Day 7 Week 3

Tomorrow I am weighing myself and I'm a bit nervous every time that I do. I like knowing what kind of progress I am making and this week was really hard on me and my body so I am worried what my results will be. I'm hoping that it isn't too drastic because I am trying to gain muscle right now until the 6 week mark then we are going to focus on dropping weight with cardio while maintaining whatever weight that I'm able to lift at that point which will be good. 

Tomorrow I have Personal Training again so I'm sure I will have something to post tomorrow about that. 

I made this on Thursday but I was feeling so crap that I didn't post it. 

Southwest Shrimp Salad

Shrimp

-4oz Small Shrimp

-Mrs. Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning to taste

-Garlic to taste

-Olive Oil Spray or pan spray of your choice

-1/2 Squeezed lime 

Salad

-2 Cups Spring Mix Lettuce

-1 Cup Romaine Lettuce

-1/2 Avocado

-1 Roma Tomato

-1/4 lime(for dressing)

Things I would have added if we had them in the pantry:

-Fresh Sweet Corn(roasted or raw)

-Black Beans

-Red Cabbage

-Red Onions

-Cilantro

Day 6 Week3 -Tired

This has been a very challenging week for me as you may have gathered in the last two posts. Today was supposed to be my rest day but it ended up being a massive cleaning day and going to the grocery store hungry day.

My body is tired because I haven't been able to cram enough food into it which is really just a product of what I was taught to do from my teens. It's also difficult to pile in the food when you are trying to set a good example for parents who often over eat. I crashed right before dinner because as I was raised to do I'm not allowed to snack before dinner even if it's an hour away. That hour between getting home and food I fell asleep in bed even though I was supposed to be working on some layout work. I'm frustrated at myself because eating is supposed to be the easy part but it's obviously not. I've only managed around 1400 calories today which would be fine if I wasn't working out and building muscle because my body is trying to build the muscle that I have been working on all week. This is not fun right now but I am going to push through and fight.

I'm hoping to keep this blog up but this is all the energy I have left for today and I am hoping to sleep in tomorrow so my body is ready for the gym again.

Day 5 Week 3- Under Eating

Yesterday I talked about how tired I was feeling and how I thought I was under eating. I was 100% right. For anyone out there who is dieting or trying to get fit and wondering 'Well aren't you supposed to have a calorie deficient?' Yes, but not over 1,000 calories deficient....

Recently I have been eating around 1,600 calories a day, I need to be eating around 2,100-2,500 calories a day to drop the weight because I am burning anywhere from 500-1000 calories in the gym 6 days a week.

So, I need to eat a lot more than I have been which will be hard for me but I need to do it otherwise my body will burn out, get depressed, and won't function like I am supposed to. Once upon a time back in High School I convinced myself for a long time that the less you ate the more you would lose and if you worked out on top of that it was just extra weight you lost. That's what the media taught me along with many different diet sites. To gain fitness you don't want to run all of your calories off you NEED those calories for your body to function properly so that it will burn the fat and gain the muscle that you want to gain and lose. Another side effect which I have been experiencing is that you won't feel hungry until you are eating regularly again because your body is trying to process the food as slowly as it can so the energy isn't burned as quickly as it would be otherwise.

I am also learning how important hydration is in addition to eating well. Our bodies are mostly made up of water molecules that allow our bodies to function properly which helps digestion, the healing process, fat burning process, as well as keeping your skin, hair and nails looking and feeling great. When one or the other starts getting off kilter your body starts to compensate by shutting down different bodily functions like the shedding of skin which creates dry patches of skin or not burning as much energy that you are taking in so that it can be stored until you start eating and drinking right again.

I just wanted to make this post so others can learn via my experience because I feel like crap right now but I'm going to get better so I can keep going.

~Elizabeth

Day 4 Week 3 -

I know I haven't done this for a while but I just wanted to update. I'm doing pretty well all things considered. I've been eating well except for once a week and working out at least once a day but most days I have a 20-30 minute morning workout and a 1 hour workout after work.
Twice a week I have Personal Training with my PT Tony. He is amazing and really pushes me to do things that I haven't done before.

The last week though has been kind of hard. I'm starting to hit that proverbial 'wall' with food. I look at food and don't want it (Even if it is a 'cheat' food that I love) or I'm not hungry. It's really frustrating because I need the energy and nutrients to get me through my workouts. Eating becomes boring really quickly when you are training and trying your best to eat clean.

Today I was extra tired and so I went to Jersey Mikes to get my carbs up for my workout and did not enjoy it as much as I wanted but it did help until after my workout and now I am tired again. Womp.

I might need to do a few days of 'full eating' to get my metabolism back up and kicking like it was because the middle point weigh in is only in 2 weeks and 3 days.

Current Weights:
Deadlift: 40
Hack Squat:(70lb machine)+10
Inverted Squat: 110
Leg Press: 150
Single Leg Press: 95
Kick Back: 75
Dumbell(for most arm work):15
Barbell(for most things): 30(Sometimes 40)

I will try to update more often to track my progress and get more motivated. Still giving 110% in the gym.

Here is an inspirational image off pinterest.

~Elizabeth

D 5 W1- Lots of cussing....

Today my legs were(are) killing me!! Sitting to go pee is the worst after leg day... I really don't know how other people do it.... almost every time I had to stand up or sit down my legs ached causing me to cuss under my breath a lot. I gently stretched and rolled out this morning before hitting the gym and felt a bit better after but at work I was in the sign shop which meant up and down up and down because I would have to go from one computer to the other, to the masking table to peel vinyl and mask it properly so we could make the signs.

After work I went to the gym again because since I'm doing the challenge I'm gunna bust my buns as much as I can!! Plus I'm paying for it so I should do my best work anyways... This morning I tried the elliptical and did not like. It's an awkward movement and my knees like to lock up on it so hard pass in the future thanks. Once my buns and drumsticks are feeling better I might try out the row machine again. I used it several years ago but haven't since. I stretched for 15 minutes after I did 15 on the elliptical because I only have 30 minutes in the morning. After work I did 20 minutes on the treadmill and worked on my abs and arms a little. I didn't push too hard because I think tomorrow is arm day with Tony and I didn't want to already be sore. I need to ask him what I should do and work on when I'm not training with him. 

Even though my legs are sore and I woke up starved and my tummy growls every 3 hours(which is why I carry snacks now!) I know that this is worth every bead of sweat and every sore muscle. 

B

- Egg whites and one egg with spinach. 

- 1/2 cup oatmeal with honey and Cinnamon

S1 

- Muscle milk cookies and cream(NUMS!)

- 1 cup of coffee from QT

Lunch

- 1 cup spinach

- 4 oz chicken

- hand full of nuts 

PWoS

- 5 oz chicken(I was really hungry)

D(Oops)

-  two hand fulls of tortillia chips

- 1/2 cup salsa

- Most of a platter of veggie fajitas

- 1 tortillia

- 1 cup black beans

- 2 TBSP advacado

- 1 tsp sour cream

I really need to nail it in my parent's heads(maybe just my mom's really) that I am on a new diet not their version of a 'diet' which is really very little veg, your media hyped 'healthy' options that are really worse for you and large portions followed by snacks because they are bored... 

D4 W1- 12 weeks to a better me

So last week I joined Golds Gym and was considering personal training to help me get on the right path to get into shape. Well they had an even better idea for me to try, the Golds Gym 12 Week Challenge. I was totally game.

I've been working out all week except for Wednesday because my body was so sore and just needed to rest but today I hit the gym twice today, once in the morning and I had my first full workout with my trainer Tony who kicked my butt in the gym! I was pouring with sweat and it was hard but very much worth it.

B
- 1/2 cup oats w/ honey and cinnamon
- Egg whites and 1 large egg

S 1
-Hand full of deluxe mixed nuts
- 1/2 McD Sweet tea(Addicted sorry)

L
-1/2 Which wich Buff Chicken sub with ex-buff. blue cheese, lettuce, spinach, pickles, onion strings, avacado, and garlic powder on wheat.
- Pre Workout drink by Vega sport

S 2/Post Wo
-Protein shake by Vega Sport(chocolate) <---Nasty did not like
-other 1/2 of which wich sub

D
- 4 oz pulled pork
- 1/3 cantalope from garden
- 1 1/2 cup broccoli(I was still hungry)

TONS OF WATER HOLY MOLEY!!!