September 4th, 2008 (2:50 PM)

Time to create a journal of my own!

Some of you guys know me already, so I'm not gonna post my entire story all over again. Instead, I'm now going to start posting daily diet and workout info (in chronological order throughout the day) like I should've done a long time ago :doh:. Many of you have been a great inspiration to me, so feel free to tear up my journal with lots of comments :D.

I woke up feeling pretty refreshed. Yesterday, I was EXTREMELY tired for some reason. I believe it was because I started off the day with a very bad meal, consequently screwing up my digestive system for the rest of the day. I also lacked a lot of veggies the day before. Last night, I ate some bok choy that my dad cooked, and man was it yummy!

High of 90 degrees today. It's gonna be a hot one!


Meal 1 (8:15 AM) 4 egg whites, 1 whole (broke in yolk by accident), 2 slices turkey bacon, slice of 12-grain bread

Meal 2 (12:00 PM) 4 oz. oven roasted turkey on 2 slices 12-grain bread

Meal 3 (4:00 PM) Spicy salmon roll 8 pieces, 1 banana (Couldn't resist because this deli near my building sells half-priced sushi from 4pm-6pm)

Workout (6:00 PM)

Chest/triceps
-Bench press
-Cable flys
-Incline DB press
-Lever chest press
-Kickbacks
-Pushdowns
30 mins MISS elliptical

Meal 4 (8:30 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk, seaweed beef soup that my dad made

Meal 5 (11:00 PM) If I'm still hungry, 1/3 cup roasted green peas as a snack

2 Liters of water today

I have this really bad habit of picking off skin from my lips whenever it's peeling. It's the most annoying thing but I can't seem to stop, even with the use of lip balm. :blank:

First to comment on Vicky's page!!!!! :D


Keep it up girl..... I will be watching you. :cool:


Cool website to track your food. www.fitday.com (http://www.fitday.com)

Once you add a custom food you do not have to re enter it day after day. Counts total calories, fat%,protein%, Carb% and much more.

Try it out if you want.

Also I have an easy to use spreadsheet for your workouts if you need it.

12 grain bread is yummy....:eat:

:tu:

Vicky: Definitely check out FitDay. My wife also uses The Daily Plate (www.thedailyplate.com (http://www.thedailyplate.com)), which she really likes.

Consider tracking weight here as well. Recording it each morning before eating, after going to the bathroom to eliminate any excess fluids/waste, and in the same clothes (or no clothes). These conditions will give you the most accurate result. Depending on what you did and consumed the previous day, anticipate a 1 lb variation from day to day. This is why I track it every day - then I can see the trend most accurately, and I don't rely on a single weekly measurement to tell me how I am doing.

Good point^ I do the "scale of doom" pretty much everyday. :p

welcome to the journal page, Vicki, and have fun charting your progress:tu:

Hmm, that is a good point. I actually figured it would save me some time doing weekly weighings since my point of reference is the exact same time exactly a week ago, but I will try daily "scale of doom"s as Ca$on likes to call them :lol:. If i'm recording my weight in weekly cycles already, might as well try to be more accurante with my body trends by recording them daily.

I've actually checked out Fitday before, guys, and it's pretty cool. I was trying to figure out the best way to categorize some of my food being that some of it my parents cook and I'm not sure how to get the nutritional facts for them :confused:. I guess this is where the customized food function comes in handy, huh? :nod:

Oh Ca$on, I've seen that spreadsheet in your journal postings before. It's pretty cool! May I have it? :D

Hmm, that is a good point. I actually figured it would save me some time doing weekly weighings since my point of reference is the exact same time exactly a week ago, but I will try daily "scale of doom"s as Ca$on likes to call them :lol:. If i'm recording my weight in weekly cycles already, might as well try to be more accurante with my body trends by recording them daily.

I've actually checked out Fitday before, guys, and it's pretty cool. I was trying to figure out the best way to categorize some of my food being that some of it my parents cook and I'm not sure how to get the nutritional facts for them :confused:. I guess this is where the customized food function comes in handy, huh? :nod:

Oh Ca$on, I've seen that spreadsheet in your journal postings before. It's pretty cool! May I have it? :D
I try to eat foods I can track easily, but there is an option to search for a food.

The scale everyday is just a tool. I wouldn't want you to think its the ONLY tool you have for tracking your progress.


PM me your email and I can give you some charts.:tu:

Man, FitDay is so awesome! But there is SO much to track :eek:. I spent that last two hours setting up some food and weight logs. I guess I have a new thing to do at work when things are slow. It even lets you track your moods! LOL :lol:.

Ca$on, thanks for the spreadsheets! Did you make them yourself? Also, is there a way I can change the strength training log to include a field for sets? I'm not good with formulas and I don't want to screw it up. :confused:

Man, FitDay is so awesome! But there is SO much to track :eek:. I spent that last two hours setting up some food and weight logs. I guess I have a new thing to do at work when things are slow. It even lets you track your moods! LOL :lol:.

Ca$on, thanks for the spreadsheets! Did you make them yourself? Also, is there a way I can change the strength training log to include a field for sets? I'm not good with formulas and I don't want to screw it up. :confused:
No I did not make them they are from microsoft works. I can add or change anything on them. I have a basic knowledge in spreadsheets if you need help. You have an email. :tu:

In my eyes I think 1 set is all you need. ;)

OMG, I'm so addicted to spreadsheets for tracking progress and everything having to do with eating. They are the BEST tool ever! :nod:

^OMG, I SO agree :lol:

September 5th, 2008 (3:36 PM)

Yesterday's workout was awesome! For my cable flies and bench press, I've decided to not lie anymore and lift the amount of weight that I can actually lift through a whole set. I guess I had an ego trip and thought I was Wonder Woman, trying to lift more than I was able to. This did nothing but put the quality of my workout at risk. But no more :nono:. I dropped the weight on my bench press, cable flies, and lever chest press by 10 lbs each, and each rep came out feeling much better and more complete. Proper form FTW!

Last night, I scavenged the house for jeans from my fat days so I can give them to a girl at work who is pregnant. I was amazed at how big they looked to me. Everytime I held up a pair of my "fat" jeans, I was like "OMG, I can't believe I used to fit in those." I even put a few of them on just for kicks, only to slide them right off afterward without having to un-button. It's an amazing feeling, one that will continue to motivate me to train harder and not give up!

I woke up late today and got to work late, so I couldn't fix myself my first meal, so I had to settle for the following:

Meal 1 (9:30 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll :doh:

Meal 2 (11:00 AM) Small bowl strawberry yogurt with oats

Meal 3 (1:30 PM) 6-8 oz. grilled chicken breast, half pita pocket

Meal 4 (4:30 PM) Banana

Workout (6:00 PM)

Back/biceps
-Romanian DL's
-Lat pulldowns
-Rear Delt rows
-Cable rows
-DB hammer curls
-BB curls
16 mins MISS treadmill + 4 mins cool down, 16 mins MISS elliptical + 4 mins cool down

Meal 5 (8:30 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk, maybe banana

2 Liters of water today

Tonight my cousin is celebrating his birthday at a club. I will most likely be having a few drinks. I know fat loss and alcohol don't mix, but I'm expecting to do this again this month because my birthday is in another week or so. I could sit here and beat myself up over it, but I won't. I'll just pick it up and work a little harder afterwards, :D.

Hi Vicky - fellow NYer,

I'm about to follow in your footsteps, but wanted to tell you that your thoroughness has already got me a little psyched! I go tomorrow for my analysis and then I'll officially kick off my work out on Monday.

That's awesome, fellow NY-er! Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad that I've been able to inspire you a little bit. I can't wait to hear about your fat loss journey as well! Please keep me posted, and good luck!

September 6th, 2008 (5:16 PM)

Last night's party for my cousin so was much fun! I had like 4 drinks and I kind of paid for it this morning when I woke up a little hung over and very dehydrated, not to mention it was pretty late. I downed a liter of water, fixed myself a nice wholesome meal, took two Motrins to get rid of my headache, then headed to the gym.

Workout was very good. I focused a lot on the form of my squats, and boy, it did challenge me a little bit. But of course I didn't mind because I absolute love doing squats. They are just so... wonderful :dreamy:. I wish my gym had a better squat rack, but it serves its purpose.

It's gonna rain all weekend over here. Normally, I prefer sunny days but some of this rain may give some relief to the nasty heat that we've been having.

Meal 1 (10:00 AM) 5 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon, 1 slice 12-grain toast)

Workout (1:00 PM)

Legs
-Squats
-BB lunges
-Incline leg press
40 mins LISS elliptical

Meal 2 (3:00 PM) 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese on whole-wheat bagel

Meal 3 (6:00 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk

Meal 4 (9:00 PM) 6 oz. lean beef on 12-grain bread

Only getting in 4 meals today, but I'm expecting to hit my macros and calories.

Vicky,
Congrats on your hard work so far - your diet looks strong. Fellow Brooklynite here, just getting started really. I want to join a gym but the ones nearest me are way too expensive so it's going to be a lot of walking/jogging and home exercises for now. Anyways, keep up the good work!

Riotmute:

Brooklyn rules! :lol:. Thanks for the encouragement. I agree, gyms can be a little pricey, but for the sake of our physical fitness, i think it's worth it. Sometimes gyms have promotions and special memberships, so take advantage if those if you can. I think people tend to underestimate the value of the gym in the very beginning of their weight loss journey, but as they begin to see results, they will start to appreciate all the different equipment that a gym has to offer, allowing versatility for their workouts.

Do you still live in Brooklyn? I'm in Bensonhurst, maybe 15 mins from Coney Island and the Verrazano.

I was looking through some old pictures and I found this one of me when I was at my heaviest. This was the wake up call for me because I was so ashamed of how I looked. Keep in mind that this picture was taken just a year ago.

http://photos-h.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v73/8/7/19601460/n19601460_31121015_9544.jpg

This next picture was taken just yesterday.

http://photos-b.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v331/142/25/68704275/n68704275_30806481_5185.jpg

This last picture is the only picture I have that shows my body. It was taken two months ago. Since then, I have dropped another pant size and maybe 10-12 lbs of fat.

http://photos-d.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v287/152/39/68703486/n68703486_30711107_88.jpg

It's amazing the changes that can occur over a short period of time when someone stays committed to their transformation. Looking back at these pictures, I sit here in disbelief that I used to look like that, but it's a great feeling to see that I've come such a long way.

Now I think of all the sacrifices I had to make to get to where I am today, whether it was going to the gym instead of going to dinner with friends, or eating lean chicken breast and veggies instead of a cheeseburger and fries, and you know what...?

It was absolutely worth it.

Your looking good keep it up :nod:
And good job on being so diligent in tracking what you eat.

Vicky, even though yesterday's picture doesn't show your body, your face shows wonderfully how much you have leaned out ;) Great progress:tu:

Not just being nice here.....I am honest.

In your pictures, your face is very noticeable with the loss of weight. The picture over 2 months ago again you can notice a good bit of weight loss.

Has your family or anyone around you noticed? (That is who tells me the most)

As for choosing between a dinner/party or gym and some decent food, you will realize how much you want to do the right thing after results. I go with some friends to watch football at a winghouse/hooters/buffalo wild wings, but I never eat or drink (maybe 1 time). I know what I want to do and if its something that might set me back...I wont do it.

Keep going...Hustle your way through and do whacha gotta do. :tucool:

Vicky,
I agree that gyms are worth the money at a certain point - I think mentally I need to get to a better place before I really invest in making that a big part of my life

FYI - I live in Ditmas Park, off the B/Q. I used to live in Boro Park, which is somewhat near you.

You guys are awesome! Sorry for not posting yesterday, but I was out all day and didn't have a chance to get near my computer.

Yesterday, I woke up at 11am, very late in the day, lol, but man that was some good sleep. I decided to do some fasted cardio, so I went to the gym and hopped onto the elliptical for some 30 mins MISS. It had been a while since I had done fasted cardio and I forgot how good it felt. I think I'm going to make this a weekly Sunday thing since it's my day off from lifting.

Yesterday was also a total cheat day for me, much to my surprise. After my workout, I went to Subway and had a sweet onion chicken teriyaki sub loaded with my favorite veggies. I used to have this for lunch quite alot and enjoyed it because I was able to have all those veggies without the hassle of preparing them on my own. I think this will become a weekly meal of mine also, as I do find it very tasty.

In the late afternoon, my cousin decided to have a BBQ at his house. I simply LOVE bbq food, especially fire-grilled burgers and italian sausages :drool:. When I got there, I totally gorged on burgers, hot dogs, fish balls (it's a Chinese thing :D), and beer until about 10pm. I don't remember the last time I ate so much at a bbq, but I decided that it was my cheat day so I wouldn't feel guilty. :lol:

Check back later for today's post!

September 8th, 2008 (9:07 PM)

My meals were out of whack today because I miscalculated my eating schedule trying to match it with someone else's. I have a friend who I used to have lunch with at 1pm, but she went on vacation for two weeks and came back to work today. While she was gone, I developed a habit of having my Meal 2 at 11am and Meal 3 at 3pm. Today we met up for lunch and I had an unexpected Meal 3 at 1pm, two hours earlier than I was supposed to. This totally screwed me up and because of that, I had an unexpect meal (more like a snack) at 5pm that consisted of animal crackers (with high fructose corn syrup! :bang:). While I could've eaten worse things, I really should've eaten better things. It was bad planning on my part, something that I have to learn to flexible with.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 5 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon, 1 slice 12-grain bread

Meal 2 (11:30 AM) 4 oz. oven roasted turkey breast on 12-grain bread

Meal 3 (1:00 PM) Chicken tenders from school cafeteria :( (this was the miscalculated meal)

Meal 4 (5:00 PM) Bag of animal crackers (not the smartest meal choice)

Meal 5 (8:00 PM) Fish and chinese veggies that my dad made

I'm not feeling too good right now about my meal plan today. I'm going to have push my meals around so I can accommodate my buddy's lunch hour. Oh well, live and learn. Tomorrow's another day :nod:.

Vicky, you look INCREDIBLE!! What a transformation.
I'm definitely a believer now, that lifting weights is the way that I want to go.

Aww thanks, NY. I can't wait to see you chronicle your progress! You should take pics too :p. I know it feels silly and almost embarassing but it's a major confidence booster when you can actually see the difference.

Aww thanks, NY. I can't wait to see you chronicle your progress! You should take pics too :p. I know it feels silly and almost embarassing but it's a major confidence booster when you can actually see the difference.
I agree...Look at my pictures. :o lol

September 10th, 2008 (10:15 PM)

WARNING: THIS IS A VERY LONG POST, AS I AM ALSO POSTING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ ALL OF IT, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. FOR THOSE WHO DO, THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR READING MY MEMOIR :p.


YESTERDAY


I missed another post yesterday :(. I really hate to break my accountability to myself and everyone here, but shit happens sometimes and that gets in the way of your daily routines. Yesterday was an absolutely crazy day for me, physically and emotionally. I woke up early in the morning to go to the DMV, which if any of you know anything about the DMV's in NYC, it's like Satan's asshole sometimes. I didn't want to deal with waiting for hours to complete a five-minute task, so I decided to go before they opened. I'm glad I did because by the time they opened their doors, there was a line around the block, but I was one of the first ones in line.

I had a strange set of meals yesterday mainly because I was out all day (literally from 7 in the morning to 12 at night) and again failed to prepare my own meals.

Meal 1 (6:00 AM) 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese on whole-grain bagel

Meal 2 (9:00 AM) 1/2 sandwich of 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 3 (12:00 PM) Other half of above sandwich

Meal 4 (3:00 PM) 1/2 spinach salad with grilled chicken, shredded carrots, grape tomatoes, 1 avocado, corn, croutons, and about 3 tbsps of Caesar dressing

This is where it starts to get emotional for me. I got into a huge fight with my boyfriend while right before I left work and it left me absolutely crushed. I was so angry at him I wept the whole way on the train going to the gym. When I got there, I was so drained from being emotionally hurt that physically and psychologically, I felt weak and it really hurt my workout. I managed to finish my lifts, but I had no spirit at all and I had cut my cardio short.

Workout (6:00 PM)

Shoulders-BB shoulder press
-DB front raise
-DB lateral raise
20 mins MISS elliptical

While I was working out, my boyfriend drives to my gym and tells me that he will wait for me in his car. I took this to my advantage and took as long as could to spite him. When I finished, I got in his car and broke down into tears again. I am a very emotional person and I cry very easily, but this was more painful than usual. I won't go into details as this post is long enough, but we basically sat in his car until I calmed down. When I finally did, I realized how mean it was for me to have made him wait there like that for an hour and a half. We apologized to each other and decided to go on a make-up date.

Meal 6 (9:00 PM) Fish tacos and nacho chips from TGI Fridays' (totally unscheduled cheat meal, but I was eating on emotion and at that point, I honestly needed something to make me feel better)

After my last meal, we watched a movie. After the movie, he came over and spent the night at my place.


TODAY

My boyfriend and I didn't get out of bed until 11 AM this morning. I guess we were both tired from all the drama that took place yesterday and we needed much sleep to recover. Thank god I had the day off from work.

Meal 1 (12:00 PM) 1/2 order of Chicken Yaki Udon (thick Japanese wheat noodle pan fried with white meat chicken breast slices and veggies - another totally unscheduled cheat meal :(. Normally, I would eat the whole order, but today I had the will power to at least cut my portion in half)

Meal 2 (5:00 PM) 4 oz. oven-roasted turkey breast on 12-grain bread

Class (5:50 PM - 7:05 PM)

Meal 3 (8:30 PM) 4 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon, 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese (I love having breakfast food for dinner sometimes)

Meal 4 (10:30 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + water (not that great...)

Thinking about what happened yesterday, I realize how strong of a correlation there is between one's mental state and one's physical strength. I was so emotionally hurt yesterday I did not even want to be at the gym. As a result of my terrible mood, my workout suffered. I realize that things like this will happen, but I am just hoping to learn from this experience and become mentally stronger from it. I can't wait to go into my workout tomorrow with a clear mind and a strong body.

Again, I apologize for the super long post, but I greatly appreciate those of you who took the time to read it. Hopefully I was able to relate with some of you and even help those who are in a similar situation.

Thank you, and good night.

Vicky,

Just out of curiosity, how many calories are you eating per day? It seems like your not eating enough, especially if your working out but it's tough to tell reading on your journal, though.

Riot,

I'm eating between 1400-1500 calories a day. My BMR puts me at 1400ish, so as I am still cutting, I'm aiming to lose 2 lbs a week. I think this may be too little because I'm seeing a bit of a slow down in my progress, so I am going to tweak my diet a bit and see if eating an extra 100-200 calories can accelerate my fat loss rate back to the way it was. Thanks for bringing that up!

In the late afternoon, my cousin decided to have a BBQ at his house. I simply LOVE bbq food, especially fire-grilled burgers and italian sausages :drool:.

So do I!!! I love grilling so much that after begging DH to buy one for me, I bought my own small table top grill and then upgraded the following year to a hardcore charcoal griller with a smoke box.

Can't still eat BBQ? What if you just go for the lean meats: chicken breast, turkey (haven't grilled turkey, but smoked turkey is heaven on a plate). Also, use spices and marinades to make your food satiable: cumin, garlic, whatever you like.

But I have to admit...your post made me very, VERY hungry :lol:

Lol sorry about that NY but just reading your response to my post made me want BBQ. :drool:

OMG BBQ!! :drool::drool: We eat it at least once per week. Actually, we don't BBQ anymore since we moved back into an apartment. :( But we grill like crazy.

OMG BBQ!! :drool::drool: We eat it at least once per week. Actually, we don't BBQ anymore since we moved back into an apartment. :( But we grill like crazy.

I'm glad I'm not the only one. My neighbors probably think I'm nuts. As long as there's no rain, I'm at my grill :lol:

I'm glad I'm not the only one. My neighbors probably think I'm nuts. As long as there's no rain, I'm at my grill :lol:

Oh, hell no, you're not alone! Heck, we used to pull the grill under the awning so we could grill in the rain. I've even grilled in the snow! :D

September 11, 2008 (9:29 PM)

Today was excellent! Workout was solid and meals were pretty close to what I had planned.

Meal 1 (7:00 AM) 5 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon

Meal 2 (10:00 AM) 1/2 tuna sandwich (1 tbsp canola-based mayo on 12-grain bread)

Meal 3 (1:00 PM) Other half of above sandwich, 1 banana, 1 can diet coke

Meal 4 (4:00 PM) 1 seaweed avocado roll from deli near my job (8 pieces), 1 banana

Workout (6:00 PM)

Chest/triceps
-BB bench press
-DB incline press
-Cable flies
-Iso-lateral chest press
-Cable pushdowns
-DB Tricep extensions
32 mins MISS elliptical, 4 mins cool down

Meal 5 (9:00 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk

2 Liters of water

I'm so proud of myself for being on point today that I'm rewarding myself with a snack of Pringles. Don't worry, 1 serving is only 160 calories. :D

Good going ! :tucool:

I need to try this and look at the stats : 1 seaweed avocado roll : I need more good fat in my diet.

I ate half of an avocado (cali style) with Tabasco green hot sauce and it was GOOD!

I absolutely LOVE avocado. I used to eat it cut it into thin slices and put in on grilled chicken and eat it in a sandwich just like that. MMM MM! :eat:

Oh, I LOVE avocado also!! It's one of my weaknesses.

Oh, I LOVE avocado also!! It's one of my weaknesses.
It looks pretty good for you :tucool:

Vicky,

Your diet looks pretty good. The avocado-seaweed roll sounds yummy!!

Oh it was, lol. Thanks NY! I just commented in your journal also.

Avocado rules! :D

I would get some sushi later but I had an order of chicken fajita (chicken breast, green peppers, and onions grilled together) on a pita at 12PM. They put the pita slice on the bottom of the aluminum tray and the chicken fajita on top. I only ate half of it, as I think my stomach is getting smaller as a result of me spreading out my meals into smaller ones.The other half I'm saving for my Meal 3. I didn't think it would ever happen for me but it did. I'm now getting full more easily on smaller portions eaten throughout the day.

Multiple small meals FTW! :tu:

I am a die-hard fan of sushi btw. If I knew how to make it like they do in the restaurants, I would have it every day! Especially with brown rice. Fresh salmon, avocado, grilled eel, cucumbers..

:drool:

I am a die-hard fan of sushi btw. If I knew how to make it like they do in the restaurants, I would have it every day! Especially with brown rice. Fresh salmon, avocado, grilled eel, cucumbers..

:drool:

Ok, next time I visit my mother in the city, I'm hooking up with you, because I love...LOVE SUSHI. (you make me hungry every day :lol: )

(you make me hungry every day :lol:)

:lol:

September 12th, 2008 (8:40 PM)

I missed my cardio today because I had to stay late for work :(. I couldn't stay later at the gym because I had to meet my boyfriend and I was pressed for time. BUT, I tried the mixed grip with my deadlifts, and OMG, what a difference! I had enough grip to finish each set completely, and then some. I was so hyped! :spaz: I don't know why I didn't figure this out before! Lol.

Today's diet was pretty solid.

Rainy outside, but nice and cool.

Meal 1 (8:00 AM) 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese on whole-grain bagel

Meal 2 (12:00 PM) Half portion of 12 oz. grilled chicken with green peppers and grilled onions, 1 pita pocket, 1 can diet coke

Meal 3 (4:00 PM) Other half of above minus diet coke

Workout (6:30 PM)

Back/biceps
-Romanian DL's (with mixed grip!)
-Cable rows
-Lat pulldowns
-DB bent over row
-DB bicep curls
-BB bicep curls

Meal 4 (9:00 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk

Gonna pick up with legs tomorrow.

Off to the movies!

September 12th, 2008 (8:40 PM)



I missed my cardio today because I had to stay late for work :(. I couldn't stay later at the gym because I had to meet my boyfriend and I was pressed for time. BUT, I tried the mixed grip with my deadlifts, and OMG, what a difference! I had enough grip to finish each set completely, and then some. I was so hyped! :spaz: I don't know why I didn't figure this out before! Lol.



Today's diet was pretty solid.



Rainy outside, but nice and cool.



Meal 1 (8:00 AM) 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese on whole-grain bagel



Meal 2 (12:00 PM) Half portion of 12 oz. grilled chicken with green peppers and grilled onions, 1 pita pocket, 1 can diet coke



Meal 3 (4:00 PM) Other half of above minus diet coke



Workout (6:30 PM)



Back/biceps



-Romanian DL's (with mixed grip!)




-Cable rows


-Lat pulldowns


-DB bent over row


-DB bicep curls


-BB bicep curls


Meal 4 (9:00 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk



Gonna pick up with legs tomorrow.



Off to the movies!





What are you using for weight>? :confused: :tucool:

-Romanian DL's (with mixed grip!)
100 lbs @ 4x6
-Cable rows
80 lbs @ 4x6
-Lat pulldowns
80 lbs @ 4x6
-DB bent over row
30 lbs @ 4x6
-DB bicep curls
20 lbs @ 3x8
-BB bicep curls
50 lbs @ 4x6

-Romanian DL's (with mixed grip!)
100 lbs @ 4x6
-Cable rows
80 lbs @ 4x6
-Lat pulldowns
80 lbs @ 4x6
-DB bent over row
30 lbs @ 4x6
-DB bicep curls
20 lbs @ 3x8
-BB bicep curls
50 lbs @ 4x6

Holy SHUGAR!! You are strong :bb:

Aww shucks NY.. lol.

September 13th, 2008 (6:50 PM)

Last night I cheated right before the movies. My boyfriend and I went to TGI Friday's and I had a pint of Blue Moon for $2.99. What a deal! I'm trying to limit my alcohol intake to once a week being that I am cutting, but I don't have enough will power to totally eliminate it from my life. God, I love beer lol. I also had their fried mozzarella appetizer and it was damn good. I wasn't supposed to cheat last night, as my cheat days are usually Saturdays, but I guess I will have to adjust what I eat today and tomorrow.

Today's workout was pretty good. Meals were off, but I kept the calories in check.. for now. The reason I say that is because tonight is my grandma's birthday and the family is going out to eat. And whenever we go to one of these authentic Chinese restaurants, we order food like mad. I've been known to lose control and gorge on all the yummy sea food and chicken that we usually order, so I'm going to need some help with self-control tonight :(.

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) Bowl of honey nut cheerios in low-fat milk

Meal 2 (12:30 PM) Snack size baby carrots with ranch dressing dip

Workout (1:30 PM)

Legs- BB Squats
75 lbs @ 6x4
- Incline leg press
180 lbs @ 6x4
- DB lunges
20 lbs in each hand @ 6x4
30 mins MISS elliptical

Meal 3 (4:30 PM) Sweet onion chicken teriyaki sandwich from Subway, loaded with veggies.. mmm..

Meal 4 (7:00 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean with low-fat milk

Meal 5 (9:00 PM) Authentic chinese restaurant food. Mmm...

Wish me luck!

everybody knows blue moon isn't a cheat. :D

everybody knows blue moon isn't a cheat. :D

:lol:. How I wish that was true. Blue Moon is so good.

:lol:. How I wish that was true. Blue Moon is so good.
I had 3 beers tonight :o

Don't feel too bad, Chris. I absolutely gorged on Chinese food last night. Guess I didn't have as much self-control as I thought :(. I did manage to stay away from rice and other carbs, but I ate a whole lot of veggies and meat till the point where I had to loosen up my belt :o.

I use to have at least 3 beers whenever I would go out to a bar. Even more when I would play beer pong with friends. :p

Don't feel too bad, Chris. I absolutely gorged on Chinese food last night. Guess I didn't have as much self-control as I thought :(. I did manage to stay away from rice and other carbs, but I ate a whole lot of veggies and meat till the point where I had to loosen up my belt :o.

I use to have at least 3 beers whenever I would go out to a bar. Even more when I would play beer pong with friends. :p
I feel like crap after eating outback for my moms b-day and drinking some beers. Talk about motivation to push you harder lol. All I kept saying is " I am not doing that again!" :lol:

Ohhhh Outback... :drool:
NO! Must.. resist... juicy steaks... baby back ribs... chicken on the barbie... :evil:

Ohhhh Outback... :drool:
NO! Must.. resist... juicy steaks... baby back ribs... chicken on the barbie... :evil:
:neener: lol Just make it yourself>? :tucool:

Hmm.. that's a good point LOL :lol:

September 14th, 2008 (11:13 PM)

I have a love-hate relationship with authentic Chinese food, especially when we celebrate a family member's birthday. As I previously mentioned, we tend to order way more than we can finish and doggie-bag the leftovers to eat the next day. Today, I caved in and had some leftovers for some of my meals :(. I've really been slacking on my diet lately :doh:and it makes me feel terrible. It can only get worse because my birthday is coming up soon and I know we're going out to eat again. There's even no point in my posting my crappy meals today, but I'm 100% sure that I stayed within my calories at least. The only things worth mentioning are that I stayed away from processed carbs and I had one good meal today, which consisted of 1/2 cup cottage cheese and a banana.

Workout

Off day from lifting

32 mins MISS elliptical

I must say though that I had an AWESOME cardio workout today. I woke up late again so I decided to do some fasted cardio. I went well over 85% heart rate for 24 mins or so on the elliptical then finished with a 4 minute cool down. Not sure if you can call that MISS anymore, but it got me breathing hard and heavy, and by the end of my workout, I felt amazing!

I'm putting my foot down and getting my diet together again, starting tomorrow, although I can't guarantee that I'll stay away from alcohol this week being that my birthday is coming up.

But I'll do my best.

Hope you guys had a great weekend!

September 15th, 2008 (11:13 PM)

Had the day off from work today, so just kinda kicked back and relaxed. Went to class as usual, then worked out with a friend. Today is normally a day off from the gym but I decided to work out because I will be missing Thursday's workout to go out with some friends to celebrate my birthday.

Meals were a little off again, but fair. Workout was awesome!

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 6 egg whites, 2 strips turkey bacon

Meal 2 (12:00 PM) 1/2 cup cottage cheese, banana

Meal 2 (3:00 PM) 4 oz. grilled chicken dipped into honey mustard by each bite, 3 onion rings :blank:

Workout (7:30 PM)

Shoulders
-DB shoulder press
30 lbs @ 6x4
-DB front raise
15 lbs @ 6x4
-DB front lateral raise
15 lbs @ 6x4
-BB military press
55 lbs @ 6x4
30 mins MISS elliptical, 3 mins cool down

Meal 4 (10:30 PM) 4 oz. oven-roasted turkey breast on 12-grain bread, banana

Pictures soon! Stay tuned!

Oh no, I woke up with a really bad sore throat :(. Every time I swallow something, it hurts like a mofo. But I'm not gonna let that stop me from going on with my day! A little Motrin and I'll be fine :D

Oh no, I woke up with a really bad sore throat :(. Every time I swallow something, it hurts like a mofo. But I'm not gonna let that stop me from going on with my day! A little Motrin and I'll be fine :D
There's something going around. All of the kiddies have the sore throat, sneezing, bug.

I hope you're feeling better. Did you make it to the gym?

I know I'm late to the party, but Blue Moon?? :drool: I had 4 beers last night, so I beat all of you! :lol: Of course, I gained a pound for each one when I got on the scale this morning. :doh:

I think it's the change of weather, NY, because several of my friends are sick also. But yeah I did make it to the gym yesterday. I did my usual chest/triceps work out then hopped on the elliptical for some 30 mins MISS. A little sore throat wasn't gonna stop me from hitting them weights!

However, I did pig out on sushi right after because it was my birthday yesterday and my parents to me out to our favorite Japanese restaurant :doh:. Because of my sore throat, I drank a load of green tea, which was very refreshing. Hey.. it's my birthday and I'll eat what I want to :p

LSC, Blue Moon is the death of us all, lol.

September 17th, 2008 (9:40 PM)

So I think I have a cold :(. Yesterday it was just my throat that was hurting. Now I have a stuffy/runny nose and some bad congestion. I bought myself a bottle of Robitussin Cold and some Ricola throat drops. Since I had the day off from work, I had the chance to rest a little bit, since today is my usual day off from the gym anyway. I think something is definitely going around because several of my other friends are sick as well. Probably the change in weather.

Let's hope I'm better tomorrow so I can have a good work out :nod:.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! :D I hope you had a great day! I love sushi mmmmmm lol.


Keep up the great work and never give up. :tu:

Don't you hate it when you can feel a cold coming on? Hopefully it will pass without incident.

September 18th, 2008 (2:27 PM)

Looks like I'll be missing my workout today :(. My throat still hurts a little bit and my nose is all congested and full of snot. I'm going to head straight home after work today and get some rest. Since I expected to miss out on today's workout anyway earlier in the week (for reason of going out for drinks, not the anticipation that I was going to be sick :p), I worked out on Monday, which isn't one of my usual workout days. So it happened that I won't miss a day of this week's workouts assuming that I get better from this cold and am well enough to do the rest of the week's workouts.

I haven't had much of an appetite today, so getting my meals down have been somewhat difficult. But so far so good.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 6 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon

Meal 2 (11:00 AM) 1/2 cup cottage cheese

Meal 3 (1:00 PM) 4 oz. oven roasted turkey breast on 12-grain bread

Meal 4 (5:00 PM) Baby carrots w/ 2 tbsps peanut butter

Meal 5 (8:00 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk

Meal 6 (11:00 PM) if I'm hungry, 2 bananas

happy birthday girlie!! not sure if it was yesterday or today.... but either way hope its splendid. better have a couple blue moons!! have fun out and hope you feel better soon.

Awww...Vicky, did I miss your birthday? I'm sorry :(

I hope you're feeling better and hope you get to enjoy birthday festivities soon.

Aww thanks guys! My birthday was Tuesday, September 16 but it wasn't a big deal to me.. just another year gone by, hehe. I didn't wake up gloating that it was my birthday because to be honest with you I don't feel any different. I didn't get to have Blue Moon but I ate plenty of sushi, and that is just as good! :eat:

Also thank you guys for the get well wishes. I'm REALLY hoping to get back into the gym tomorrow, but we'll see what happens.

Now for my Nitrean. Whoohoo! :D

Aww thanks guys! My birthday was Tuesday, September 16 but it wasn't a big deal to me.. just another year gone by, hehe. I didn't wake up gloating that it was my birthday because to be honest with you I don't feel any different. I didn't get to have Blue Moon but I ate plenty of sushi, and that is just as good! :eat:

Also thank you guys for the get well wishes. I'm REALLY hoping to get back into the gym tomorrow, but we'll see what happens.

Now for my Nitrean. Whoohoo! :D
MMMM Choco nitrean is good!

You need to grab some burbon :whistle:

LOL, I don't really like bourbon much, Chris. Now if you have a remedy for me that consists of tequila, I'm all ears! :lol:

To kill ya :lol: Patron....


Feeling any better?

A little bit. I think I'm well enough to hit the gym but we'll see how I feel when I leave work. Throat swelling has gone down some but still stuffy and sneezy. I find that the more I blow my nose, the stuffier it gets, which makes no sense to me at all, lol :(.

I've been getting 7 hours of sleep this past week and it's really been helping :D

A little bit. I think I'm well enough to hit the gym but we'll see how I feel when I leave work. Throat swelling has gone down some but still stuffy and sneezy. I find that the more I blow my nose, the stuffier it gets, which makes no sense to me at all, lol :(.

I've been getting 7 hours of sleep this past week and it's really been helping :D
How bad do you want it?

:mad: Push....................... :tucool:

Get better soon, Vicky!! :)

September 22nd, 2008 (11:38 PM)

Whew, have I got a ton of updating to do! My internet was down the whole weekend, so I didn't get to post :(. I'm not technologically savvy, so sometimes it takes me a while to fix something even though I've fixed it a dozen times already. But boy, did I have an awesome weekend! My cold cleared up except for some phlegm here and there, which is great because I can feel good about my workouts again.

On Friday, I hit a personal best in dead lifts. 110 lbs! My goal as of now is to DL my own weight, and I can't believe I'm getting so close to it. The rest of my back/biceps workout was awesome as well, mainly because I was so hyped up from hitting a new PB in my DL's. Had to cut my cardio a little short that day because I had gotten to the gym late and I had plans later on that night. After my workout, saw a movie with the boyfriend.

On Saturday, I went paintballing for the first time in my life! It is one of the funnest things EVARR! At first I was nervous because everyone kept telling me that getting hit with paintballs hurt (and they did :lol:) but nothing too painful. I was running around the all day in rugged camo carrying a heavy ass gun, so I was really tired by the time we finished playing. But it was worth every drop of sweat!

On Sunday, I had one of my laziest days ever. I was so drained from playing paintball (without sufficient nourishment and hydration, which is never a good thing) that I slept until 1 PM, and just laid in bed until 4 PM! Talk about lazy! I didn't really want to stay in bed all day, but my body was begging me for rest. So I ended up skipping my workout.. although I think if I had even attempted to work out in the condition I was in, my body would've given up right away.

Today, my body is in bit of a shock from such an unstable week of eating. I practically ate whatever I wanted last week in celebration of my birthday (and those of others close to me), and although the scale didn't show any weight gain, I know my body is out of whack. So today, I attempted to get back onto my diet. Not the best choices of meals, but they could've been worse.

Meal 1 (10:30 AM) 4 jumbo egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon, cooking oil

Meal 2 (2:00 PM) Bowl of Lucky Charms + low-fat milkk

Meal 3 (5:30 PM) 4 oz. sauteed zucchini, corn & barley, swedish meatballs

Meal 4 (9:00 PM) 1 large banana

Meal 5 (11:30 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk

[CENTER]September 22nd, 2008[SIZE=5][FONT=Verdana] (11:38 PM)

On Friday, I hit a personal best in dead lifts. 110 lbs! My goal as of now is to DL my own weight, and I can't believe I'm getting so close to it.

:tu: well done on your new PR you will hit bodyweight deads pretty soon I reckon :)

paintballing sounds such a cool way to burn off a few calories:D

I was wondering where you'd gone. I missed ya.

Boy, you're back with a vengeance! I haven't even tried DLs yet, but doubt I'd be able to get anywhere near 120lbs. You are doing an awesome job!

Thanks Jedi! My bodyweight is 125, so I only have about 15 more lbs to go on the DL's. It's only a matter of time now :dreamy:

I missed you too, NY! Don't worry about the DL's, everyone starts somewhere, and it's called the beginning. I didn't start doing DL's until maybe 6 months into my journey. I forgot what weight I started at, but I believe it was a little more than half of what I'm doing now. It's a whole lotta fun if you're ever curious about it. I've learned to love them so much that I always look forward to my back/biceps workout on Fridays :D.

Thanks Jedi! My bodyweight is 125, so I only have about 15 more lbs to go on the DL's. It's only a matter of time now :dreamy:

I missed you too, NY! Don't worry about the DL's, everyone starts somewhere, and it's called the beginning. I didn't start doing DL's until maybe 6 months into my journey. I forgot what weight I started at, but I believe it was a little more than half of what I'm doing now. It's a whole lotta fun if you're ever curious about it. I've learned to love them so much that I always look forward to my back/biceps workout on Fridays :D.

Isn't it cool how far you've come?? I mean, you look forward to your workouts!!! :claplow:

Oh believe me LSC, it's... wonderful :dreamy:

September 24th, 2008 (8:47 PM)


Had a great gym session yesterday. Shoulders + 30 mins MISS elliptical. Meals were decent. I wish I remember what exercises I did and what I ate so I can post them :p, but that would just make this post longer than it should be. I can remember that I had sushi for my last meal yesterday - 3 rolls 6 pcs. each, and boy was it yummy!

My stomach has completely adapted to eating once every 3-4 hours. The meals should be clean and moderately sized. One of my meals today only consisted of a banana, and it only held up for 2 hours before I got hungry again. I need to get better at preparing my meals in advance so I don't have this problem ever again!

Meal 1 (10:00 AM) Bowl Special K + low-fat milk

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 5 pieces sushi (fish over rice) and 1 california roll (6 pieces) - God I love sushi, but I have to stop eating it so often

Meal 3 (5:00 PM) 1 banana - left me hungry 2 hours later :(

Meal 4 (8:30 PM) 6 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon, 1 slice 12-grain toast

Meal 5 (11:00 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk

Vicky, are you still cutting? How low are you trying to go? You've lost quit a bit. That's pretty aweseome:tucool:

Thanks NY! You're right, I did lose a quite a lot - 35 lbs to date. My target weight was 118 lbs, but I think at this point my weight right where it should be for my BMI. Since I lift heavy, I think its safe to say that most of my weight is muscle.

I'm focusing on body recomposition mostly. I started off with intentions of cutting then quickly realized that I wanted to build lean muscle as well. So far, I've seen some pretty good muscle growth in all areas except..

My belly :p. For the last six months, I've done virtually no ab work, as I was under the impression that I had to focus on decreasing my overall bf% with diet and a solid workout regimen in order to see my belly fat go down. As a result, I have lean muscle everywhere except my belly, lol.

So now I'm going to start doing ab work to see what will happen. That's where all the fat is. I think for the most part, I've built a good base for future cut/bulks, but only after I finish work on my abs will I think about another cut/bulk.

Since I lift heavy, I think its safe to say that most of my weight is muscle.

So far, I've seen some pretty good muscle growth in all areas except..

My belly :p. For the last six months, I've done virtually no ab work, as I was under the impression that I had to focus on decreasing my overall bf% with diet and a solid workout regimen in order to see my belly fat go down. As a result, I have lean muscle everywhere except my belly, lol

if u really lift heavy it'd be nearly impossible for you to not have muscle on ur abdomen. my favorite way to train my core is doing unilateral or single legged stuff. bulgarian split squats, lunges, and single legged deadlifts really make you fight for balance and give ya quite a core workout while still hitting the back/ass/and legs.

Hmm, that's true, dejavued. I do regular squats, lunges, and Romanian DL's. I may have developed my core a bit, but I guess what I'm really talking about are my abdominals and obliques where you would do direct ab work like incline situps and hanging leg raises.

September 25th, 2008 (11:32 PM)

It's getting chilly



Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 6-inch chicken teriyaki sub from Subway loaded with veggies

Meal 3 (4:00 PM) 1 can corn, 1 banana

Workout (6:00 PM)

Chest/triceps

-Cable flies
50 lbs each side @ 4x6
-BB bench press
75 lbs @ 3x8
-DB incline press
30 lbs each side @ 3x8
-Iso-lateral chest press
60 lbs @ 3x8
-Cable pushdowns
90 lbs @ 3x8
-DB Tricep kickbacks
20 lbs each side @ 3x8
32 mins MISS elliptical

Meal 4 (9:00 PM) 6 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon, baby carrots w/ peanut butter

2.5 Litres water

September 26th, 2008 (8:43 PM)

Awesome workout today. Did a full 4x6 at my new DL weight of 115 lbs. I also upped the weight on my cable rows and lat pulldowns. Go me! :D I'm starting to get calluses through my gloves though, so maybe its time to get more rugged gloves.

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll, 1 cup coffee black w/ 2 splendas

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) Tossed grilled chicken spinach salad with shredded carrots, corn, half avocado diced, croutons, 3 tbsps caesar dressing :drool:

Workout (6:00 PM)

Back/biceps
-Romanian DL's
115 lbs @ 4x6
-Cable rows
90 lbs @ 4x6 (upgrade!)
-Lat pulldowns
90 lbs @ 4x6 (upgrade!)
-DB bent over row
35 lbs @ 4x6
-DB bicep curls
20 lbs @ 4x6
-BB bicep curls
45 lbs @ 4x6

Meal 3 (8:00 PM) 1 banana, holding the stomach down while making room for the meal below

Meal 4 (9:30 PM) Bruschetta chicken pasta dish from TGI Friday's (one of my most favorite dishes from Friday's.. grilled all white-meat chicken served over spaghetti covered in diced tomatoes.. mmm mm! And its only 640 calories. Not bad!)

Friday night is usually a cheat night for me because often I'll go to the movies with my boyfriend. And right next to the movie theatre is a TGI Friday's. Many of their foods are high in calories and fat, but I've found that the bruschetta chicken pasta is the most sensible dish they have. I've eaten it quite alot during my transformation and have still seen the weight come off. Very happy about that :D.

Vicky, you are really working it! :tucool:
I'm going to have to try DLs, but I think I need to get a little more muscle around my right knee before plunging in.

BTW, I'm going to be in NYC for two weeks. I'll have my laptop...maybe we can meet up :)

Cooool! :tucool: When will you be in NY? And where will you be staying?

September 27th, 2008 (Yesterday)

Yesterday, l did some direct ab work for the first time in 6 months. :scared:

Meal 1 (9:30 AM) 6 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon

Meal 2 (2:00 PM) Soy sauce chicken leg, 1 cup white rice

Workout (5:30 PM)

Legs/abs
-BB squats
85 lbs @ 6x4
-Incline leg press
230 lbs @ 6x4
-DB lunges
20 lbs @ 3x6
-Incline sit-ups + 10 lbs
1x10, 3x8
-Hanging leg raises
4x12
-DB side bends
20 lbs each side, 4x8
Meal 3 (8:00 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk

Meal 4 (9:30 PM) 1 cup Chinese roast pork, 2 cups Chinese choy sum

Uh oh, I think I'm hitting a plateau.

I weighted in at 125 lbs today, a weight that I've been stuck at for almost a month. And although I'm putting on muscle, I have a little more fat to cut (by that, I do mean my belly fat).

I know the scale can be deceptive sometimes, but until I receive calipers and learn how to properly do tape measurements, it's the only tool I have.

Daily caloric intake: 1500-1600

I don't think I should go any lower than this. In fact, I would imagine that most of you should strongly suggest that I don't go below that. Nor would I want to because I'm hungry enough as it is.

:confused:

Daily caloric intake: 1500-1600

I don't think I should go any lower than this. In fact, I would imagine that most of you should strongly suggest that I don't go below that. Nor would I want to because I'm hungry enough as it is.

:confused:At your height, I don't think there's danger in going below that level of calories. A lot of people suggest that 10X your body weight is a good target on the amount to burn fat. I personally like the idea of eating at 15X my goal weight. But maybe something in the middle of those numbers might work for you?

I think 1500 to 1600 calories is usually about enough to sustain a weight of about 100 to 105 pounds in a person with normal metabolism. If your metabolism is slow, you might not get this low on that amount of calories. So, you could lower your calories now and hopefully be able to bump them up slightly when you get to the weight you'd like to maintain, or you can just decide to take a little longer to get to your goal weight, eating 1500 to 1600 calories for a longer time.

Daily caloric intake: 1500-1600

I don't think I should go any lower than this. In fact, I would imagine that most of you should strongly suggest that I don't go below that. Nor would I want to because I'm hungry enough as it is.

:confused:

being hungry blows.

maybe instead of lowering cals you could consider calorie cycling where you'd keep the same average per day but have high/medium/low cal days. this does wonders for motivation sometimes as on lower cal days you know the next day u'll get to eat above maintenence. this can help you bust a plateau.

my instinct says just keep doing what ur doing. reducing calories sucks and might just hurt you metabolically in the long run. just my 2 cents.

Hmm.. two different suggestions from two wonderful people :). Thank you both guava and dejavued for your opinions.

I've actually thought about calorie cycling for a while because it just seems easier to coordinate with my current workout regimen. I can go low calories on my off days and bump them up on my workout days. I think I will give this a try and see what happens.

September 29th, 2008 (11:24 PM)

Great shoulders workout today. I'm at the point where I can increase my weight load on many of my lifts and finish my sets, whereas maybe about 2 or 3 weeks ago I couldn't. This is going to be an exciting time of the year to really challenge myself in the gym :D.

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 3 oz. thin sliced turkey on 12-grain bread, 2 oz. grilled beef w/ onions

Meal 3 (6:00 PM) Pineapple-crusted bun

Workout (6:30 PM)

Shoulders
-DB shoulder press
25 lbs each hand @ 3x8
-BB shoulder press
40 lbs @ 1x8, 1x6, 1x10
-DB front raise
20 lbs @ 6x4 (upgrade!)
30 mins MISS elliptical, 2 mins cool down

Meal 4 (9:00 PM) Went out to a bar and grill - had a grilled chicken sandwich w/ cheese, avocado, and pico de gallo, 16 oz. Bud Light Lime (I think I deserved this because I held back from drinking beer over the weekend :tu:). It came with fries, but I did not give in to temptation!

I was just thinking about calorie cycling myself. I've heard it works wonders!

Really?! I should try it then! Maybe I'll do it for the month of October and see how things go. :D

I should try it then! Maybe I'll do it for the month of October and see how things go. :D

the good thing is that it really won't hurt you.... and it is so nice to have a bit of a change of pace. good luck.

September 30th, 2008 (11:59 PM)


Bumped up some chest weights today! :bb:



Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll



Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 1 can tuna in 1 tbsp Hellman's Canola based Mayo on 12-grain bread, baby carrots + 2 tbsp peanut better



Meal 3 (5:00 PM) California roll (8 pieces)



Workout (6:00 PM)



Chest/triceps



-Cable flies
50 lbs each side @ 1x8, 3x6
-BB bench press
75 lbs @ 1x8, 85 lbs @ 3x6
-DB incline press
30 lbs each side @ 3x8
-Iso-lateral chest press
60 lbs @ 3x8
-Cable pushdowns
80 lbs @ 1x8, 90 lbs @ 3x6
-DB Tricep extensions
30 lbs @ 4x6




Meal 4 (9:00 PM) 1/2 cup cottage cheese on a whole-grain bagel

Really?! I should try it then! Maybe I'll do it for the month of October and see how things go. :D

Hi Vicky, yep I think I would try calorie or carb cycling first and see if that works. If not you could try cutting out all breads for a month and using alternatives like oats and sweet potatoe, this might make a difference??? its often a case of seeing what works for you in particular. I know I have to drop down to 1300 to 1400 cals to drop body fat at 5'6, just one of those things.

great chest and triceps workout;)

Chest/triceps
[/SIZE][INDENT]-Cable cross overs
50 lbs each side @ 1x8, 3x6
-BB bench press
75 lbs @ 1x8, 85 lbs @ 3x6
-DB incline press
30 lbs each side @ 3x8
-Iso-lateral chest press
60 lbs @ 3x8
-Cable pushdowns
80 lbs @ 1x8, 90 lbs @ 3x6
-DB Tricep extensions
30 lbs @ 4x6


Wow, girl! You're strong!:flex:

Wowser, that's some lifting for that diet! California rolls sure are tasty :nod:

Aww thanks guys! I'm just doing my thing ;)

And yes, california rolls are tasty! :drool: Especially when they're half price! I've been good at avoiding white rice, but not when it's in sushi. I guess a roll or two won't hurt from time to time, but I wish more Japanese restaurants made their sushi with brown rice.

... but I wish more Japanese restaurants made their sushi with brown rice.

The last time I asked for brown rice, I got a few weird looks.

Sorry peeps, the former fat guy is just tryin to stay slim and trim!

October 2nd, 2008 (9:49 PM)

Not that great back/biceps workout today. Sometimes I alternate between the gym near my house and the gym in the city. The city gym has newer free weight and barbell sets which I really like compared to the old rusty ones at my gym. Today I went to the city gym and attempted to do DL's. Not even through my first set my hands started to slip from the bar. I guess the bar was still pretty new so the chrome was very smooth, a little too smooth. Even the diamond knurled grip part on the bar was too smooth from what I was used to so I couldn't grip it like I usually do the ones at the home gym. I ended up doing my usual reps but not in complete sets, which was a little disappointing :blank:.

On a more positive note, I found out that I can do dips! Unassisted! I have yet to incorporate dips in my workout, and today I decided to give it a try. I positioned myself on the dip handles not expecting to even do one, but boy was I wrong. I ended up doing 5! I think I could've done more but I already worked my triceps yesterday. I can't believe I was able to do 5 dips! :scared: I guess its much easier now that I'm a lot lighter in body weight and a lot stronger in the triceps. This will be a regular staple in my workout regimen from now on.

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 1 cup brown rice, 4 oz. battered shisamo (type of Japanese fish), 1 can diet coke

Workout (5:30 PM)

Back/biceps-Stiff-legged DL's
115 lbs @ 24-26 reps, incomplete sets
-Lat pulldowns
80 lbs @ 6x4
-Arm curl bent over rows
60 lbs @ 1x8, 70 lbs @ 3x6
-Arm curl bar curls
40 lbs @ 6x4
-DB curls
20 lbs each side @ 6x4
30 mins MISS elliptical

Meal 3 (8:45 PM) 4 oz deli sliced turkey on 12-grain bread

Meal 4 (11:00 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk

On a more positive note, I found out that I can do dips! Unassisted! I have yet to incorporate dips in my workout, and today I decided to give it a try. I positioned myself on the dip handles not expecting to even do one, but boy was I wrong. I ended up doing 5! I think I could've done more but I already worked my triceps yesterday. I can't believe I was able to do 5 dips! :scared: I guess its much easier now that I'm a lot lighter in body weight and a lot stronger in the triceps. This will be a regular staple in my workout regimen from now on.





awesome!! must feel great to be stronger and lighter than you think!! keep working hard girly. :nod:

Yes Ma'am! :D

Looks like you have your plan in action!

October 4th, 2008 (8:43 PM)

New personal record for Squats! Abs were STILL sore from last week, so I took it easy on the incline situps and left out the 10 lb weight plate.

I met a newbie 17-year-old kid at the gym today. We were sharing the incline leg press, and he was amazed at how much weight I can press :lol:. He seemed like a nice kid so I showed him around the gym a little bit, then recommended he visit JSF since its such a great place to turn to for fitness information as well as support. I then remembered how it felt like when I was a newbie first starting out and I felt good to be able to help another person in need of advice. I just hope for his own sake he takes advantage of all the great things that JSF has to offer as many of us did. :nod:


Meal 1 (10:00 AM) 1/2 cup cottage cheese on whole-grain bagel

Meal 2 (1:30 PM) Baby carrots dipped in two tbsps peanut butter

Workout (3:00 PM)

Legs/abs
-BB squats
90 lbs @ 1x8, 100 lbs @ 3x6 (upgrade!)
-Incline leg press
230 lbs @ 6x4
-DB lunges
25 lbs each side @ 3x6 (upgrade!)
-Incline sit-ups
4x8
-Hanging leg raises
4x12
-DB side bends
20 lbs each side, 4x8
Meal 3 (6:00 PM) 4 oz. whole-grain pasta w/ 1/2 cup marinara sauce, 6 oz. lean beef with Worchester Sauce

Meal 4 (9:00 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk

Meal 5 (11:00 PM) if I'm still hungry, apple

-BB squats




90 lbs @ 1x8, 100 lbs @ 3x6 (upgrade!)






:claplow: nice!! ur sure strong! :tucool:

Aww thanks, dejavued. I have to keep working hard so I can be as strong as you :tu:.

Woot! Weekly Monday Weighing: 122.5 (2 lbs down from last week!) :spaz:. I think a few things may have contributed to this. For most of the month of September, I cheated more than I should have, and came to a stand still with my fat loss. Last week, I returned to my normal diet, did my 2nd week's abs workout, and threw in a 10-minute tabata HIIT session yesterday while I was watching football (and boy, did it rip me apart!). Tabata training is challenging but it's a lot of fun and great for a very quick cardio session that is just as effective, if not more, than a 30-minute MISS. It's also convenient for times when you don't want to leave the house (this was case for me because the Giants were playing and I didn't want to move away from the TV :p).

Woot! Weekly Monday Weighing: 122.5 (2 lbs down from last week!) :spaz:. I think a few things may have contributed to this. For most of the month of September, I cheated more than I should have, and came to a stand still with my fat loss. Last week, I returned to my normal diet, did my 2nd week's abs workout, and threw in a 10-minute tabata HIIT session yesterday while I was watching football (and boy, did it rip me apart!). Tabata training is challenging but it's a lot of fun and great for a very quick cardio session that is just as effective, if not more, than a 30-minute MISS. It's also convenient for times when you don't want to leave the house (this was case for me because the Giants were playing and I didn't want to move away from the TV :p).

:claphigh::claphigh: cool 2 pounds is great loss for a week :) I like tabata too but normally only do 46 mins .

122.5! way to go. what's ur goal again??

and yeah 10 minutes of tabata is quite long! damn!!

Well my goal was 125 lbs, but once I got there I realized that I still had a lot of work to do in terms of further body recomposition. My body fat % is still not close to what I want it to be, so I'm going to incorporate new things to jump start my fat loss again, such as calorie cycling and more Tabata training, which I find to be a lot of fun.

October 6th, 2008 (11:25 PM)

Today was an off day. Diet was just okay, but kept the calories relatively low. My meal 1's have been not so clean lately because I still haven't gotten into the habit of waking up early enough before work to make my own egg white omelettes every morning, but I will work on this.

Only three meals today, but I'm estimating my calories to fall between 1300-1400 calories.

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) Sesame bagel with cream cheese :blank:

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 4 oz oven roasted turkey breast on 12-grain bread, 4 oz. asparagus w/ sesame

School (5:50 PM - 7:05 PM)

Meal 3 (9:30 PM) Sushi. Yummy, yummy sushi :eat:.

1.5 Litres of water

Only three meals today, but I'm estimating my calories to fall between 1300-1400 calories.



Meal 1 (9:00 AM) Sesame bagel with cream cheese :blank:



Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 4 oz oven roasted turkey breast on 12-grain bread, 4 oz. asparagus w/ sesame



School (5:50 PM - 7:05 PM)



Meal 3 (9:30 PM) Sushi. Yummy, yummy sushi :eat:.



1.5 Litres of water




Hi Vicky!
I have just been reading your journal and you are really making progress with you weight loss and strength gains so well done :tucool:
Just looking at your diet I was thinking to myself man I couldn't not eat for 4 hours! I can barely go 1 hour before my tummy is grumbling. I have to say sushi is one of my fav's too. I could eat that stuff for every meal :o

Thanks Avy! Normally I would be starving if I went 4 hours without eating, but for some reason I was able to bear it today. I figured maybe the fibrous asparagus that I ate kept me satiated much longer. I absolutely LOVE asparagus, but maybe not as much as I love sushi ;).

Thanks Avy! Normally I would be starving if I went 4 hours without eating, but for some reason I was able to bear it today. I figured maybe the fibrous asparagus that I ate kept me satiated much longer. I absolutely LOVE asparagus, but maybe not as much as I love sushi ;).
A new Japanese steak house with sushi just opened up by me....:scared:

I love those places.

Vicky any update pictures? You seem to of lost a good amount of weight. :tucool:

OMG, I totally forgot about my picture updates. I know I was supposed to do one last month I kept putting it off until the point where I totally forgot :(. Also, I lost the USB cable for my camera and I haven't had time to get a new one, but next week should be just about two months since my last picture update, so I will definitely have them up by the end of next week! :D

October 7th, 2008 (11:16 PM)


Today was a little disappointing. My second to last last meal wasn't what I planned and I wasn't able to finish my shoulder presses. I had this nagging pain in my shoulder and it really messed me up at the end of my workout. I also had to cut my cardio short because I got to the gym late. All in all, not so bad I guess. I will pick it up next week.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 6 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 1 can chunk light tuna + 1 tbsp canola based mayo on 12-grain bread

Meal 3 (6:30 PM) 1 banana

Workout (7:00 PM)

Shoulders -DB shoulder press
25 lbs each side @ 3x8
DB front raise
20 lbs each side @ 6x4
-DB lateral raise
15 lbs each side @ 3x8
-BB shoulder press
55 lbs @ 1x4, 1x6, 1x2
20 mins MISS elliptical

Meal 4 (10:00 PM) Bowl of Lucky Charms + low-fat milk (due to bad planning on my part)

Meal 5 (11:45 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + low-fat milk

On another note, I was at the city gym with my workout buddy and she introduced me to her former personal trainer. He did a BF% test for me using the Omron HBF-306C:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41RX4YGERTL._SS400_.jpg

For the very first time, I found out what my BF% and BMI. If I remember correctly, my BF% is about 21.8 and my BMI about 23.6. I had guess-timated that my BF% would fall between 21%-23% and according to the Omron, I was right.

Does anyone know how accurate that thing is? I know that a number of people on JSF use this and have said some good things about it.

Does anyone know how accurate that thing is? I know that a number of people on JSF use this and have said some good things about it.If your body fat is not evenly distributed (ie. you carry most of your fat in your butt, or in your tummy , or whatever) then this won't be very accurate. But, on the other hand, that type of body fat distribution wouldn't be measured as accurately with calipers either, depending on whether you are using a three point, five point, or whatever skinfold measure.

As a marker of progress, I think as long as you are consistently hydrated, this could be almost as accurate as calipers. It shows the same "error" on each measurement, so although the number could be off, it probably measures changes in fat levels with consistency.

Ah ok. Yes, I do carry more body fat in certain areas than others. I was thinking about that when my friend took her BF% reading after me and it was about the same. She has most of her fat in her belly and butt. Most of my fat is around my belly also, but hers is much more, and I have bigger breasts than her.. yet her BF% is only a bit higher than mine. :p

Yesterday

Workout was good. My new boss took me out to lunch yesterday to this Persian place, but I couldn't eat much because I had one of my meals just 3 hours before, and their plates were HUGE. This is the first time I've ever been to a Mediterranean restaurant, and it was actually pretty good.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 6 egg whites, 1 slice 12-grain toast with 1/2 tbsp margarine

Meal 2 (11:00 AM) 4 oz. oven roasted turkey breast on 12-grain bread

Meal 3 (2:00 PM) Chicken shish kabob with grilled veggies platter (1/4 portion), 1/2 pita bread with 1 tsp hummus

Meal 4 (6:45 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + Low-fat milk

Workout (7:30 PM)

Chest/triceps
-Cable cross overs
50 lbs each side @ 3x8
-BB bench press
80 lbs @ 4x6
-DB incline press
30 lbs each side @ 4x6
-Cable pushdowns
90 lbs @ 3x8
-DB Tricep extensions
30 lbs @ 3x8
Meal 5 (10:00 PM) Chinese choy sum, 4 oz. rice, 2-3 oz. chicken and broccoli

I need to try milk with my nitrean sounds good.

Looks like you are keeping up with it! Oh yeah you cant make me pregnant! :moon:


Keep it going....Pictures? I want to see this new person.

My new boss took me out to lunch yesterday to this Persian place, but I couldn't eat much because I had one of my meals just 3 hours before, and their plates were HUGE. This is the first time I've ever been to a Mediterranean restaurant, and it was actually pretty good.i

I have friends from Iran (a.k.a. Persia) and the food is indeed delicious. There certainly are continuities from the food of the Eastern Mediterranean, including Turkey, on east through Iran and then on into south Asia, including similarities and variations on yogurt, olives, and herbs.

Chris:

Nitrean + milk = :drool: . Tastes just like a chocolate milkshake. It's even better if you blend it because it gets all frothy. It has a subtle but rich sweetness to it which I love.. much better than most other shakes out there. My boyfriend drinks the chocolate Pure Protein shake and it's one of the nastiest things I've ever tasted in my life.

And you're right, you can't get pregnant. I was just poking fun :lol:.

Pictures will be coming soon. I have to buy a new USB cable for my camera.

Modmaven:

Yes, Persian/Iranian/etc. food is quite yummy. I love the way they cook their lamb because it gets all juicy and tender. It's definitely a cheat meal though :p.

Yesterday

Went to the city gym again to work out. This time my back workout turned out a little better, but my grip still failed during the last two sets. I think this newer set of bars may be a little heavier than the ones at the home gym, but I will continue using them.

Meal 1 (9:30 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) Tossed grilled chicken spinach salad with shredded carrots, corn, half avocado diced, cherry tomatoes + 3 tbsps caesar dressing

Meal 3 (5:30 PM) 1/2 cup vanilla frozen yogurt with blueberries

Workout (7:00 PM)

Back/biceps
-Stiff-legged DL's
115 lbs @ 2x6, 1x4, 1x2, 1x4, 1x2
-Lat pulldowns
80 lbs @ 6x4
-Bent over rows
60 lbs @ 4x6
-Arm curl bar curls
40 lbs @ 4x6
-Lateral cable curls
20 lbs each side @ 2x8, 30 lbs each side @ 1x4
20 mins HIIT at 95% heart rate on high intervals

Meal 4 (10:00 PM) Popcorn! :drool: I was at a movie and I couldn't resist. I haven't had popcorn in almost a month.

2.5 Litres water

Mmmmm...chocolate milk shake!! Damn, now I want one. :drool:

Oh yes. Chocolate milkshakes are deee-licious!

Yesterday

Legs workout was awesome once again! I feel a little funny going to the gym on Saturday mornings because I'm usually the only woman in the weights area. I try not to pay attention to anything else but my lifts, but often I will catch guys taking a quick peek ;). I can't help the fact that I'm hot (LOL j/k), but it is a bit of a confidence booster. Yesterday there was this guy doing DB pullovers on this bench next to me and it was blatantly obvious that he was trying to hard to impress me by pulling this heavy weight. Then when he finished he was like "oh man, that felt goood" while flexing his manly chest in front of the mirror :rolleyes:. I got a good laugh out of that.

Meal 1 (11:00 AM) 6 egg whites, 1 slice 12-grain toast with 1/2 tsp margarine

Workout (3:00 PM)

Legs/abs
-BB squats
100 lbs @ 6x4
-Incline leg press
230 lbs @ 6x4
-DB lunges
25 lbs each side @ 6x4
-Incline sit-ups + 10 lb plate
1x8, 3x10
-Hanging leg raises
4x12
-DB side bends
25 lbs each side, 4x8
Meal 2 (5:30 PM) 6-inch chicken teriyaki stacked with veggies

Meal 3 (9:30 PM) Sushi again! 1 Eel avocado roll (6 pieces), 1 shrimp tempura roll w/ lettuce and spicy mayo (5 pieces), 2 oz. sliced asparagus

October 12th, 2008 (6:50 PM)


Today I wimped out of my scheduled 12-minute HIIT session after 7½ minutes :(. It was one of those lazy Sundays where all I wanted to do was sit on my ass and watch football. I figured I could at least do something if I wasn't going to go to the gym. I guess I didn't get far :doh:. Oh well, I will pick it up next week.

Meal 1 (10:00 AM) 5 egg whites, 1 slice 12-grain toast with ½ tsp margarine

Meal 2 (1:30 PM) Whole wheat bagel + ½ cup cottage cheese, ¾ cup Lucky Charms (right out of the box)

Workout (4:30 PM)

7½ mins tabata HIIT training :o

Meal 3 (6:00 PM) 2 baby bananas

Meal 4 (8:00 PM) 5 broiled chicken wings, 1 cup chinese choy sum

2 Litres water

7½ mins tabata HIIT training :o



Hi Vicky!

I just read (quickly) about Tabata training and it sounds freakin hard :eek: do you do 20 secs flat out then 10 secs rest?
My HIIT sessions are 30 secs flat out then 1 min recovery - 45 secs if I'm feeling good. The good thing about HIIT though is that it goes quickly - you only need between 15 - 20 mins and your cardio is done :tucool: sweet.

P.s. I cant wait to see your progress pics!

On another note, I was at the city gym with my workout buddy and she introduced me to her former personal trainer. He did a BF% test for me using the Omron HBF-306C:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41RX4YGERTL._SS400_.jpg


My gym uses the same machine. I almost ordered one of my own, but after reading the reviews on Amazon.com I realized that it will become my next obsession, following my scale.

Also, like Guava mentioned, there are going to be reasons why the results may not be 100% accurate.

OFF TOPIC: I need to stay outta your journal...there's always talk of yummy, exotic foods - my weakness :drool:

Lol, you're always welcome on my journal, NY. I agree, I guess I shouldn't obsess too much over these things (not like I do already). I forgot to take my weekly weighing this morning, but I'm not going to freak out about it. The one thing that I pay attention to more than anything to monitor my progress is how my clothes fit :lol:.

Cant wait to try my Nitrean and WHOLE milk ( I need the cals and fats) tomorrow morning.:drool:

Howdy, girl! :wave:

Hey Vic! No workout today? Hope you're well.

Sorry guys. I've been pretty busy at work lately and haven't gotten a chance to get to my computer. Here are my updates for the last two days!

Monday

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 6 egg whites, 1 slice 12-grain toast + 1 tsp margarine

Meal 2 (11:00 AM) baby carrots in 2 tbsp peanut butter

Meal 3 (2:00 PM) 1 cup brown rice, 3 oz. sauteed beef w/ sliced onions

Workout (6:30 PM)

Shoulders-DB shoulder press
30 lbs each side @ 6x4 (upgrade!)
DB front raise
20 lbs each side @ 6x4
-DB lateral raise
15 lbs each side @ 3x8
-BB shoulder press
55 lbs @ 2x8, 65 lbs @ 2x6
Meal 4 (9:30 PM) Sushi (8 pieces raw fish, 1 california roll) + 1/2 cup chicken pan-fried udon

Yesterday

Meal 1 (9:15 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 1 can chunk light tuna in 1 tbsp canola-based mayo on 12-grain bread

Meal 3 (5:00 PM) baby carrots in 2 tbsp peanut butter

Workout (6:15 PM)

@ city gym. The weights here definitely feel heavier than the ones at my local gym because they are newer and made with a stronger type of chrome.

Chest/triceps
-Cable cross overs
40 lbs each side @ 3x8
-BB bench press
75 lbs @ 3x8
-DB incline press
30 lbs each side @ 4x6
-Cable pulldowns (w/ rope)
60lbs @ 3x8
26 mins HIIT (2 min hard/2 min rest) at 85%-90%, 4 mins cool down

Meal 4 (9:15 PM) Got lazy here, so just ate 1¼ cup of Lucky Charms in reduced fat milk

Vic, I have a question about your workouts.

Are you doing 1 set to failure? Do you always do 1 set to failure or do you mix it up and do 3 sets, then at a later date do 1 set to failure?
Yesterday, when I did chest and triceps, I felt like I got a good workout, but today when I tried biceps and shoulders, I felt like I just couldn't get a burn. I attributed some of it to not having someone assist when I got to where it was getting too heavy.

Any thoughts?

Actually, I do just enough weight so that after 4 sets of 6, it practically feels like failure. I like to switch it up once in a while, but I've always stuck to 4 sets because I can track progress between one weight load and the next more easily. That's just me though. I know others see significant gains doing other programs as well. If whatever you're doing right now works for you, by all means, keep doing it! And just because you don't feel a burn doesn't mean you aren't working hard. Your muscles get used to the motion and amount of stress of an exercise after a while. Maybe you can add more weight and work from there? Up to you, hehe.

October 15th, 2008 (8:37 PM)

Man, I don't know what's happening with me, but I was hungry ALL DAY. I think my body is trying to adjust to the old cardio technique that I did back in the day (HIIT in 2-minute intervals at 85%-90%). I think my metabolism may have slowed to the point where eating my usual workout-day caloric intake isn't enough to keep me satiated. Thoughts? :confused:

I think my metabolism may have slowed to the point where eating my usual workout-day caloric intake isn't enough to keep me satiated. Thoughts? :confused:




I would have thought that means your metabolism is working well? Possibly has even sped up a notch... you could be feeling hungry because you are exercising more too. If you are still losing weight then your metabolism has not slowed down - if anything I would think you could add a little more food now.

yeah if anything it would have sped up i'd think if you were more hungry.

it could just be hormones...time of the month.

but i think u should add cals. anytime u can add cals and keep heading in the right directions its a good thing!! won't hurt much to try. and its really nice to have ur metabolism rocking so you can eat more.

Avy:

Dejavued:

Hmm that really does make sense, lol. It definitely would be nice to be able to eat more. I will try to up my workout days calories to 1600 and rest days calories to 1400, while trying to keep my macros in check. Thanks for your input!

Yesterday

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) Boiled pork dumplings w/ cabbage and mushrooms (7 pieces)

Meal 3 (3:00 PM) Peanut butter granola bar, seafood salad on crackers (6 crackers)

Meal 4 (5:30 PM) 1 apple

Meal 5 (9:30 PM) Two grilled pork chops, 1½ cup rice (oops)

Workout: Day off

I think just comes out to about 1400 calories. It's been a while since I've been this hungry the whole day. The last meal may have been larger in portion than what I would normally eat because I was starving by then, so that's my fault. As suggested, I will up my calories to 1400 on rest days and 1600 on workout days.

Good job on your diet! You're consistent, girl.

Thanks, LSC! I'm trying to be more consistent, but I feel like some of my meals aren't "clean" enough. I don't know if I'll ever be obsessive over what I eat like others on here, but I'm always trying new things and seeing how my body reacts to them. For example, yesterday I had an apple, and I NEVER eat apples lol.. but it was actually quite good. Pair it with a banana and voila - another meal.

Thanks, LSC! I'm trying to be more consistent, but I feel like some of my meals aren't "clean" enough. I don't know if I'll ever be obsessive over what I eat like others on here, but I'm always trying new things and seeing how my body reacts to them. For example, yesterday I had an apple, and I NEVER eat apples lol.. but it was actually quite good. Pair it with a banana and voila - another meal.

You may be better off. My obsessiveness can sometimes be a good thing, but it was causing trouble for me when I was out of my element, in NY. I started missing meals, because I didn't have EXACTLY what I was used to eating. I finally slapped some senses into myself and ate; I ate fruits, veggies, but ate clean.

However, today I'm back to being obsessive...it's a sickness.

You may be better off. My obsessiveness can sometimes be a good thing, but it was causing trouble for me when I was out of my element, in NY. I started missing meals, because I didn't have EXACTLY what I was used to eating. I finally slapped some senses into myself and ate; I ate fruits, veggies, but ate clean.

However, today I'm back to being obsessive...it's a sickness.

Oh, I've turned down veggies because I couldn't weigh them first!! :rolleyes:

Oh, I've turned down veggies because I couldn't weigh them first!! :rolleyes:
I was doing the SAME thing when I went home, but realized I would end up in starvation mode.
:lol:

I was doing the SAME thing when I went home, but realized I would end up in starvation mode.
:lol:
Yeah, well, I'm either turning down carrots because I don't know how many grams they weigh, or I'm guzzling a 12-pack and eating like a pig. All-or-nothing, baby. That's me! :doh:

Yeah, well, I'm either turning down carrots because I don't know how many grams they weigh, or I'm guzzling a 12-pack and eating like a pig. All-or-nothing, baby. That's me! :doh:

that was sooooo me just a year ago. shit just a few months ago. :nod:

You guys are funny :lol:. I don't know how many times I've not bothered to buy some of my favorite foods because I was too lazy to learn how to cook them.

October 16th, 2008 (9:36 PM)

Warning: This following post is a very long rant about how my boyfriend ruined my day. I know I should be writing about my workout and my meals, but some days I'm too pissed off to do that, and today is one of those days. So if you don't feel like reading about it, you don't have to. I completely understand.

I am so mad at my boyfriend right now. This morning, he kept hackling me about getting home early from the gym tonight because he wanted to come over and see me. Now he knows that I spend about an hour and a half each night at the gym to do weights and cardio. He also knows how I absolutely HATE being rushed when I'm working out because when I'm being rushed, I don't feel like I'm giving it 100%. Even still, he insisted that spending time together was more important.

Fine, I rushed through my workout and didn't even finish in time for cardio. I got home at 8 PM, the time we agreed to meet at my house. At this point, I'm starving and hoping to eat as soon as he gets to my house. 8:20, he's still not there. I call him to see where he is, but he doesn't pick up. 8:40, he finally calls me. Turns out that he went to the hospital because he hurt his leg the other day and decided to get it checked right before he was supposed to meet up with me. Mad as hell, I yelled why he didn't call me before he made this decision. He said he tried to call me at 7:45 but it went straight to voice mail, which I thought was pointless because at that time I was already on the train home and I don't get service underground. He didn't leave a voice mail and he didn't text me or anything. It would've made much more sense for him to call me or text me before he decided to go to the hospital so I would know that he won't be coming over, thus I could've stayed at the gym longer and finish my workout.

I don't mean to sound selfish, I really don't. I love him. I really do. But sometimes, he just pisses me off. I'm glad he's not seriously hurt, but I don't even want to talk to him for the rest of the week.

Sorry for ranting, guys. Those of you who have read this whole entry all the way through, I just want you to know I appreciate you taking the time to do it. Really, it means a lot to me.

I don't even want to think about all the drama I'm going to have once we get married :rolleyes:.

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 1 can chunk light tuna in 1 tbsp canola based mayo on 12-grain bread

Meal 3 (5:45 PM) 2 bananas

Workout (6:00 PM)

Back/biceps-Stiff-legged DL's
105 lbs @ 6x4
-Lat pulldowns
70 lbs @ 3x8
-Bent over rows
60 lbs @ 4x6
-Arm curl bar curls
40 lbs @ 4x6
-DB bicep curls
25 lbs each @ 1x5, 20 lbs each @ 1x7, 1x9
Meal 4 (8:15 PM) 1 scoop Nitrean + reduced fat milk, ¾ cup rice, bok choy and roast duck (this was a little too much for me.. I got caught up in an emotional eating tantrum and now I'm feeling a little gassy because of it :o).

Totally understood, girl. Sometimes others can be so inconsiderate when they just don't understand how important certain things are to us! I don't think you're being selfish. You just have your priorities, and you have things you want to accomplish, i.e. getting quality workouts. He'll realize how important it is to you as time goes on.

Oh, and I'm glad he's not hurt badly. 'Course, if my husband did that, once I found out his leg was okay, I'd kick him in the shin. :lol: (just kidding...kinda)

Lol. I should kick him in the shin, too. But then he'll probably beat me up with his club (he's a cop :p).

Yesterday

Moved up on squats today! I think my previous leg workout entries are a little off because I think I overestimated how heavy the bar was - I just realized that it may weigh about 20-25 lbs, instead of the 30-35 lbs that I thought it weighed. I should ask a person at my gym to make sure.

Stocked up at the supermarket today! It's about time because my fridge was practically empty when I opened it last night. I think I love grocery shopping as much as I do clothes shopping. It is two different types of love anyway - love for food, and love for fashion. It's getting chilly out.. time to buy some cute sweater dresses :lol:.

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) Sesame bagel with cream cheese

Meal 2 (12:30 PM) 3/4 cup brown rice, 5-6 oz. Korean meats (sauteed beef with onions, crab cake, and crab egg pattie)

Meal 3 (6:45 PM) Steamed chicken bun

Workout (7:00 PM)

Legs
-BB squats
80 lbs @ 1x8, 90 lbs @ 2x6 , 110 lbs @ 1x6 (this is with 45 lbs on each side + bar :scared:)
-Incline leg press
250 lbs @ 6x4
30 mins HIIT elliptical @ 2-min intervals @ 85%-90%

Meal 4 (10:30 PM) Bowl of Lucky Charms with reduced fat milk, 1/3 cup cottage cheese

Stocked up at the supermarket today! It's about time because my fridge was practically empty when I opened it last night. I think I love grocery shopping as much as I do clothes shopping. It is two different types of love anyway - love for food, and love for fashion.

amen!!

you could take the bar onto the scale with you. like just give it a hug and hold it vertical. then you'll know exactly what it weighs. not that it really matters as long as you always use the same one. but its nice to know that all ur equations weren't wrong when you look back on it in the future to see how you progress.

you might want to play the lottery after eating those lucky charms!!

Progress Pics!

I know, some of you are saying right now "It's about damn time!" LOL. I finally found my USB cable for my camera and my parents aren't home, so it was the perfect time for me to take pics. The last time I posted pics was back August, so this is my progress for the last two months. I've gained alot of muscle on my arms, legs, and back, but my belly is still kinda flabby. My belly has always been THE problem area, but I know if I keep working hard and continue to improve my diet, it will go away slowly but surely.

These first two pictures were taken in my room. My room has some crappy lighting, so amongst the new ones that I took today, I decided to take one in my room to show a fair comparison.

08/08/08 @ 131 lbs

http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/picture.php?albumid=48&pictureid=371

10/18/08 @ ~124 lbs

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/18/l_1c9c1f02fb7241ffa82de64a57c43932.jpg

The following were taken in my kitchen, where there is MUCH better lighting.

10/18/08 @ ~124 lbs
http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/62/l_8df3dab508ba494ab75e09e02976d37f.jpg

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/5/l_a77c787aa5db444fb2db7ce2c54ffffb.jpg

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/45/l_2b29fc247b4d4dfc8e4c05d8ab84b5ae.jpg

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/52/l_50c7cb814c664fc5a98b004e266df963.jpg

Although the difference in weight between the before and after pictures is only 6 lbs, I think I've lost a significant amount of fat and put on a good amount of muscle, as my focus has always been total body recomposition. However, I think I may want to go on a cutting phase to see if I can lose the fat around my belly.

Feedback as always is greatly appreciated!

Damnit my pictures didn't come out. Sorry guys, I'm in the process of fixing it right now.

Umm...please hurry up...we've only been waiting since august LOL

J/k

Pictures are available for viewing! See above!

i swear i posted a reply to the pics yesterday. :confused: i must of never hit enter.

anyways amazing progress girl!! legs are looking hella lean and buffed!! i hold my weight around the middle too. its a bitch!! :lol: but urs is definitely shrinking!! keep working hard hottie!!

Wow Vicky you are looking great! Definitely more muscle definition on those legs :tucool: and you can tell that your arent as soft as you were, you look firmer and everything is sitting tighter if that makes sense. Keep up the good work!

Vic,

You look incredible! You definitely have traded bf for muscle.
You are working that body :bow:

Thanks guys! It's been quite a journey seeing myself change physically and mentally. It's only going to get tougher with the holidays coming up and all. I love Thanksgiving and Christmas for the fact that I get to gorge on food until my belly button turns inside out, but until then, I will have to be even more disciplined with my workouts and diet. I guess I can look at those holiday meals as a reward for all the hard work that I will have done up to that point. Man.. I can't wait! :scared:

Very impressive. Seeing great results.:tucool:

Thanks Coco :D

:eek: Wow!! Nice pictures, girl! Awesome job!!! :claplow:

WOW girl, you have come a long way baby! Looking good. Keep up the great work. The holidays are going to be tough for most of us but we'll make it through as we always do. And if we slip up a little, no worries. We just get right back up and get back into the groove! :tu:

Thanks you all for your encouragement!

I agree with you AndiMac, I think this whole weight loss game is all about falling down and getting back up. Last night, I fell down and had an unscheduled cheat meal, and Mondays aren't my usual cheat day, nor is it a workout day :o, so I'm going to have to be strict on my diet for the rest of the week and work out like a beast tonight. I have a feeling its going to be a fun week for me because I'm pretty high on spirit right now after all the nice comments I've gotten about my progress pics, teehee. :lol:

I'm also working on upping my calories, as many of you had suggested. I was too caught up in my BMR and TDEE number, but I do admit that those were a good place to start. Now that I'm lifting progressively heavier each week and doing more HIIT, I'm going to need more calories to fuel me during the off hours. Just last week, I dropped from doing cardio usually 5 days of LISS to 3 days of HIIT @ 90%, and I still dropped 3 lbs. My body is becoming more of a powerhouse, so I gotta keep it energized and ready to go!

October 21st, 2008 (10:20 PM)

Ok, I think body is DEFINITELY metabolizing like crazy. Up until about two weeks ago, I was eating between 1300-1400 calories. Today, I ate between 1500-1600 and I had to eat just about every 3 hours because if I didn't, my stomach would definitely let me know. This has been happening for the last week, so it can't be just a fluke. Gonna have to get used to it, I guess. Shoulders workout was great, though.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 1 scoop Nitrean + reduced-fat milk

Meal 2 (9:30 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 3 (12:30 PM) 1 cup oatmeal with cinnamon, 1 can chunk light tuna in 1 tbsp canola-based mayo on whole wheat bread

Meal 4 (6:30 PM) 1/2 wheat bagel with cream cheese

Workout (6:45 PM)

Shoulders-DB shoulder press
30 lbs each side @ 6x4
DB front raise
20 lbs each side @ 6x4
-DB lateral raise
15 lbs each side @ 3x8
-BB shoulder press
55 lbs @ 3x6, 1x5 failure
20 mins HIIT elliptical @ ~90%

Meal 5 (8:15 PM) Other half of wheat bagel with cream cheese

Hey miss thang!

My favorite picture is the one of you posing sideways! Very cool picture.

You are doing very well. :tu:

EAT CLEAN! REST! LIFT HEAVY! and you will get where you want. Keep in mind you are doing this for yourself. If your guy can't deal with it tell him to hit the gym with you and respect what you are doing. :nod:

Can't wait to see your next set of pictures. :bb:

Thanks Chris! I still think I look kinda big in those pictures, but then again you know what they say.. the camera adds like 10 lbs. I will keep eating clean and lifting heavy!

October 22nd, 2008 (9:02 PM)

Pretty normal day. Work is getting busy and I'm getting hungrier by the day.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 1 scoop Nitrean + reduced-fat milk, 3/4 cup Cap'N Crunch!

Meal 2 (10:30 AM) 4 egg whites on a roll, 1 cup oatmeal with cinnamon

Meal 3 (1:30 PM) Oven roasted turkey on 12-grain bread

Meal 4 (4:30 PM) Two veggie dumplings, 1 rice noodle roll, 1 chicken skewer

Workout OFF

Meal 5 (8:30 PM) 4 pan-fried chicken wings, 1/4 cup rice, and a whole lot of Chinese choy sum

I checked out your first posted pics and your latest progress pics. Awesome work, quick!

mmmmm....Cap'N Crunch!

October 23rd, 2008 (Yesterday)

Worked out with my boyfriend today. He's not a big fan of free weights (I don't know why) but it nice having him there with me because he tends to keep me on top of my workouts. It was kinda funny to see him bench the same weight that I bench though:

Me: Are you gonna bench too?
Him: Probably. I don't know if I can bench as much as you. That sh*t looks heavy.
Me: It's not that heavy :p. Besides you're stronger than me.
Him: (lays down on the bench and grabs bar)Yeah, but not that much stronger. I'm actually pretty weak.
Me: .......
Him: ....... Can you spot me?

LOL.

He ended up doing 3 sets of 8 reps. I did 3 reps of 6, 1 to 5 (failure).

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 6 egg whites on a whole wheat bagel

Meal 2 (10:30 PM) 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 apple

Meal 3 (1:30 PM) 1 chicken skewer, rice noodle roll, 1 oz. string beans, 1 spare rib, 3/4 cup brown rice

Meal 4 (4:30 PM) Banana, baby carrots in 2 tbsp peanut butter

Workout (7:30 PM)

Chest/triceps
Chest/triceps-Cable cross overs
50 lbs each side @ 3x8
-BB bench press
75 lbs @ 4x6
-DB incline press
30 lbs each side @ 4x6
-Cable pushdowns
80 lbs @ 3x8 (went lighter on this to improve my form)
-Bent over cable extensions
40 lbs @ 3x8
20 mins HIIT elliptical 1 minute intense progressing in resistance each interval, 1 minute rest intervals, @ 85-90%

Meal 6 (10:00 PM) Sushi (6 pieces raw fish, 1 california roll)

Worked out with my boyfriend today. He's not a big fan of free weights (I don't know why) but it nice having him there with me because he tends to keep me on top of my workouts. It was kinda funny to see him bench the same weight that I bench though:

Me: Are you gonna bench too?
Him: Probably. I don't know if I can bench as much as you. That sh*t looks heavy.
Me: It's not that heavy :p. Besides you're stronger than me.
Him: (lays down on the bench and grabs bar)Yeah, but not that much stronger. I'm actually pretty weak.
Me: .......
Him: ....... Can you spot me?

LOL.

He ended up doing 3 sets of 8 reps. I did 3 reps of 6, 1 to 5 (failure).


Wow thats pretty cool that you can bench what your BF can! Go girl!! My BF can bench more than double what I can :blank: so he just warms up on my max without any effort... damn him.

Hehe Thanks Avy. He's starting to get used to the weights that I do, but he's still a little worried that I'm getting too buff. :lol:

October 26th, 2008(8:19 PM)

Boy, am I disappointed in myself :doh:. I spent the weekend at my boyfriend's house, and let's just say that when we spend the weekend together, we get super lazy. It was a lazy weekend full of pasta, burgers, and beer. Yesterday's legs and abs workout was incomplete and today's cardio session didn't happen at all. Yesterday, I had 4 egg whites and home fries for breakfast, a big plate of chicken pesto pasta for lunch, and popcorn for dinner. Today, I spent my NFL Sunday having pancakes, eggs, and home fries in the morning, a big mushroom cheeseburger with beer in the afternoon, and a cappucino just a few minutes ago. The cheeseburger made my stomach want to explode.. it literally felt like my arteries were clogging up only minutes after I ate it. I haven't had a burger in months, and today I realized why. I'm still feeling a little sick from it. I guess this is the reason why I let myself go once in a while.. to help me remember why I'm working out and eating clean in the first place.

Dreading the scale reading tomorrow, but hey, it is what it is.

I will pick it up next week.

Some things I notice (Dont take it personal I just care about what you are doing).

Cap N Crunch and eating clean in the same post is an oxymoron.

Beer .... Alcohol will always be there and just wait until you are done cutting. Make it a game or a goal. If you loose X amount of weight you can go out drinking that night. Make it WORTH going out and then getting back to your diet. After awhile you wont want to drink and kill ANY results you might leave on the table.

You are not happy with your progression yet and thats why you are slipping. When you get hooked you will know it.

Workouts you are doing good. PUSH HARD every rep on the last one WAIT until your muscles FAIL! Dont let your mind step in and tell you your done. Let your muscles tell you. Hit that brick wall!

EAT CLEAN!!!!!! Go to sleep early! You want it? SHOW IT! Without health you have nothing. No BF no job no money no school etc. Make it your top item to be aware of.

Not to be rude but your BF is a cop and he can't bench over 100lbs? Look after his health with him. I would be very worried.

Do you need help ? Is it too much ? Feel lost? :tucool:

Dont make me call you :p

Chris,

I absolutely needed that. Thank you. You're right, if I really wanted it, I have to show it. No excuses.

You're right about the Cap'N Crunch. I eat it because sometimes I have a hard time getting up early enough in the morning to make a real meal and it makes for a quick meal. Then again, that comes with going to bed early, like you said. I have a hard time with that too because I habitually go to bed later. But again, no excuses.

Charles hasn't focused much on weight training until just recently when he started to see the progress I've made. :lol: I think it's kind of inspired him to do the same. He supports me in my fitness goals and I support him. We have been working out together more often, so hopefully this will be a regular thing for us.

And you don't have to call me :lol:. I just needed a little kick in the ass, that's all. We all slip up from time to time, and that's why I turn to people like you who stay disciplined and never lose focus. I'll think of you the next time I feel like drowning myself in beer or eating something greasy.

It's time for me to get back up from my fall. I will not let you down.. not again!

I hope you guys can team up with each other on eating right and working out. I WISH!!!! I could find a fitness woman that would be awesome.

Keep in mind this whole fitness thing is more than fitness. It shows yourself you can really do something if you want. It also shows other people of how you present yourself.

Think about this. If you went to an interview for a GOOD job and you are over weight VS. Healthy weight do you think it might show how you are without saying a word? They might not think that but its natural to run in someones head about others.

If this person doesn't have motivation for their self why would they be motivated to work for me? I think you get the idea.

You are doing very good. We all have to fall and then move forward. When I fall I want you to have my back! I am proud of you so do think about me on your future decisions. :moon:

October 27th, 2008 (9:26 PM)

Diet was clean for the most part. For the longest time, I've been wanting to make brown rice a staple in my diet, but my family only makes white rice and aren't too fond of me making my own food when there's all this white rice left. Luckily, I work next to this Korean restaurant and they sell tubs of brown rice for $1.50 each. I'm going to be eating brown rice a lot more often :D.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) Toasted whole wheat bagel with 1/2 cup cottage cheese

Meal 2 (12:15 PM) 1 can tuna with tbsp canola-based mayo, 1 cup brown rice, 1 fish cake, 2 veggie dumplings

Meal 3 (4:00 PM) 2 oz honey roasted peanuts, 1 banana

Snack (6:00 PM) 1 apple

Workout OFF

Meal 5 (8:30 PM) 4 egg whites, 4 oz. turkey slices, 1 cup low-fat milk

Can't wait to work out tomorrow!

Diet looks better!!!!

I eat red potatoes a lot now. Roasted in the oven they are awesome. :tucool:

Great that you´re inspiring the BF too!

Regarding diet - constant vigilence. But I allow myself to have Saturdays ¨free¨. It helps alot with cravings or ¨celebrations¨.

Keep up the good work!

Chris,

I love red potatoes! I wish I could make it more often but my parents use the oven as a storage compartment for crap. That means I have to take out all the stuff and put it back in after I cook. God, my parents suck :p.

Coco,

He was the one who first inspired me by pushing me hard at the beginning. And yes, I do allow my Saturdays to be free also :).

It's rainy and ugly outside :(.

It's rainy and ugly outside :(.
40 F in FL!!! What the hell.

Picture?>

October 28th, 2008 (Yesterday)


Great shoulders workout! I was kinda stressed out because of a few things. When I got home from work, it was cold as hell out. My boyfriend drives us to the gym, and in the process of changing, I had realized I forgot to bring shorts. So I had to run out and buy some. Well, I visited 2 of the nearest stores and didn't find anything until I came across this little boutique literally right across the street from my gym. All I was able to find were these hot pink tights with tattoo-looking butterflies on them. I had no choice but to buy them. I looked like someone straight out of the 90's.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 6 egg whites, 1 slice whole-grain toast

Meal 2 (12:00 PM) 3/4 cup brown rice, 2 oz. green beans, 2 oz. sauteed beef with grilled onions, 1 rice noodle roll

Meal 3 (6:30 PM) 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1 apple

Workout (6:45 PM)

Shoulders-DB shoulder press
30 lbs each side @ 3x6, 1x8
DB front raise
20 lbs each side @ 6x4
-DB lateral raise
15 lbs each side @ 3x8
18 mins HIIT elliptical @ ~90%

Meal 5 (9:45 PM) 1/2 cup white rice, lightly battered jumbo shrimp with sweet mayo, tons of broccoli

October 29th, 2008 (Yesterday)


Pretty normal day. Went to the movies for SAW V last night. It was pretty good, but I feel like its becoming more of a drama than a horror movie since now it's following a story line.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 2 (12:00 AM) 1 cup oatmeal, string beans, sauteed beef, 2 veggie dumplings

Meal 3 (4:30 PM) 1 can chunk light tuna in 1 tbsp canola-based mayo, 3/4 cup brown rice

Workout OFF

Meal 4 (8:30 PM) 3 fried fish strips topped with corn and lettuce, a few nacho chips in salsa, 1 bud light (these were actually fish tacos from TGI Fridays.. I tried to keep the calories down as much as I could by only eating one tortilla with the fish and leaving the other two)

October 30th, 2008 (11:11 PM)

Today was a GREAT day workout and meal-wise. I had a strong chest/tricep workout and my meals were clean for the most part. I had a lot of egg whites today and I really can't help it because it is so good. Totally healthy and so easy to make. I wish I wasn't such a terrible cook so I can make more recipes and shake up my meals a little bit. For example, I know a few people on here make protein pancakes. God, I want to make them so bad, but I SUCK at making pancakes. Maybe I can get a waffle iron and save myself some trouble :p.

Off Topic
I'm really excited about Halloween because it's my most favorite holiday of all time. Tomorrow night I will be partying with a bunch of friends and the BF, so I'm going to have to move my workouts over a day. Hopefully it will be a low-calorie day. My BF and I have matching costumes.. Mr. and Mrs. Freddy Krueger :lol:. I'm going to take lots of pictures and post them up afterwards.

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll, 4 oz. lime jello, 1 cup black coffee w/ 2 splendas

Meal 2 (12:30 PM) 1/2 cup brown rice, sauteed string beans, grilled beef w/ onions, 1 rice noodle roll

Meal 3 (3:30 PM) 1/2 cup brown rice, grilled fish cake

Workout (6:15 PM)

Chest/triceps
-BB bench press
70 lbs @ 2x8, 80 lbs @ 1x6
-DB incline press
30 lbs each side @ 3x8
-DB flies
20 lbs @ 3x8
-DB pullover
30 lbs @ 3x8
-Rope pulldown
50 lbs @ 3x8
-Rope bent-over extensions
40 lbs @ 3x8
24 mins HIIT 1:1 split at 85-%-90%

Meal 4 (11:00 PM) 6 egg whites, 1 slice 12-grain toast

2 L water

For example, I know a few people on here make protein pancakes. God, I want to make them so bad, but I SUCK at making pancakes. Maybe I can get a waffle iron and save myself some trouble :p.

My BF and I have matching costumes.. Mr. and Mrs. Freddy Krueger :lol:. I'm going to take lots of pictures and post them up afterwards.


Mine turned out really bad the first few times, its just about getting the consistency right. They have to be fairly thick and not too runny otherwise they fall apart when you flip them. My recipie I posted is really really really good and if you follow the recipie exact, they turn out perfectly :tu: mine were delicious today :drool:

Cool, I cant wait to see them! I wish Halloween was celebrated more over here - or even celebrated at all really :(

November 2nd, 2008 (12:35 PM)

Man, Halloween was so much fun.... from what I remember anyway :lol:. The costumes this year were absolutely amazing. I wish Halloween was a full week rather than just a day lol. I kept my calories under 1600 and ate relatively clean, but because I got plastered on Friday, I spent yesterday recovering, which means I missed my workout :(. So today is going to be a loaded workout of back and biceps, legs and abs. I doubt that I'll even have any energy left to do my cardio afterwards, so I'm going to try circuit training and maybe some jumping rope to produce that cardio effect.

I usually don't get drunk often, and yesterday's recovery reminded me why. I guess I got caught in the Halloween spirit, but can you really blame me? ;)

Uh Oh... Not good. I think I may have injured my back a little bit. Yesterday I did a back, biceps, and legs workout after recovering from a hangover. My body felt weak and jittery, and my muscles shook a little bit with each lift. Well.. I went to do my squats and into my second set, my back fell into a hunch and I felt the weight come on top of me. I pushed the weight back up and racked it right away. What a scary moment. I've been doing this amount of weight for about 2 weeks, so I don't think the weight is too heavy. My body was just.. off yesterday. I finished my sets and moved on to my other two legs exercises, but by the time I was supposed to do abs, I was way too tired. I woke up this morning and I felt some stiffness and small pain in my lower back, which scares me a little bit. I'm going to rest up and see how I feel come my next back workout.

:(

Hope everything is OK. Listen to your body - you don´t strike me as someone who slacks off very much. There will be days when it just doesn´t happen and pushing to injury will slow you down even more.

Hoping you´re feeling better.

And Halloween rocks.:evil:

Thanks Coco.

I think my back should be fine with a little rest. When I arch my back, I feel a little pressure in my lower spine.. like the discs are being compressed. I'm not sure if this is any cause for concern, but I'm taking it easy for now.

November 4th, 2008 (10:13 AM)

Well, my back feels a little better, but there's still a little pain. I probably won't be able to notice any real healing until the soreness from the workout goes away. Man, what I wouldn't give for a massage right now!

I may have to skip my workout to go vote today. I feel like it is my obligation as an American citizen to vote for who I believe will be best fit to lead our country, despite what others may think. This will be my first time voting - it will be history in the making!

Yesterday

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 6 egg whites, 1 slice whole-grain toast

Meal 2 (12:00 PM) 3/4 cup brown rice, 2 oz. green beans, 2 oz. sauteed beef with grilled onions, 1 rice noodle roll

Workout: OFF

Meal 3 (9:00 PM) Went to a sushi restaurant for my cousin's birthday. I kept portions reasonable and ate only until I felt full. Plenty of green tea.

Don't you love Halloween?? :nod: I'm glad you had so much fun. Oh, and I don't think alcohol calories count on October 31. It has something to do with the position of the moon and the stars...not sure how it works, but trust me on this, girl.

Hey Vic, did you go to the village for the parade, or just hang our close to home?

How's your back feeling?

I didn't go to the parade because I had a dinner and a party that night and I needed to go home to get ready, then go back out to the city. I hear the parade is amazing, but I haven't been to one yet. Maybe next year I'll check it out.

November 4th, 2008 (9:49 PM)

My back is feeling better and I'm very glad. I think it may just be muscle soreness close to the spine that I mistook for abnormal pain. I did my usual shoulders exercise but I eased up on some weight and dropped front raises.

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 2 (12:30 PM) 6" chicken teriyaki sandwich from Subway loaded with veggies and provolone cheese

Meal 3 (5:15 PM) Tuna bun

Workout (6:15 PM)

Shoulders-DB shoulder press
25 lbs each side @ 3x8
-DB lateral raise
15 lbs each side @ 3x8
-BB shoulder press
55 lbs @ 4x6
22 mins HIIT elliptical @ 2:2 @ ~90%

Meal 4 (9:30 PM) 6 egg whites, 1 slice 12-grain bread

I've kinda fell off the calorie cycling routine as of late and I've been meaning to get back on. I specifically remember feeling more hungry on off days than on workout days and as a result, I ended up eating more to satiate myself. This trend went on for about 3 weeks. I don't know why this happened, but I plan on cycling my calories again to see if my body reacts the same way. I really do need to step up in my diet because I feel like my fat loss as slowed down significantly in the last month or two.

I really do need to step up in my diet because I feel like my fat loss as slowed down significantly in the last month or two.



You work so hard, I can't imagine that you are not still losing fat.
However, you do have me wondering if I should start calorie cycling too.

Someone warned that I will have to step up my game now that I have only (ONLY) 25lbs to lose, because they are the hardest and least resistant to drop.

You work so hard, I can't imagine that you are not still losing fat.
However, you do have me wondering if I should start calorie cycling too.

Someone warned that I will have to step up my game now that I have only (ONLY) 25lbs to lose, because they are the hardest and least resistant to drop.

Yeah the last few lbs are indeed harder to lose than those when you first started. I don't know the exact science behind it, but there's a reason why I work so hard ;). My goal is 118 lbs and i've been stuck at 123-125 forever, though my main focus really is body recomp.

My weight reading was never really a big concern for me as much as lowering body fat % is. Maybe if I switch my mentality to focus on mainly body fat loss, things will start to fall in place. That would mean a major adjustment in my diet more than anything.

Well, some of the muscle soreness in my back has gone away, but I still feel the pain in my lower spine. This leads me to think that it may be a small injury since I can feel it more distinctly now. I'm going to have to see a chiropractor and maybe get an x-ray :(.

I hope it's nothing, girl. Let us know how the x-rays turn out! :gl:

Well, some of the muscle soreness in my back has gone away, but I still feel the pain in my lower spine. This leads me to think that it may be a small injury since I can feel it more distinctly now. I'm going to have to see a chiropractor and maybe get an x-ray :(.
oh...that does not sound good. Please, take it easy until you see a dr.

Let us know how you make out and I hope you're feeling better quickly.

Chiropractor's are awesome - I see one every 2 months. Hopefully its something easily fixed and you'll be back to your routine in no time :)

Well day 4 of this faint but discomforting lower spine pain. Looks like at this rate I won't be able to do my usual back workout tomorrow :(. I'm really upset about that because I LOVE my back workouts. I'm wondering if I can maybe still work on my lats and skip anything that may require bending such as DL's or bent-over rows. Maybe I'll try doing less weight, more reps.

Yesterday

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) 4 egg whites on a kaiser roll

Meal 2 (12:00 PM) Chicken teriyaki sandwich with lots of veggies

Meal 3 (5:15 PM) Honey roasted peanuts

Workout OFF

Meal 4 (9:00 PM) 6 oz sirloin + 2 egg whites

November 6th, 2008 (10:04 PM)

Something happened at the gym today that really pissed me off. I was doing cable cross-overs when some guy took it upon himself to help me "get the right form". In the middle of my 3rd set, he puts his hand on my back and pushes forward to make me straighten my back, which totally threw me off to the point where I had to stop. I wanted more than anything in the world to kick this guy in the face, but I held it in, kindly said "thank you" and walked away. I'm a very humble person and I am always open to advice... but NOT while I'm in the middle of a set! :mad:

Anyway, had to vent a little bit. Otherwise, workout was good, Lol.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 6 egg whites, 1 slice 12-grain toast

Meal 2 (12:15 PM) 1/2 cup beef fried rice, green beans, 2 fried shisamo, 1/4 pan-fried chicken and broccoli, 1 fried rice noodle roll

Workout (6:00 PM)

Chest/triceps
-BB bench press
75 lbs @ 3x8
-DB incline press
30 lbs each side @ 3x8
-DB pullover
25 lbs @ 3x8
-Rope pulldown
20 lbs @ 3x8
-Rope bent-over extensions
20 lbs @ 3x820 mins HIIT elliptical 2:2, 2 min cool down

Meal 3 (8:15 PM) 1 can chunk light tuna in 1 tbsp canola-based mayo on 12-grain bread

Meal 4 (9:30 PM) 3/4 cup broccoli rabe, braised chicken

In the middle of my 3rd set, he puts his hand on my back and pushes forward [/SIZE]to make me straighten my back, which totally threw me off to the point where I had to stop.

Maybe he wasn't trying to critique your form as much as he was trying to get close to you. ;) Either way, though. Geeze. That's kind of invasive if you ask me. It would have made me a little uncomfortable for someone to just walk over and touch me like that. It sounds like you handled yourself well, though.

Maybe he wasn't trying to critique your form as much as he was trying to get close to you. ;) Either way, though. Geeze. That's kind of invasive if you ask me. It would have made me a little uncomfortable for someone to just walk over and touch me like that. It sounds like you handled yourself well, though.

I'd have thrown a dumbbell at him.

I'd have thrown a dumbbell at him.

Hah I should've! :p

SO.. I just did some reading on common causes of lower back pain associated with lifting, and the one condition that is closest to what I am feeling is a herniated disc. I can feel the acute pain when I bend or move in certain ways, but other times it doesn't bother me at all (i.e., when I'm walking). The pain isn't severe, but it's uncomfortable. The good news from this article (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/luis7.htm) from Bodybuilding.com is that lower back pain generally heals on its own with time and some tender love and care. The bad news is I will not be doing DL's or squats for a while, and I can't help but think that I accelerated the injury because maybe I was DLing or squatting with bad form. A part of me is afraid that when my back heals and I continue to DL or squat the way I did, I will just injure myself again. :(

Can anyone shine some light on this? Any of you guys had a herniated disc before?

Can anyone shine some light on this? Any of you guys had a herniated disc before?
Awwww Vic! I hope you don't have a herniated disc. Didn't you make it to the chiropractor yet?

Girl - you had the cables, a couple of quick wraps around the guy´s neck and release - voila, problem solved.

Herniated disc sounds really grim :eek:- are you sure you didn´t just strain something? Could you use a leg press instead? It´s not as good - but you could minimize losing ground while you´re resting your back.

Back pain is tricky to diagnose. I would definitely go to the chiro and get some x-rays to help you get a better idea of whats going on (if you havent done already). Best thing to do is rest - and I know you dont want to rest but to avoid further injury and pain its what has to be done :) Hopefully its nothing serious and you can get back to normal asap :tucool:

November 12th, 2008 (9:11 PM)

Well, guess who's back :). I was a bit MIA for the last four days because on Saturday and Sunday I went to Atlantic City, NJ with Charles for a little weekend getaway. For those of you who haven't been there, its like a mini Las Vegas, and man what fun I had! We stayed at this hotel called The Chelsea, a cute little retro 50's style hotel with the big vertical neon sign on the outside and gypsy-like furniture in the lobby. The room we stayed in came with a flat screen TV and a VERY comfortable king-sized bed. We explored the city, did some shopping and gambled a little bit. I actually won $300 playing Texas Hold'em Bonus, which gets very addictive after you get all the rules down. That basically paid for my whole trip :lol:. It's nice to get away for a day or two and forget about everything, and that includes working out and dieting, although I did miss it. :p

I guess I must've really lucked out during the weekend because on Monday, I came down with one of those colds that last only a few hours, but during those few hours you're hit with every cold symptom possible. I came down with a slight fever, had body aches, sore throat, head ache, and drowsiness. I was almost afraid that I was coming down with the flu, but thank goodness it wasn't. Getting sick is never fun, but I was glad that it came after my weekend getaway. By the next morning I was all better and ready to get back into the gym. My throat was still sore, but it didn't hurt so it was no big deal. My back hasn't been bothering me much at all now, so I resumed some shoulder and legs exercises that I had held off on, but still staying away from squats for maybe a few more weeks to see how things go.

Yesterday

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) Wheat bagel with cream cheese

Meal 2 (12:15 PM) 3/4 cup brown rice, 1/3 part mackeral, small spicy chicken skewer, fried rice noodle roll

Workout (6:30 PM)

Shoulders/legs-DB shoulder press
30 lbs each side @ 2x8, 1x7 (failure)
DB front raise
20 lbs each side @ 3x8
-DB lateral raise
15 lbs each side @ 3x8
-Leg extension
45 lbs @ 3x8
-Incline leg press
180 lbs @ 3x8
-DB lunges
20 lbs each side @ 3x8
Meal 3 (8:30 PM) (Cheat meal came early this week :doh: so I'll have to eat clean for the rest of the week) Cosi' Margherita pizza: whole-grain flatbread pizza with fresh mozzeralla, tomato sauce, and basil

2 Litres water

Sigh.. looks like I'll be missing another workout. My throat swelled up like a mofo over night and now I can barely talk. I'm also all sniffly and sneezy. Being sick SUCKS :(. I was crazy enough to leave my house with my gym stuff like I was actually gonna work out, but I guess it was just wishful thinking :cry:.

On top of that, it's rainy and nasty outside.

Guess I'll be sipping hot tea all day at work :p.

fried rice noodle roll

<----i'm thinking this might be more of a cheat than--->


Meal 3 (8:30 PM) (Cheat meal came early this week :doh: so I'll have to eat clean for the rest of the week) Cosi' Margherita pizza: whole-grain flatbread pizza with fresh mozzeralla, tomato sauce, and basil



Sigh.. looks like I'll be missing another workout. My throat swelled up like a mofo over night and now I can barely talk. I'm also all sniffly and sneezy. Being sick SUCKS :(.
the hot tea's a great idea. hope you feel better soon!! i have a cold i'm trying to get over myself. i hate when the symptoms linger!!

glad to hear ur back hasn't bothered you. good to let it heal up before u push it!!

Sigh.. looks like I'll be missing another workout. My throat swelled up like a mofo over night and now I can barely talk. I'm also all sniffly and sneezy. Being sick SUCKS :(. I was crazy enough to leave my house with my gym stuff like I was actually gonna work out, but I guess it was just wishful thinking :cry:.

On top of that, it's rainy and nasty outside.

Guess I'll be sipping hot tea all day at work :p.

Must be the season for it over there :( hot tea is the best when you're sick! I love camomile tea with a little honey... I try to avoid dairy when I've got a cold or sore throat because it flares up my symptoms big time. Hope you feel better and keep the fluids up :)

Hope you feel better soon.

Get better, girl. Seems like everyone is getting sick!

Hi guys! Well, I finally got over the cold and I got my voice back. My respiratory system is almost back to normal, which means I can hit the gym tomorrow! I took almost a full week off from working out and I think I'm starting to get withdrawal from it :p. I took my weight this morning and clocked in at ~123, which is good news. Doesn't seem that I gained any weight but I most definitely lost some strength and muscle density :(. I made the mistake of doing heavy shoulder lifts last Monday and my lower spine started to bother me again. BAD Vicky, BAD! :spank:. I guess I'm too addicted to lifting, but I have to learn how to take things easy.

In addition, I had some SERIOUS midnight cramping in my calves the other night. What a rude awakening! I can't remember the last time I felt such pain from cramps. It was so bad that my calves STILL ache, and it happened on Friday night. I read that nocturnal leg cramps can be caused by dehydration or lack of potassium, so yesterday I drank about 2 litres of water and ate 3 bananas :p. But OMG, it hurt so much.

In addition, I had some SERIOUS midnight cramping in my calves the other night. What a rude awakening! I can't remember the last time I felt such pain from cramps. It was so bad that my calves STILL ache, and it happened on Friday night. I read that nocturnal leg cramps can be caused by dehydration or lack of potassium, so yesterday I drank about 2 litres of water and ate 3 bananas :p. But OMG, it hurt so much.

damn that blows!!! i can't think of many things i hate more than calf cramps. that feeling when it is about to start and you don't want to move... ugh!!!

seems like u have a lot of pain lately. hopefully it all shapes up and you'll get a couple months of smooth sailin!

definitely keep urself hydrated!

In addition, I had some SERIOUS midnight cramping in my calves the other night. What a rude awakening! I can't remember the last time I felt such pain from cramps. It was so bad that my calves STILL ache, and it happened on Friday night. I read that nocturnal leg cramps can be caused by dehydration or lack of potassium, so yesterday I drank about 2 litres of water and ate 3 bananas :p. But OMG, it hurt so much.

I had same thing happen to me and my doctor told me to eat a banana. He mentioned what you read, said it was a lack of potassium. Don't ask why my potassium hit the bottom, but the bananas helped.

I used to get foot cramps in the middle of the night - and like every night for a few months! I dont think i've ever had a calf cramp? I'm sure it hurts like a bitch though. Hopefully the bananas and water helped!

Hah, yeah, calf cramps are pretty painful. Let's hope you never get them, Avy.

November 19th, 2008 (Yesterday)

I've decided to make being able to do wide-grip pull-ups as one of my goals. I think it's a great way to work the anterior delts and it's also less stressful on my spine since there's nothing weighing down on me from above my head. Problem is, I can't do them for the life of me :p. So what I did as someone once recommended on the forum was to grab the grips, jump up and come down as slowly as I can (w/o assist), and as time progresses, I should be able to come down slower and eventually pull myself up. I did 3 sets of 8 of these, and I'm sure feeling it in my shoulders and biceps today. I like the challenge that comes with be able to do pull-ups and I hope soon I will be able to do one :lol:.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 6 egg whites, 2 strips turkey bacon

Meal 2 (12:00 PM) 1 can chunk light tuna in 1 tbsp canola-based mayo on whole wheat bread, 1/2 steamed yam

Meal 3 (3:30 PM) Small tuna bun, honey roasted peanuts 1 hr later

Workout (6:15 PM)

Shoulders/legs
-DB shoulder presses
20 lbs @ 2x10, 2x8
-Unassisted pull-up attempts
3x8
-Incline leg press
200 lbs @ 3x8
-Leg extensions
75 lbs @ 4x8
22 mins HIIT elliptical 2:2 @ 85-90%, 2-min cool down

Meal 4 (8:45 PM) Broiled eel, 1 cup rice, 1/2 steamed yam

Hey Vicky,


Curious ...Whos workout plan are you using? Or did you make one?


:tucool:

Hmm.. to tell you the truth Chris, I made up my own lifting program and progressed with it every two weeks or so. Lately I've been jumping back and forth and haven't really gotten as far as I would've liked to. Back to the drawing board..

November 21st, 2008 (10:44 AM)

Did chest and triceps last night. Decided do incorporate dips from now on. Afterwards, went out with Charles to Uno and had their baked stuffed chicken breast (stuffed with spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes) with roasted seasoned veggies and "craisin" (cranberry raisin) brown rice. It was actually really good and not too bad on the calorie count. Charles had their signature deep-dish pizza, which is incredibly good, but super fattening.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 1 scoop Nitrean in low-fat milk

Meal 2 (11:30 AM) 1 can chunk light tuna in 1 tbsp canola-based mayo on whole-wheat

Meal 3 (3:30 PM) Broiled eel over 1 cup rice

Workout (6:00 PM)

Chest/triceps
-BB bench press
75 lbs @ 3x8
-DB incline press
30 lbs each side @ 3x8
-DB pullovers
30 lbs @ 3x8
-DB flies
15 lbs @ 3x8
-Rope bent-over extensions
20 lbs @ 3x8, 25 lbs @ 4x8
-Dips (unassisted)
5, 3, 3
Didn't have time to do cardio :(

Meal 4 (9:30 PM) Baked chicken breast stuffed with spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes, roasted seasoned veggies, "craisin" brown rice

November 22nd, 2008 (9:55 PM)

OH DEADLIFTS, HOW I HAVE MISSED YOU! I did DL's yesterday after being out of commission for 2 weeks due to some lower spine pain. Well last night I couldn't wait any longer. Being VERY careful with my form, I returned to my normal back/biceps routine, and the only word I have to describe it is bliss :dreamy:. I'm absolutely sore today from yesterday's workout, but it feels SO good!

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 1 scoop Nitrean and low-fat milk

Meal 2 (9:15 AM) Whole-wheat bagel with cream cheese

Meal 3 (12:15 PM) Broiled eel over 1 cup rice, 5-6 oz. sesame spinach + bok choy

Workout (6:30 PM)

Back/biceps
-DL's
115 lbs @ 4x6
-DB bent over row
30 lbs ea. side @ 3x8
-Lat pulldown
90 lbs @ 2x6, 1x5, 1x4
-DB curls
20 lbs ea. side @ 3x8
-BB curls
40 lbs @ 3x8
In celebration of the return of my back workout, Charles and I had sushi last night. I had 3 rolls. Then we went to a bar for drinks. I had 2 tequila sunrises.

All in all a good night. :tu:

Today

Did 30 mins HIIT elliptical 2:2 @ 85-90%. I felt really good after this workout because I had not done cardio since Monday. After cardio, I decided to jump some rope. I'm finally getting into a rhythm with my rope, but not after whipping myself with it a bunch of times. My arms are covered in lashes from being whipped by the rope . The longest I was able to keep a jump going maybe 15 seconds until I started to get a cramp in my stomach :(. I will be doing this more often to increase my endurance, agility, and speed. Plus its a lot of fun ;).

Meal 1 (11:15 AM) 6 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon

Meal 2 (3:30 PM) Whole wheat bagel with 1/2 cup cottage cheese

Workout (6:30 PM)

30 mins HIIT elliptical 2:2 @ 85%-90%
15 mins jumping rope (or attempting to, at least)

Meal 3 (8:30 PM) 6" chicken teriyaki sub w/ veggies

Meal 4 (9:30 PM) 6 pieces assorted sushi

After cardio, I decided to jump some rope. I'm finally getting into a rhythm with my rope, but not after whipping myself with it a bunch of times. My arms are covered in lashes from being whipped by the rope . The longest I was able to keep a jump going maybe 15 seconds until I started to get a cramp in my stomach :(. I will be doing this more often to increase my endurance, agility, and speed. Plus its a lot of fun ;).

I'm sorry did you just say skipping is fun? :eek: I find skipping about as fun as rubbing salt into a wound. You must have really good technique cos when I do it I am so exhaused that I can barely walk, breath, stand up, anything. My calves and abs are screaming after like a minute and my trainer makes me do it for 5 :o Good on you for adding that in :bow:

I'm sorry did you just say skipping is fun? :eek: I find skipping about as fun as rubbing salt into a wound. You must have really good technique cos when I do it I am so exhaused that I can barely walk, breath, stand up, anything. My calves and abs are screaming after like a minute and my trainer makes me do it for 5 :o Good on you for adding that in :bow:

LOL...that's hilarious!

I actually think it's fun too. I have a couple of really nice, leather jump-ropes that I use, but if I trip up...OUCH!!

I have a vinyl speed rope and it hurts like hell when I trip up on it. :p

I have a vinyl speed rope and it hurts like hell when I trip up on it. :p

Vinyl speed rope? Sounds pretty flash and professional! :) I use a plastic blue one :dance:

November 30th, 2008 (10:22 PM)

Back from a long Thanksgiving weekend. Hope everyone had a great time with their families eating and spending time. I was off from the gym and the diet this past week, but I plan to get back on track starting tomorrow. I didn't overeat on Thanksgiving, so that's good news at least. I got two great workouts in this week, legs and back/biceps. Hoping to do some grocery shopping tomorrow. This group project that I'm working on for school is killing my schedule :(. I had to miss a workout today to meet with my group, which really sucks. Then headed to a bar to watch my G-Men. I'll have to re-do my schedule also that Charles has been switched to overnight shifts 8pm-4am. That's gonna be a pain in the ass too. ::Sigh:: Oh well.. better stop bitching and do something about it.

Good night everyone!

I'll have to re-do my schedule also that Charles has been switched to overnight shifts 8pm-4am. That's gonna be a pain in the ass too. ::Sigh:: Oh well.. better stop bitching and do something about it.


Good night everyone!




Night shift would suck big time. I hope you can work something out that suits your new schedule :) And dont worry about the missed workouts - we all have weeks like this. You will be back on track in no time :tu:

Hey Vic,

Good job on not overeating on Thanksgiving:tucool:
Is your schedule change permanent? I used to LOVE working at nights, but it's a pain when your schedule changes often. It's difficult to keep on track.

I'm mainly trying to keep up with Charles' schedule. He's a cop, so he works all kinds of weird hours. He's going to be doing night tours for the next few months maybe until crime rates go down during the night hours :p.

December 3rd, 2008 (9:24 AM)

Wow, can't believe it's December already. I can remember just about a year ago I was just starting my journey, completely lost and having no knowledge about the fitness world. Twelve months later, I've lost fat, gained muscle, learned to eat better, and made some really awesome friends on this little online community known as JSF. The road I've traveled was challenging physically and maybe even more so mentally, but it was very well worth it :D.

Last night, I reaffirmed to myself that I can indeed squat my body weight, even after a minor lower spine setback. Worked out hard, diet was okay. Haven't been getting enough sleep lately due to poor time management, but I'm working on it :nod:.

Meal 1 (9:00 AM) Wheat bagel w/ cream cheese

Meal 2 (1:00 PM) 3/4 cup brown rice, 1 piece codfish, 1 piece mackeral, 1 meatball skewer

Workout (6:00 PM)

Legs
-BB Squats
115 lbs @ 3x8, 125 lbs @ 1x6
-Incline press
200 lbs @ 3x8
-DB lunges
25 lbs ea. @ 6x4
18 mins HIIT elliptical 2:2 @ 90%, 2 min cool down

Meal 3 (8:00 PM) 1 banana

Meal 4 (9:30 PM) 10 pan-fried pork/cabbage/mushroom dumplings

1.5 L water

Twelve months later, I've lost fat, gained muscle, learned to eat better, and made some really awesome friends on this little online community known as JSF. The road I've traveled was challenging physically and maybe even more so mentally, but it was very well worth it :D.

.

You've been here a year? You really have had a good journey.I hope I can follow in your footsteps.

I have to admit that since starting my math class, I cannot post as much as I like, but I really have become attached to people here. There are some very kind, helpful folk on this site, you being one of them :tucool:


Legs-BB Squats
115 lbs @ 3x8, 125 lbs @ 1x6
-Incline press
200 lbs @ 3x8



Girl, you wicked!! :bow:

Awww shucks NY :o. I'm glad I was able to be a part of your journey as well. We build off each other's successes around here, and that's the best part of being in this community.

I'm trying to get back into the swing of things as well as I had just finished a grueling group project for my Business Policy class as well as finally fixing my laptop.

I will pick up from here today.

Vicky i have been reading your post...i hadnt been able to get on John Stone a lot due to the situation in wall street and what not......I am loving the work you've put in soooo far......I think is time for more pics lol!

Well, my life is truly an emotional roller coaster. These last 2 or 3 days have been rough for me, so I may not be posting here as much as I would like. I will try my best to stay focused, but right now I can only do so much. I will be back soon, but in the meantime, I will continue to get stronger physically, and hopefully, mentally.

On a lighter note, I order Darden's The New HIT today. I can't wait to start reading it.

Well, my life is truly an emotional roller coaster. These last 2 or 3 days have been rough for me, so I may not be posting here as much as I would like. I will try my best to stay focused, but right now I can only do so much. I will be back soon, but in the meantime, I will continue to get stronger physically, and hopefully, mentally.

On a lighter note, I order Darden's The New HIT today. I can't wait to start reading it.
Keep going Vicky you are doing great! :tucool:

Let me know if you need any help with HIT. The book is pretty easy to read and understand.

Well, my life is truly an emotional roller coaster. These last 2 or 3 days have been rough for me, so I may not be posting here as much as I would like. I will try my best to stay focused, but right now I can only do so much. I will be back soon, but in the meantime, I will continue to get stronger physically, and hopefully, mentally.

On a lighter note, I order Darden's The New HIT today. I can't wait to start reading it.
Vic, I'm sorry to hear about your rough spell. I hope that things level out for you soon.

Try to focus on Darden's book; it should be a good source of motivation for you.
*Hugs*

December 19th, 2008 (1:48 PM)

Well, most of the drama has pretty much cleared away, and needless to say I am VERY happy to be back. These last few days I've been trying to focus on my workouts. I ripped my lower back apart with 4 sets of DL's last night.. I tried to up one set to 125 lbs but I was only able to do 3 reps before my grip failed :curses:. Chest and triceps tonight, which I'm pretty excited about because I think my triceps are getting stronger. How do I know? I did 7 consecutive dips last night before failure, then 4, 4, 3. *Raises the roof!*

I received Darden's The New HIT book yesterday and quickly cracked it open. The extent of this man's knowledge and expertise is incredible. I can't wait to try his techniques!

Diet has been on and off, but will soon be back on. :nod:

glad to see ya back and hear things are settling down!

Thanks Deja! I have alot of catch up reading to do with everyone's journals here! :read:

December 19th, 2008 (1:48 PM)

Well, most of the drama has pretty much cleared away, and needless to say I am VERY happy to be back. These last few days I've been trying to focus on my workouts. I ripped my lower back apart with 4 sets of DL's last night.. I tried to up one set to 125 lbs but I was only able to do 3 reps before my grip failed :curses:. Chest and triceps tonight, which I'm pretty excited about because I think my triceps are getting stronger. How do I know? I did 7 consecutive dips last night before failure, then 4, 4, 3. *Raises the roof!*

I received Darden's The New HIT book yesterday and quickly cracked it open. The extent of this man's knowledge and expertise is incredible. I can't wait to try his techniques!

Diet has been on and off, but will soon be back on. :nod:



Ohhh!!! I cannot wait to hear what you're going to be working on.
I love doing this program. I spend 35 minutes with the weights and I'm done (tired, but done).

December 24th, 2008 (7:51 PM)

Sunday:

Legs
-BB squats
115 lbs @ 1x8, 125 @ 3x8
-Incline leg press
225 lbs @ 4x8
-DB lunges
20 lbs ea. side @ 3x8
26 mins HIIT 2:2 elliptical, 2 min cool down

Yesterday:

Chest/triceps
-Dips
8, 5, 5, 5 (new PR :D)
-Bench press
75 lbs @ 2x8, 1x7 (failure)
-Cable flies
30 lbs @ 3x8
-DB pullovers
30 lbs @ 3x8
-Bent over rope extensions
40 lbs @ 3x8
I'm not even halfway done with Darden's book yet and already I'm anxious to try his techniques. I definitely feel that my workouts are not intense enough and I spend way too much time at the gym. I'll be going away this weekend to a ski resort and getting right back on my routine when I return.

Anxiously awaiting Christmas eve dinner..

Happy Holidays everyone!

December 30th, 2008 (10:53 AM)

Yesterday I tried to incorporate some of Darden's HIT principles into my workout, increasing total reps to 12 per set, 2 sets each exercise, with 45 secs - 1 min rest and ended up decreasing my time to about an hour for 3 muscle groups. Normally I would spend an hour working on only 2 muscle groups, so it was definitely more efficient, but still far from what Darden preaches in his book. Did legs, chest, and triceps. I dont' think I'm ready for a full body workout in one sitting at the moment because the gym that I go to is always so busy I don't think I would be able to get to do everything as planned in my routine. Food was ok for the most part.

Meal 1 (7:30 AM) 6 egg whites, 2 slices turkey bacon

Meal 2 (1:30 PM) Broiled salmon and green beans over rice

Workout (6:30 PM)

Legs, Chest/triceps-BB squat
115 lbs @ 2x12, 135 lbs @ 1x6
-Incline leg press
180 lbs @ 2x12, 230 lbs @ 1x6
-DB lunges
20 lbs ea. side @ 2x8
-Dips
9, 5, 4, 4
-Cable flies
30 lbs ea. side @ 3x10
-DB pull over
30 lbs @ 3x12
-Incline DB press
30 lbs ea. side @ 2x12
-Bent over rope extension
40 lbs @ 2x12
Meal 3 (9:00 PM) Broiled fish, small portion roast pork, small bowl rice

I dont' think I'm ready for a full body workout in one sitting at the moment because the gym that I go to is always so busy I don't think I would be able to get to do everything as planned in my routine. Food was ok for the most part.





Initially, when I tried HIT I didn't think that I was benefiting from it, as I needed someone to spot me on my last 3 reps. However, I now LOVE it. It takes some getting used to, for those of us who are accustomed to split workouts and especially those who are used to doing several sets, but I see a HUGE difference in my gain over the past couple of weeks.

Good to hear that your seeing great results, NY! I'm definitely excited for it, but as I'm finishing up the book, I'm thinking about how I can shape my routine around the availability of equipment at my gym :D. I'm very excited and I can't wait to get a routine down so I can start on it.

'm thinking about how I can shape my routine around the availability of equipment at my gym :D.
I started thinking about this after I posted and remembered the issues, I myself, ran into in the evenings. I ended up having to switch to 5 am workouts, when the gym is less crowded.

Morning hours are definitely less crowded NY. I give you alot of credit for being able to wake up that early though :lol:.