under 18 must have a waiver signed by a parent or legal guardian.

• Classes are 2 hours long starting at the following times:
Saturdays - 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Sundays - 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday nights at 6 p.m.
Reservations are required.

314-241-7625

The gym is located in downtown St. Louis behind Union Station and the Drury Inn. You will find plenty of free parking at the rear of the building.

Eastbound take I-64 East to exit 38D, the 20th Street at Chestnut exit. Take a right at the first stop light and pass Union Station and the Drury Inn. Take the first right after the Drury Inn on Clark and an immediate left onto 21st Street. You will see us straight ahead.

Tuesday, Week 2

Today is going to have to be a complete rest day. Somehow I messed my left knee up. It started hurting a little yesterday after lunch, and after my workout last night, it got worse. Last night I iced it twice and heated it once. This morning it was sort of ok, but then once I started walking on it, it was hurting again. Stairs are particularly not fun right now. I brought my ace bandage to work, so I might wrap it up.

I'm not exactly sure what did it. There was no particular moment that I can remember. It could have been the kick boxing, but I've done the video in the past with no issues. It could have just been too much strain too fast over the past couple of weeks. I probably should have taken a rest day much sooner. I'm just hoping that my knee is better in a couple of days. I had been planning on signing up for a rock climbing lesson for this weekend. Now I definitely have to hold off on that to see about my knee. It's a little discouraging, but I just have to hang in there and rest up for a day or so (hopefully).

Food:
Breakfast: IsoPure (100)
Lunch: Leek Soup, Deli Chicken (200)
Snack: Watermelon (100)
Dinner: Chicken Breast (120), Cabbage (50), A little of a Bertolli's Dinner (80), Wine (100)
Snack: 100 Calorie Popcorn, Nuts (170), Wine (200)
Total: 1120 Calories

Exercise: Rest Day

Energy Level

My energy level has taken a hit today. I'm wondering if I'm not taking in enough calories. I haven't specifically been keeping track so far. Perhaps I need to, though. Also, my left knee has started acting up a bit since lunch time. Maybe I strained it a little with the kick boxing? Or maybe just over-use? Perhaps I will switch out to the elliptical machine tonight. I am taking Glucosamine, which should help with joints.

I think I need to incorporate some rest days into my program. Perhaps I am just over-doing it. I was very active for a lot of the day yesterday. I have a dentist appointment on Wed after work, so perhaps I'll make that a rest day. I think I've been getting enough sleep at night (except for last Friday).

------------------------------------------------------------------

I went back over a couple of days, and my calorie intake has been between 1000 - 1250 each day. I probably need to up that at least by 100-200 calories, given my level of exercise. Maybe I'll add some nuts today. That should help, and I'll need to think of a good dinner main course.

HundredPushups.com

I took a look at the website HundredPushups.com (that my friend mentioned in the comments of one of my previous posts). The site looked interesting. It's marketed as a 6-week program to do 100 consecutive push-ups (which seemed like a scam to me), but if you read in the details, it specifies that you will probably have to repeat weeks multiple times. I decided to do the initial test yesterday and was able to do 10 consecutive push-ups. This put me in group 2 to start. I figured I would give it a shot.

One thing to note, though. It's better to be able to do a max in the upper range of your group. If you can do a max of 6-10, you're in group 2. But, if you could only do 6, how are you supposed to do sets of 7-7-5-4-5? How can you do 7 in a row if you can only do 6? So, while I see some flaws in the plan, on the whole, the idea is good. I don't care about being able to do 100 in a row. But, 20 would be nice to be able to do. And, maybe 30 one day. It would be a great morning routing to do 20 push-ups each morning.

So, today I started day one of the program, and I successfully completed it (7-7-5-4-5). I'm going to try to do push-ups on Mon, Wed, and Fri mornings. One issue, though, is that on the 4th set my left wrist started hurting. I went ahead and finished up anyway, but I'm going to have to figure something out. I might need to modify the program or something. I might try to find a message board online about it to see if there are things to do for that. Surely I'm not the first person to experience it.

-------------------------------------------------------------
Hmmm... Found a good site: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/archive/index.php?t-2899201.html

I might try some forearm/wrist curls, doing push-ups from dumb bells, or knuckle push-ups. Probably, I'll start with knuckle push-ups while wearing gloves and will incorporate some wrist curls in my strength training. I'll see if that helps.

Monday, Week 2

Cross-training seemed to work really well. My feet feel good, and I'll be up for a good run tonight. I think I'm developing a plan now, weights on Mon, Wed, Fri, and possibly on the weekend.

Mon - chest press, shoulder press, assisted dips (chest, shoulders, triceps)
Wed - assisted chins, standing arm curls, lat pull-downs, rows (back, bicep)
Fri - butterfly? something else?
Weekend - repeat Wed back and bicep (focus to be able to do a pull-up)
Also, push-ups Mon, Wed, and Fri
Wrist curls: 2 times a week (to help for wrist pain in push-ups)

This might need some adjusting. I'll have to see as I go along. Right now, my back is pretty sore. I guess the kickboxing and the push-ups worked well.

Food:
Breakfast: 1 turkey slice (20), Fiber One Yogurt (80) - total 100
Lunch: 12 oz Beef Barley Soup (135), Spinach/Romaine Lettuce Salad (30), a little deli chicken (40) - total 205
Snack: Watermelon, nuts - 210
Snack on way home from work: Fiber One Bar (140)
Pre-Workout Snack: 1/2 cup Blue Naked Juice (85)
Post-Workout Snack: IsoPure Shake (100)
Dinner: Leek Soup (150), 3 slices of deli turkey (60)
Snack: watermelon (100)
Total: 1150

Exercise: Total time (40 min)
Push-ups: 7, 7, 5, 4, 5 (total 28, day 1 of HundredPushups.com)
Stretching: Throughout day
Elliptical: 15 min
Weights: chest press, shoulder press, assisted dips
Walking: 10 min before lunch, 5 min after lunch

Leek Soup Recipe

The leek soup is my own creation, inspired from the "French Women Don't Get Fat" book by Mireille Guiliano.

Leek Soup:
2-3 fresh leeks (depending on size)
1 fresh cauliflower (or frozen)
1 pack of frozen chopped spinach
Frozen Onion (or fresh)
Tony Cacheries Cajun Seasoning
Salt Sense (or plain salt)
Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup (family size can)

Put the frozen spinach in a BIG pot on the stove with water about 4 inches of the way up in the pot. Sprinkle in frozen onion as desired. Add some Tony Cacheries Cajun Seasoning and Salt Sense. Set on high and cover. Chop up leeks and add. Turn fire down to Medium High and uncover. (If frozen food is not un-frozen and water is not boiling, leave on high until it is.) Cut up Cauliflower and add (if using frozen, put it in at the beginning with the other frozen items). Shake in more Tony Cacheries Cajun Seasoning. Turn Fire Down to Medium. Cook for 5-10 minutes. Add the Creme of Mushroom Soup, turn fire down to Medium Low, and cook for 10-15 minutes covered. Enjoy!

(Note. This soup is awesome, but is more awesome the next day after all the flavor seeps in. The overall time to make it takes about 30-40 minutes. Feel free to experiment with seasonings, etc.)

Calories/Protein:
600/6 or 420/12 - soup (if use Healthy Request Version or Not)
150/3 - 3 leeks
144/11 - cauliflower (med - 5-6 inch diameter)
105/7 - 1 pack frozen spinach
20/0 - frozen onion
-----------
1019/27 total for 7 (big) servings = 146/3.5 per serving
or Healthy Request Soup -
839/33 for 7 (big) servings = 120/4.5 per serving

Sunday, Week 2 (with Progress Update)

I decided that I needed to do some cross-training cardio. My right foot had been hurting yesterday, so I wanted to do something non-running today. I decided on an exercise video - Kathy Smith's Kickboxing Workout. It also has a Tai Chi energizing workout on it, too. I really enjoyed the video. It also has a 60 min cardio workout that I can work up to. The Tai Chi workout is AWESOME! It has a stretching portion at the beginning where it takes you through stretches that are not the "normal" ones. Then, the Tai Chi part is very relaxing with the music. Plus, the guy leading it is really smooth and has a soothing (but manly) voice.

BTW: My back and bicep workout did really well yesterday. I feel it quite nicely.

Progress: (will try to keep track of progress at the start of each week)
Weight: 134.8lbs (down a total of 3 lbs)
Waist: 31.5 inches (don't know baseline)
Below Waist: 33.25 inches (don't know baseline)

Food:
Pre-workout: IsoPure
Breakfast: Egg Beater Omelet w/ onion and turkey
Lunch: Leek Soup
Snack: Watermelon, 5 nuts
Dinner: 2 sips Blue Naked Fruit Juice, Tilapia, Kashi Lean Cereal w/ Milk, Cabbage, 1 onion ring
Snack: Watermelon, Blue Bunny Sweet Freedom Popsicle

Exercise: Total Time 70 min
Cardio: 45 min kickboxing video (medium intensity)
Cool-down: 15 min Tai Chi Energizing workout (low intensity)
Stretching: Throughout day
Abs: 20 leg lifts, 50 crunches
Push-ups: 10 (initial test from HundredPushups.com)

Saturday, Week 1

Batman didn't end last night until 1:20am, so I didn't get to bed until at least 2am. I woke up around 8am, though. I guess my body's on an internal clock. So, I decided to get up and run. My body was fatigued, though. So, I've decided to break up my cardio into 2 sessions today. Also, I'm going to do weights in the 2nd session. Since my body was feeling tired, I figured that I might need to add some carbs in my diet, hence my breakfast. I want to make sure I listen to my body and eat a well-balanced diet.

Food:
Pre-workout: 5 nuts
Breakfast: Kashi cereal w/ skim milk
Lunch: Salmon, Cabbage
Post-second workout: IsoPure
Snack: Watermelon
Dinner: Stir Fry Veggies (home), 8 chicken nuggets (chick-fil-a), 1/3 small diet coke

Exercise: Total Time 55 min
Stretching: Throughout day
Treadmill Morning Session: 1 mi 11:08, continued consecutively for a total of 1.25 mi. I forgot the time, maybe 14min? Total of 2 mi, forgot the total time, maybe 23:45? Dunno. Was too beat. Probably pushed too much here.
2nd Treadmill Session: 2 mi; 26 min
Weights: Assisted Chins, Standing Arm Curls, Lat Pull-downs

Friday, Week 1

Yesterday went well. I'm not nearly as sore as I thought I would be this morning. Perhaps my POS1 worked, or it could be another muscle soreness delayed reaction. My goal for today is a medium amount of running after work (we're supposed to leave by 5:15 today, so there should be time). Tonight we're going to eat out and see the new Batman movie. I'm hoping for Red Lobster or somewhere that I can get salmon and eat decently healthy. The movie's not until 10:10pm, so dinner will be a little late.

I went to lunch with a friend from work who used to work with me at my previous company. She wanted to go to a place outside of work, so we went to a Chinese food place. When she mentioned it, I automatically was thinking that this could be trouble, since we're going out to eat tonight. But, it actually turned out quite well. I got the chicken and broccoli lunch special with white rice (which I didn't eat) and vegetable beef soup. The veggie beef soup was awesome. It was a very small cup of soup which had a lot of veggies (cabbage, carrots, green beans, onion) and 1 bite of beef. I ate all the veggies, the beef, and left the broth. Then, the chicken with broccoli dish came, and it was good. It had a clear sauce, which I left most of. I ate 2/3 of the chicken and broccoli and left everything else. I brought the other 1/3 of the chicken and broccoli with me in a to go box. So, this lunch actually probably turned out better than what I would have gotten at the cafeteria. Lots of veggies and some chicken. And, it was a good change. Also, the 8 minute round trip walk to the south side of the business campus to meet her was good.

Food:
Breakfast: Mixed fruit (mostly watermelon and cantaloupe), 2 turkey deli slices
Lunch: Mixed veggies and beef from soup, chicken and broccoli and a little white sauce, 1/2 a fortune cookie
Snack 1: Leftover chicken and broccoli from lunch
Snack 2: Fiber One Yogurt
Post Workout Snack: 6 oz skim milk, 4 small chicken pieces
Dinner: Salad, 7 oz sirloin, broccoli

Exercise:
Stretching: Morning, Pre and Post Workout
Abdominal work: 50 crunches in the morning
Treadmill: 1 mi 11:18, continued consecutively to 1.5 mi 16:46, total 3.5 mi 41:50

About dinner, we went to Long Horn. I decided to get some red meat for protein. I ordered the 8 oz sirloin, but I cut off some parts of it (fat, gristle, etc), so I figure I ate 7 oz of it. Regardless, it was a lot of protein. I think I might have had a little trouble digesting it since I haven't had red meat in a while. I'm glad I didn't go overboard with it. Overall, it was an excellent choice for dinner.

Thursday, Week 1

Today is going to be about strength training. Until now, I've only done very light strength training - 10 reps of assisted chins, assisted dips, and chest press (all at low weights). Today I'm going to do a comprehensive circuit of weights. I'm going to fully utilize my weight set in the basement, doing 2-3 sets of 10 reps on at least 6 different upper body exercises. I want to give a full blasting to my muscles to kick start my weight training. Tomorrow I expect to be VERY sore. From then on, I'm going to focus my weight training to the different muscle groups for different days (e.g. shoulders/back, biceps/triceps, chest, abs). Running will take care of building muscle in my legs, so I'm not going to focus on that with weights.

I'm a bit sore today. I think I had a delayed reaction from my strength training 2 days ago. I'm feeling it in my lower abs (I did 20 leg raises 2 days ago and the ab work from yesterday morning) and in my back (from the assisted chins). And, my lower body is feeling it a bit from the run yesterday. It feels good, though. It's the feeling of progress. The soreness (especially from the running) will get better as I get farther along.

The reason why I'm focusing on strength training throughout this process is that muscle burns more calories than fat. It will make my body more efficient overall. I'm not worried about getting "too" muscular. It's hard for females to get too muscular anyway, without massive amounts of supplements and extreme weight training. Getting some additional muscle will improve my body composition, appearance-wise. Plus, it's much easier hauling groceries in the house and moving heavy things when I'm in shape and have better muscle tone.

I was lucky today. There was still fruit left from "food day" yesterday at work. I had brought watermelon, and another person brought a mixed fruit tray. There was plenty left, so I can have fruit for a breakfast snack and an afternoon snack. I'm going to need to pick up another watermelon tonight or tomorrow.

My goal for food today is to load up on protein, especially after my workout tonight. I will definitely need it to rebuild muscle. I need to get to GNC to buy some IsoPure Protein Powder. Not all protein powder is created equal. Some kinds have a high amount of cholesterol. 6 or 7 years ago, I had high cholesterol (but, my ratio of good to bad was good, it was just that my body was having to work too hard - there was little risk of heart issues from it because of that) and I possibly still do, so I definitely want to take note of that. Also, the body can only absorb so much protein at one time, so I'm going to make sure to spread out my protein throughout the day. Also, some protein absorbs quickly, and some absorbs slowly (milk absorbs slowly, whey absorbs quickly, for example). So, that should be considered as well. I gained this knowledge in the past from hours and hours of research when I did my dieting before my Hawaii vacation (where I went from 135lbs to 115lbs) over 3-4 months. I was doing gymnastics at the time and got really toned, as well.

I've never really incorporated fruit into my diet this much before. I think it's a good thing. I'm going to take advantage of the watermelon while it's in season. It's better than any kind of rich dessert. Once watermelon season is over, though, I'll have to think of something else. Perhaps I'll switch to cantaloupe/honeydew melon. Buying fruit is typically difficult for me. Half the time I wind up with something that is bad. I've been pretty luck with the watermelon so far, though. Also, if you buy the whole fruit it's much cheaper. It's so expensive to buy it pre-cut. Perhaps I would have better luck if I went to a farmer's market. I'll have to see how that goes when watermelon goes out of season. I'm going to stick to that for now.

Food:
Before Leaving for Work: Luncheon Turkey
Breakfast: Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Blueberry, Strawberry, Grape
Lunch: 12 oz Beef Noodle Soup, Spinach and Romaine Lettuce salad
Snack 1: Fiber One Yogurt
Snack 2: Fruit (same as breakfast)
Snack 3: Grilled Chicken Breast
Dinner: Grilled Chicken Breast and Stir Fry Veggies (cooked with a little smart balance)

Exercise:
Total Time: 40 minutes
Stretching: Morning, Pre and Post Workout
Weights: 2-3 sets of 8 weights (assisted chins, assisted dips, chest press, standing arm curls, shoulder press, row, pull downs, butterfly)
Treadmill: 1 mile in 12 minutes, walking/running

Today worked out as I had hoped. Extra protein. Hubby and I left work later than expected since he had to work late, so we stopped at Mc Donald's on the way home, and I got 2 grilled chicken breasts. I sopped off the extra grease with some napkins. But, because we were leaving at 6:45, my afternoon snacks were not going to carry over to the workout. So, I had the chicken, which I think worked out well.

Wednesday, Week 1

Today was a complete success overall. I built on my run/weights session yesterday and actually gained momentum. Also, my diet has been on track with what I'm wanting.

Exercise: 45 minutes total
Running records: 1 mile of continuous running in 11 min 32 sec, continued running continuously for a total of 1.36 miles in 15 min 36 sec
Total treadmill work: 3.3 miles in 40 minutes
Stretching: Morning, Before run, After run
Abdominal: Morning - 50 crunches (10 regular, 20 bicycle, 10 regular)
No weights today, letting muscles recover from yesterday

Food: Excellent
Breakfast: Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Honeydew melon, blueberries, strawberries
Lunch: 12 oz Navy Bean Soup with raw spinach and romaine lettuce salad
After lunch Snack: Another helping of the fruit from breakfast
2nd Snack: Fiber One Yogurt
Pre-workout Snack: 3 nuts (2 almonds, 1 cashew)
Dinner: Boca Burger, Asparagus
Alcohol: None
(Edited to Add: 1 tilapia, 1 small milk as after dinner snack)

Beverages: Hot Tea, 1 can of Diet Coke, Water (I won't post the beverages each day, only if I deviate from this.)

I'll probably have some kind of after dinner snack. I'm going to try to keep my carbs towards the beginning/middle of the day rather than at night.

Goals for Food: high fiber, lots of fruits and veggies, high protein as I get more into weights.

Supplements: Multi-vitamin. I need to buy a new kind because the One-A-Day for Women vitamins that I have upset my stomach if I don't eat enough with them. I also need to get to GNC to get some IsoPure Protein Powder. I'll use this once I get more into weights to boost my protein intake. POS1 - a muscle recovery supplement from Advocare. My mom got me into this maybe 5 years ago. It really does work. Glucosamine - for joints when I run.

Oh, a note about the 3 nuts (kind of strange). When I got home from work, I felt like I needed an energy boost to sustain my cardio, but I didn't want much. So, the 3 nuts were perfect, and I think they added to my endurance run.

Whoops, I noticed that I was low on protein for today, so I just fixed a tilapia (frozen with salt sense and tony sacheries in microwave for 2 minutes - put on paper plate and cover with another paper plate). And, I'll probably do a small glass of milk maybe an hour before bed for some slow protein absorption.

Start of My New Fitness Blog

I figured I would start a new fitness blog separate from my personal blog. To tell a bit about myself, I'm a 29 year old software engineer. As a child, I loved ballet, playing on my gymset, and roller skating (yes, it was a while ago). Then, in college I got into light weight-lifting, racketball, Aikido, Judo, Jyodo, and roller blading. Once I started in the real world (finished with academics), I started up with running, taking classes at the Boxing Gym, and then fulfilled a life long dream of doing gymnastics.

I've always been pretty fit and active. Since starting a desk job 9-10 years ago, it's been more difficult. But, I've stayed decently in shape. More recently, though, I've had some health issues (appendix burst, ear surgery, tonsillectomy, and a second ear surgery). Also, my parents died (1 year apart from each other) and I was left dealing with a lot of the aftermath responsibilities. So, there was quite a bit of stress, and I immersed myself in long hours at work.

Things are going pretty well now, and I'm motivated to get back into excellent shape. To that end, I've started running again and doing some light weights. I'm 5 foot 2 inches, and I'd like to see if I can get back down to 115 lbs. So, I'm looking at about a 20 lb reduction. But, more importantly, my goal is fitness - cardiovascular fitness, increased muscle mass (but not too much), flexibility, and endurance.

I'd like to be able to do pullups, and I want to see how far I can get with my running - perhaps with a goal of being able to do a 5K race. I'm also signing up for ice skating lessons, which will start in September (provided that I get a spot in the class). I think that will be awesome and so much fun. I love new challenges, and ice skating seems like it will be perfect.

Some potential road blocks on this journey are:
1. If I have to have a 3rd ear surgery (not sure if the 2nd one was successful yet, won't know for a year or so).
2. If I get pregnant (which would be a good thing, but would dramatically alter my fitness plans)
3. Unforeseen tragedy.

Hopefully 1 and 3 won't occur.

So, in this blog, I intend to chronicle my fitness successes, any setbacks, thoughts, and goals - and include some of my thoughts along the way. Enjoy!