Welcome Everyone

My name is Sara. I have been visiting this wonderful inspiring site on and off for around 4 years. I was very inspired by many of the posted journeys and progress pictures :p especially John Stone and Guava journeys :tu:.
I started a personal journey last month to makeover my life. I wanted to incorporate working out and eating healthy into my new lifestyle. I posted few threads and was encouraged by members to start a fitness journals. I am well-educated in this field, I know exactly what I want (have) and where I wanna (will) be.

Current Status
Age: 25
Weight: 127lbs
Height: 5'4.5" 165cm
BF% = 21-23%
Current Measurements: 34 28 35


Health:
I am very healthy; I never drank or use any recreational drugs. I stay away from prescribed drugs and doctors in general. I had my share of injuries/eating disorders that I don't wish to discuss. I prefer to stay optimistic.

Nobody is perfect; I admit that I smoke occasionally like once every 3 months. I don't find my habit hurting me at all, but I don't encourage anyone to start lol

Genetics/Body Image:
I don't gain/loss weight easily.
Upper body tends to be skinny.
Lower body tends to be curvy.
Water retention issues.


Goals:
1) Have Fun: I love exercising. It relaxes me and quite my mind. It's a spiritual and self-exploration experience. I learn a lot about myself while exercising, but most importantly, I have a lot of FUN.

2) Enhance overall body: I would like a balance between my upper/lower body. My thighs are my major fat storage, they are muscular too. My bony shoulders are not my definition of beauty. I would like them fuller and wider. This will definitely balance out my full body image.

3) Enhance my posture: I don't have the best posture. I have a slight case of swayback, forward hip tilt and forward head posture from my previous desk job. I am correcting that with stability exercises and yoga poses

4) Enhance my endurance/strength: I love jogging/running on my treadmill. My resting heart rate is around 90-100. I don't have any heart problems.

It's so late over here; I better catch some sleep before going to work. I'll continue/amend this post hopefully tomorrow.

Thank you all for reading my first post and visiting my journal, I hope you would stop by few time a week to check out my progress. I will do my best to update this journal periodically. If I disappear, it is probably due to my busy schedule. I will do my best to keep you up with all the details.

Sara :tucool:
[Edit] Sorry about the earlier mess.

Welcome. I think it is a great idea to start a journal (I should probably do this ...).

For improving posture, I will suggest emphasizing back exercises in your routine, specifically pullups and rows. This will help to "pull" your shoulders back a bit, straightening your spine.

:wave: Hi! :D

I like how your goals are laid out. It's surprising to see someone who's NOT saying I want to lose x pounds. You're at a healthy weight right where you are, and I think by focusing on improving all of those things on your list, that your body shape will change at the same time, to be something that you're really proud of. :) Have you taken your "before" shots yet? Recorded your "before" diet and your baseline strength? These are all important for tracking your journey.

Do you find that your water retention is dependent on other factors? Will you be tracking water and/or salt intake?

Kevin has some good tips about posture. I always have much better posture right after any of my back workouts. I find that supermans, bent over row and middle back shrugs (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=Middle+Back&Equip=Dumbbell&Isolation=) give me the strength and flexibility to walk a lot taller.

Looking forward to reading about your successes. :gl:

Hi Guava :cool:,

I have taken several pictures and I am taking more every two weeks. My body is changing very fast. My posture is much improved and to my surpirse, my shoulders (and chest :p) look wider with the new improved posture. :claphigh:

It has been a month already, I am on a 60-70% clean diet. My water retention has reduced very much. I lost around 3" from my stomache, 2" from my waist, 1" from my hips :o. I tend to swell up like a 5-month pregnent lady sometimes :lol: but with the new lifestyle, my water retention is very minimal.
I know certain food cause me water retention like cauliflower, beans, brocolli :cry: sadly, I love these food.

I have an uncommon story with salts, I actually supplement sea salt. I noticed my energy/performance increases very much. I did not notice any water retention while supplementing sea salt.

I'll post tomorrow hopefully my routine and diet (food lifestlye sound like a healthier phrase).

I was wondering Guava, when you hit the weights and eat more (I am eating more than I ever did :lol:), have you noticed any hormonal changes (irregular period, aggression, etc)?

Alright everyone, time to workout, I feel like I'll have an amazing intense workout today. I'm still trying to do my first pushups, let's hope I will soon.

Sara :bb:

I lost around 3" from my stomache, 2" from my waist, 1" from my hips :o.:eek: Holy smokes, you're doing super!!! :claphigh:

I was wondering Guava, when you hit the weights and eat more , have you noticed any hormonal changes (irregular period, aggression, etc)?I prefer to call it assertiveness... :whistle:

Yeah, I think there were some changes. It's so hard to tell what's a "psychological" effect ("all in your head") or what's a biological effect.

I've reached some crazy optimitic and omnipotent-feeling peaks during and shortly after lifting, and, less frequently, even after a good session of cardio. You could probably say they're hormonally driven, but I'm not sure it was anything beyond exercise-induced hormonal changes, and probably not a long-lasting thing. :confused: But there are several good reasons why I prefer working out right before bed instead of at other times of the day. :madpimp:

I haven't noticed particular changes with more food or more calories, but I do notice changes with more or fewer carbohydrates than typical. I get nervous, anxious, and prone to cravings with less than about 175 grams of carbohydrates, no matter how much protein I allow myself to eat. Most people would think of that as an insanely high intake, but it works for me, I don't know why.

I don't remember for absolute sure, but I think my period was disrupted only when I was at a low body weight combined with low BMI (irregular at about 18% BF at 115 pounds, but fine at about 16% BF at 120 pounds) Anyway, it didn't happen more than two or three times, and never in consecutive months. Never skipped it either; just had it come extremely late. It leads me to think that it was caloric intake making the difference; gaining muscle mass allowed me to increase the amount of calories I was eating and get better nutrition. I heard the same thing from rockenmama. She never lost her period even while insanely lean, because she was eating such a huge amount to fuel her grueling training schedule.

:eek: Holy smokes, you're doing super!!! :claphigh:

I prefer to call it assertiveness... :whistle:



I just had an amazing workout, I did a half-pushup :p. That so counts to me :spaz: lol.

And I thought I am the only one who exercises before bed :tucool:. I used to enjoy an early morning workout but my performance was not the best. When I shifted my workout to later hours, I was surprised by the intensity of the workout.

I think women bodies react very differently to food and exercises.
When I used to do a 3-days-split weight trainning, I felt unbalanced most of the time. A full-body workout or an upper/lower split feels more natural to my body and mind. I love changing my routine every week, I play around with my routine way too much :lol:. I want to add yoga, maybe some kickboxing :dreamy: for my assertiveness :rolleyes:.

I think with experiment, you learn so much about your body, strength and even mind. I noticed mind clarity, mental toughness, better coordination (my handwritting is getting awful though hehe :lol:) and an amazing mood :jumping:... all bonus :jumping:. So far my period is regular, not that I will miss it if it doesn't show up :lol:.

Inspirational picture of this week. I will be able to do a full pushup very soon. http://www.mtv.com/movies/photos/s/stick_it_011205/flip_stickit_disney_03.jpg

Sara :cool:

Welcome. I think it is a great idea to start a journal (I should probably do this ...).

For improving posture, I will suggest emphasizing back exercises in your routine, specifically pullups and rows. This will help to "pull" your shoulders back a bit, straightening your spine.

Hi there,

I encourage everyone to start a journal (not just a fitness journal, but a life journal). You will feel inspired everytime you read and update your journal.

I have been focusing on my shoulder, back and hip when it comes to strength and flexibility. Funny thing, a week ago, there were muscles in those areas that I never knew I had. My hip used to be swollen (due to water retention) and tight. Today, I did a lunge so effortlessly without struggling to keep my balance while moving.

It's all good, :gl: in your fitness journey.

Sara :cool:

:bb:Trainning:

I designated a weekly trainning program. My main focus is strength trainning. I want to gain muscles, strength and endurance. I am not very consistent when it comes to days/times. But generally, my program goes this way:

1) Weight trainning:


2 days per week a "full body weight trainning sessions".
1 day per week a "focused upper body weight trainning session".
2 days per week cardio
I only have access to DB. My weight trainning session goes:

squate 3x12
deadlifts 3x12
lunge 3x12
crunches 3x10
pushups 3x10
shoulder press 3x12
bent-over row 3x12
shrug 3x12
lying external rotation 3x10
flies 3x12
bridge 3x12

I try to mix up it up everyweek, the most important thing for me is to feel balanced by the end of the workout.

2) Yoga

My Yoga workout is not a famous routine. I tried the sun salutation but did not feel good doing it. I decided to use my favorite poses to designate a routine that fits my body and mind. I am still developing it myself, and I will post it as soon as I experiment it.

3) Cardio

I used to do alot of stationary biking, which made my thighs pretty muscular, I throw the bike out :lol: lol. I have nothing against the stationary bike, but the one I had made me feel like a robot while exercising. The movements did not feel natural.

I have a treadmill now. I like to play around with the speed and inclination every now and then. Sometimes I am doing speedy walk for 30 minutes, sometimes I am jogging for 15 minutes. Sometimes I am climbing a mountain at 8%. I think constant change in routine reduce the risk of getting injures, in addition to having a good form, rest and a healthy diet.


Food Before and During Exercise: I drink water and supplement sea salt/epsom salts/banana/water with apple vinegar cider. I tend to sweat alot, not only while working out, but most of the day. My blood pressure tend to be on the lower side.

From my experiment, using these food while exercising are very beneficial:

Salts prevent any dizziness and restore electrods balance instantly.
Banana and apple vinegar cider reduce exercise cramps and increase flexibility.
That's all for today, I am happy that I did committ to my last night promise to update this journal. It has been a long day, can't wait to do some cardio/yoga tonight.

Sara :claphigh:

Yesterday, I had a fatty fast food meal with ice cream. I didn't workout and slept for 8 hours.

I expected to wake up with a smile on my face. The only thing I saw on my face was a red pimple from hell :mad:. I was already feeling so crappy, my head felt so heavy:bang:, my sinus felt congested, my eyes and face were swollen, my posture was awful, I did not feel like myself anymore.:madpimp:

I realized that it finally happened. My diet and trainning routine has become a part of me (I should stress the word "a part"). I was in my office yesterday wondering how would I feel about taking a week off my routine. That thought made me feel a little burn in my stomache. I did not like the idea. I sure would appreciate a break from my regime to rest and allow my body to heal but it wasn't the right time.

When I realized that, it is time to go back on track, all my symptoms went away. My pimple went dry and was not hurting anymore (and it better be gone back to hell tomorrow :mad:). My morning mood has always been an indication for the way I feel about myself. When I am in harmony with my inner self, I am simply alive.

A few hours ago, I was helping a friend renovate her living room. I had fun and was amazed at how stronger I felt. My back was supporting me all day long, I never slump not even once :eek:.

I wish to report a successful week of improving my posture which has improved my general overall look:

I definitely look taller :claphigh: :jumping:
My upper body harmonize better with my lower body.
My shoulder is pulled back and down
My chest is pushed up and looks fuller :jumping::jumping:
My hip bone is visible
My tummy is flat and I am starting to see some definition in there :spaz:.

Sara :cool:

Hey girl,
I love your inspirational pic of the week!!! VERY MUCH!
I love that you play around with your routine even more than I do, its good to know I am not the only one.

Keep up the good work, it definately appears that you are making good progress. :)

I wish to report a successful week of improving my posture which has improved my general overall look:

:claphigh:

I want to mention too that you should think now about scheduling in a week of break. I always hated to take a break, and didn't even like the break all that much, but the second to third day back at lifting after the break has always been bliss like no other. :dreamy:

And I find that my strength gains are so much larger after just starting a new program than they are after the fourth or eighth consecutive week of a stable number of reps and sets.

If you psychologically can't take a break, then at least take a week or so to do some radically different type of training every so often. (eg. train with a ridiculously low amount of weights and a ridiculously high set of reps, or vice versa, or do cardio only for that week, or yoga and stretching only, etc.)

I guess I'm saying I like to take a break from lifting just so I can experience the feeling of lifting again. :confused: :D

I love your inspirational picture!!! Keep up the great work! I enjoy reading your journal!!!

i lov the inspirational picture too!!!
you sound like you are making amazing progress well done and I love your attitude11 please share some pictures with us :)

Sounds like you're seeing some awesome changes. Great job!

Your inspirational picture is very empowering :). How about one of yourself? :D

BTW, I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a curvy muscular set of legs. To me, curvy = beautiful :)

Keep up the good work! :tu:

When I started my fitness journal, I set my intention to have fun with it.

Everyday, I remind myself, its all about having fun. I want to listen to my body carefully. I want to see where my physical, emotional and psychological limits are. I want to expand beyond them while staying in alignment with myself.


Thanks girls for stopping by and sharing your wonderful words. I have been going through some of the journals the past few days. I thought to myself "Wow those ladies train pretty hard and heavy :tucool:".

:gl: Sara

Sounds like you're seeing some awesome changes. Great job!

Your inspirational picture is very empowering :). How about one of yourself? :D

BTW, I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a curvy muscular set of legs. To me, curvy = beautiful :)

Keep up the good work! :tu:

I love muscular curvy legs. I think about ALL my feminine curves ... all the time :lol:. I want them to stay where they are, the way they are, a little enhancement will be a dream come true :lol:. Thanks for bring this subject, I have to mention that I am all for curves. One of my desires is to look amazing in a dress, not a tank top :lol:.

Since I improved my posture, I noticed more balance between my upper/lower body. Adding beef to my shoulder will go nice with my muscular legs. This is exactly what I am looking for.

:cool: Sara

:claphigh:

I want to mention too that you should think now about scheduling in a week of break. I always hated to take a break, and didn't even like the break all that much, but the second to third day back at lifting after the break has always been bliss like no other. :dreamy:

And I find that my strength gains are so much larger after just starting a new program than they are after the fourth or eighth consecutive week of a stable number of reps and sets.

If you psychologically can't take a break, then at least take a week or so to do some radically different type of training every so often. (eg. train with a ridiculously low amount of weights and a ridiculously high set of reps, or vice versa, or do cardio only for that week, or yoga and stretching only, etc.)

I guess I'm saying I like to take a break from lifting just so I can experience the feeling of lifting again. :confused: :D

Guava, thanks for the suggestions. I have prepared myself mentally to have my break within a week from today. I'll probably get my period and be all moody and scary :madpimp: lol. I will plan what to do on the break week, maybe I'll write a book or two :lol:. I feel so much energy, but I know my real gains will be during the break.

On a personal level, I have alot to do, I am renovating my home. I want to go back to college for further studies. I want to buy some clothes, purses, shoes and jewelries. I want to get a hair dye and cut. I want to get a manicure and tan. I want to start reading novels. I want to buy some birthday gifts soon. I want to read some technical books in my field to prepare for technical certification. The list will go on :lol:.

Sara :cool:

On a personal level, I have alot to do, I am renovating my home. I want to go back to college for further studies. I want to buy some clothes, purses, shoes and jewelries. I want to get a hair dye and cut. I want to get a manicure and tan. I want to start reading novels. I want to buy some birthday gifts soon. I want to read some technical books in my field to prepare for technical certification. The list will go on :lol:.

Sara :cool:

What exactly is your degree in? When you say technical "color" certification I'm thinking hair dresser or artist? Sounds like your time off you can keep yourself quite busy!!!

What exactly is your degree in? When you say technical "color" certification I'm thinking hair dresser or artist? Sounds like your time off you can keep yourself quite busy!!!

Hi Kree

I am an architect. I work in the construction field. Very tough but I love it :tucool:

Thanks for stopping by, hope you will enjoy what I will post next.

Sara :cool:

Cardio:

Background: I loved running as a child/teenager. I feel such a freedom and learned to appreciate it. In my heart, I want to be a runner. I want to run so fast because it makes me feel good and free.

Currently: I am not very excited about my progress in cardio endurance. I use my treadmill at home to get a 20-30 minutes workout, three times per week. I would love your feedback in this department.

Goals:
1) Jog ½ mile
2) Jog 1 mile
3) Jog 2 miles
4) More to be added later

Current Routines:

1- Current (Attempt to HITT) Routine (15-20 minutes)

1) Warmup at 3mph for 5 minutes
2) Try to Jog at 4mph, stop after the 3rd minute.
3) Walk at 3mph for 10 minutes.
4) Try to Jog at 4mph, stop after the 3rd minute.
5) Repeat the cycle.

2- Current LISS Routine (20-30 minutes):
1) Warmup at 3mph for 10 minutes.
2) Fast walk at 3.5mph for 5 minutes.
3) Repeat the cycle.

Issues:
1) I have difficulty maintaining my jogs. I tried (not-so-high :P) speeds of 4mph, but I struggle after the 3rd minute!!.
2) I am out-of-breath and tired (no dizziness, no lightheaded)
3) My calves and hamstrings start to cramp
4) I feel so hot and sweat way too much (although air-condition is on).
5) I have some issues with the treadmill itself lol. The movement feels so un-natural and sometimes I feel like a robot while exercising. However, I would never jog outside, it’s way too hot and I cannot stand the heat at ALL.

Note: My resting heart rate is 90-100 per minutes. I have no history of heart problems whatsoever. I have no problem with weight training or yoga at all, it is only walking/jogging.

I am excited about my week off. I am starting to feel my energy declining and I need more sleep these days. I am generally very sore.

I have been very busy lately. I had an amazing shopping week. I bought planty of outfits and shoes umm :nod:.

That's all for now :tucool:.

I have not post for a while. I miss the forum alot, I miss writting in my fitness journal and I miss working out. I went through a week off and ended up with an awful sinus infection. I am still down and have been experiencing fatigue, strength and weight loss. I wish I will be well soon, until them, blessings.

Hello,

I hope you are feeling better soon.

To help prevnt cramps, I would reccommend doing some stretching after your warm up and after the exercise. There are lots of suggestions on the web for calves, groin and hamstrings as well as quads. Make sure you have enough salts in your body too, if you are somewhere hot and are sweating a lot (like here in Cambodia) adding a rehydration salts, or similar to your water will help your body regain the balance. Make sure you are drinking plenty, 3-4 litres per day in a tropical climate. Don't be afraid of the sweat, it is your body's way to help you stay cool and shows you are working your body hard enough. If you are exercising, but not sweating, then you are probably dehydrated.
Are you still getting tired? What is your calorie intake like?

S

Hello,

I hope you are feeling better soon.

To help prevnt cramps, I would reccommend doing some stretching after your warm up and after the exercise. There are lots of suggestions on the web for calves, groin and hamstrings as well as quads. Make sure you have enough salts in your body too, if you are somewhere hot and are sweating a lot (like here in Cambodia) adding a rehydration salts, or similar to your water will help your body regain the balance. Make sure you are drinking plenty, 3-4 litres per day in a tropical climate. Don't be afraid of the sweat, it is your body's way to help you stay cool and shows you are working your body hard enough. If you are exercising, but not sweating, then you are probably dehydrated.
Are you still getting tired? What is your calorie intake like?

S

Hi there,

I am in a tropical environment too and it is challenging with the heat and humidity. I tried to exercise in room temperature but it was not possible and had to turn on the air-condition. I supplement sea salt to help keep my electrods in balance. I also have a banana before doing cardio. I have managed to improve my cardio state slowly before I take the week off. I will post sometimes the improvement in my cardio endurance.

It has been almost a month since I stopped exercising. I am still down with the infection with fatigue and head heaviness, I won't exercise until my symptoms are gone.

thanks for stopping by.

I'm Back

Hi,

I’m back, I have been away for around three months. I missed you all. Happy holidays and Happy New Year.

I have not posted in the last three months due to medical issues. Sadly, I had to stop exercising for two months. I was not feeling good, hence went back to old eating habits.

Good new, I am back on track, it’s already Day 7 since I resumed my healthy lifestyle. I just finished a 30 minutes jog/walk outside with my exercise partner. I will have a weight lifting session in an hour.

I will be posting more details soon. In the mean time, I want to say hi.

Sara

Hi,

Good luck.
I am back in the UK - it is soooooo cold! Wishing I was in the tropics again.

S

I'm Back

Hi,

I’m back, I have been away for around three months. I missed you all. Happy holidays and Happy New Year.

I have not posted in the last three months due to medical issues. Sadly, I had to stop exercising for two months. I was not feeling good, hence went back to old eating habits.

Good new, I am back on track, it’s already Day 7 since I resumed my healthy lifestyle. I just finished a 30 minutes jog/walk outside with my exercise partner. I will have a weight lifting session in an hour.

I will be posting more details soon. In the mean time, I want to say hi.

Sara

sorry to hear about your medical issues but well done for getting back on track :tu: how as your first weightlifitng session?

sorry to hear about your medical issues but well done for getting back on track :tu: how as your first weightlifitng session?

Iit was awesome. Today, my posture is excellent. I am heavier than my initial weight, but it's okay, since I am trying to gain some muscles. I am now at around 130lbs. Next week, I will focus on dropping more weight. Hopefully, I can maintain what I gained so far.

I am planning on updating my journal soon. I have been so busy playing around with my routine and watching my body's respond. As I mentioned, I had a hard time putting on weight, but I think I finally discovered what works for me.

Thanks for stopping by.

Back to the :bb:

Hi,

I finished a 7-week program. I was eating around 1700-2000cal/day. I did cardio 2-3 times/week and lifted 3-4 time/week full body heavy-weights 3x12. I used to weigh 125lbs, now I weight around 129lbs.

Last week, I took a break from trainning. I was a bit disappointed for my inability to measure my progress at the end of my program. It wasn't until I finished my one-week break and started trainning again. I was definitely stronger. I took body measurements and wow, my shoulders are wider. My lats and deltoids are more visible now, they look amazing! The week break did the trick!

I cannot wait to lose the extra fat. I am not sure how I will maintain my gains, but I am thinking alot of protein and watch my calorie intake.

I am really happy to reach my goal of gainning strength and upper body definition. My posture is almost perfect today.

Thanks all for stopping by
Sarah :jumping:

Hi,

I finished a 7-week program. I was eating around 1700-2000cal/day. I did cardio 2-3 times/week and lifted 3-4 time/week full body heavy-weights 3x12. I used to weigh 125lbs, now I weight around 129lbs.
I was a bit disappointed for my inability to measure my progress at the end of my program. It wasn't until I finished my one-week break and started trainning again. I was definitely stronger. I took body measurements and wow, my shoulders are wider. My lats and deltoids are more visible now, they look amazing!



great job!!! :bow::bow::bow: