Still Kickin

I have been so busy I haven't had time to even catch my breath! Yesterday I had an awesome workout. I did a seriously intense upper body workout. I don't think I have ever worked my biceps that hard. It felt like I had to walk around with my arms flared out you know like a macho man walks around. I heard that is when you know you are doing something right is when you feel bigger immediately after. Of course I did my 7 for 7 abs. Later last night I went for a 3 mile run with my Sister-in-law. It was FREEZING! But I am glad we had that commitment to go because I know it did me good. I am more motivated than ever. I am even learning to be patient with the scale, I stress the word learning. Some days I want to light the scale on fire and other days I want to kiss the scale. I would like to just not weigh myself for a couple of weeks but I have to weigh myself everyday so I can chart my cycle. (More about charting cycles to come)

Revision

I had a plan for today but life gets in the way of my plans sometimes. I had to run to Salt Lake City to deliver parts for my super busy husband so I didn't make it to the gym until 12:00 and there were no classes going on at that time so I did lower body, 20 minute intervals and 7 for 7 abs. I came home, tried to clean up the house and then I knew I wasn't going to make it back to the gym tonight so I went for a little jog instead. Eating wise I have stuck to my original plan all except for working out on an empty stomach. I had to eat since I wasn't working out until noon. I need to try to get in about 5 more glasses of water and then I am good. One day down, 6 to go!

Freight Train

I have tried to stay positive about my weight but I am tired of waiting for results on the scale. I am doing everything right and my weight is actually up two pounds from two weeks ago so I am approaching this week with Freight Train Intensity. My goal is to be down 5 lbs. by next Monday so I guess that leaves me no choice but to reveal my weight so I can be accountable......this morning I weighed 176 gasp! Next Monday watch for the post to see if I achieved my goal. I know it isn't really safe to lose that much weight in a week but the people on Biggest Loser lose more than that in one week and it's not like I expect to lose that much every week. So here is my plan for this week
Monday:
Work out fasting. Body Pump, 20 minute intervals, and 7 for 7 abs.
Breakfast: Protein Shake and cottage cheese
Snack: Crab roll up
Lunch: Chicken "baked" steak
Snack: Scrambled Eggs, apple
Work Out: Body Attack
Dinner: Grilled Chicken, salad
Tuesday:
Breakfast: Eggs, toast
Snack: Protein Shake, carrots
Lunch: Subway
Workout: Power 90
Snack: Yogurt
Dinner: Salmon
Workout: 7 for 7 abs
Snack: Cottage Cheese, carrots
Wednesday:
Workout fasting. Lower Body, 20 minute intervals, 7 for 7 abs
Breakfast: Eggs, toast
Snack: Jerky
Lunch: Tuna Salad
Snack: Protein Shake
Workout: Running with Emmore
Dinner: Roast, potatoes
Thursday:
Workout fasting. Body Attack, 7 for 7 abs
Breakfast: Eggs, toast
Snack: Protein Shake
Lunch: Subway
Snack: Cottage cheese, carrots
Workout: 20 minute Intervals
Dinner: Chicken Baked Steak, salad
Friday:
Workout fasting. Upper body, 20 minute intervals, 7 for 7 abs
Breakfast: breakfast burrito
Snack protein shake
Lunch: Crab roll up
Workout: Walk around the block
Snack: apple and carrots
Dinner: restaurant
Saturday:
Workout fasting: spin class, 7 for 7 abs
Breakfast: Eggs, toast
Snack: Protein Shake
Lunch: Subway
Snack: Cottage cheese, carrots
Workout: Power 90
Dinner: Salmon, salad
Sunday:
Day for rest.
Typing all this it seems like a lot, especially two workouts a day but it can be done and I want to see results so bad I am willing to do it. I hope my family will be patient with me and help out with some of the chores while I am getting in an extra workout every day. Wish me luck this week. I am going to make it happen.

Playing catch up

I have been meaning to post a few things but I can't seem to get on the computer long enough to do anything.
I went running on Wednesday with my Sister-in-law, Emmore. I always thought of myself as a "lone runner" because I like to be alone with my thoughts, but I must admit I ran faster and longer with Emmore than I would have on my own. I didn't want to make her waste a run so I tried to do the best I could. I think we ran for about 40 minutes which is probably the longest I have ran since before I got pregnant.
Thursday was a craptastic day so instead of going to the gym I sat on the couch and ate ice cream. There you have it.
Friday I had to make up for my dietary transgressions..... I kicked my own a$$ at the gym. I did the best upper body workout and I am so sore today which means that I did some good. I followed up with 20 minute intervals and 7 for 7 abs.
Today I am going to make my husband go to the gym and help me get a really good lower body workout. I think it helps to have a coach to push you and help watch your form.
As long as I make it to the gym for lower body and do 20 minute intervals I will have reached my goal for the week which will be a powerful moment.

Quickie

Since I didn't make it to the gym yesterday I decided I had better make it happen today. Tuesdays as you know from last weeks post are crazy busy for me but I fit it in today. It was a quick 30 minute lower body workout. Not my best workout but hey, I was there and I did it.
I was a little worried I might not ever get off the squat machine... I was done with my squats and I went to lift the weight back on the tower and I couldn't get the bar to grab the stopper. The weight was too heavy to take off my shoulders and turn to see what was wrong so I just stood there waiting for someone to walk past and help me. Three guys walked past and totally ignored me when I asked for help! Jerks! Finally when I started trembling from the weight I tried one more time and it finally latched on the stop.
There was a lady at the gym today who had the most amazing physique. Not an ounce of bad fat on her and the cool thing was she seemed to be humble about it. She didn't prance around like some of the other ladies with great bodies do. Good for her, she inspired me to be humbly fit. Thank you lady at the gym who has a great body and doesn't flaunt, you are awesome.

Fortune Cookie

We had Chinese tonight and my fortune cookie told me "Your dreams are about to be fulfilled" . Yeah! I am about to be fit for life!
My body is officially out of whack. I will spare you the "female" details but lets just say I am one unlucky woman for the time being. Maybe that is why I took a little vacation from eating clean over the weekend. Once I started to think about it I guess it wasn't so bad; I only had a couple of soda pops, one piece of chocolate pie, and some Doritos. I think sometimes when I eat one bad thing my mind thinks that I am going to be a whale overnight. I need to just chill out and think positive. I am excited for this week, I am going to start running once a week with my super awesome sister-in-law. I am going to try to get in two lower body, one upper body and 3 cardio workouts. Here is to a great week!

Momentary Lapse in Sanity

I had such a good morning. I dropped the kids off at school and headed to the gym where I did 45 mintues of upper body workout then I did my 7 for 7 abs workout, then to top it off I did 20 minutes of intervals on the treadmill. I came home and cleaned the house and then headed off to the kids school to volunteer for a few hours. All was going well until about 6:30 when I had a little break down... long story short, I started a new birth control pill and it made me CRAZY! It's called Seasonique and consider yourself warned. Anyway, I will stop taking it and put it behind me. Tomorrow is a new day and I will make it a great one.
Here is what I did for upper body today...
Biceps:
Curls
20 lb barbell X12
30 lb barbell X 10
40 lb barbell X 8
50 lb barbell X5 (I was shooting for 6)
40 lb barbell X12
15 lb dumbbells X12

Triceps
30lb pull downs X12
40 lb pull downs X10
50 lb pull downs X8
60 lb pull downs X6
50 lb pull downs X12 (need to up the weights next time, this was too easy)
10 lb dumbbells lying on back extensions X 8 (shooting for 12)

Back
Pull backs
20 lb dumbbell X 12
25 lb dumbbell X 10
30 lb dumbbell X 8
35 lb dumbbell X 6
30 lb dumbbell X12
80 lb rows X12

Shoulders
Over head press
10lb dumbbell X12
15 lb dumbbell X10
20 lb dumbbell X8
25 lb dumbbell X4 (shooting for 6)
20 lb dumbbell X 12 (barely)

Chest
Bench press
10 lb dumbbells X12
15 lb dumbbells X10
20 lb dumbbells X8
25 lb dumbbells X6
20 lb dumbbells X12

Tummy, arms, ass, hip, thigh

Today I did intervals on the treadmill. I only ran for twenty minutes but what a workout. Last year at this time I was running up to 10 miles at a time and could not lose any weight, in fact I hardly broke a sweat. Intervals are the way to go if you want to burn fat. By the end of the twenty minutes I was literally dripping with sweat. On my last interval I was so exhausted, I wanted to quit so bad and just walk for the last 4 minutes but I kept repeating in my mind tummy....arms.....ass......hips.....thighs....... I kept thinking how badly I wanted those areas to look better than they do and that is all it took to keep me running and finish out the workout. Go Natalie! Here is what I did on the treadmill for anyone who wants to give intervals a try.
speed 4.0 for two minutes (warm up)
speed 5.5 for one minute
speed 5.7 for one minute
speed 5.9 for one minute
speed 6.1 for one minute
speed 6.3 for one minute
first round down!
speed 5.5 for one minute
speed 5.7 for one minute
speed 5.9 for one minute
speed 6.1 for one minute
speed 6.3 for one minute
second round down!
speed 5.7 for one minute
speed 5.9 for one minute
speed 6.1 for one minute
speed 6.3 for one minute
speed 6.5 for one minute
third round down!
speed 5.7 for one minute
speed 6.1 for one minute
speed 6.4 for one minute
DONE!
speed 3.5 for two minute (cool down)

Next time you are pushing yourself and you are tempted to quit just remember TUMMY....ARMS....ASS......HIPS.......THIGHS....
You can do it- I did!

Day Off

Tuesday is always the busiest day of the week for me. I have to work in the morning, today we went to lunch, I had to pick up carpool, I had to help Aaron print about 300 blueprints, homework, wrestling practice, dinner, blah, blah blah. Needless to say that by the end of day I have nothing left in the tank and working out is not on the menu. So Tuesdays are my official day off from the gym. I was really good with the food I chose to eat though. I got in 4 servings of protein, 3 servings of veggies, 1 serving of fruit and tons of water. Good job me! I think the most important thing I have learned about scheduling gym time is that I have to be realistic. I really could not fit in one more thing today and I can't be hard on myself for not going. I did do my 7 for 7 abs which I hope to never miss a day of those and I am going to hit the gym hard tomorrow morning.
The highlight for the day.... Biggest Loser! I love that show. It is the only show I watch faithfully.
I am down a whole pound from yesterday....I will post my weight in a few days when I work up the courage.

It begins

I need to just start this! I have been inspired to start this blog by many different people and feelings. I am doing this for myself mostly- it will hold me accountable, but also for anyone who wants motivation, support, ideas, or a new fitness friend. Today I choose to make a change in my life to be a healthy individual, who respects her body enough to fuel it with clean food and get the exercise needed to live a long fulfilled life free of disease and illness. Please join me and we will become HEALTHY together.