Today is another happy day.

I feel like I am finally at where I want to be.

So, a new journal for a new me.

Some before and after pics.

1st pic - 9 months after my youngest daughter was born, October 2001
2nd pic - 2 years after my youngest was born, January 2003
3rd pic - today

And here's how I got to where I am:

Guava's Diet
This "diet" is a gradual building of sound nutritional practices. It's what I personally did; I made it up all by myself, so it's not perfect. If you follow guidelines like this, you don't need to count calories to lose weight.

Weeks one and two: Cut out pop and alcohol. Swap with diet pop, or, ideally water. Reduce dessert consumption.

Week three: Reduce fast food meals to once a week. If you have to eat at a restaurant, eat half the entree only.

Week four: Reduce red meat intake to no more than once per week. Replace with chicken or pork. For breakfast, eat barley or oats instead of boxed cereals.

Weeks five and six: Replace at least half pork or chicken intake with beans, fish, and nuts. Eat more fruits and vegetables and less rice, potatoes, and pasta.

Weeks seven and eight: Replace white bread with whole wheat, white flour with whole wheat, white noodles with whole wheat, and white rice with brown.

A typical day:
Breakfast
Oatmeal or granola mixed with milk and a cooked diced apple.
OR
Homemade baked good (eg. orange bran flax muffin or pumpkin bread or sugarless bars) with a sliced orange and a large glass of milk
OR
homemade flax bread with peanut butter and a banana and a large glass of milk
On the weekend, usually pancakes with fruit and whipped cream or spinach ricotta pancakes and ham
OR
whatever I like :D

Lunch
large fruit salad AND
Barley Bean Salad with or without diced chicken breasts
OR
Insanely Easy Vegetarian Chili
OR
Salmon in a pouch (with red pepper, carrots, and oranges)
OR
tuna sandwich
OR
whatever I like :D

Supper
Usually a salad of cucumber, tomato, green onion, and red pepper
AND
roasted chicken
OR
spaghetti and meat sauce
OR
beef soft tacos
OR
breaded pork chops with oven fried potatoes
OR
shrimp noodle stir fry
OR
whatever I like :D
Fridays is usually pizza

Snacks
Whenever I'm hugry.
Usually carrot sticks and a diet Coke, or an apple and a glass of milk, or a homemade baked good, or pudding.

Note: I don't often record, but I estimate that my daily diet contains about 1700 - 1800 calories. About 30% of the calories are from fat (about 60g) , 50% from carbohydrates, and 20% from protein (about 90g).

I started out with this circuit about three times a week:

12 push-ups
12 lunges
12 plie squats with bicep curls
12 dead lifts
12 bent over rows
12 ab crunches on stability ball
12 tricep extensions on stability ball

Then repeat this circuit 3 or 4 times.

I didn't use anything other than dumbbells.

On weight days, I did 20 minutes on the stationary bike. Non-weight days, I did 20 minutes on the bike and attended an aerobics class.

This was good for about two months.

Now I'm doing something more like this:
Weights every second day:
dumbbell curls with plie squat set of 8
backward lunges set of 8
tricep exensions set of 8

rest, repeat, rest again, repeat, rest

wall slides
butt lift set of 12 right leg, 12 left leg, 12 together
leg lifts or crunches

rest, repeat, rest, repeat, rest

pushups set of 8
upright row set of 8
side laterals set of 8
bent over row set of 8

rest, repeat, rest, repeat, rest

Then, if I still haven't had enough, I do a thing where I tie a resistance band around my ankles, walk forward, pull each leg up forward four times alternately, walk back, each leg up four times, forward, legs up, backward, pull each leg to the side alternately four times, walk backward, pull to side, walk forward, pull to side, walk backward, pull each leg back alternately four times, walk forward, pull back, back, pull back, then put the whole thing all together.

Twice a week I try to get to the gym to do straight arm pulldowns, wide grip lat pulldowns, close grip lat pulldowns, rows, and dumbbell bench step ups. I feel like I should be doing squats, bench press, and deadlifts, but I'm not particularly fond of them.

On weight days, I usually go for about a mile-long walk in the afternoon. Non weight days, I jog for 45 minutes on the treadmill in the mornings.

Guava you look Soooo goood and your recipes although sometimes I wonder how you come up with some of them they are great to. Keep it up.

I've been playing around with the new bodyfat scale that I got and noticed an interesting trend. When I weigh high (in the evening) it shows a very low body fat percentage. (13.8% last night :eek: ). I've never heard anyone mention that before.

One reason I know I'm where I want to be at: It used to be that if I tried on a pair of pants and said "these pants are too small for me", I was actually thinking "my hips are too big to fit into these pants". Now, I can understand that "these pants were made for someone smaller than I am," as I would think for a pair of size seven shoes.

Today we celebrate Canada/Italy Day in Romania. As children's event coordinator, I have organized a potato sack race, water balloon toss, mom calling contest, egg and spoon walk, fill the cup relay, face painting, balloon animal folding, and lots of other fun stuff. It will NOT rain.

Wow, Guava! You are a knock out! And you look fit as heck. :tu:

Thank you for sharing your diet and fitness routines.

Today we celebrate Canada/Italy Day in Romania.

You're in Romania? If so, how cool!

WOW!

What a transformation. You're really toned in the last pic. Can definitely pick up on your weightlifting in your arms and ab.

I've got to show my wife. She started a program today.

WTG ! :claplow:

Canada/Italy day was a big success. Part of the fun was a soccer game with the moms against the kids. I was proud to be one of the few moms that could actually keep up to the kids. I took a few tumbles, but it was fun to run so hard. I must have twisted my ankle a bit because I felt it this morning on the treadmill.

Thanks for the compliments Freemason and ABGuy. For clarification, I started changing my diet in September 2003. I'm 5'4.5'", and was about 130 pounds. (Same as in the second pic). I slowly started increasing the cardio at the same time, and added weight training about mid January 2004. I don't have any pics from January, but some of my abs and bicep progress are posted in the media gallery (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=4990) I'm at 116 today and have never felt better in my life. A year ago, I couldn't have worn the outfit I have on in the last pic. Mid January I could have worn it, but would have been very self conscious about my abdominal fat. Now, I can wear it and don't even have to think about sucking in my stomach. I was tired of thinking "I'm too old for that," so I made a change.

Funny enough, the biggest change is NOT in how I look. I am a HAPPIER person, and feel good about myself. Sometimes it's just a matter of deciding to be happy. :D

"You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing." --Michael Pritchard

"You can't do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth." --Evan Esar

Crazy things are going on in my personal life and it's hard to stay sane. That's why fitness is so important to me; it gives me such a sense of control, when the rest of my life feels so random. I used to eat when I got stressed out; now, when my head starts pounding, I say "I've got to go to the gym."

We took the girls to the beach today. They had a great time collecting shells and playing in the sand. Next week we might go to a water park.

My thighs are killing me. I can't figure out what I might have done to them. Either the soccer game was rougher than I thought, or my high heeled sandals somehow put a strain on the front of my legs rather than on the calves that they normally irritate.

Food shopping is really not that much fun anymore. I can completely skip the cereal aisle, the chocolate aisle, most of the frozen foods, all the snack foods.... I bought some tofu because I just had to get myself something unique. I've never cooked tofu before, so this could be interesting.

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere." --Frank A. Clark

"It isn't what you have or who you are, or where you are, or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about." --Dale Carnegie

You're one hot momma, Guava! :tu: Today is another happy day.

I feel like I am finally at where I want to be.

So, a new journal for a new me.

Some before and after pics.

1st pic - 9 months after my youngest daughter was born, October 2001
2nd pic - 2 years after my youngest was born, January 2003
3rd pic - last week
4th pic - today

I dont reply often, but WOW!!! you look ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

You're one hot momma, Guava! :tu:

/agree!

:claphigh:

Stress = sugar cravings

If I crave sugar, I know I'm going to eat sugar, so I just cut nearly everything ELSE out of my diet for the day

Breakfast
apple, granola, milk

Snack
fruit and quark dessert with 0.2% fat (like a yogurt)

Lunch
peanut butter "dog biscuits", banana
cucumber, red pepper salad with a bit of pastrami and potato salad

Snack
watermelon, coffee with sugar

Supper
cucumber, tomato, red pepper, hard boiled egg, chicken thigh
instead of dressing, I mixed in a bit of potato salad

Dessert
whipped cream cake with strawberry grand marnier sauce
coffee with lots of sugar and (gasp!) Coffee Mate

Today's diet will be similar I'm sure. It started out with swiss musli and a yogurt. Normally, I hate yogurt, but this pineapple flavor was awesome.

My husband says it's time for a vacation. I pick Italy or Greece, but he wants to either drive to a resort in Bulgaria, or take the train to Austria or something.

I figured out the aching thighs. It's from trying to do the splits. I thought I was gently stretching, but I guess I pulled too far.

:tu: Keep up the good work Guava! You're an inspiration to us all!!

Ive been with you a while mate, and i must say your new pics make u look 1,000,000 dollars. Its been a yoyo ride to get here, but hear you are, Your a credit to yourself. :nod: :) :nod:

Whats your new goals in this journal ?

Thanks TheLemonSong, Reno_1ted, Destiny, jRS, Freemason, djjohnson77. Everyone's comments mean the world to me.

Goals for this phase I'm really not sure about. It's so weird to be really and genuinely happy with the way that my body looks. (Most days I even love my thighs, and I honestly never thought I ever would.) It doesn't sound quite right to say that my goal is to stay where I'm at. I suppose my goals are more performance related now. It wouldn't hurt to gain strength, to gain flexibility. I don't think the form on my exercises is right, and I really need to see a personal trainer. I will maybe try to get an appointment while I'm in Canada. I'm still wavering on whether increasing my dumbbell weights is a good idea, or if I should stick at what I'm lifting, since I'm happy with my bicep size.

I had a great time playing soccer on the weekend, and think that I really should take up a sport or two. There's a group of ladies that play tennis in the mornings and it would be fun to do that instead of a couple of my cardio sessions. However, the last time I tried, about four years ago, it was more exercise than I wanted. I miss the ball such a large percentage of the time that the sport turned into run and get the ball, bend over and pick it up, instead of hit the ball with the raquet. Baseball is more to my liking. I never really played much since junior high, partly because I'm a little shy and feel uncomfortable around people I don't know well. There's no baseball team around here unfortunately, but I'd like to promise to myself to look into it whenever we move.

Besides that, I like TheLemonSong's idea. I might put some more effort into learning more about nutrition. Maybe take some university courses. I did read a textbook back in January, and, unfortunately, I thought it was pretty boring. Maybe I'll think about writing a cookbook instead.

It's also time to concentrate more effort on the body parts I've been neglecting. My first stage was with the "show" muscles, which really worked well for me. Perfect biceps and abs is great motivation to tone my back, chest, and strengthen wrists, forearms, etc.

Some bodybuilding could be in my future, but it doesn't look probable right now. I don't want to be any bigger, so I'd have to check out what the current ideals are for women's bodybuilding.

"It's never too late to be who you might have been." --George Eliot

Success is not to be pursued; it is to be attracted by the person we become. --Jim Rohn

Congratulations Guava, you really have made a big change and you look fantastic :)
I understand why you're struggling now, having spent so long focusing on a huge personal goal you must feel on top of the world now, and wondering what to do next.

Guava, I remember you saying how all of your neighbors said you were too thin and sickly looking..after seeing your photos I can honestly say they are jealous. If you were my neighbor my first reaction to your body would be "omg she's fit!"

emma, my neighbors didn't say I looked sickly, they told my husband they were worried about me. Sort of the same though, and I also choose to believe that they are jealous.

Buchy, I'm struggling for other reasons now, but, yeah, the journey has been a long dedicated path, and I feel I don't know where to reach for anymore and how to continue to grow.

My sugar addiction is still going strong, so I'm trying to put myself on a mostly fruit diet. I'm taking some St. John's wort, but it doesn't do much for my stress. For anxiety, however, I highly recommend it.

Must drink more water.

I'm wondering why I bought a bikini. I'm afraid to put it on because I'm worried people will stare at me. Actually, I bought two bikinis. What was I thinking? I can wear them to the beach, but here, at the pool, around people that I know.... I've heard people talk about others in bikinis "Oh, she's showing off, blah, blah, blah...."

Today's advice to myself:

" Don't worry about how others think of you. Thinking of you shows they're already worried about being compared to you."

"Oh, she's showing off, blah, blah, blah...."
Show off! :cool:
Think of what a self esteem boost it would be!
Just remember why they stare!

I'm with everybody else on this one. If people are jealous of you "showing off" the fact that you have more discipline and respect for your body than they do, it says much more about them than it does you.

You've done an extraordinarily difficult thing, and you have every right to be proud of it. If they feel bad that they have not been able to do the same for themselves, then they can either ask you for advice or keep their mouths shut.

You look better after having children than many women look in their entire lives. My advice - spite them even more and buy a THIRD bikini. :D

"it says more about them" I'll remember that.

I was out for lunch the other day with some older friends of mine (like plus 50) and all they talked about was how fabulous the ladies in the bikinis looked, rather than saying how they were showing off. It's probably true that only the ones who are jealous would have thoughts like I originally expressed.

I've been taking measurements once a month since February and recording them at mybodycomp. I see that finally I have lost an inch from my thighs. Before now, there was NO change at any point. It's like it disappeared overnight. Weird. That would explain why I finally love my thighs (most days).

Ditto! :D Congrats on all of your success!


You're one hot momma, Guava! :tu:

emma, my neighbors didn't say I looked sickly, they told my husband they were worried about me. Sort of the same though, and I also choose to believe that they are jealous.

Buchy, I'm struggling for other reasons now, but, yeah, the journey has been a long dedicated path, and I feel I don't know where to reach for anymore and how to continue to grow.

My sugar addiction is still going strong, so I'm trying to put myself on a mostly fruit diet. I'm taking some St. John's wort, but it doesn't do much for my stress. For anxiety, however, I highly recommend it.

Must drink more water.

I'm wondering why I bought a bikini. I'm afraid to put it on because I'm worried people will stare at me. Actually, I bought two bikinis. What was I thinking? I can wear them to the beach, but here, at the pool, around people that I know.... I've heard people talk about others in bikinis "Oh, she's showing off, blah, blah, blah...."

Today's advice to myself:

" Don't worry about how others think of you. Thinking of you shows they're already worried about being compared to you."

The first goal is to maintain it I think, and your second should be to wear that bikini :tu:

As those above me have said, the only reason those people speak of "showing off" is because they are envious that they can't do the same. To hell with them if they are so insecure about themselves that they try to snipe at others. So just do what you want and enjoy yourself :)

I agree with everyone... they're trying to tear you down.

My family is totally non-supportive. My friends aren't much better. Even my best friend, Jeff, isn't helping any. He and I have been building a campsite on our land (we own 1-acre on a 22,000-acre preserve south of Orlando) to get away from things a couple weekends a month and go ATV-ing. Our campsite is almost 5-miles into the brush. When we go out there, we obviously have to take food and supplies.

His cooler for the weekend is horrible. It's stocked with Beer, cookies, chips, hot dogs, and soda. My cooler? Protein shakes, plain pre-cooked chicken breasts, pre-cooked plain pasta, water, water, more water, a protein bar or two, a loaf of whole wheat bread, and Peter Pan reduced fat peanut butter. As a treat to myself, I might stop at 7-11 and grab one or two Mountain Dew's to throw in there so I can remember what sugar tastes like, and it's a boost when I've been working in the hot sun all day.

We were building our water tower this past weekend (so we can have running water and take showers) and I took my shirt off. Jeff remarked that "I was getting sickly-thin" and that he could see my muscles. Like that's a bad thing? He kept trying to get me to drink beer and share his garbage food (in days past, I would have). He kept ragging on my nicely developing physique, of which I'm quite proud, likely in an attempt to hinder and/or halt my progress. He always says he "worked hard to get his belly where it is, one steak at a time". That's just his justification for being overweight, if you ask me. I love him to death, but he's not healthy and he doesn't want to change. Oh well.

What I think he (and everybody else who tries to tear me down) isn't realizing is that that every jab I get from friends, co-workers, and family is like getting a boost - their complacency is my motivation - my only defense against their negativity has been to use it as fuel for my fitness fervor as opposed to letting them slow me down.

You look awesome and don't stand for anyone telling you otherwise.

-R

So I wore my bikini out in public for the first time. Yay for me. :tu:

We went to a waterpark. I wasn't self conscious at all because more than half the women there were in bikinis, and half of those were either topless or in thongs or both. (Europe is taking some getting used to.) Nobody needed to stare at me. I actually looked pretty average. :D

At the waterpark, no outside food and drink is allowed. They didn't have diet Coke, so I had to settle for diet Pepsi. I passed up the chips without a problem, but the ice cream bar was incredible. Good thing I have two daughters to share with. They decided on the RIO (the chocolate one) but I really tried to convince them to go for HAWAII. I must get it next time. (Yes, I really did see these sundaes and they look EXACTLY like the menu photos.)

I went shopping instead of joining the family for pizza. Got a beautiful pair of pants, though what I was really hoping for was a bathing suit coverup.

I ate muffins in the car on the way home, and finished it off at home with a quark and fruit and some fresh peaches.

Hmmm... the only thing that looks out of place is that I'm a little pale.

Hmmm... the only thing that looks out of place is that I'm a little pale.

Congratulations on overcoming your fear and worry around the "bikini issue" - not only appearing in public, but also sharing a picture with us.

Well done on all fronts - you continue to be an inspiration. :tu:

Dave

Dave,

Here is nothing compared to the real world. I have no fear inside JSF. Well, okay, maybe just a little.

:claplow: :claplow: :claplow:

STRONGER!

I increased my weights last week and it was a real struggle to get through them, even with 4 or 5 reps. I wondered if I'd made a mistake, and I was going to consider dropping them back down again, but if today's results are any indication, I will build up to 8 easy reps in no time!

I did upper body weights only today. It was tough to fight back working the glutes, because I'm so used to doing the whole body, but I feel I have to try the split, because I REALLY need a change in routine. Besides the fact that my legs are pretty sore. The waterpark was a big workout yesterday, and Thursday I did some leg lifts in the pool while supervising my little blond cutie in photo above.

Stress is subsiding. I'm trying to persuade my husband to quit his job because his stress is causing the rest of us to become miserable. He's searching franchise opportunities and is sounding happier already. I don't really think he'll quit, but I hope he will at least take it less seriously.

" The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, then I can change." Carl Rogers

TIRED!

Yikes, this morning's workout was a little rough. Silly me, every once in a while I overdo it, and it takes me a week to get back onto schedule again.

Wednesday, Thursday, AND Friday mornings, my schedule was changed, so I was unable to keep to my usual workouts. Whatever I ended up doing didn't work out for me, but I can't remember anymore what it was that I did so hard. :confused: This may still be a carryover from that day I tried to do the splits, further aggravated by the innocent leg lifts I did in the pool on Thursday. My legs still are not right. No pain, just a tightening.

Friday, I didn't do a traditional workout, but I went to the waterpark. Running up so many steps, wading through shin high water, it was probably a harder workout than I normally get, but I considered it a "day off" and felt guilty about slacking off. (I still can't manage to allow myself to take a day off each week.)

Saturday, I was tired. I was going to do 45 minutes of cardio, but I only managed 25 minutes on the treadmill. So I felt bad about that and decided to work my upper body with weights. (Which went really super well, I'm proud of myself. :nod: ) So now today, that fatigue is still carrying over, and I had trouble again making it through the 45 minutes. I did it, but I decreased the speed part way through. I realize I should take tomorrow off, but I know I can't. Hopefully tomorrow my body will be back to prime.

Since mid February, I have needed much less sleep, or maybe just wanted less sleep. I'm enthusiastic about getting up in the morning so that I can get my workouts done and the day started.

I need to think some more on how I'll change my lifting routine. One of the bodybuilding sites I recently read recommends 6 sets of 6, which might be a good idea for a change, since it's so different from what I'm doing now. However, with the weight I've decided to start using now, I have trouble making it through even 5 reps, so I think I maybe do 3 sets of 6 supersetted for a start. I have to be sure that my split is such that at least one day a week I can do my weights at home, because I just really enjoy doing weights at home more than at the gym. If anyone has any brilliant suggestions, please let me know.

My husband did the shopping yesterday. Besides coming home with hot dogs and smokies :rolleyes: he bought a large head of cauliflower. We're not cauliflower eaters, so I've been searching online for recipes. It blows me away what some people will eat.
Nany's Cheesy Cauliflower Casserole

4 ounces saltine crackers
1/2 cup butter
1 large head cauliflower, steamed
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 Preheat your oven's broiler.
2 Crumble salted crackers into a small bowl and mash them with butter until soft. Place steamed cauliflower into a 9x13 inch casserole dish.
3 In small saucepan, combine milk and mayonnaise with wire whisk. Bring the mixture to a boil; boil for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in cheese until melted. Pour this sauce over the cauliflower. Crumble the butter and cracker mixture over the cheese and cauliflower.
4 Place the casserole into the preheated oven and broil until golden brown.

Makes 8 servings
Amount Per Serving

Calories: 499
Total Fat: 43.1g
Cholesterol: 74mg
Sodium: 619mg
Total Carbohydrates: 20.6g
Dietary Fiber: 3g
Protein: 10.2g

Even more irritating is searching for "kid friendly" food online. It inevitably has huge amounts of salt, sugar, and fat.

"A small trouble is like a pebble. Hold it too close to your eye and it fills the whole world and puts everything out of focus. Hold it at a proper distance and it can be examined and properly classified. Throw it at your feet and it can be seen in its true setting, just one more tiny bump on the pathway of life. --Celia Luce

I feel bloated. Yuck.

We went out for supper tonight. I hate trying to pick something from the menu that's healthy, because nothing usually is. I opted for the pasta with chicken, tomato sauce, and olives. It came with a lot of olive oil. Even though it was more than what I needed to fill me up, I finished it. I'm not crazy about ordering salad. I might as well eat at home if I'm going to have a salad, then at least I can put in it what I like.

We go out for supper at least once a week. I wouldn't dare suggest that we cut it out, because it's fun to do, and it gives us nice together time. I might just have to eat before I go, or eat after I get home, and stick with just diet Coke while I'm at the restaurant. My husband already thinks I'm obsessive, so I don't know how well that would go over. If I wanted to eat pizza, I would, but it would make me happier to eat something that I prepared than some oil-filled restaurant meal.

I'm used to being just the very tiniest bit hungry at bedtime. If I'm not, I feel like I overdid it. I feel like going to the gym to burn off all those extra calories, but I'm not going to. If I go to the gym, I'll end up tired, then I won't get a good workout tomorrow.

Maybe a few stomach crunches....

"Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire." --Reggie Leach

Hi guava!
just want to tell you look really great at the pool pic. Congratulations! :spaz:

Some days I feel virtuous.

This morning was great. I wanted to get started right away at the gym, so I held off my breakfast until later. Hopefully lifting on an empty stomach is not detrimental to my progress. Must research.

I kept to my "lower body only" promise, and did these in the gym.
dumbbell bench step ups 3x12
leg press 3x12
lying leg curls (hamstrings)3x12
butt lift 3x3x12 (one legged for each leg, and two legged)
20 ab crunches
leg extensions 3x8
supermans 3x8 (okay, so it's back, but it's lower back, and it's good for glutes)
dumbbell squat 3x8
deadlifts 3x8
dumbbell lunge 6 + 1 (pulled a quad so I gave up and went home)

I finally know what people mean when they say their legs feel like jelly after leg day. I'm not sure if this is a good thing. We'll see tomorrow. My hamstrings seem weak. Must be sure to do more deadlifts, even though I don't like them. I still don't know where abs will fit into my routine, so I squeeze them in all over the place, sometimes cardio days, sometimes lifting days, sometimes morning, sometimes evening. I HATE resting, so it's usually a good time to sneak them in between sets.

I went home still feeling virtuous, and tried to give myself some good fuel. Cottage cheese sounds healthy, but it's not my favorite, so I tried the "mix with peanut butter and nuke it" trick. I put a tablespoon of peanut butter with 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese, microwaved it till it melted, then spread it on some homemade flax bread and poured myself a big glass of milk. I didn't like it, but I choked it down with some cinnamon and a banana to disguise the taste. I'm not sure I'll be doing that again.

Thanks for the compliment cederron. Hopefully, I won't be so hesistant to wear it at the pool for next time.

"Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go out in the ocean." --Christopher Reeve

A bit depressed today. Maybe I'm not getting enough sleep.

I was tired on the treadmill. I had to push the speed WAY down to finish my 45 minutes. After breakfast, I went for a 20 minute walk for vegetables, and that made me feel better about my treadmill "failure". I can still feel the muscles in my legs from yesterday's workout. Though they don't hurt, I'm looking forward to the break they'll get tomorrow when I do my upper body workout instead of lower body or cardio.

The cauliflower recipe that "won" was an adaptation of theHeartland Vegetable Bake (http://sidedish.allrecipes.com/az/HrtlndVgtblBk.asp). And, boy, was it a success! This was SO yummy. My husband said he'd eat it once a week. We had seasoned steamed chicken breast chunks on the side (they'd be better INSIDE the vegetable bake, but I had a feeling the girls wouldn't like it, so I did them separate, and they ate them as chicken fajitas) Now I have eggplant to cook, and this will be a challenge as well. It's encouraging to find a healthy recipe that my husband likes; then he'll keep bringing me home healthy food. :)

I'm a little discouraged after reading some articles from Nutrition Action (http://www.cspinet.org/nah/). They recommend to keep fat calories to 20% of your total. It seems impossible to do. The days that I tracked, I was always close to 30%, and I thought I was already making great choices (no added oil in cooking, using skim milk, eating mostly lean meat). Now I feel I should try to get down closer to 20%, but I'm at a loss as to what other changes I could make.

I told my husband to bring home pizzas for supper. Terribly frustrating that my family won't eat the foods I want to eat (tonight I'll be having Kerry's Beany Salad with some chicken breast chunks), and it's too tiring to make two or three separate meals three times a day.

It also kills me that if my diet is getting 30% of calories from fat, I'm sure that theirs is closer to 50%. :p I really wish I could encourage them to eat better. All I can do is cook healthy foods and keep offering it to them.

In our storage room, we have 30 liters each of apple and orange juice, another 20 liters or so of various other fruit juices or fruit drinks, more than 100 cans of pop, (plus about 20 liters of diet Coke that's mine). about 20 bottles of wine, and maybe 20 bottles of various alcohols. Sure, it's more than a month's supply, but it makes me positively ill to look at them.

I must relax and let them be.

To be nobody but yourself in a world that is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight. ~ e. e. cummings

It's summer holiday for the kids, so my routine is a little thrown off because I don't have to wake my daughter at 7:10 every morning. Usually my internal alarm clock goes off around 7:30 anyway, so I'm fairly close to on schedule.

Today's upper body workout went well. I love it when I really work the shoulder and chest because I really feel like I can breathe better for hours afterwards. My back needs much more work. It feels great when I'm done the workout, but doing the lifts doesn't feel quite right.

I'm starting to get blisters when I use the equipment at the gym. It would be a good idea for me to look into getting weightlifting gloves.

I'm not sure where I'm headed. I'm into the zone where if I add any more muscle, I'll be deviating from the norm, and starting to look like a freak. My idea of the perfect body is more like those on SportLab (http://www.sportlabdirect.com/learning.html) and Serious About Fitness (http://www.seriousaboutfitness.com/featured/) but I'm sure it's best to save those goals for if and when I ever want to compete.

Chantal Dicaire is beautiful, but I'm not sure I want quite as much muscle as she's got now.
http://www.sportlabdirect.com/teamsportlab/dicaire_2004fitness_countdown/20040622_front.jpg

If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten - Anthony Robbins

I'm not sure if I agree with this quote for the day. I'm sure it's meant to be motivational; dig yourself out of a hole or you'll stay in it. On the other hand, you could look at it as a comfort in predictability - if what you are doing works, then keep doing it.

So I ask myself: Do I want what I've always gotten?

Once again you look amazing!!!!!!!! What a stomach :bow:
My goal is also to see my abs, I know I have lots of them, Ive worked them for 3-4 years :lol: but I could never see them, well its time...
Im gonna get there by the end of the summer....keep an eye on me in my journal ;) Thanks!!

I've said it before, and I say it again...you have a body many teenagers would kill for. Not bad for a 30 year "old" mom :tu:

Anyway, I personally don't think you should add much more mass even though you obviously have potential for it. Chantal Dicaire is beautiful, but she's also borderline of what I find attractive muscle wise on women.

But...never mind me...it's your body, and you do what you wanna do with it :gl:

http://caribbean_community.tripod.com/images/flags/flag-canada-002.gif
Happy Canada Day
Maybe I'll make some nanaimo bars to celebrate. Nah. Actually, I have very little desire for sweets anymore, even chocolate. Oh, I still get cravings, and I'm sure to indulge them, but it's not a daily thing like it used to be. I have nanaimo bars in the freezer, and some butter tarts too. I could call the shepherd's pie I made last night a tortiere and we could have a Canadian extravaganza!

Six months ago today I saw photos of this beautiful woman (http://www.stephpark.com) Her father works with my husband. They had us there for a New Year's gathering, and like the proud papa he is, he was showing off the family photos. It made me realize that I didn't look the best I could possibly look and so, since then, I've been on this quest. I've never met the woman before, but I sent her an e-mail last night, telling her about how seeing her photos motivated me to start lifting weights.

Diamond_Star, there's no clear photo of my abs in this thread. Maybe you were referring to Chantal's. She is pretty hot.

I was tired again for my workout. Could be because I'm focusing too much on how I look instead of how I feel. That always seems to hinder my progress. I walked through most of the workout instead of jogging, but I added 15 minutes on to the end, so the calories burned is about the same, I believe.

I'll likely be taking the girls to the pool again this afternoon. I may try out some of these flexibility moves described on the Hydro-Fit (http://www.hydrofit.org/search/moves/list_moves.html?type=flexibility) website.

geez...her biceps are almost bigger than mine :o

Edit...except for chest and waist, she has the exact same measurements as me...damn


Measurements: arms 15", legs 23", waist 26", chest 37", calves 16"

geez...her biceps are almost bigger than mine :o

Edit...except for chest and waist, she has the exact same measurements as me...damn

Is your chest bigger or smaller than that? ;)

Her mom was talking about how much trouble she had buying jeans. I bet. I have trouble with 21 inch thighs on a 26 inch waist. I can't imagine 23 inches.

She's awfully darn strong. Did you watch her deadlift video?

My goals are not that lofty, but I really admire her dedication.

32" waist, 44" chest ;)

My daughter has been bugging me for weeks about "chipsy chopsies" (chocolate chips) :lol: So I pulled out the half batch that I froze a few months ago. We baked 16, shared them with some friends, and put the rest of the batter in the fridge for today or tomorrow. Why on earth a chocolate chip cookie recipe makes 6 dozen I'll never know. :p

With the eggplant, I made caponata (with tomato, onion, garlic, and olives). It was good, but no one but me would eat it.

My leg workout was interesting. I'm having a lot of problems with the lying leg curl for hamstrings, so I think I'll try to do it with each workout. Also, I think I'd like to work the back each workout as well, just because it feels so good when I'm done. Sounds like each one is going to be about 90 minutes long.

I like my fitness obsession because it keeps me busy enough that I don't have to worry about other things so much.

I've spent much of my life trying to figure out what the world wants me to be, and then to become so. Finally now I've given myself permission to be who I want to be, and I have no clue who that is. :p

Thank goodness it's Friday. Tomorrow I want to take my husband and kids to the beach and just appreciate being me.

"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like no one is watching." --Satchel Paige

"Chipsy Chopsies"......Hahaha! That is too cute! :lol:

You seem to be the most amazing cook. You are so creative with all you recipes and you eat such a nice variety of different things. I am jealous because I am a disaster in the kitchen!

I never had a chance to comment since you posted the bikini pics. You are truly an inspiration. You look great! :claplow: Also, if you are considering putting on some more muscle, I say go for it! :nod:

Believe it or not, I got taller.

I'd been quoting my driver's license weight all along, but even that height was probably just an estimate. A friend came over the other day and measured me to be 5'5". Now I'm thinking I really should get another opinion. How difficult can it be to figure out how tall I am?

I'm mad at my scale. It's silly, really. It measures weight and body fat percentage, then gives you a rating. My rating is one over ideal. The technical description of it is muscular/atheletic, but the next one up is slightly overweight, so to me it will always be "almost slightly overweight". Although, I may have recorded my height incorrectly when I first set it up. What kills me is that my husband says it tells him he's ideal. About 195 pounds 6'2" (I think) and it tells him 20% body fat. I really should throw that scale out the window. I think I look great, and that's what matters.

"The great thing in this world is not so much where you stand, as in what direction you are moving." --Oliver Wendell Holmes

There are bushes along the edges of all the sidewalks in town. At this time of year they start to flower. The flower is one of the hibiscus family. The town is covered in them, and it makes me smile to see the white and pink flowers.

I went out to the market this evening. There, I found a man way up high in a tree, shaking it, with dozens of people underneath shrieking and gathering the apricots that fell to the ground.

Plans for a picnic were quashed by the rain. The dark skies make the day heavy. But it didn't rain all day, hence the hibiscus and apricots.

My mom phoned me. It was nice to hear from her. I am so looking forward to visiting her in a month. It's been almost a year since I last saw her. She told me she's lost 11 pounds on the Atkins diet. I didn't tell her I've lost 15 pounds. She will be shocked.

I really messed up my eating yesterday. I had a huge snack in the afternoon, so I decided that my supper would simply be a Mars bar. So about supper time I started the chocolate bar, but I really wasn't enjoying it. I ate maybe half. Through the evening, I had a few bouts of hunger, but wasn't sure how to indulge myself. Finally when we got home from the bar, I ate a piece of toast with peanut butter, an apple, a bowl of Shreddies, and a bowl of Cheerios. It felt like a lot of food, but I really couldn't say. Stupid thing is, it messed me up for today too. I was hungry while I did my cardio first thing this morning, but then the hunger passed, so I didn't bother to eat. I had a late breakfast, which led to a late lunch, and again I haven't the faintest idea how many calories I consumed.

Stress is back. Why did I think the weekend would cheer me up?

The caponata from a couple of days ago became a pizza. I threw on a couple of chunks of chicken that I keep in the freezer, and the smallest sprinkling of cheese.

I made a "drown your sorrows in chocolate pie". Crust is peanut butter, whole wheat flour, flax seeds, and an egg white, baked just til crisp. Filling cottage cheese, fat free cream cheese, chocolate pudding mix, bit of sugar and a good shot of creme de cacao. Then I sprinkled chocolate chips on top for good measure. Maybe I'll whip a can of evaporated milk to top it with. Unfortunately, it now sounds too decadent to eat, and I feel so guilty about digging in that I haven't.

Beautiful people have their own club, and I have been given the secret handshake. One woman whose husband works with my husband approached me at the bar last night and started chatting about my kids. I've seen her at several other functions and she's barely even looked my way. I swear she would not have spoken to me had I not looked the way that I did. I like to think that I radiate an irresistable magnetism now that I am comfortable in my own body.

I do have an amazing sense of clarity at some points. Hibiscus and apricots. The simple things are sweet.

"Life engenders life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich." --Sarah Bernhardt

Ouch. Sore arms. My daughter was playing a game in the pool with me yesterday where she jumps in and I have to assist her. After 20 minutes of that, I really didn't need the upper body workout that I'd done that morning (2 hours again!).

My other daughter has developed a fondness for oatmeal.

The pie was pretty decadent, but I'll be needing it.

A friend of mine asked me Friday night "Why are you losing so much weight?" (too much, obviously, in his opinion) so I told him "It's the one thing I have control over." I am going a bit overboard at times, but it's so addicting to be seeing results. I need some new hobbies.

My husband sent me an urgent message "Check how much money we have in US dollars." I hope he has some secret plan for us to skip the country. I am stagnating here. I'm not sure I'll be coming back to Romania after I go to visit my mom in Canada. I don't think my husband believes me, but he can see I'm getting stronger every day.

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one. - Elbert Hubbard

Strength is not about physical perfection. It's the profound union of body and soul that gives us the freedom to live our lives to the fullest. Strong, we can defeat feelings of helplessness, fear, or low self-esteem. Strong, we can inspire change, justice, and enlightenment. But the work begins in the physical. And the transformations in our bodies reveal the magic power of our thoughts and actions the special gifts of inner strength that all women possess. - Karen Andes "A Woman's Book of Strength"

I am insatiable. I'm not reading my body very well anymore. Yesterday I was feeling full, but not satisfied all day. If it was a matter of just a simple craving, then it wouldn't be a problem, but it was not so simple. I had some fresh apricot/cherry cobbler (I made it myself and wow it was good. I threw some amaretto in it too. Are we seeing a trend?) but still did not feel right. So I had some chocolates and they didn't do the trick either. Still a bit empty feeling in my stomach. It's possible that I really am just not eating enough and that maybe the full feeling I had was just bloating/water retention. This is so frustrating. Likely it's related to PMS. I've been through this a few times. I didn't notice it several months ago because I was not so conscious of my body.

My daughter wanted to play the "catch" game again at the pool. Will my arms ever get a rest? I'm pleased with how the upper/lower body split is going so far, except trying to figure out where to put in the back exercises. (Decision - some on each day) My abs are getting a bit neglected as well. I intend to do them in the evening when the girls are in bed, but by the time that rolls around, I'd rather be doing something else. I'm squeezing in usually 3 sets of 12 in each workout (ie. about three times a week), but I feel like I could be doing more. While I can
see my abs, I don't really have the six pack that I am so, so close to getting. (Can you say end of July?)

My treadmill workouts are not going well. My husband says it's probably because I'm not getting enough calories. I think it might be because the gym is too hot. (24 degrees today)

No hot water. :mad:
It would be nice to have advance notice so that I could plan my shower. I don't find out till I'm IN the shower. And, wow, cold showers are no fun. :(

Can't buy any peaches either, when I really want peaches. (The apricots I bought last week were not very sweet, hence the apricot cobbler) The apples were not in the greatest shape either. Might have to take a drive to the next town over for some better quality produce. I'd really like some fresh broccoli, but it's unavailable as well. I have to make do with what's around, which is usually only potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. The hunt is on for cauliflower.

Time for a mini-vacation. We will be visiting the beaches of Bulgaria. My husband will be taking the Friday off, and we'll make a long weekend of it. There may be opportunities for horseback riding, a fun fair, and hang gliding. Do I dare? :d_rolleye

I ordered some books online. Mostly for my older daughter, but also A Woman's Book of Strength (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0399518991/104-4709911-3790333?v=glance) which I quoted above. It sounds so wonderful I'm just about giddy waiting for it. :d_tongue: It'll be at my mom's place waiting for me when I get there the second week of August.

That which we persist in doing becomes easier - not that the nature of the task has changed, but our ability to do has increased. - Emerson

Bulgaria was nice. My mom makes fun of me that on vacation all I think about is the food, and when I get back, all I talk about is the food. But it's the best part, after all.

Our hotel was half board, which meant we had two breakfasts, a lunch and a dinner included with our two-night stay. Buffet, of course, and I am not known to restrain myself when the food is free. Actually, I took photos of a couple of my meals, and they weren't as huge as I thought at the time. First dinner was brussels sprouts (lots) rice (a little) pasta (a little) chicken (maybe half a breast) and a diet Coke. The rice was a little greasy, and the chicken and pasta were a lot greasy. When I was still hungry, I had more brussels sprouts and a nectarine. I had two eclairs for dessert, and they were very good. For breakfast the next day, a banana, a peach, a large bowl of musli, a bite of french toast (OMG it was awful - it tasted like it had been soaked in oil, then deep fried) a hard boiled egg, a slice of bacon, two apricot streusel squares, some dates, some dried apricots and coffee. The coffee was interesting. They had a Nescafe machine. The choices were in German, (kaffe, Kaffee mit Milch, kaffeinfreier Kaffee, Heißwasser, kakao, and some other things) instructions in French, and operation in English (Dispensing. Wait please.) I think that's called "Make sure everyone's confused." It made damn good coffee though. I added my own sugar at the table, because I wasn't completely sure how to read the options, but it would have been better if the machine put it in, because it put a nice foam on it for you.

I find that if I eat more than usual at any one meal, I'm even hungrier later on, and the next day too. We had lunch at the hotel, and the buffet was similar to the first night. This time, I had some plain raw tomato and cucumber, and a nice bowl of chicken soup with my meal. Actually, I got hungry again before supper, so I snacked on some dates I stole from the buffet, and some granola bars I made myself and brought with me. Also had a mai tai at the bar, which was quite enjoyable. Supper I shared with my daughter, but a weinerschnitzel is never healthy. The roasted vegetables I ordered were fabulous - eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, and red pepper. They were a little greasier than what I would have liked, but had good flavor.

Next breakfast, same thing as the day before. Lunch we didn't time right. My husband and the girls had a bag of chips, I had a chocolate bar and some bran muffins I'd brought with me. For early supper, we went to McDonald's, but instead of ordering, I ate a peach and a muffin. At home again, I had a quark and fruit and a HUGE juicy apple.

I am very sad to report that while on holiday I drank not ONE sip of water, nor milk. I ate milk in the cereal, and got a lot of water in the vast quantities of fruits I was consuming, but I'm never good about keeping properly hydrated. Must work on that.

Also, I must admit, I did do a bit of tanning (on purpose, yes :rolleyes: ). Normally, I shun the sun, but this year is my year to have a little color.

"Those who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." --Edgar Allan Poe

:( :( :( :( :(
What happened to my goal of feeling good instead of looking good?

I'm not eating enough. I need more calories. My treadmill workouts are suffering, so I've made the choice to start eating more. It's certainly not going to hurt me to gain weight. Maybe I'll never have the "six pack" I imagined, but it's starting to sound like an unhealthy thing to aim for.

My daugther took this photo of me while we were waiting at the border. I think I look too thin.

Bulgaria was so much fun, we're talking about going back again this weekend. I didn't go hang gliding, but maybe this weekend. :d_wink:

"Remember that happiness is a way of travel - not a destination." --Roy M. Goodman

"A mind, like a home, is furnished by its owner, so if one's life is cold and bare he can blame none but himself." --Louis L'Amour

I just did squats for the first time, and, man, I hate them. :(

The squats hurt my back, and I could really feel them in my shoulders, but not my quads. I used a machine rather than a barbell, because there's no one to spot. Will not attempt again unless I can get someone to show me how to correct my form.

The rest of the lower body workout went fine however, so I'm feeling much better.

The six pack I imagined will show up whether I gain or lose weight, or stay the same as what I'm at. I'm at a low enough body fat percentage. If I do more crunches, the ab muscles will grow bigger and show the definition that I have been striving for.

Yeah, squats definitely shouldn't hurt your back! You must have been doing them wrong if you don't feel your quads. However, feeling your shoulders is normal, at least when you start the set.

Don't worry about keeping your fats down. Stay away from trans fats and most saturated fats. According to the Harvard School of Public Health: (http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/fats.htm)
Unfortunately, this simple message now seems largely out of date. Detailed research--particularly that done at Harvard--shows that the total amount of fat in the diet, whether high or low, has no real link with disease. Rather, what really matters is the type of fat in the diet. There are bad fats that increase the risk for certain diseases and good fats that lower the risk. The key is to substitute good fats for bad fats.

I can't believe that I still can't do the jogging program I used to be so good at. Either this stress is REALLY holding me back, or I'm going too intense on my weight days and don't have time to recover the next day for cardio. I've been increasing my calories (well, it's hard to tell for sure because I don't count them, but I'm pretty sure I'm eating more)

My husband is finally moving in the same direction that I am. We have lots of tough choices to make. 23 days until we go to Canada.

I liked this quote from a post MGB made:
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it." - Yogi Berra

I have released myself from my stress for today.

I used some techniques that were in the thread "How do you stay focused" and it made all the difference in the world. I also listened to the second half of my playlist instead of the first half. Aerosmith is more motivating than Gino Vanelli. :rolleyes: Must rotate my music tonight. I just got some Red Hot Chili Peppers which I will add to my MP3 player, and take off some of the tired stuff I have on there now.

As for the stress, my husband didn't quit his job, but he informed his boss that he will not be renewing his contract. So he's outta here the end of November. Still haven't decided whether I'll be with him or not up until then. He's been taking his stress out on me, and I don't deserve that. We're both sort of thinking it might be a good idea for me to buy a house and establish the girls into school etc so we'll be set for when he's done in November, but I'm sure I'm happier here (the gym, the maid, my friends, the kids friends, the beaches....), so it doesn't make a lot of sense for me to be there.

"I know where I'm going and I know the truth, and I don't have to be what you want me to be. I'm free to be what I want!!" Muhammad Ali

I am rejuvenated.

Man, that's a good word.
re·ju·ve·nate ( P ) Pronunciation Key (r-jv-nt)
tr.v. re·ju·ve·nat·ed, re·ju·ve·nat·ing, re·ju·ve·nates
To restore to youthful vigor or appearance; make young again.

I'm going backward in age. Have I hit 22 yet?

Yesterday's jogging program was perfect for the first time in months, and I did a killer leg workout this morning:

lunges
3 sets 16 reps with 18 pound dumbbells

butt lift
3 sets (12 reps left leg lifted, 12 reps right leg lifted, 12 reps flat)

crunches 3 sets 12

leg press
8x88lb
8x110lb
8x132lb
5x154lb

leg curls(hamstrings)
12x22lb
8x44lb
8x55lb
5x55lb
5x55lb
5x55lb

leg extensions (quads)
12x44 lb
8x55
8x55
8x55
8x66

straight leg dead
8x66lb
8x66
8x66
8x66

dumbbell bench step ups
12x22lb
12x22
12x22

I've found that the "lift to failure" approach doesn't work well for me, so I do my own modification. I lift whatever weight I feel like lifting as many times as I feel like lifting it. Rather simple, and it works for optimum psychological health, if not for optimum muscle development.

I didn't do squats, though I wanted to. I should try to find someone who uses the gym who can show me how to do it right.

My husband is quite proud of me. We went to a barbecue last night and he was bragging about how much I can lift. Then earlier on he kept talking about the weight equipment he was going to buy for me (my choice, of course) for the house we haven't bought yet. I told him it was probably better for me to join a gym, but he wants to go all out, get a bench, barbell, treadmill, whatever I want. :o

Right now He's looking at pool tables online. :nod:

I can hardly wait till Tuesday to see what I can do with my arms.

Two new goals, and I set my 31st birthday as the deadline.

Bench press 110 pounds.
Do an unassisted pull-up.

"Nobody will believe in you unless you believe in yourself." --Liberace

I am a fruit addict. Saturday, I bought:
2 pounds apricots
1.5 pound peaches
1 pound nectarines
2 pounds apples
2 pounds grapes
I already had in the house a canteloupe, 2 bananas, and 2 oranges.

More than half of the fruit is gone already (the apricots turned into a cobbler) so I'll be out to buy more this afternoon. I need some vegetables, so we'll see what's there for today.

Soft tacos for lunch today. This is one of the lunches we can all agree on. (But I'm in a shrimpy mood, so I just might substitute for myself)

The treadmill routine went okay today, but not as good as Saturday.

Tomorrow, I try for 88 pounds to bench press (once).

"Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees." - William Marriott

A few tips for upping your bench press... a routine i follow before every set.

Lie on the bench.

Drop ur elbows down as if doing a press and make sure your in the middle of the bench. You should feel the bench rub symetrically on the same place on each shoulder blade. Ajust accordingly.

Next, Make sure you feet are flat on the floor, firm and stable. Lift them up and slam them down, make them FEEL sturdy. Dont have them too far away from you, i find a right angle at your knee perfect.

Then make sure your butt is flat on the bench. Again, arch your back and lift it up and slam it into the bench, make it part of the bench and comfortable and again sturdy.

Also make sure your shoulders are flat on the bench.

Now grip the bar and breath and focus. Once you lift the bar off, thinking time is over. At that point you just DO, not THINK. So take this time to get your mind on.

Have a wider then normal grip. (But not too wide, wider then your shoulders) It will feel "Less comfortable" at first, but it will allow you to lift more, as your usuing more of your chests power and less of your arms.

When lifting, you can use your legs and back to help you. A slight arch in your back and concentrating on pushing with your legs on the push motion will really help, but again it will take a while to practice. Perhaps drop the weight a bit or practice on your warmup sets. If you can learn to use all your body, you will be able to lift more.

Once you lift the bar off, dont think, just push. If you think to much youll psyche yourself out. Never pause at the low end of the rep, only at the high point (when the bar is pushed out). If you do pause, take a few deep breaths, but try not to think about the rep, just push.




Much of this you probably do. When i read up on bench pressing and found all this info, i put it to use and went from a bench of 176lbs to 210lbs in weeks. And the better tequnique leads to more weight which has added mass and strength. :nod:

Let us know how u get on. :)

Excellent Reno_1ted. I can always use tips on better form. :D

I might just have to print that out and take it with me.

I just added bench press to my routine a couple of weeks ago, so I don't have much of a groove yet. I have no spotter, so I'm using a machine.

I'm not sure I've ever really ever done a proper warm-up, so if anyone can explain that, I'm all ears. I'm not one for doing things that I don't enjoy doing, so if the warm-up doesn't seem worthwhile, I tend to skip it. Usually, I lift with a weight I can do fairly easily for 12 reps then move on to a heavier one. (See leg curls and leg extensions from Sunday) Enough of a warm-up? Enough of a workout?

I'm moving away from supersets so that I can focus more on increasing the weight. (I need the rest, whew, I sweat like crazy now while lifting!) But I'm not sure how I should group the exercises together. I want to do ALL of these exercises tomorrow, and my tendency would be to do them in this order:

bicep curls 18 lb dumbbells
standing dumbbell upright row 18 lb dumbbells
tricep dips between two benches
crunches (maybe)
bench press up to 88 lb
straight arm pulldowns start with 22 lb , try 33 lb
lat pulldowns (wide overhand grip) up to 77 lbs
lat pulldown (close underhand grip) up to 88 lbs
seated cable row up to 110 lb
dumbbell flyes (if I feel like it) 18 lb dumbbells

Lunch was excellent. I made the soft tacos for the rest of the family, and for myself, I made a quick little super meal. Slice one whole green pepper and one whole onion. Stir fry until soft, adding as much water as you need (no oil required) When it starts to get soft, turn heat to low, add in a few frozen cooked shrimp, and continue cooking until shrimp is hot. Serve on a small bed of hot pasta and top with sweet chili sauce. So yummy I had it today and yesterday. I have three more peppers to eat, which no one else in the family will touch.

For supper, I had red pepper, cucumber, tomato salad with a hard boiled egg and sliced steak on it. And a soft taco that was left over from lunch that no one would claim.

I seem to have eaten a huge amount of food today, but I'm still hungry. I had to snack on scads of fruit, a couple of yogurts, and some fat free pumpkin cookies. It might be time to check fitday again to see how many calories I'm getting. I'm still moving towards trying to increase my protein, but it doesn't quite suit me yet.

Hi Guava: I'm sure someone else will have great comments re: warm-up. The only comment I would add is maybe move your heavier lifts (i.e., pulldowns and rows) earlier, before you have fatigued your arms too much, or better yet, split bicep and back into different days so you have full energy for both. I split back and biceps and realized a tremendous improvement in both workouts. Have a great day.

Knowing how you like quotes, I must conclude w/one:

"I pronounce it as certain that there was never yet a truly great man [or woman] that was not at the same time truly virtuous. Benjamin Franklin, 1728

I'll try to keep the heavier lifts earlier, but it's hard to tell which lifts to give priority to.

I've just split from an full body workout to and upper lower split, so I'm not ready to split again just yet, but I'll consider it if things get too complicated.

Reno_1ted, your tips worked like a charm. :tu: I did print them out and take them with me to the gym. I'll need to go back and find that thread on focusing and do the same. It seems I couldn't get as high a weight on the pulldowns today because I was too focused on the bench press.

Here's what I ended up doing:
(At home before the babysitter arrived)
12 hammer curls 8 pounds (are they SUPPOSED to be harder than bicep curls? Ouch.)
bicep curls 3 sets 8 x 18 pounds (one set was hammer curls)
standing dumbbell upright row 12 x 8 pounds; 3 sets 8 x 18 pounds

(to the gym)
straight arm pulldowns 12x22 pounds; 8x22, 3x33, 8x22, 8x22 (25 or 28 would be nice, but no option for this)
lat pulldowns (wide overhand grip) 12x55 pounds; 8x66, 8x66, 6x66
bench press 12x55; 7x66, 8x66, 8x66, 3x77, 88 pounds once
crunches 12
lat pulldown (close underhand grip) 12x66 pounds; 8x77, 3x88, 8x77
crunches12
seated cable row 12x77 pounds; 8x88, 8x88, 8x110
tricep dips between two benches 2 sets of 12, then another 12 crunches, then another 12 dips

In regards to bench press. I warmed up at 55 pounds. My first set of 66 pounds was tough, so I moved the hand grips to a wider grip, and did the second and third set with greater ease. Unfortunately, I can't plant my feet quite flat on the floor because the bench is just a little too high. (Feet are flat, but not planted flat) I can see how this would help considerably. I don't think the bench can be lowered. Maybe I need some platform shoes. :confused:

:claplow: I did the 88 pound bench! Next time, I'll be able to do it three times. :nod:

I didn't have time for the dumbbell flyes, as I had a date with a neighbor to do some cooking with our kids. We made pastry. :rolleyes: She insisted on sending one home with me, now I have to find some way to either consume or dispose of this stuff. I am seriously considering just trashing it. Either that, or a cherry pie.

moon and stars sit way up high
earth and tress beneath them lie
the wind blows fragant lullaby
too cool the night for you and i
on the wind the birds fly free
leviathan tames angry sea
the flower waits for honeybee
the sunrise wakes new life in me

and every hour of every day i'm learning more
the more i learn, the less i know about before
the less i know, the more i want to look around
digging deep for clues on higher ground...

the fishes swim while rivers run
thru fields to feast my eyes upon
intoxicated drinking from
the loving cup of burning sun
in dreams i'll crave familiar taste
of whispered rain on weary face
of kisses sweet and warm embrace
another time another place

and every hour of every day i'm learning more
the more i learn, the less i know about before
the less i know, the more i want to look around
digging deep for clues on higher ground...

-Higher Ground (UB40)

Unfortunately, I can't plant my feet quite flat on the floor because the bench is just a little too high. (Feet are flat, but not planted flat) I can see how this would help considerably. I don't think the bench can be lowered.

Then raise ur feet. ;) Is there a step aerobics step lying around at your gym ? Get anything flat and sturdy and place that at the end of the bench. Then place your feet on that.

Glad your bench is improving. Mine sucked last night, but thats probably because my split has chest on a monday, and so as i was ill last week, it has really been 2 weeks since i worked it. Im really focussing on pushing with my chest and not my arms. Lying flat on the bench makes you use ur arms more. If you look at the power lifters, they are never flat on the bench. If they were, they would never be able to lift what they lift.

With regards warmups, they are vital really. Take a compound excersize and

Do 1 set of 12 reps, REALLY light (dont come near failure !!!),
then the same for 10 reps.
Then do three reps on slightly heavier weights (but not to failure).
Rest between each set and then after the three, begin your excersize.

You only need to do this once per body part. So doing this warmup routine on the bench press will warm you up for all chest and tri's. And doing this on, say, squats for legs will warm you up for all legs. Try it, i find it helps you lift more, plus psychologically speaking, because the sets are light, you wanna lift more, and by the time you start your proper sets, your pumped and psyched and ready to go !!!!!!

Keep it up and keep me posted. :)

I smile when I sleep. I dream of rainbows, and of cool breezes on warm sunny days. Time to get a motorcycle? :d_cool:

Every once and a while I say "I have to kick that JSF habit" and then I see something here that really makes me feel I need to stay. There are so many amazing strong people here, and I want to be part of that. I love Bluestreak's amazing thoughts on self-respect (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=6707)- the same way that I feel, but he put it in such better words.

Cardio was okay, but I've been enjoying weights more lately. I seem to be able to focus on only one or the other in monthly cycles.

My hamstrings are still crying from Sunday. I think I'll have to drop one or two of those sets when I do lower body again tomorrow.

There's lots of steps around at the gym. I can drag one over to help with the bench.

My new MP3 playlist adds some interest. Every time it gets to Luv me, luv me (Shaggy) I crack up. For some reason, I feel a great need for a Persian rug. :lol:

The cherry pie won (Tastes so good, it makes a grown man cry :whistle: ). But it's sitting in the fridge untouched. Weird. I have about as much desire to eat dessert nowadays as I used to have about going for a jog. If I really think it will make me feel better, I'll do it, but it's not something I make a habit out of.

The quality of the people who have gravitated towards me and helped fill my life since reinventing myself have made me realize what I'd been doing wrong all this time - I'd been waiting for others to accept who I was instead of providing that for myself. Inherently, that attracts other weak people and isn't something that helps to improve a person - it keeps you at the level of those you're around. - Bluestreak

You look great. I definitely can't telll that you've had two kids :)

Some people call them dessert. I call them lunch.

Each crepe has 1/2 an egg, 1/4 C skim milk, 1/4 C flour. Inside, I tucked in half a thinly sliced apple and half a container of pineapple yogurt. On top, a simple drizzle of fat free chocolate sauce. If I wanted to get fancy, I'd take a can of evaporated milk, whip it, and put a spoonful of that on top of it all.

I had two. But the first one wasn't quite as decadent. It had ham and red pepper inside. However, there were crepes leftover, so I did have another for dessert after supper too. They are simply devine.

Does anyone love food as much as I do? :D :eat: :D

I never used to record my lifts before. Now that I've started I'm more motivated to lift more each week. I didn't bring Sunday's log with me, so I started fresh again.
lunges: 3 x12
butt lift: 3x (left x 12, right x 12, both x 12)
leg curl 12x33 8x55, 8x55, 6x55, 4x55
leg extension 12x33, 8x66, 8x66, 8x66
leg press 8x110, 8x132, 5x154
straight leg deadlift 8x(77+bar) 6x(77+bar) 5x(77+bar)
barbell good morning 8x bar only 12x(11+bar) 12x(11xbar)
dumbbell bench step ups 3x 12 with 22 pounds

I forgot my crunches. I'll have to do them before bed. :flex:

Some people call them dessert. I call them lunch.

Each crepe has 1/2 an egg, 1/4 C skim milk, 1/4 C flour. Inside, I tucked in half a thinly sliced apple and half a container of pineapple yogurt. On top, a simple drizzle of fat free chocolate sauce. If I wanted to get fancy, I'd take a can of evaporated milk, whip it, and put a spoonful of that on top of it all.

I had two. But the first one wasn't quite as decadent. It had ham and red pepper inside. However, there were crepes leftover, so I did have another for dessert after supper too. They are simply devine.

Does anyone love food as much as I do? :D :eat: :D

Aaaaaah! And you forgot your cinamon with it! :( Shame on you! It looks great! It reminded me that there's been some time since I last made crepes! ;) weekend coming!!!!! I'll try them!

I never used to record my lifts before. Now that I've started I'm more motivated to lift more each week. I didn't bring Sunday's log with me, so I started fresh again.
lunges: 3 x12
butt lift: 3x (left x 12, right x 12, both x 12)
leg curl 12x33 8x55, 8x55, 6x55, 4x55
leg extension 12x33, 8x66, 8x66, 8x66
leg press 8x110, 8x132, 5x154
straight leg deadlift 8x(77+bar) 6x(77+bar) 5x(77+bar)
barbell good morning 8x bar only 12x(11+bar) 12x(11xbar)
dumbbell bench step ups 3x 12 with 22 pounds

I forgot my crunches. I'll have to do them before bed. :flex:

I have to say this... I started a new program on body pump three weeks ago and I only do it twice a week. The results are amazing! I've had more visible results with 6hrs of body pump than I had in three months of water aerobics!
You are an inspiration Guava!

Aaaaaah! And you forgot your cinamon with it! :( Shame on you! It looks great! It reminded me that there's been some time since I last made crepes! ;) weekend coming!!!!! I'll try them!

Now, if I'd thought of putting cinnamon on them, I wouldn't have needed the chocolate sauce.

This thread (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=61101#post61101) has really got me in a frenzy. I have to shake my head.

I was going to post monthly progress pics on Monday, but I'm not sure anymore what the point is. My motivation for posting the pics is hearing encouragement "Wow, you look great, your hard work is paying off, etc." But it's unsettling that I still feel I need to hear that. I want to be working out to obtain the inner rewards of improved health, energy, vitality. I want to do what's best for my body, to get it to its optimum performance level as well as at its aesthetic peak. I don't want to care what any random stranger on a message board thinks. Oh, I know no one is here to judge me, I'm just annoyed that I'm so willing to put myself up there to be judged.

I do love how I look, and right now I do love how I feel. That's all that needs to matter to me.

And this is all sounding very familiar. I seem to go in cycles. Vanity, health, vanity, health.

I'll sleep on it, and maybe it will make more sense in the morning.

You are perfectly okay just the way you are. The world has a place for you and that perfect place is exactly where you are right now.

A few words about success; my diet, my fitness program.

I'm not following a diet, I'm not following a fitness program. I'm learning all I can about proper health and nutrition and adjusting my diet and activity to a consistenly healthier levels as I am ready to do so.

"You get optimal muslce development from Max-OT training." Okay, great, but I didn't like the sounds of Max-OT training, so I started out with circuit training. It was fun. I liked the feel that a full-body workout gave me, and that's the most important part of becoming fit - feeling good.

"Squats and deadlifts are essential in any good lifting routine." Fine. I'll work up to them. I hated them before, so I didn't do them. Better to succeed at something that's not quite optimal than to fail at something that's perfect.

"You have to get 40% of your calories from protein, 40% from carbs, and 20% from fat." I've heard this so much that I'm starting to think it might be true. I'm moving in that direction, but I love food so much that there's nothing I would do to allow myself less appreciation for it. I'm not going to cut back on fruit because I love it so much, and I think milk is essential for my calcium needs. I'm adding protein into my diet only in places where I'm able to fit it without having to give up carbohydrates I enjoy.

"Take a week off every eight weeks." I'm trying. I'm really trying, but I just feel better exercising than not exercising.

Here's my gym. I'm usually the only one in it. Isn't it cute? I usually pick the treadmill by the mirror. I'm so vain. :D

"You only live once - but if you work it right, once is enough." --Joe E. Lewis

Today's workout was completely unsatisfying compared to the last few weight days. :(

It used to be that when lifting, I would feel it in my muscles, but not get tired. However, today's workout produced only muscle fatigue, as it used to be while I was doing the circuit training program. It used to be that after lunges, I was all set to do bicep curls, then ready to to another set for another muscle group.

But the last two workouts, my whole body was getting involved. Finishing a set of leg extensions, my breathing would get heavy, I'd be sweating, and ready to just rest. From what I've heard, this should be the expected reaction. True? Can I get it back?

I couldn't lift as much today :(

dumbbell curls 12x8, 8x18, 8x18, 8x18
dumbbell press 12x8 (I don't know why)
dumbbell upright row 12x8, 8x18, 8x18, 8x18
bench press 8x55, 2x66, 3x66, 2x66
lat pulldown (wide grip) 12x55, 8x66, 8x66, 3x77
bench press 2x77, 3x77, 3x77
push-ups with feet on exercise ball 8,5,6,8
tricep dips between two benches 3x12
crunches on exercise ball 3x12
dumbbell pullovers 8 with 22 pounds

I haven't figured out my grip on the bench press. Where should my hands be? Above my armpits?What do you call this machine I do the bench press on?

The exercise ball at the gym is really great for the push-ups. It's small (comes to under my knee cap) and hard. I have one at home that's much larger and works better for ab work because my feet can be at a right angle, but it's not inflated enough so it's too stable.

Where is my chest?
I tried several different chest exercises, and I kept feeling it in my armpits. No matter what I did. :confused:
The push-ups were really great. I felt a good workout in my abs (core stability) while I did it. It takes a lot of focus to keep balanced. (I fell off once and banged my knee) Still, I didn't really feel it in the chest. I tried the dumbbell pullovers for something different, but I still didn't feel my chest doing any work. I'm disappointed. :(

I was determined for this workout to be better than my last upper body workout. I didn't make any strength gains, and I really expected to. So, to make up for what I missed in quality, I increased quantity. That's why the extra sets of bench presses. I don't know if this is appropriate compensation.

What does a cockroach look like? The place was CRAWLING with some kind of beetle (more than 30 of them, but I wasn't going to let that stop me with my workout), and that could have been what completely threw me off. (Shots are from yesterday. I didn't have my camera with me today, so no pics of them.)

I haven't figured out my grip on the bench press. Where should my hands be? Above my armpits?
Right above your elbows when BB is near your chest.

Everybody has days where they feel they dont get such a great workout. Maybe its time to take a week off?
Next workout will probably go much better. I have them now and then.

Have you tried incline DB bench press? (you will have to use less weight). Maybe they will work better.

You are really strong! I cant even do one push up!

Sorry to be writing in your journal. Keep working hard!
It would be great to see 1/2 the progress you have accomplished!

If I didn't want anyone writing in my journal, I wouldn't ask questions in it, and I'd keep it in a word file or a private fitday account, so thanks for the tips.

After my shower, I did another three sets of 8 pushups. Just didn't feel "done". It is frustrating to not feel like I've given it all I can give in my workout, yet at the end of the set not being able to do any more.

I have a heck of a time trying to take a week off. I feel so much better when I exercise that it's hard not to exercise. I think the most I've gone without lifting is three days in a row, and the most I've gone without cardio is two days in a row, for the last six months!

:mad: It was 28 degrees in that darn gym tonight, but I did 45 minutes on the treadmill anyway. I think it was actually cooler outside. I should have gone for a jog instead, but the treadmill somehow is more satisfying for me.

My husband booked a hotel for the first few days we'll be in Canada (we'll stay at my mom's for most of the rest). He was all excited that it had exercise facilities for me. :D I would feel awful if I had to go three weeks with no treadmill and no weight equipment. :d_frown:

Last night, watched the movie Enough with Jennifer Lopez in it. It was interesting, at one point she says "Find someone that looks like me - five foot five, a hundred and fifteen pounds...." and I start thinking... "Hey, wait a minute, I look like that."

What? I look like Jennifer Lopez??? :whistle:

It made me proud of how far I've come.

There's a scene in that movie where she has this awesome trainer teaching her some very cool self-defense moves. Makes me think I should do something useful with my newly developed strength.

There's a segment on "Look good at any age" in In Style magazine. There's interviews with women at various ages, and here's what Vivica A. Fox says:

"When you get to your 30s you've eliminated a lot of junk. You're not trying so hard anymore. You're more comfortable in your own skin. The main thing I've learned is to make myself happy. That radiates outwardly. You can be physically beautiful, but if you're miserable inside, the connection won't happen."

Bench pressing and chest excersizes take practice before you really feel like your pushing with your chest. Im still working on it as well. Its important to really focus on your chest, make sure your not lying flat (but be careful not to get into an awkward position and do damage). I try to arch my lower back on the downward motion (in effect making my chest lower) then push my chest out and keep my lower back flat on the upward movement. (In affect making my chest higher). This achieves movement of my chest, even though its other parts of my body moving. Practise with low weight.

When on the lower part of the press, when your upper arms are parrallel to the floor, your fore arms should be wider then perpendicular to the floor. not 45 degrees, more like 55.

"Sorry I was late for the birthday party. I had to do another set of deadlifts."

:lol: Sometimes I don't sound much like a mom. It feels good to be unique. It's wonderful to know that I am so good at something that so many others can't do. And I couldn't do it myself six months ago. All it takes is some dedication.

I had to make my workout a bit more intense today because I didn't have much time. I usually prefer higher reps or sets with lower weights, but I pushed myself harder for today. I'm amazed that I could "take it" after the frustration I had with chest on Saturday.

16 lunges with 18 pounds, 16 with 25, 16 with 25, 12 with 25
leg curls 8x55, 8x55, 5x55
leg extension 12 x 55, 8x77,8x77
leg press 8x132, 8x132, 7x132
deadlift 6x 77+bar, 6x 77+bar

It doesn't sound like much compared to what I usually do. :d_frown:
I'll try some supermans and leg curls on the exercise ball while watching tv tonight.

I don't like the lunges. Once I learn how to do squats properly, I'll be glad to give them up. In the meantime, they seem essential.

Saturday we went out for lunch. I splurged this time and ordered bruschetta, as well as pasta with salmon, instead of just sharing the girls' pizza. I ate half the order of bruschetta, and ate half the order of pasta. A quarter of the pasta got eaten as supper on Sunday with red pepper, zuchinni, and onion, and a fruit salad on the side. The other quarter of the pasta I just finished for lunch today with red pepper, zucchini, onion, eggplant, cauliflower, and some fresh spaghetti mixed in.

Somethings wrong with today's restaurants when one order is plenty to feed me three times. :rolleyes:

"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." --Walter Bagehot

:mad: I don't know how I can get good workouts when its 28 degrees (82.4 F) in that gym all the time. I went in to complain again, but not until after I'd struggled through the 45 minute treadmill workout. :rolleyes:

I didn't do any exercise in the evening, but there's no reason I need to be perfect, so it doesn't hurt to loosen up once in a while. I had a few pieces of cake in the afternoon and hardly felt guilty at all. I even had an ice cream with the rest of the family in the evening. :d_tongue:

The state of your life is nothing more than a reflection of your state of mind. --Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

The exercise ball at the gym is really great for the push-ups. It's small (comes to under my knee cap) and hard. I have one at home that's much larger and works better for ab work because my feet can be at a right angle, but it's not inflated enough so it's too stable.

If you're up to it, you can try an alligator walk - it's fun.

Get down on your knees and put the exercise ball in front of you. Lean over the exercise ball so it's on your stomach. Roll out on it a little bit then do a push-up, keeping your back as rigid as you can. Then roll out a little bit more and do another one. The ball should start at your stomach, move towards your thighs, and finally down your shins to under you feet.

Once the ball is under your feet, support yourself in the top part of a push-up (body straight, arms straight out under you - the planche position), and hold it for some amount of time (10, 15, 30 seconds - whatever). It's very important that you don't let your back arch or body sag.

When the time is elapsed roll back, doing push-ups along the way.

You might do four push-ups on the way out, hold a ball planche for 15 seconds, and do four push-ups back in. To make it harder do more push-ups at a time, shorten the intervals at which you push-up, hold the ball planche for a longer amount of time, or throw-in an extra set of push-ups right before you start to roll back in. You can also get up on your toes in the ball planche and then vary how far apart your feet are: closer together makes the exercise harder.

Hey, that alligator walk does sound like tons of fun. Great thing to do if I can't get to the gym while visiting my mom too. (I bought her husband an exercise ball to help him recover with some surgery he had a couple of months ago.) My daughter is always looking for fun stuff to do on my exercise ball; she might want to give it a go as well.

Yesterday was a doozy of a day. I didn't feel much like eating, so I should have stuck with protein shakes all day, but instead, I just ate whatever I felt I could stomach.

Lunch was french toast. I made it with whole wheat bread, and the girls wouldn't eat it, so I finished off about half a one-pound loaf, with lots of syrup. Supper was not much better. The family wanted pizza. I didn't really want pizza, but I couldn't think of anything else that I wanted, so I ate pizza too. I didn't like the ham we had, so it was a veggie pizza. After supper, had a quark and fruit - the only satisfying thing of the day. Then in the evening I had a small piece of cherry pie that's been sitting in the fridge for a week that no one would touch, then three tiny liqueur chocolates and a glass of hot chocolate.

Today is a better day. I just got back from shopping. THEY SELL PROTEIN POWDER AT THE HEALTH FOOD STORE IN TOWN. I am shocked. It is 485,000 for 700g, so I'll have to do some math to see how that compares. I haven't been taking protein powder, and I'm not even sure I'd ever want to start, but it's interesting to know that I could. My husband's friend brought some from Canada - he'll be happy to know it's available locally.

So I have some fresh rye bread to make tuna sandwiches (and some white bread for everyone else). My husband and youngest will have ham, and my older daughter will want egg salad. And some nice big juicy slices of watermelon.

Workout today: Still 27 degrees in the gym :mad:
lateral raises 12x8
dumbbell curls 12x8
bench press 12x55, 8x55, 8x55
dumbbell shrugs 8x25, 8x25, 8x25
dumbbell upright row 10x18, 8x18, 8x18
bench press (again) 6x66, 3x66
lat pulldown (wide) 8x55, 8x66, 6x66
lat pulldown (close) 8x66, 8x77, 8x77
tricep dips 3x10
dumbbell pullover 8x18, 8x18, 8x18
bent over two dumbbell row 8x18, 8x18, 8x18

The bent over row is a horrible and a wonderful exercise. I don't know why I hate to do it, but when I'm finished the sets, I always feel like I can stand taller and breathe so much better! And this wonderful feeling lasts for hours!

I've decided to give my dumbbell curls a rest. I've been doing the same dumbbell curls two to three times a week for six months. They get enough work with the other exercises I'm doing for now.

Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them, you reach your destiny. - Carl Schurz

I am sorry if i am hijacking your journal but when i usualy train in the gym its anything between 26 - 32 degrees. They are changing windows and havent installed new windows for 2 months now so they dont turn on the airconditioning. I have gotten used to it (you have to if you live in greece) but i do drink alot of water. So i feel your pain, but a nice shower makes it feel all much better.

19! Degrees in the gym today. Thank goodness! Treadmill workout went much better today, but it's disappointing that I am not continuing to progress on endurance.

I'm thinking about pushing my goal deadline further back. I seem to be much more effective in my workouts when I am working toward a goal, but when I meet that goal too quickly, there's nowhere left to go.

For men, maybe it's different. You could add muscle ad infinitum, but me, do I really need more muscle? I'd like to be stronger, but to have the female bodybuilder look, I don't know if that fits into my goals. So I'm aiming for strength gains, but slow strength gains, then I'll still have something to work towards a year from now.

Yesterday was a most fabulous day, full of good food, good friends, and a perfect little family outing. I made biscotti with a friend in the early afternoon. She sent some home with me, but while her back was turned, I took a few extra pieces off my plate. Then later on, a friend dropped by with her daughter to play with my daughter. In the evening, we went out for dinner. I had pasta with spicy tomato sauce (enough left over to have for lunch with shrimp and peppers today), then we went off to a nearby town in search of apples and oranges. Couldn't find any oranges (imagine that!) but I did find the apples I was in search of - a nice tart granny smith type. So I got six large apples and six large juicy ripe sweet peaches (almost 5 pounds total) for about $2.50 US.

Breakfast this morning was a pumpkin loaf with wheat germ and flax seeds in it. Only 1 T of oil in it, and no added sugar. I think my sense of taste has become a bit warped. People are not appreciating my baking as much as they used to because it's getting just a bit too "natural" (not enough added fat or sugar). It's strange because the sugar free oatmeal yogurt bars I made tasted perfect to me - hard to understand that for most people they are not sweet or rich enough. I'm looking forward to tapioca pudding for dessert. :eat:

"Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you is determinism; the way you play it is free will." --Jawaharlal Nehru

If you wish to gain strength, u might consider lowering your reps.

Just something to think about, 5 reps is ideal for strength gains, whereas 8 reps is better for mass. I never realised this myself, believeing that mass and strength were almost directly related, but apparently not. Strength is more my goal rather then mass (although obviously mass will come). Its all to do with which muscle fibres you use. If i can find the article, ill let you know.

Hey Reno_1ted, did you ever think about being a personal trainer?

Whenever I start to second guess my goals, you're always there to say "Don't quit, don't even slow down, just change your focus, and here's how." Wise advice :nod:

I know that higher reps are for endurance, and lower reps for strength, but I didn't figure out how mass fits in there. I will research it some on my own. I didn't change my reps yet for today's workout. I'd have to decide what to do about the weight. Presumably if I'm doing fewer reps, I should do them at a higher weight, and I'm not sure about that yet.

Or maybe I really do want a bodybuilder's body. I don't know :confused:

Today was another GREAT day. The gym was 22 degrees. Not as nice as 19, but better than 28. I'll try to record my lifts later, but I don't feel up to it now. After my workout, I walked about a mile round trip to buy some oranges. Then after lunch (cucumber, tomato, red pepper, hard boiled egg white, about 2 oz lean pork, a small apple, half an orange, four slices of pineapple) I walked about a mile and a half to where my hair was supposed to be cut, but the hair stylist told me that I was not there at the correct time. It's awfully hard to argue when she doesn't speak English and I don't speak Romanian. I'll have to go somewhere else, and I vowed not to ever go back there. But I DECIDED not to be angry or frustrated about the setback. So I did some shopping and walked the mile and a half back home. Love walking. Love shopping even more :cool:

"Be life long or short, its completeness depends on what it was lived for." --David Starr Jordan

I think it was rtestes who recommended leg curl on the stability ball as a hamstring exercise, so I looked them up (http://www.bodyresults.com/E2Hamstrings.asp) just to be sure I knew what he meant. Man, those things are great. I felt it in my hams, quads, knees, and calves. And a great stability workout! They will forever replace my bridge (butt lift)

yesterday:
leg curl on ball 3 sets x 12 reps
leg curl (hams) 12 x44, 8 x 55, 8 x 55, 8 x 55
bench step ups 16 with 18, 16 with 18, 16 with 18
leg press 8x 132, 8 x 132, 8 x 132, 5 x 154
leg extension 12 x 55, 8 x 77, 8 x 77, 8 x 77
deadlift 8 x 44, 12 x 44, 12 x 44
barbell good morning 12 x 16+bar, 12 x 16+bar, 12 x 16+bar
superman 3 sets of 8

" Tell a person they are brave and you help them become so." Thomas Carlyle

I have a dream.

I will open a restaurant, but it won't be your typical restaurant. It will serve fresh fruit desserts, and main dishes with no fat added. All meats will be lean, with a focus on fish and beans. It will have nutritional content listed on the menu, and will offer recommendations to people on special diets (eg. diabetics, vegetarians) On the placemats, it will tell you interesting food facts. It will have a waterfall as part of it's decor, and guests will be able to visit the herb garden to adorn their meals with parsley, fresh basil, and green onion.

*Sigh* :d_rolleye

"Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death." --James F. Byrnes

Wow, I had a LOT of GOOD FOOD already today. This morning, for breakfast I had some cottage cheese pancakes. I expected them to be incredibly disgusting but I wanted to give them a try.
Cottage Cheese Pancakes (Blender Method)1 Servings
1/2 cup Rolled Oats
1 cup Cottage Cheese or Tofu
4 Eggs
1/3 cup Milk , approx
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Vanilla
1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Combine all ingredients except milk in blender and process at medium speed until smooth. Add milk until batter is like medium-thick pancake batter. Bake as for ordinary pancakes on a lightly greased skillet or griddle over medium high heat until brown on both sides. Serve hot with fresh fruit, jam, hot applesauce or butter and cinnamon-sugar. A delicious change! Makes about 25 3" pancakes. These are all from the _Whole_Foods_For_The_ _Whole_Family_Cookbook_. PROTEIN: 66.1 GRAMS; CALORIES: 808

I had some rye flakes that I'd picked up at the health food store, so I used that instead of oats. They didn't pulverize very well, so I had to add a bit of flour. 808 calories sounded like A LOT, so I quartered the recipe. I expected to have to pour LOTS of syrup on them to make them taste good, but they were excellent with just sliced apple on top. I put some almond extract IN the pancake batter, which made a world of difference, but next time I'll put cinnamon in as well. My only regret is that I quartered the recipe instead of halved it. I was still hungry after breakfast 8:30, but I went to the gym, then had lunch at 11:30 (one can tuna with 2 T yogurt and 2 T powdered milk, a pita, two carrot sticks, 1/3 of a red pepper, and a small tomato.) I'm hungry hungry again now 1:00 so I'm eating tapioca pudding, a peach, and a chocolate biscotti. For supper, the plan is some spicy chicken breasts (one of those Club House packs meant for buffalo wings) with some cauliflower and green beans. Potatoes maybe.

I told my family about my dream. My husband didn't have much to say about it. He's not sure I'm serious, but I'm not sure I'm serious, so we're even. However, I was all choked up at one point, just thinking about it. When you're passionate about something, it affects your every moment. Maybe if I tell enough people about my dream then I'll be able to make it happen. My daughter has already planned the servers' uniforms and designed the front door and the fountain. She's working on the children's menu now. :)

Today's Routine
:db: Warm up:
12 quick hammer curls with 16.5 pounds, 12 quick upright rows with 16.5 pounds

:flex: workout
bench press 8x55 (I didn't think the bar was down low enough, and tried for 3 minutes to move it, then decided it was easier to move the bench to incline for the other sets) 8x55, 4x55, 3x55
straight arm pulldowns 8x22, 8x22, 8x22, 1x33, 1x33, 2x33, 2x33 (22 is WAY too light for me, but 33 is too heavy :( )
lat pulldown (close grip) 8x77, 8x77, 4x88, 3x88, 2x88
butterflies 8x50, 8x50, 8x50 (I like the idea of doing butterflies, but this machine was terribly uncomfortable. Either it's built for a man, or I just haven't been able to find the right setting.)
lateral raise 8x11, 5x11, 8x11
tricep dips 3 sets of 12
cable row 8x88, 8x88, 8x110
Circuit:
pushups on ball 3 sets of 12
bent over row 8x19.5, 8x19.5, 8x19.5
crunches on ball 12, 12, 9

My abs are getting pushed to last priority, and that's not where I want them. I would probably need to get a three day split in order to give them more focus, but I pretty much like the routine I have now, so I'll keep with it even if it's not the wisest. Usually there is a spot in my lifting where I need a muscle break that I can squeeze them in. I'd be happier if I thought to do them in the evening more often. I worked them on Thursday evening, which I fogot to record: crunches 3 sets of 12, leg lifts 3 sets of 12, some kind of isometric exercise (sit up and lean back till you feel it) 6 sets of 6 reps for 12 count hold.

"Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it, there will be a fish." --Ovid

If you're doing 110lbs on seated rows, that's pretty impressive.
Regarding husband's reaction to resturant idea:
Speaking for myself and many men I know, our natural first reaction is to see the obstacles and challenges in any new endevour. Many of us are, by nature, mismatchers, meaning that we look for the inconsistencies in what we see and hear, before we look for commonalties and possibilities. This isn't necessarily bad, it's just different. My wife has lots of great ideas--she's downstairs at this moment painting boxes that she sells--but when she first presents her ideas she typically has thought through, realistically, what it would take to implement them. This also isn't bad, it's just different. Women tend to be matchers....they look for commonality.

I believe this contrary natural tendencies are a major cause of conflict between men and women. A great book I read (Getting Past No), suggests that one discuss areas of agreement first, before discussing areas of disagreement (even if we only agree with 1% of what someone says, and disagree with 99%). I have tried this with my wife and it works like magic. All of the sudden she thinks I am much more reasonable, much more caring, when in fact, I always cared, just changed the order in which I discussed my thoughts.

Anyhow, sorry to be long winded here, I just know that has been a helpful insight into my own relationship with my wife.

Hey Reno_1ted, did you ever think about being a personal trainer?

I enjoy reading your journal. I find it inspiring that you find time for both your family and the things YOU want to do. Your always active, always walking places, always putting thought and effort into every meal you eat. I like the way you put into words your ever changing thoughts, i like the way your thoughts are ever changing, your constantly thinking, how can i improve this, how can i achieve that, what is it that makes me happy, what are my priorities, what do i want to do with this life of mine. When you ask those questions, i ask myself those questions. You keep me accountable to myself, and remind me that things are possible to achieve, if you set about them the right way, and priorotise the things that matter.

If i can ever help out, offer some advice on excersizes or training, or just offer a push in the right direction, whatever that direction may be, its the least i can do. :nod:

Thanks for sharing your experiance. :)

On the seated rows, I'm using my back to pull all that weight. My arms hardly move at all. I don't know if this is proper technique or not.

Actually, I was more pleased than not pleased with my husband's reaction to my restaurant plans. I think he KNOWS that it's a great idea, and he's just waiting to see how dedicated I am to the plan.

Discuss areas of agreement. We're getting better at that.

I'm getting to have quite a large reading list. I must reread my mom's favorite "Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway" and Trinity recommended to me a book by Wayne Dyer, one of my favorites.

I posted some progress pictures (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=63762#post63762), because they motivate me. To look at where I've come from, to celebrate successes, and to move in a positive direction.

" Nobody succeeds beyond his or her wildest expectations unless he or she begins with some wild expectations."Ralph Charell

I'm glad I posted the pics. I'm sure that the positive comments are a big influence on the improvement in my workouts.

Yesterday was leg day. I had an appointment again right after, so again it was a little more intense than usual:
dumbbell step ups 16x22, 16x22
leg curls 6x55, 6x55, 4x66, 3x66
leg extensions 6x66, 6x77, 8x88
straight leg deadlift 8x77+bar, 6x 77+bar
leg press 5x154, 5x154, 4x154
barbell good morning 8x22+bar, 8x22+bar, 8x22+bar
leg curl on ball 3x12

And last night I had three of my best friends over for dinner with their families. It got pretty crazy with 8 adults and 6 kids, but it was fun. :spaz:

Friday I leave for vacation. I think it will be easier to get cardio than weights done while I'm away, so I'm overloading on weights for the next couple of days. Arms today, and I think I'll do legs again tomorrow. I don't want to lose any of the strength that I've worked so hard to build.

Warm-up at home. 12 each dumbbell curl, upright row, lateral raise, side laterals, shoulder press with 8 pounds
At the gym:
bench 4x55, 4x55, 4x55
straight arm pulldown 12x22, 3x33, 3x33, 3x33
lat pulldown (close) 8x77, 8x88, 7x88
pushups on ball 3x8
bent over row 8x22, 8x22, 8x22
bench press (again) 6x66, 1x77, 4x66
lat pulldown (wide) 8x66, 8x66, 3x77
lateral raise 6x11, 6x11, 5x11
tricep dips 3x10
middle back shrug (incline bench) 8x19.5, 8x19.5, 8x19.5

This took 75 minutes. Then I tried to get out of the gym. I really tried to walk past that treadmill, but my body must know it's treadmill day; it dragged me up onto that treadmill and insisted that I run. Of course, I wasn't going to do my typical 45 minutes, so something completely different.
3.5 minutes 6km/h
1 minute 10 km/h
1 minute 12 km/h
1 minute 10 km/h
3 minutes 8 km/h
1 minute 6 km/h
4 minutes cooldown

Wow, that second 10 km/h felt like HALF the speed of the first 10 km/h. This routine was fun for a change. I might drop the 45 minute program and do something more similar to this one, maybe about 25 minutes long.

Middle back shrug. Another exercise I love to hate. This is a terribly awkward manouever, but my back feels so good after I'm done.
I am making significant improvements on nearly ALL of my lifts, except for the bench press. :( Maybe I just did TOO well on that first day. :rolleyes: I removed the steps that I'd been using to prop up my feet, and it seemed to work a little better. I'm just about set to do a pullup. I noticed today pulling the 88 pounds that it lifts up my lower body. There are no pads to stick my legs under, so I don't know what I'll do when I get to pull 110 pounds or more. :confused: There is no pullup bar in the gym. I even went to request one, and it was denied. Perhaps I shall need to buy a door gym and install it in my apartment.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." --Mark Twain

PMS is terrible. It turns me into a person I am not. I was crabby all day yesterday for no good reason, angry about everything and I craved food constantly. I'm sure it was not hunger, because I craved only sugar. If you've never suffered from PMS, you wouldn't understand. I finished off my daughter's crepes rather than throwing them out, but I went to bed before I dug into the box of chocolates. Strangely enough, I am better now, but it will probably return in the evening.

Today:
dumbbell step ups 16x25, 16x25, 16x25
leg curls 4x66, 8x55, 5x55, 8x55, 2x66
leg extensions 8x66, 8x77, 8x88
squats 8x22, 8x22, 8x22
leg press 8x132, 8x132, 8x132
straight leg dead lift 8x77+bar, 8x77+bar, 8x77+bar
good morning 8x27.5+bar, 16x27.5+bar
treadmill 15 minutes

leg curls and extensions are going great. I'm adding either reps or weight at each session, which is incredible. Squats I tried again, just because the machine was set for it. They weren't terrible, but I still think I'm doing something not quite right. I get terrible blisters from the deadlifts. Really looking forward to shopping for some gloves (and running shoes). The good mornings confuse me. Weight too heavy? The bar is what? 25 pounds? I can't shoulder press that much with 27.5 pounds added, so how is it supposed to end up on my shoulders behind my head? It was not a pretty sight to see. 22 pounds is more manageable.

I hate packing. How much clothing do I need for three weeks? What am I going to forget this time?

I am not looking forward to eating on the plane. I don't dislike the food, it's not enormously unhealthy, it's just never satisfying. Perhaps I should bring my protein powder along and exist on bran muffins for the next two days.

Due to technical difficulties, there will be no quote of the day today. :rolleyes: :confused:

EDIT:
Right now I am listening to some classic Kiss. Am I the only one that loves the song "Great Expectations"? It is the strangest thing. Ooh, and now I'm reminded of a fabulous early Alice Cooper song, I'm Always Chasing Rainbows (http://www.lyricsdownload.com/alice-cooper-i-m-always-chasing-rainbows-lyrics.html).

My current favorite song has to be Andra si Tiger One - Vreau sarutarea ta (radio edit).mp3 (http://www.mymusic.go.ro/muzica/). I predict it will become a hit even outside of Romania. I really should find out what it means. :confused:

I've got explorer working again, where I keep my quotes, but I kinda like this one, courtesy of scorpiosnow's signature.
When life hands you lemons, you say "F*CK YEAH! I LOVE LEMONS! WHAT ELSE YA GOT?" - Henry Rollins

One of the first things I did when I got to Canada was bought a box of Shreddies. Love that cereal. Also bought some granny smith apples, strawberries, fat free yogurt, and caffeine free diet Coke to supplement all the restaurant meals I'd be forced to eat. The fat free yogurt was completely disgusting, but the rest was great.

The hotel had some cardio equipment, so I did 45 minutes on the treadmill a couple of days ago, and 20 minutes on treadmill and 25 minutes on the cross trainer yesterday. The cross trainer was really a lot of fun.

I picked up a copy of the magazine Oxygen. It's a great magazine, which could really motivate me to work out to my greatest potential. There's a LOT of ads for supplements in it that are quite annoying however. I also picked up a copy of Shape, and it's pretty wimpy. It is not a magazine for people who work out, it's a magazine for people who would like to work out, but would rather read about motivational techniques instead of actually getting down to business.


We went to the Science Center a few days ago, and my husband was annoyed that I refused to eat at the cafeteria there. I could not bring myself to eat the stale pizza, greasy taco chips, and fat laden Caesar salad. I went out to the car and munched on Shreddies and an apple. Usually I've been eating Shreddies and an apple for breakfast as well, while they ate at McDonald's. Now I'm at my mom's so I have more freedom. I bought $80 worth of groceries last night and it was the most fun I've had in weeks! I bought a box of Vive cereal. It's pretty tough competition for Shreddies for tastiest cereal. The health food store I went to didn't sell Kashi, but I bought three protein bars to keep on hand in case of future dietary inconveniences. It's very hard to balance taste and nutrition when eating at a restaurant as opposed to at home.

My mother, yes, she thinks I'm too skinny "You're not anorexic, are you?" she asked me at the airport. :( I really have to fight the urge to flex my biceps when someone starts going at me on the too skinny bit. I wish people could be more supportive of the way I've chosen to become healthier. She's on the Atkins diet, and she's mentioned a few times "I used to eat a bowl of Raisin Bran every morning, and I thought I was doing the right thing, but that's my whole day's limit of carbs!"
:rolleyes: Yeah, so what? Maybe you're LIGHTER now, but are you healthier? Who says you WEREN'T doing the right thing eating the Raisin Bran? I'm really biting my tongue to not criticise her diet choices, so it bugs me when she tries to insinuate that my choices are not "the right thing".

No time to read the forums. :d_frown: Will have to check in later.

I found MUCH better fat free yogurt - Danone Silhoutte Mousse. No sugar in it either. It is so yummy. There are unlimited choices in Canadian grocery stores. I had such a hard time figuring out what to have for supper because there were so many things I wanted to eat. Blueberry bagel, beef, romaine lettuce, flour tortilla, smoked salmon, mousse yogurt, Shreddies, Vive, whole wheat linguine - all stuff I can't buy in Romania.

I took a good long look at the ingredients and nutritional information on the protein bars I bought, and I'm beginning to think I got ripped off. Chocolate bars on steroids is what they are. Bagels and whole wheat muffins are a healthier alternative. Possibly even a granola bar is just as wise. Oh well, at least they taste as good as chocolate bars.

I took a look at the gym in my sister's town. It is pretty spiffy compared to what I have in Romania. I'd like to book an appointment with a personal trainer, but I want to make sure he/she knows what she's talking about before I fork out the money. It's a small town 2,000 people, so I don't know what kind of quality staff they might have.

I started reading "The Woman's Book of Strength" and it is absolutely as awesome as I imagined it would be. The woman who wrote it was one of Cher's personal trainers, and Cher's a pretty strong woman, so it's not surprising the wisdom she has to share. Does it mean I haven't yet become strong enough if I cry as I read the book?

My mom has some 10 pound dumbbells, so I'll use those for now. I'm on vacation, so I'm trying to allow myself a bit of a break, but it doesn't feel right to not be able to do my regular routine. I went out jogging a couple of mornings ago and completely froze my butt off, even in a nice polar fleece sweater. It was 7 degrees celcius at 6:30 in the morning. That's not August. That's winter!

My sister is talking about going to the beach tomorrow. I don't know if I can handle it. Presently, it's 18 degrees.

Why do we want strength anyway? it's not for physical perfection - thank God many of us have let that one go. No, we are women of action, ability and substance and simply want a physical body that reflects how we feel inside. -Karen Andes, A Woman's Book of Strength

Where in Canada are you visiting Guava? Hope your having a good time, and your right about the morning weather brrrrrrrrr hehe! Very rare for it to be real warm at 6:30am! ;)

I'm in Manitoba. At 7:00 this morning, it' was 7 degrees. It's now 7:30 and 8.8 degrees. It still sounds to cold to go out for a jog. I'm going to dig around for a skipping rope, or maybe test out that ancient exercise bike that's sitting in the office.

Today I'm going shopping. Perhaps it would be worthwhile to buy some warmer workout gear.

Hehe treadmill runner, aren't you? When spring finally came and we had + degrees once again I thought that was heaven! I find that just using a wind resistant hat makes the world of difference. Add undershirt and/or something like adistar lite jacket and you'll enjoy your run even more. I cant even believe you suggested using an exercise bike. Now I've never been in Manitoba, but there's great nature, am I right?

I love the treadmill. I can't stand to be more than half a mile away from one. I think I'll accept my husband's offer of buying one for our house.

So I went to the gym and had my appointment with the woman who runs the place. She told me she's not certified, but she agreed to show me what she could to help me with my technique. I think I have a better idea about proper form now for squats, and I found out I'm doing my seated rows wrong. She suggested I do the squats with the stability ball on the wall and dumbbells for weights. I'm more determined now to hire a personal trainer when I move back to Canada, not regularly, just a couple of sessions.

I went on a huge shopping trip today. Besides a whole lot of sweaters, a bathing suit, and other clothing, I got some running shoes and weight lifting gloves, and I got some Kashi Go Lean. I can't seem to be able to find resistance bands (except a set of three that were overpriced at $24.99) and people keep suggesting I go to physiotherapy stores.

The Kashi is great. I'll be eating a lot of it. :eat:

Yesterday I was shopping too. I bought a great pair of washable suede pants and a matching sweater AND jacket, ALL for about $175 Canadian. The pants are a size zero, with is pretty ludicrous. There are plenty of people that are smaller than I am. I don't know where the heck they buy their leather from. It's pretty annoying when I try on things labelled XS and they are too big. It was quite a relief to find that the size 6 Speedo I tried on was actually snug. Regular sizes do exist. :claplow:

I think most women have this sick sense of satisfaction about being small. I know I do, and I'm trying to work on it. My mom was talking to me now about how I looked fine last summer, about fifteen pounds heavier. And I had to reassure her that yes, I know I looked fine last summer. I was not unhappy about how I looked. But I think I look even better now, and besides that, what's most important is that I feel better; not getting winded, not having trouble lifting things, not being bloated, etc.

I dropped off my engagement ring at the jewelers to be resized. I've lost 40 pounds since I got engaged about 10 years ago! Amazing. I sort of wondered why I could try on all the rings that the shops have out on display. My finger is a size 6, and it used to be an 8.

I feel a little off, not having my usual forms of exercise convenient, and not being in control of what I eat (because of restaurants, and my mom's cooking). I'm still eating smart (I reduce the amount of steak I eat if I'm planning on having dessert, and I'm trying to lift some light weights in the evenings) but not as smart as non-vacation eating, and I'm still exercising, but not as much as non-vacation exercising. It's just too hard to fit into the schedule. I looked at a book in the bookstore today and it suggested to exercise on a seasonal shedule. In the winter, it recommends to work on flexibility, cardio in the late spring and summer, and strength in the early spring and fall. Makes a lot of sense, and gives me ideas about what to do with my vacation time as well. (i.e. Pilates).

There is a mountain of food available. And I am being encouraged to eat it all. Since I wasn't around to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter with my mom, she wanted to cook us a turkey dinner. So we had turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, brussels sprouts, wild rice casserole, and pecan pie on Thursday evening. Friday evening we went out to a dinner theater. I ordered the grilled terriaki salmon, which was refreshingly non-greasy, and unusually not oversized. However, I succumbed to peer pressure and shared the pitcher of cocktail, even though I would have rather drank diet Cokes all evening. (It's tiring hearing "you never drink anymore". Shut up already. I'm happy like this.)Tonight, the girls wanted to go out for fried chicken. Not a lot of choices there, so I shared what they ordered (ended up with a piece and a half of chicken and a third of a 10 inch pizza).

I feel sluggish now, after three evenings of overindulgence. All the while that I am eating this crap, I'm thinking to myself:

"I AM NOT BEING KIND TO MY BODY"

Am I too health obsessed to enjoy the simple pleasures of life? Am I depriving myself of things I love? Is my feeling of disgust indicative of the new lifestyle that I have embraced, or is it just guilt? I have trouble understanding or believing that what I am doing is "just a vacation". The more often I eat crap, the easier it is to eat it, and I don't like the idea of unhealthy eating becoming a habit again.

I hate my mom's exercise bike. 10 minutes was all I could stand on it again today. 8 degrees celcius again in the morning. No thank-you for the jog. I went looking around for a skipping rope, but to no success. And I don't like the idea of driving 20 miles and paying to use a treadmill.

I asked my sister to pick up a copy of O The Oprah Magazine from her library. I'm enjoying it much better than Shape, because it encourages us to take pleasure in the things that we are already doing, rather than Shape's approach of trying to motivate us to start something new.

I wish this damn vacation was over already. Back to my regularly scheduled life, please.

I'm feeling a little bit better now. If I wait till evening, it's about 17 degrees, so a jog is a little more bearable. (I still wear a sweat shirt and gloves, just to make sure I stay warm. :rolleyes: )

I don't know why I can't just take a week off. I really feel horrible if I go two days in a row with no exercise. And the tuna sandwich on whole wheat that I had for supper tonight was MUCH more satisfying than the fried chicken and pizza. And for dessert, a new recipe - mix a package of sugar free Jello with water and a cup of fat free yogurt, then beat it until foamy, then let it set for an hour. Frothy delicious.

"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action."-- Benjamin Disraeli

Ugh. 26 hours from my mom's doorstep to my doorstep. I'll be glad when we finally live in the same country.

Every time I fly that distance, I feel horrible. Besides suffering from extreme exhaustion, jet lag, and dry eyes, I always suffer some degree of nauseau and bloatedness. I used to blame food consumption, but I think there's something else going on as well. I tried to start a thread about it, but my internet connection timed out, and I lost it all.

I never know if I'm eating too much or not enough while travelling. I'm pretty terrible at estimating calories, and if I can't trust my hunger signals, I'm clueless about what to eat. Next time I will have to be sure to pack some fruits and vegetables. The two protein bars I brought along with me were not enough to supplement the horrible food options I had. :p

I don't feel up to exercise yet. And I still haven't straightened out my diet. I'll feel much better when I'm back on track.

"It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers." --James Thurber

Well, it's hard to believe, but I actually seemed to have made some strength gains while on holidays.

Today's workout:
25 minutes treadmill
leg press 132x8 154x8 154x8
leg extension 8x66 8x88 8x88 8x88
leg curl 4x66 4x66 4x66 8x55
deadlift 8x44+bar 8x44+bar

I'm looking forward to arm day to see if I can bench press 88 pounds. I was playing around at a playground over the summer, and I can easily do a pull-up, so there's one goal achieved!

I also seem to have either maintained or lost some weight and maintained or lost some body fat percentage (I don't record it, so I'm going by memory)

This is the six pack that I thought I'd have in June (well, four pack, anyway ;) ). The one that's still there even if I don't flex, the one that shows up not only in the mirror but on camera. I really don't enjoy doing ab work, so the abs maybe haven't progressed as far as my biceps and shoulders, my favorites. Now, I'm feeling toned everywhere except that I feel just a little flabby in the glutes and outer thighs. I will look into switching up some of my main exercises to target the areas I want to work on more.

I am not in the groove that I thought I would be in.

Yesterday, I intended to do weights, but the weight machine was busy so I ended up doing treadmill for a bit first. Today I intended to do treadmill, but the treadmill was busy, so I did weights.

Not smart to interchange them. I have to eat before weights and I have to do cardio fasted. Yesterday, I got abdominal cramps from the treadmill (hence the 25 minutes then the swap to weights, instead of my usual 45 minutes) And today, I could hardly lift anything because I did not have the available energy. It's the most logical explanation I can think of anyway for my poor performance on arms as compared to legs yesterday.

pushups 3x8
bench press 5x55, 4x55, 0x55, 4x55
straight arm pulldown 8x22, 3x33, 4x33
lat pulldown (close) 8x77 8x77 8x77
lat pulldown (wide) 8x66 6x66 5x66
bent over row 8x18 8x18 8x18
tricep dips 10 10 7
cable row 8x66 6x77 6x77

Perhaps it's just mood related.

I still think weight training is easier for guys, because they can just gain strength and add muscle forever and ever, in the process becoming more and more buff. Wheras I keep second guessing myself:

What am I doing to my body? Do I really want to add muscle to this frame?

Most days, the answer is a definitive YES, but some days I just feel too bulky already. Some days I feel I have too much fat on my upper legs, but many days I feel like I'm too slim. Does anyone truly love their body every day? I'm trying to keep my progress performance related instead of appearance related, but this society seems to place more importance on appearance than performance. Note the media gallery - all sorts of interest in the before and after pics. Nobody seems to care as much if a person reports that they can lift four times as much as they used to.

Hopefull I'll feel better again once I've gotten some more sleep. I hate dealing with jet lag.

Difficulties are meant to rouse, not discourage. The human spirit is to grow strong by conflict." --William Ellery Channing

I still think weight training is easier for guys, because they can just gain strength and add muscle forever and ever, in the process becoming more and more buff.

It ain't all peaches 'n cream for guys. I couldn't have a built-and-buff frame if you glued the muscle on me. It's just not in the cards. But I can polish what I've got.

The wife was crying about the differences between males and females and "how much harder it is for women to lose fat than men". That's bunk. It's only harder if you think it's harder. Women's bodies require more fat than men, but the principles are still the same when it comes to losing fat sans the genetic variables.

Wheras I keep second guessing myself:

What am I doing to my body? Do I really want to add muscle to this frame?

Muscle is the engine that burns fat and makes us look healthy as opposed to skinny. I'd say we should all aspire to have at least the muscle to look healthy rather than emaciated. I worry about looking that way when I slim down because of my body's inability to build significant musculature.

Does anyone truly love their body every day?

Not me. Last night, while I was working out at the gym, I was feeling fat. Just a feeling. Bloated, cherubic, zoftic... whatever you call it, my remaining fat is a reminder that I'm not where I want to be. Then I see myself in the mirror every night when I get out of the shower, and I think, "Hey, you look pretty good nekkid". It's a strange and viscious mental cycle I think we all go through to some degree. I go through it at least a couple of times a week. It helps keep me motivated, because I will win this battle... and sometimes those negative feelings are like throwing gas on a fire. I want to achieve to spite them.

Both treadmills were busy today, so I had a choice of the bike or the rower. I stretched for about 10 minutes, but still the same choice, so I tried the rowing machine. 10 minutes was plenty for me, so I went over to do 5 sets of 10 reverse crunches. By then a treadmill was free, so I did my 45 minutes (mostly walking today, not much jogging)

This country is pretty darned annoying sometimes.

Monday, I went out shopping, and the woman had no change. It took a five minute pantomime for me to convince the woman in the shop to sell me 8 eggs and a loaf of bread for 50,000. (She wanted me to go to another store to get change for my 500,000 so that I could buy 10 eggs, a loaf of bread and four yogurts)

Yesterday, we had no cold water, oddly enough. It's not as easy to have a hot shower as it sounds, and the toilet doesn't flush so well under these circumstances. This morning we have no water at all. Supposed to be just one hour, but 90 minutes already. I'm starting to stink.

Last night I had to go to five different shops to find bananas. BANANAS. Sheesh! It's not as if I were looking for guavas!

But the weather is nice and we got to go to the pool yesterday.

Tomorrow is my ninth wedding anniversary. We're undecided as to what is the appropriate way to celebrate what's been the toughest year of our marriage, but I'm sure it involves chocolate.

"If you haven't found something strange during the day, it hasn't been much of a day." --John A. Wheeler

Today's workout was a little disappointing. I'm discouraged that I cannot complete the 45 minute jogging program any longer. Isn't the whole point of this process to become fitter? So what's up? It's been months since I've been able to finish the jogging. Do weight training and cardiovascular endurance training interfere with each other that much?

It seems a bit of a copout to expect no improvements, to be happy with staying the same.

But I've been at this for months. And months, and months. I tweaked my diet and got excited about cardio back in October, I think it was, and started lifting weights in January. Since then I've taken only a couple days off each month. Yet all the while I was on holiday, I kept thinking "I can't wait till I get back home so I can resume my fitness program." Well, I'm glad I'm back. It is nice to be back into my fitness program. Physically, it still feels good, but psychologically I'm annoyed that I'm not making gains.

Maybe it's just an off day. I went to a party last night and had too many cookies, too much cake, a couple of glasses of Sangria.

I don't want anyone suggesting I take a week off. I can't. What keeps me at it is fear. I'm afraid to take even three consecutive days off because I don't want to look like I looked last July. [I love how I look now (well, most of the time), I love how I feel (well, a lot of the time) and I would do anything to stay this way. I feel so unbelievably horrible if I don't exercise that I can't even comtemplate the idea. It must be time for new challenges again. A new circuit training program? Skipping rope?

Also, after contemplating Bluestreak (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=73051#post73051)'s thread(Someone tell me how I can link to post #54 in Bluestreak's thread, and I'll fix the link), I'm wondering if maybe I should take my husband's advice, since he, presumably, knows what makes me happy. Usually it's "Get off that damn computer." but also "Have fun. Go out with your friends more often. PLAY with the kids." I have an embroidery project I started two years ago. Pansies. Maybe a little more beauty in my life would placate me.

Since the middle of June, I've been pretty much "done" in regards to aesthetic improvements. These last couple of months have been all about performance. And if performance is not enhanced, then what the heck am I doing this all for? Maintenance is so boring. Did an hour on the treadmill this morning, but it didn't feel like such a big accomplishment. I'm using the 45 minute program, and slowing it down as I need to. Every time I slow it down I feel a little weaker.

It's time to take another look at John. He looked pretty damn good last I checked. I hear he's been slippin'. Reality check.

"Doubt whom you will, but never yourself." --Christine Bovee

It's time to take another look at John. He looked pretty damn good last I checked. I hear he's been slippin'. Reality check.

What are you reffering to?

Today's workout was a little disappointing. I'm discouraged that I cannot complete the 45 minute jogging program any longer. Isn't the whole point of this process to become fitter? So what's up? It's been months since I've been able to finish the jogging. Do weight training and cardiovascular endurance training interfere with each other that much?
Weight training does not interfere with endurance training. If anything, stronger muscles help you perform better. Long distance runners train with weights too because of this.

Besides, don't take a week off. Take a week differently. Cut the cardio out for a week and try hitting the weights a little harder, or cut the weights out for a week but run every day or every other. I would never advice anyone to take a week off exercising completely, but the body needs to rest, it's a fact. If you keep pushing yourself, you'll come to a stall.

I was working out for a while w/o seeing any benefits and this last week my body started responding again in a big way. Maybe just give it some time. For me at least, working out is as much about WHO I become (discipline, patience) as what happens to my body.

What I'm referring to is that John has been fit for a long time comparatively to most people here. I read on the boards that his diet is not perfect, and it would be nice to take a look at what regular everyday behavior looks like instead of constantly thinking about improving myself like everyone else on the boards is focused on.

But, I agree with MGB, working out is who I've become, and that's another reason I can't stop. I feel great to be a person that goes to the gym for an hour every day.

"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do." --Henry Ford

....

Deep cleansing breath.

Alright. Here's the plan:

My workouts are my life. My way to release tension, get my body moving, feel the energy inside myself. I'm going to focus on the deeper mechanics of everything for a bit now. Focus on getting every rep with exactly the right technique, look for weaknesses and pay attention on how to strenthen them, focus on controlling my breathing while I run, and focus on ENJOYING my workouts.

Today:
dumbbell step ups 8x22 8x22 8x22
leg press 8x132 8x154 6x154
leg extension 8x55 4x55 4x55 4x55 4x55
good mornings 12xbar 12xbar 12x11+bar
squats 6x11+bar 8x11+bar 8x11+bar
leg lifts 3x10
crunches 3x8
leg curl 8x66 6x66 6x66

I observed a problem with my lower back while doing the leg extensions. It seems to want to lift off the bench. I've probably been cheating this for a long time, but I think I need to slow down the reps (and increase the sets) to better see how the proper muscles can handle them, instead of just seeing "how high can you go" So i did some good mornings, which seemed to help the back, but then decided to throw in some squats for a change. The squats still didn't feel quite right, but they're sort of satisfying. I feel sort of wimpy squatting "only" 35 pounds or whatever it is, but that's 35 pounds more than I could squat before so I'll decide to be pleased with it. I can also keep in mind that I'm bound to see huge improvements in this area.

So, was this workout better than my last leg workout? Doesn't matter. It was better than doing nothing at all. I'm sure it was good for my muscular strength, or muscular endurance, or whatever. It was good.

I took a bit of a look at John's pictures, charts, and graphs. It seems he gained some weight during in his maintenance phase January to August (and gained weight during his vacation). But, the bottom line is he still looks great and I'm sure he still feels great.

"Whatever you want to do, just do it. Don't worry about making a fool of yourself. Making a fool of yourself is absolutely essential." - Gloria Steinem.

Yesterday, 45 minutes on the treadmill. I pushed myself a little harder, but still couldn't do the full jogging program. Stress?

Today
jog 10 minutes
bicep curls 8x15 7x15 6x15
bench press 8x55 8x55 8x66
straight arm pulldown 8x22 1x33 3x33 2x33 3x33
lat pulldown (close) 8x77 8x77 8x77
(wide) 6x66 6x66 6x66
pushups on ball 3x8
shrugs 12x15 12x15 12x15
bent over row 8x15 8x15 8x15 8x15
tricep dips 10 8 8
dumbbell press 8x11 8x11 7x11

The bench press went much easier today. I really don't understand how I can struggle to get 2 reps out some days, and other days can pump out 8 reps no problem. Here's where a personal trainer would help me.

I haven't figured out a solution for my in between weights on the straight arm pulldown. Even the 1 rep at 33 pounds is quite a struggle, and I think my form suffers. Will I gain enough strength by doing 15 reps of 22 often enough to move up easily to 33, or should I keep struggling with the couple of reps of 33 until my form can be improved?

Bent over rows . I didn't want to do them again. I hate the last few reps, but, oh, my back feels so niiiiice when they're done. I even popped in an extra set.

While in Canada, I got new running shoes and some weightlifting gloves. The gloves make me look very cool. They're black with baby blue accents. Maybe I can attribute my bench pressing strength today to my focus on the POWER DIVA logo on my gloves.

I made these cookies last week. My goodness they're good, but WAY too sweet. I would leave out ALL the sugar next time I make them, and use just the syrup. I didn't have maple syrup, so I used pancake syrup. I would use redcuced calorie syrup if I had any, but I don't, and can't buy it here, so oh well. Somehow the combination of maple syrup, peanut butter and oats is just heavenly. These cookies have no eggs, so they can be rolled into balls and eaten raw. Personally, I think they're even better this way. (Curiously, they taste MUCH sweeter.) I split up the batch and did some in the oven and some raw (omit the milk, reduce the flour, increase the flax). Most are still waiting in the freezer because it's such a large batch. But it's hard not to eat them all:
Peanut Butter And Flax Oatmeal Cookies

3⁄4 cup peanut butter
3⁄4 cup maple syrup
3⁄4 cup sugar
1⁄3 cup milk
1⁄2 cup ground flaxseed
2 tsp vanilla
3 C oats, quick or oldfashioned
1-3/4 C whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 C raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat peanut butter, syrup and sugar until creamy. Add ground flaxseed, soy milk, and vanilla; mix well. In a separate bowl, combine oatmeal, flour, and baking soda, and mix well. Add to the peanut butter mixture, and mix well. Stir in raisins. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove to a wire rack and cool completely.

Hormones have taken over my body.
As if the peanut butter cookies weren't enough, I had to also make these:

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bars Yield: approximately 3 dozen 2” bars

1-1/4 cups whole wheat Flour
3/4 cup Oat Bran Cereal (I used oatmeal blended in the food processor)
1/8 tsp ground Cloves
1/4 tsp ground Nutmeg
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Sugar or brown sugar
2 Tb Molasses
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup Oil
3/4 C mashed pumpkin
1-1/2 tsp Vanilla
3 cups Oats, quick
1 cup Raisins

Preheat oven to 350°F. Set aside an ungreased baking sheet with sides.

Mix the first 7 ingredients together (flour through sea salt).

In another bowl mix together the sugar, brown sugar, molasses, flaxseed meal, canola oil, pumpkin and vanilla extract; blend well. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar/molasses mixture. Blend well; stir in oats and raisins, incorporate well.

Press dough into the baking sheet and spread out to the sides of pan. Bake for approximately 20-22 minutes (do not overbake). Remove from oven and cut bars with heatproof spatula. Leave in pan to cool. When cooled remove to ziplock bag for fresh keeping. Can be stored 3-4 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Now these were really good as well. But why they called for 1/2 C of oil, I'll never know. I try to follow the recipe the first time I make it, then make adaptations for the next time. I will try it with NO oil next time and see how it goes. I gave a large portion of this to my friend, and she said her husband loved it.

They didn't seem to stay very well in bars, so what I've been doing is cutting up some fruit, crumbling the bars on top, then topping with a big dollop of fat free plain yogurt whipped together with some quark, vanilla, and nutmeg.

I've discovered a fondness for Black Eyed Peas. The music, not the food.

I have a big headache now. That's probably a cue for me to be avoiding caffeine, but I REALLY REALLY want some Diet Coke or some dark chocolate.

This morning:
jog 10 minutes
dumbbell bench step up 8x15 8x15 8x15
leg press 8x154 8x154 8x154
squat 8x11+ 8x11+ 8x11+
leg extensions 8x66 8x66 8x66
leg curls 6x55 6x55 5x55
deadlift 4x77 4x77 4x77
good mornings 12x11+ 12x11+
leg curl on ball 12 12
crunches 10 8

Lunch was satisfying; it was fruit heavy.

My older daughter phoned before lunch, and my three year old talked to her. "What time does she have to be home?" "Twelve o'clock" When she hung up, I asked "Where is she?" and she replies "She's on the phone." :rolleyes:

My grandpa, he's 95 And he keeps on dancin' He's still alive

My grandma, she's 92 She loves to dance And sing some, too

I don't know But I've been told If you keep on dancing You'll never grow old

Come on darling Put a pretty dress on We're gonna go out tonight

Dance, dance, dance / Dance, dance, dance / Dance, dance, dance
All night long

(Steve Miller Band - Dance, Dance, Dance)

The jogging routine was completed today. Actually, it was completed on Monday too. :claplow: It's amazing what a relief it is to know that I can still do it. Now I can think about progressing.

After 45 minutes on the treadmill today, I was darned good and ready to pack it in, but, on the walk home I got caught in the middle of a "runner's high". The kind where the sun shines brighter, the music sounds more melodic, the flowers smell more fragrant, and my body feels more fluid. I was not about to let this feeling fade so quickly, so I dropped my things off at home, and continued my walk. It was after about 25 minutes of brisk walking and vigorous stair jogging that I finally called it a morning.

Protein pancakes are on the menu for lunch. I can hardly wait.

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. ~Marcel Proust

Someone does not want me to be exercising today.

Yesterday, I made the bad choice of going without socks in a particular pair of shoes, and I got the most terribly painful blisters on the top of every one of my toes. Oh well, I'm tough. I can work through that. I have an appointment at 9:30 this morning, so I had to exercise earlier than usual. I tried to do the first part of my work-out outside so that I could check on my daughter while she got ready for school. I got about twenty minutes in, then when my babysitter arrived, I headed off the the gym. Only to discover that they had changed the doors so my key didn't work any more. So, onward outside I trudge. Around the next lap I see that they're creating a large amount of dust from construction of a playground. I'm allergic to dust, so here's where I started to think it was all a whole lot of cosmic signals. I had to chuckle when on the way home, I saw someone cutting the grass, because, of course, I'm allergic to grass as well.

It's not a big problem. I'm sure I burned enough calories between midnight and two in the morning to cover what I missed in my jogging this morning. ;)

I've got dreams in hidden places and extra smiles for when I'm blue. ~Author Unknown

It's not a big problem. I'm sure I burned enough calories between midnight and two in the morning

You went running at 12am ??? ;)

Yesterday's routine looked something like this:
Walk 15 minutes
hammer curl/shoulder press 5x18 8x15 8x15
bench press 8x55 8x55 0x55 0x55
bent over row 8x15 12x15 8x18
straight arm pulldown 12x22 12x22 12x22
lat pulldown (wide) 8x66 6x66 6x66
lat pulldown (close) 9x77 9x77 5x88 4x88
bench press (again) 8x55 8x55
pushups on ball 10 4 8
upright row 8x15 8x15 8x15
tricep dips 8 8 6 6

My bench press still confuses me. I'm not sure I have the right range of motion. Starting down near my armpits, I can't move the 55 pounds, but if the bar's higher, I could press 66 or more.

I continue to have food issues. You'd think I'd love food enough to be able to sacrifice something that's not perfect, but no, I love food so much that I can't bear the though of wasting one precious morsel. I made a cream sauce for pasta with milk and fat free cream cheese, which I cooked on too high a heat, so it curdled. It was edible on pasta, but far from delicious. Leftovers? Couldn't throw those out! It would have been nice if I could have magically transformed it into a cheesecake, but I didn't think the garlic and oregano would add such a nice flavor to it. I cooked up a conconction for lunch the following day wherin I mixed the curdled milk/cheese mixture with an egg, some oats, flour, baking powder, then I mixed in some diced red pepper and half a can of salmon, and fried it. Truthfully, I was a little surprised that it actually tasted good. Better than the cream sauce had been, for sure.

I bought a large tub of fat free quark last weekend, and I haven't found enough things to do with it yet. Perhaps I'll make my cheesecake yet.

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not! ~Author Unknown

My bench press still confuses me. I'm not sure I have the right range of motion. Starting down near my armpits, I can't move the 55 pounds, but if the bar's higher, I could press 66 or more.[/I]

I have the same problem with bench presses (rows as well, but it's biceps in their case), and I believe it stems from my front deltoids being the weakest link in the press. Being most noticeable the closer the bar/dumbells get to my chest.

I've found that as my front deltoids gained strength, the more I could dip/press.

I haven't been myself for the last few days. I'm not sure who I've been, but I hope I can find myself again soon.

I tried to post an update on Saturday, but my computer ate it. I've been angry since then, and it's not like me to hold a grudge.

Eating, a problem. I've had the feelings of not quite hunger, but in my stomach the feeling of emptiness. I should eat smaller quantities at these times, because I know I'll want to eat more often. Actually, I was suffering from a bit of nausea and dizziness as well, so it's not like the eating was nonessential.

Exercise, a problem. Through my whole workout on Saturday, I didn't want to be there. Not sure if I did the right thing in suffering through it, or if I should have taken the day off. Did this:
jog 10 min
leg curls 8x55 4x55 4x55 4x55 5x55
squat 8x16.5+ 8x16.5+ 8x16.5+
good morning 8x16.5+ 8x16.5+ 8x16.5+
leg press BROKEN!
leg extension 8x66 8x66 8x66
deadlift 4x77 Dammit, I'm going home now

Good mornings done in a superset with squat, which worked really well.

Sunday, I participated in the Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research. (We went with my daughter's school to Bucharest, on the bus.) I would have liked to have done the 10 km route, but my daughter said she wanted me with her on the 5 km, then spent the whole time with her friend. I did stay with her, so it was a rather slow walk, instead of the run I would have liked.

This morning, did most of the workout at home for a change
curls 8x8 8x15 8x15
hammer curl/shoulder press 8x15 8x15 8x15
bent over row 8x15 8x15 8x15
tricep extensions 8x15 8x15
upright row 8x15 8x15 8x15
front raise 8x8 12x8 12x8
To the gym
bench press 8x55 7x55 5x55
straight arm pulldown 3x33 3x33 3x33
back at home
side laterals 12x8 12x8 12x8

When will I ever work my abs?

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.
"So it is."
"And freezing."
"Is it?"
"Yes," said Eeyore. "However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately." ~A.A. Milne

Workout and eating problems: I've had similar feelings in the past that you're experiencing now. The cause for me was over-training and under-eating. My suggestion is take some time off and eat what ever you want. I bet you'll come back feeling great and only a couple extra pounds to show for it.

Sunday, I participated in the Terry Fox Run for Cancer Research. (We went with my daughter's school to Bucharest, on the bus.) I would have liked to have done the 10 km route, but my daughter said she wanted me with her on the 5 km, then spent the whole time with her friend. I did stay with her, so it was a rather slow walk, instead of the run I would have liked.

Kids can sometimes take their parents for granted. I know that I feel that way sometimes. Even though she spent the whole time with her friend you were still there and she knows it. That's important. You did good.

Thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday. I'm shocked at how annoyed I am to be 31. Watch out 40, it'll be a full blown depression.

It seems to be about 6 minutes around the townsite, if I run up the step part, and walk the rest of the way. Seven laps this morning was enough.

I don't think I could take a break from fitness. I don't think it's my behavior that's the problem, it's my attitude towards it. I think maybe these last few days may have just been a growth spurt, and I should have treated it as a time to refuel, instead of feeling guilty about eating more than I "normally" do. I always get the nagging feeling though that I don't want to look and feel how I looked and felt when I ate like that. I have to keep in perspective that I used to eat like that EVERY day, and I can't undo all my hard work by slouching one day out of seven.

About my daughter, I'm sure you're right AMR. The fact that I was there with her mattered, even though she wasn't right by my side the whole time. I helped her when she got a scratch on her leg, and I'm sure she was glad it was me instead of her teacher. :)

When you feel dog tired at night, it may be because you've growled all day long. ~Author Unknown

If you don't get everything you want, think of the things you don't get that you don't want. ~Oscar Wilde

Well, my appetite is puzzling. According to my energy levels, and feeling of hunger, I'm not overeating. But if I think about all the things I'm eating and try to estimate the calories, it seems way higher than normal. Has my metabolism increased (even temporarily)? My weight and body fat percentage? I don't know. Seems to be pretty close to normal. I think tracking it would be a bad idea; I don't even know if I want to be cutting or bulking.

Last night
6x15 crunches
3x12 leg raises
5x15 butt lift

This morning
3 sets 8 squats with 18 pound dumbbells
3 sets 12 standing leg curls (wish I had some ankle weights)
3 sets 12 standing leg lifts (wish I had a better resistance band)

That's it.

Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. ~Emory Austin

Those who wish to sing, always find a song. ~Swedish Proverb

Life is a shipwreck but we must not forget to sing in the lifeboats. ~Voltaire

Well, focusing on negative emotions isn't getting me anywhere, so I've decided to look at things from a new perspective today.

So I've decided to be in a good mood. Could I have decided to be in a good mood yesterday, and for the last few days? Gee, I'd like to think so, but I'm afraid the answer is no. Sometimes my body just doesn't want to listen to my heart.

Last night, I had a chocolate chip cookie, 30g of dark chocolate, and a coffee with lots of Coffee Mate and sugar. Maybe that's what cheered me up.

Today, 5 laps, then made pancakes for my daughters, then another 5 laps.

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. ~Maori Proverb

When I looked at things from a different perspective, here's what I saw:

I am much closer to be underweight than being overweight, so I should be more concerned with eating too FEW calories than eating too MANY

My chest is pretty well defined by now, so even if I wasn't able to bench press 100 pounds by my birthday, it's time to shift my goals. Going over my photos I took today, I get the feeling that my abs look weak compared to the rest of me.

New goals:

1) Drink MORE WATER. LESS DIET COKE.

2) Change program to a three day split:
Day 1: legs and lower back
Day 2: cardio
Day 3: abs, middle back and chest
Day 4: cardio
Day 5: arms and shoulders

I don't know how I can work this out. If anyone has some specific exercises to recommend, please post them here.

I think, what has this day brought me, and what have I given it? ~Henry Moore

I am trying to slow down. I need to break up my weight training into three days instead of two, just because I'm trying to fit too much into each day. I started a plea for help (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=77315#post77315) here.

Tonight, we are going out for supper to a restaurant that makes really awesome baked pickled cabbage. Not sure what I'll order with it. The typical used to be chicken schnitzel and potatoes with onion (and lots of butter). Maybe I'll be feeling fishy.

In a hurry. I'll catch up later and report on today's workout, which was pleasantly satisfying, for a change.

Whenever you fall, pick something up. ~Oswald Avery

Today's satisfying workout went like this:

Someone had loaded 27.5 pounds on each of the dumbbells. Me, being too lazy to switch the plates, just went ahead and lifted them. ;)

bent over row 8x27.5 8x27.5 8x27.5
upright row 4x27.5 8x22 8x22 8x22
straight arm pulldown 15x22 12x22 4x33 (I think I'm getting stronger!)
lat pulldown close 8x77 6x77 6x77 (these were harder today :confused: )
push-up on ball plus 8 second plank between sets 3x8
lat pulldown wide 6x66

This seems like a more reasonable amount of exercises in a session. Enough trying to be Superwoman.

I have found that if you love life, life will love you back. ~Arthur Rubinstein

Just for fun, lets look back to about 8 years ago. My oldest daughter would be about 8 months old. I'm nearly back to my prepregnancy weight. Not my ideal weight; the weight that I reached through bad eating habits in university.

Dinner of choice: Pizza Hut meat lover's pizza (3 slices) slice of cheese toast, and a regular Coke (plus refill)
What I cooked for dinner: Meatloaf was popular. Occasionally, I would deep fry some french fries to go with it, but that was a treat. :rolleyes: Sometimes pork ribs with white rice (no veggies required). Roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy and canned corn was my favorite. I tried having one vegetarian meal per week for a while. It was always something with LOTS of cheese on it.
Lunch:Usually leftovers from dinner, but sometimes sandwiches made with luncheon meat and mayo and mustard(white bread please). Unsurprisingly, Kraft Dinner and canned spaghetti also became popular choices very soon after this photo was taken. Once in a while, weiners and beans. I think I bought cans of Chunky Beefsteak and Potato soup by the caseload.
Breakfast: either Eggo waffles (2, blueberry) or Pillsbury Pizza Pop (yes, pizza pop for breakfast!) If I was feeling healthy, I'd have Just Right cereal or Shreddies, but that didn't happen often. I'd been known to eat chocolate cake for breakfast sometimes when that's what was in the fridge. :eek:
Beverages: At least 5 cans of Coke per day. I switched to iced tea (well over a liter a day) after I decided the caffeine was giving me stomach aches, not realizing there was more caffeine in the iced tea than the Coke.

In the attached photo, I'm about 45 pounds more than I am now. I could have used a better wardrobe, but it feels unnecessary to wear nice clothes when you don't feel like you look nice. :d_frown:

Dinner of choice: Pizza Hut meat lover's pizza (3 slices) slice of cheese toast, and a regular Coke (plus refill)
What I cooked for dinner: Meatloaf was popular. Occasionally, I would deep fry some french fries to go with it, but that was a treat. :rolleyes: Sometimes pork ribs with white rice (no veggies required). Roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy and canned corn was my favorite. I tried having one vegetarian meal per week for a while. It was always something with LOTS of cheese on it.
Lunch:Usually leftovers from dinner, but sometimes sandwiches made with luncheon meat and mayo and mustard(white bread please). Unsurprisingly, Kraft Dinner and canned spaghetti also became popular choices very soon after this photo was taken. Once in a while, weiners and beans. I think I bought cans of Chunky Beefsteak and Potato soup by the caseload.
Breakfast: either Eggo waffles (2, blueberry) or Pillsbury Pizza Pop (yes, pizza pop for breakfast!) If I was feeling healthy, I'd have Just Right cereal or Shreddies, but that didn't happen often. I'd been known to eat chocolate cake for breakfast sometimes when that's what was in the fridge. :eek:
Beverages: At least 5 cans of Coke per day. I switched to iced tea (well over a liter a day) after I decided the caffeine was giving me stomach aches, not realizing there was more caffeine in the iced tea than the Coke.

Sounds familiar :confused:
In the attached photo, I'm about 45 pounds more than I am now. I could have used a better wardrobe, but it feels unnecessary to wear nice clothes when you don't feel like you look nice. :d_frown:
Familiar too :confused:

When I see your pictures of you chest and the full body (inverted colours), the first thing that comes to mind is a professional beach volley ball player.

Just thought I'd share...

Looking good guava...you got some serious dedication going on. :tu:

Our family is full of perogie lovers.

They are dumplings filled with potato and cheddar cheese. Their origin is from Ukraine. In Canada, you buy them frozen in the grocery stores, boil them, and serve them with onions fried in butter, sometimes some bacon, and sour cream (or you get your Ukranian grandmother to make them for you)

Both my kids adore them, as do my husband and I.

When we moved to Romania three years ago, I thought they would eat perogies here as well, but no such luck. I had to learn how to make them from scratch. And that's what I've been doing every spare moment this weekend.

4 kilograms of potatoes, peeled, chopped, boiled and mashed (2 hours)
500 g of cheddar cheese (imported from Canada) grated and stirred into potatoes (20 minutes)
11 cups of flour, 850 g of sour cream, 6 eggs (20 minutes)
rolling, filling, pinching dough (5 hours)
freezing, bagging (20 minutes)

On top of that, lots of washing dishes.

I got about 5 trays of perogies, each tray will serve about 6 people, so, for 8 hours + of work, I got about 7 meals. :p That doesn't include the time it will take to boil water and cook them for each meal. I usually eat something else instead so that I don't have to make new batches of perogies so often. They would eat them twice a week if I let them.

We really do love them.

So, Saturday's exercise was shoulders (the rolling pin workout), plus I went on the treadmill for 45 minutes (not the jogging program).

Today, believe it or not, I'm still in a cooking mood, so I thought I'd try out a pumpkin pie with a pecan crust. I walked (about a mile)this morning to buy some eggs and fruit, but I might try to get to the gym for some weight training. We'll see how the mood keeps up.

I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon. ~Ellen DeGeneres

Yesterday afternoon, I started getting a little dizzy again. I also started getting a pain in my back, so I went to the gym and did a back/legs workout:

dumbbell bench step ups 8x22 8x22 8x22
squat/good mornings 8x16.5 8x16.5 8x16.5 8x16.5
leg curls 6x55 6x55 4x55 4x55
supermans 12 10 8

I felt immediately better, which lasted about an hour.

Just before bed, my headache returned, an I got a bit of the chills and itchy tingly skin. I took two Tylenol and slept in a fleece hoodie, despite being too hot just a couple of hours earlier.

I was amazed that I was actually feeling good when I woke up this morning, so I got ready for my workout, but once I took the first few steps up the stairs, I knew I was doomed. I did 30 minutes of walking; hopefully I can get out for another hour of walking this afternoon or this evening.

The tension in my back has returned, but no chills, and the skin is just slightly itchy/tingly. My period has arrived, which makes my cycle about six weeks. Is that a bad thing?

House hunting is exciting, but frustrating. I don't like the idea of buying a house I've never seen in an area I'm not familiar with. I'd like to rent for a while first, but my husband seems set on buying a house.

Meeting this afternoon with my daughter's teacher. She's doing about two hours of homework every night, which is about an hour and a half more than any eight year old should have to do.

Stop the tension already.

Swallow a toad in the morning and you will encounter nothing more disgusting the rest of the day. ~Nicholas Chamfort

Nine o'clock was my bedtime last night. I'm not quite sick, but nowhere near my best performance. Let's see, what did I eat yesterday?:

1/3 slice pumpkin pie (8 year old's leftover from last night)
small bowl of Golden Grahams cereal (3 year old's left over from breakfast)
2 cups coffee with milk and sugar
bran muffin
banana
2 squares sugarless bars
500 ml Crystal light (no Diet Coke today. The coffee did my stomach in.)
low fat pineapple yogurt
orange
nectarine
orange (again)
1/3 slice pumpkin pie (3 year old's leftover from lunch)
1/4 soft taco (8 year old's leftover from lunch)
small square (about two inches) of cherry pie stolen from the freezer and eaten (frozen solid) while the freezer was still open
lemon cherry muffin
glass of milk
1/3 slice pumpkin pie with whipped evaporated milk
500 ml Crystal Light

Now, let me explain the cherry pie incident: I kept telling myself I wasn't hungry, but I was looking in the freezer for something to make for supper and discovered the cherry pie. I was shocked when it found its way into my mouth. I really didn't know I was hungry until I ate it. :rolleyes: On the other hand, all of the pumkin pie incidents were perfectly deliberate. :D

Today looks like it will go about the same way. This kind of diet seems to agree with me for short time periods. Needs a bit more protein. Now's the time to dig out my small stash of protein powder and protein bars. I should also be gobbling up my fat free quark.

To the gym I trudged this morning. The goal of today's workout was to get the damn thing finished as quickly as possible. I haven't got my new schedule worked out yet. Should be an arm day, I suppose, but my back is still stiff, so I worked that in a bit as well. Exercises were done on a rotating basis, rather than repeating sets, with little or no rest between exercises:

bicep curls 12x11
hammer curl/shoulder press 8x16.5
crunch 15
leg lift 8
bent over row 12x16.5
repeat circuit twice more, changing bicep curl to 16.5

Then:
tricep extensions
4x16.5 8x13.75 10x13.75

When I got home to hop into the shower, I discovered that there was no water. :(

To the question of your life you are the answer, and to the problems of your life you are the solution. ~Joe Cordare

Guava, what makes you think you are underweight? Do you have a low number on the BMI?

I don't necessarily think I'm underweight. I just think that I'm closer to underweight than overweight.

I just checked a BMI chart. My BMI is about 18.5. Normal weight is 18.5 to 24.9.

My body fat percentage is pretty low, and my periods are irregular, but I feel generally healthier than I've ever felt (except for the last couple of days).

I decided to track my diet for today to be more accountable. It's been better so far today:

Milk, cow's, fluid, skim 1 cup 86 0 12 8
Muffin, multigrain, with fruit 147 3 27 5
Egg, whole, cooked, hard-boiled 78 5 1 6
Pork chop, baked, lean only eaten 3 oz, boneless, 162 8 0 22
Cucumber, raw 0.3 cup, NFS 4 0 1 0
Tomatoes, raw 0.3 cup, 11 0 3 0
Pepper, sweet, red, raw 0.2 cup, NFS 8 0 2 0
Milk, cow's, fluid, skim 1 cup 86 0 12 8
Muffin, multigrain, with fruit 147 3 27 5
Watermelon, raw 0.5 slice 46 1 10 1
Muffin, oatmeal 136 4 22 4
Banana, raw 109 1 28 1
Total Calories 1019 25 143 62

I could use a 600 calorie or so supper. My target for protein is only 55 grams a day, so I'm okay, but more certainly wouldn't hurt. I'd like to make a ham omelette, but it's not the family favorite.

Those perogies look killer!!!! We make them every year for christmas dinner, but we never do patato anymore. We always make cheese, sauerkraught, apricot, sun dried tomato and feta (just tried these last year). Seeing them made me jealous.

I've never heard of apricot perogies before. I've heard of blueberry, but never tried them. Sauerkraut has always been a popular homemade choice. Sundried tomato and feta sounds really interesting. I had some dough left over when the potatoes were finished off, so maybe I'll try something like that.

Today's project was tackling a 23.5 pound pumpkin. I made my husband chop it up at lunch, then I baked it for an hour. I was going to puree the whole mess for pies and loaves, but the edges got black, so I trimmed them off. If you know me, you know I can't throw anything out, so I have to find some way to turn blackened pumpkin into dinner. :confused:

Someone tell me that pumpkin perogies would be a really bad idea.

Still not feeling well, but I don't feel a flu coming on. Could be stress. I'm worried that my husband will reconsider terminating his contract (Dec 3rd). Things have been so great while we've been talking about going back to Canada. His job here has been bringing him so much stress, it will be a huge relief to get a new start. I'm terrified that if he decides to extend another six months that he'll become unreasonably difficult to live with again, like he used to be occasionally. He promises they're making changes at work that won't bring him so much stress. He doesn't like the fact that he'd be effectively making only half as much in Canada (no free rent, utilities, and other uplifts). Ironically, I'm really happy being here too, with a fabulous school, great preschool and a gym that's everything I need. I'm just so confident about us right now that anything that threatens to change that must be evil. :d_confuse

So I did an hour of walking/jogging this morning, but it wasn't at my full regular speed.

Ultimately we know deeply that the other side of every fear is a freedom. — Marilyn Ferguson (b. 1938), Writer, author

Oh my, I ate WAY too much for breakfast.

I made some pumpkin oatmeal bars last night, and I had to sample a small square this morning, then I made my favorite protein pancakes. I love these babies even more than regular pancakes. They're like a giant soft oatmeal cookie. Mix 1 egg with 1/4 C fat free quark and 1/2 C ground oats. Stir together with almond extract and dried cherries (and a handful of chopped leftover blackened pumpkin too :o ) I ate all of this in one sitting with two glasses of milk and a bit of leftover fruit salad. I haven't eaten that much in days. I've been SOOoooo bloated for the last two hours.

I haven't figured out my new workout schedule so for now I'm just doing whatever I didn't do last workout.

dumbbell bench step up 6x22
lunge 6x22 6x22
squat 8x16.5 8x16.5 8x16.5
leg extension 10x55 10x55 8x55
leg press 6x132 6x132 6x132
butt lift 8 one legged 3x12 both legs
bicycle 3x8

I feel so weak. I hope this week I can power up again. How long does it take to recover from a birthday anyway?

A woman asked me yesterday about some tips on a leg workout because she noticed my legs were so nice. :o Wow, it's an amazing feeling to go from hating your thighs to getting complimented on them! :D

Let me not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless in facing them. Let me not beg for the stilling of my pain, but for the heart to conquer it. Let me not look for allies in life’s battlefield but to my own strength. Let me not crave in anxious fear to be saved but hope for the patience to win my freedom. — Rabindranath Tagore

My eating has been terrible for the last several days (weeks).

After yesterday's too big breakfast, I was bloated ALL DAY. I skipped lunch, then had some pumpkin pie for a snack, then finished off my daughter's ice cream for another snack, then was offered a muffin at a friend's house. For supper, I had pesto pasta with ham. Hardly any vegetables all day. Today is not shaping up any better.

Breakfast this morning
a square of cherry pie (it's sitting uncovered in the fridge. Somebody has to eat it)
a low fat cherry yogurt
a pumpkin oatmeal square

Morning snack
frosting from a cake I was making for a potluck dinner tonight (some left in the bowl, and I had to clean off my fingers)

Lunch
leftover spaghetti with meat sauce (about 1/3 C)
1/4 C diced ham, diced hard boiled egg, cucumber, tomato, red pepper
left over Kraft dinner (about 1/3 C)

Supper will be the potluck dinner. Could be good; could be bad.

I need more claories, but I need them to be good calories. I really need to start throwing out the crap instead of ingesting it.

45 minutes on the treadmill this morning. Felt good. Imagine how much better it would have been if I'd been eating properly.

Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Eating is going better today, but it's still a bit off.

Breakfast: chef salad and low fat pineapple yogurt
Lunch: tuna sandwich with fat free quark and red pepper
Snack: peanut butter and banana sandwich

Workouts are still off. It's funny, I'm amazed that I continue to wake up excited about going to the gym to work out. After ten months, still enthusiastic about working out every day. Once I get to the gym, sometimes it doesn't work out though. Like today. I got a headache on the treadmill, so I called it quits after 25 minutes. I went for a long walk this afternoon though, so that sort of makes up for it, I guess.

My glutes are killing me. I don't know what I did to them to make them hurt so much. Maybe all that stair climbing has finally caught up on me.

No time right now to post yesterday's workout, but it was a doozy.

How did it get so late so soon?
It's night before it's afternoon.
December is here before it's June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?
~Dr. Seuss

Friday night I was up late, until 1:30 am watching 13 Going on 30, so I don't know how I managed to get up at 7:00 to go to the gym, but I did, and it was good. I didn't use as much weight as I've normally been using, but I just felt like I couldn't quit. Not much strength, but a lot of endurance.

pushups 3x8
bench press 5x55 5x55 4x55
straight arm pulldown 15x22 12x22 8x22
lat pulldown (close) 8x77 8x77 8x77
dumbbell flyes 8x16 8x16 8x16
middle back shrugs 6x16 6x16 6x16 6x16
incline DB bench 8x22 6x22 5x22
upright row 6x16 6x16
50 various crunches when I got home

If I thought I hated bent over rows, middle back shrugs are worse. Some phenomenon though. Once I get them done, my back thanks me. I love to hate them. DB bench was a surprise. I would have thought I could do 25 pounds, but 22 felt awfully heavy. One day, I will get a spotter (or rather, a personaly trainer) and do a proper barbell bench press instead of that machine I'm using now.

Went shopping this afternoon. I bought a pair of very pointy black shoes with white contrast piping to go with my polka dot dress and fishnet pantyhose. No idea if it's in style or not, but if you're confident enough, you can pretty much pull off anything. ;) I resisted the urge to buy a pair of jeans. They were comfy and fit like a glove, but I think I have enough jeans. I'd really like another pair, but I don't need them. However, they're less than $10 US, so maybe I can just go with the theory "You can never have too many jeans"

Yesterday, I did shopping with my eight-year-old. The sales clerk was quite annoying. I was looking at some pants that I thought might fit her. They have cryptic sizes like 132 and 154 (height in centimeters, I think). The sales clerk told me the pants I was holding (probably meant for about a twelve-year old) were too big, and practically insisted that I put them back on the rack. I told her we'd try them anyway. She tried on a pair, and they were about a foot too long. The sales clerk actually said "See, I told you." I swear, she said those exact words. Anyway, I checked the waist, and they were just a bit loose. A couple of minutes later when I was looking at tops, the sales clerk tried to get her some pants. She tried on a pair. Too small. Next size up. Too small as well. As I paid for one of the pants in a size I'd selected, she says to me "She's a bit fat". Yeah. Thanks. :rolleyes:

The movie, it was great. Reminded me how much I hated being 13. And I really did love being 30. I'm sure it was my best year ever (if you cancel September to January); I have great faith in this year to be better yet. I've never loved being me as much as I do now. :D

Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess. ~Edna Woolman Chase

I'm still using the "whatever I want to do" strategy, because I haven't figured out the perfect way to split my exercises. I'm trying to keep to a leg day, and a chest/back day, and an arm/shoulder day, but it's not precise.

hammer curl/shoulder press 10x16.5 10x13.75 8x13.75 8x13.75
front raise 6x11 6x11 6x11
one-arm side laterals 6x11 6x11 6x11
tricep dips 10 10 10
barbell press behind neck 10xbar 10xbar 10xbar
skullcrushers 6x13.75 6x13.75 6x13.75
one arm preacher curls 8x22 8x22 8x22
upright row 4x22 4x22

It's still too many exercises, and there's no warm-up. :d_redface

The preacher curls are really weird. Normally, I can curl only 16.5 pounds. Against a pad with my arm supported I can curl 22 pounds. It does look a bit cool to gaze down at my bulging bicep, but it doesn't feel right. What kind of benefit is my bicep receiving by getting that much assistance?

There's another woman moved in that uses the weight equipment at the gym the same time as me. I might try to do my arm/shoulder workout at home from now on, to reduce the chances of equipment conflict.

I may never need to make muffins again. All I need to do is keep adapting my protein pancake recipe. I had for lunch some banana pecan pancake. Holy taste sensation! I mashed up about half a banana, added an egg, mixed it with maybe 1/3 C ground oats, and maybe 1/4 C chopped pecans, and a little spoon of baking powder. A small sprinkle of nutmeg, large sprinkle of cinnamon, squirt of maple syrup. Pour into a hot pan, let sit a minute, flip it over, let sit until set.

I was thinking about the sales clerk from the other day and wondering why I got so upset over the whole business. Would I have been just as insulted if the incident had gone the other way and she'd said "She's a little skinny."? :confused:

Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity. ~Christopher Morley

This morning a kitten snuck into our house. My daughter immediately gasped and declared "Oh, I want to keep him!" Like he was a gift from the gods or something. We went outside and played with him. I took the sweetest video of the kitten chasing her in her pink party dress. Now we'll never get rid of him.

This morning's jog was tough, so it turned into mostly a walk. We're off to yet another birthday party. Having friends sure is busy business.

I'm trying to clean out my freezer for our move, and found some ground chickpeas in there. I made falafel burgers for myself last night (but not deep fried), adding some pureed pickled peppers I also discovered. I should have been a chef. :eat:

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. ~Robert Brault

I just saw those pics of you on the first page of this thread for the first time.

WOW!!

You have an amazing transformation! Your picture on the far right reminds me a lot of a 24 year old I know who I think is very attractive.

You earn the prestigous Allen "Babe" credential.

Very motivational!

-Allen

You earn the prestigous Allen "Babe" credential.
Does it come with a wall plaque? I'm redecorating. :lol:

Well, I got to the gym thinking today was chest day, but when I looked over my notebook, I discovered it was a day for legs. So I was a little thrown off, and the workout didn't go well.

dumbbell bench step ups 8x22 8x22 8x22
supermans 3x8
squat/good mornings 8x22 8x22 8x22
leg curl 8x44 8x44 7x44 (even at 44 pounds, these were hard)

Discouraged, I trudged home and picked up a resistance band that I've recently acquired from the aerobics instructor
Walk, leg lift, side lift, skate 8x8
leg curl 3x8
leg lift 3x8
crunches 3x8
leg curl on ball 3x8
butt lift with outer thigh resistance 3x8
frogs 2x8

Looking it over, the home workout would have been enough. Not sure how much good I did in going to the gym. It would appear that I've reached maximum possible muscle growth without an increase in calories. I'm a real advocate of listening to my body, and my body likes what I'm eating, so I'll try to be satisfied with my present level of strength. It could be time to work on cardiovascular endurance again, but what I'm hoping for is to be able to play soccer or baseball at my new home. Hey, I might even take up ringette for the first time since I was twelve.

For lunch yesterday, I made gingerbread pancakes. They were super, but no one else was terribly fond of them (more for me!). For breakfast, I've been eating stir fries (peanut butter, lemon, garlic, soy sauce), so I suppose that evens out the meal confusion. :p

Henceforth I ask not good-fortune, I myself am good-fortune. ~Walt Whitman

Yikes. I am really stressed out.

I've been bugging my husband for three years now about going somewhere exciting on vacation, and now he's gone and reserved plane tickets for October 7th to 15th. We have flights to and within various cities in Italy and Spain, but we have "in betweens" to cover by train or other transportation. I really wanted to go just because we're so close (less than 90 minute flight from Bucharest to Rome) but I don't have much idea about what I actually want to see and do. I'd hate to get back to Canada and say I didn't get to see any of Europe. Now I'm terribly confused about the itinerary, especially trying to find something that the kids will want to do. I found this amazing theme park (http://www.portaventura.es/pa/conoce.asp?pDesti=&pNivelA=2&pNivelA1=4) that I'm REALLY, REALLY excited about, but I'm really not a history buff, and I don't appreciate good art to the degree than I should. The only other part of the vacation I'm looking forward to is the food, the music, and the "atmosphere". It's a short trip, I know, but I'd still like it to be perfect. I don't want to cram too much into just one little week, but it would be a shame to miss something that's really significant.

Now what? We have to select the cities we'll visit, find hotels, figure out how the train schedules work....

Wherever you go, go with all your heart. ~Confucius

Well, the good news is, we're not going to Italy on Thursday. The bad news is, we might not get to go at all. Once the price looked like it was going to climb to about 3000 Euros just for transportation, before even looking at hotels, we started to reconsider. Now we're looking at just flying to Barcelona and staying there maybe four nights.

Yesterday was my shift to supervise the preschool, so I had to do a short workout at home. i can't do my back and chest well at home, so I did the arms again.
Warm-up :claplow:
curl 20x8 20x8 20x8
hammer curl/shoulder press 20x8 20x8 20x8

Probably a bit too long of a warmup
Shoulder press 8x18 8x18 8x18
front raise 10x8 10x8 10x8
dumbbell curl 8x18 8x18 7x18
tricep extension 8x18 8x18 (Just two sets. I hate these)
pushups (close tricep position) 8 8 8
upright 8x18 8x18 8x18

Today, I was closer to doing the 45 minute jogging program, but still not quite. Stress is to blame, I'm sure, but I'm dealing with it.

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
You are the guy who'll decide where to go.
~Dr. Seuss

What the scale said this morning:
52.0 kg
15.4% body fat

Is it accurate?: :d_confuse

How I feel about that:
:confused:
I have no goals as for my body composition, so why am I still weighing myself?

Yesterday:
push-ups 10 10 10
straight arm pulldown 12x22 12x22 12x22
lat pull wide 8x66 8x66 8x66
bench press 66 6x55 5x55 4x55
dumbbell flyes 8x18 8x18 8x18
crunches 8 8
bent over row 8x22 8x22 8x22
shrugs 10x22 10x22 10x22

Today 45 minutes treadmill, but not the jogging program.

We've found a house we like well enough to put an offer on it.

Friday, we attended a Farewell to Summer party. (They just closed the swimming pool.) I was having a good hair day, so I've finally updated my profile picture. My old one is from almost three years ago, before I ever started lifting weights. I liked the photo so much, I haven't bothered to change it. Really, in that photo, I don't think I look much different, other than the hair.

All my life I had been looking for something, and everywhere I turned someone tried to tell me what it was. I accepted their answers too, though they were often in contradiction and even self-contradictory. I was naïve. I was looking for myself and asking everyone except myself questions which I, and only I, could answer. It took me a long time and much painful boomeranging of my expectations to achieve a realization everyone else appears to have been born with: that I am nobody but myself. ~Ralph Ellison, "Battle Royal"

We have a vacation home and I have no scales there, guava! I like it much better without the things. I need to part with the scales here! Your babies are just beautiful! :) Mine are 19 and 14 now, but still beautiful! :)

We have a vacation home and I have no scales there, guava! I like it much better without the things. I need to part with the scales here! Your babies are just beautiful! :) Mine are 19 and 14 now, but still beautiful! :)
Rember, the photo's three years old. My babies are babies no more. My youngest is three and a half and tries to tell me she's old enough to walk by herself to school. My eight and a half year old is wearing clothing from adult clothing stores, and just this evening started writing a song. Soon, she'll be a superstar and be moved out of the house :eek: :claplow:

I'm looking forward to a good bowl of old fashioned oatmeal tomorrow. It's been ages since I've had my usual. This morning was a treat.
Bread pudding:
Cut three slices of bread and one apple into cubes. Mix together and throw in raisins if you like. In a measuring cup, combine one egg, 3/4 C apple juice, and a few tablespoons of skim milk powder. Pour over bread and apple mixture. Let sit 1 hour (The first time I made it, I skipped this step, and it was still good, just a little crunchy on top.) or overnight, then bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. If you're feeling decadent, top with fat free quark or yogurt and some maple syrup or caramel sauce. Or eat it plain. Makes one large or two small servings, depending on how hungry you are.

Your work is to discover your world and then with all your heart give yourself to it. ~Buddha

Awww, that's a great pic also -- very pretty girls! :)

Thanks hibiscus. They're growing up quick. It's hard to imagine that in just a few years, I'll have a teenager. I have a taste of the teen attitude once in a while already.

There's these beautiful bushes that grow all over town, and I just love them. They were in full bloom in July. Are they hibiscus?

Today:
dumbbell bench step ups 24x16.5
squat/good mornings 8x22 8x22 8x22
leg press 8x132 8x132 8x132
deadlift 8x77 8x77 8x77
leg extensions 8x66 8x66 8x66 8x77 7x77
home:
walk, side, skate 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
crunches 12 12 12
leg lifts (abs/back) 8 8 8
leg lifts/glute kickbacks 12 12 12

I don't seem to have any really good glute exercises, and I'm feeling a little flabby there. I didn't feel like pushing on the leg press, or I probably could have gotten back to 154 where I was a few weeks ago. Deadlifts were easier today. I'll have to check my records on whether I've done 77 pounds on leg extensions. It seemed surprisingly easy. I did have to sort of waddle out of the gym however. :rolleyes:

Someone made an offer on the house we liked and it wasn't us. :d_frown: I think my husband's pretty disappointed. We've been browsing the listings for a while, and out of maybe 100 listings, there were really just two that I could imagine living comfortably in. We have to get better organized so that we can be quicker next time. It's pretty tricky with the time difference and all.

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can. ~Danny Kaye

Guava, you look like you've gotten at least five years younger in those current pictures! :d_eek: :drool:

Very awesome! :tucool:

Aw! that's a really cute picture!

Guava, you look like you've gotten at least five years younger in those current pictures! :d_eek: :drool:

I've lost eight years! :eek: Three years later, and I look five years younger. :confused: Okay, maybe you're right. There's a bit of a difference in the photos. I don't think it's the weight that does it really. I see an increased vitality - more energy, more confidence. I used to have dark circles under my eyes about half the time. They're pretty much gone now, except when I'm really tired. That photo was when I met my mom at the airport, the first time seeing her in a year. She said it took her a while to recognize me.

My three year old said last night "When I grow up, I'm going to have big boobies. Just like you." :lol: At least she's stopped hitting me on the behind and saying "You've got a big butt." :D

I'm on the "use up all the food in the freezer and cupboard" diet. I dug out some phyllo pastry and some feta cheese and some frozen spinach the other day, and made a really yummy dish. I didn't have a lot of feta, so I mixed it with fat free cream cheese, and it was SOoooo good. It was so good, I might have to even buy those ingredients all over again. :rolleyes:

I took some pork chops and cut them up into tiny little bits, mixed them with veggies, and rolled them in the rest of the phyllo for spring rolls. (Baked, not fried.) I made my husband eat some chicken cordon bleu I discovered. He wanted it with the frozen french fries that have been there for about a year.

All this talk in the forums about brownies made me bake them.
CHOCOLATE BOY SCOUTS
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup baby food prunes
3 tbsp. butter melted
2 egg whites
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325°F

Combine cocoa, flour, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer at low speed, blend together brown sugar, prunes, butter, egg whites, and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture and blend after each addition. Stir in walnuts.

Spray an 8x8" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter in pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20-22 minutes, until edges feel dry to touch but center appears fudgy. Do not overbake.

Prunes, I didn't have. Normally, I'd use a homemade date puree, but I was in a hurry, so I used a banana instead. I cut the sugar back to 1/2 C, and added 1/4 C of sweetener. I'm trying to avoid butter, so I just poured in a little drizzle of oil, maybe 2 Tablespoons. I have a problem with throwing out egg yolks, so I used a whole egg instead of two whites. Salt, who needs it? So, they weren't quite as good as regular brownies, (They were awfully thin, actually - next time I'll use a loaf pan instead of an 8x8.) but very close. The kids can't tell the difference, I'm sure. I was busy while baking, so I think I did overbake them, and that could have made all the difference.

We're starting to almost get panicky about a house. In eight weeks, we're flying across the ocean and will have no place to live. :eek: So, now, we're looking at places and saying "That's not bad." I don't want to live in a place that's "not bad", so I'm taking some deep breaths and resisting the pressure. I'd really rather rent for a few months, so that we can look around once we get there, but my husband is determined to purchase a home within the next seven weeks. At least I have the majority say in which place is best. :d_rolleye

Today was not a great day exercise wise. Walking only for me this morning. I'm allowing myself to adapt my regular fitness routine so that I can better sort out the rest of my life. A nice long walk this evening would be nice as well. Especially if it includes shopping. :)

People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within. ~Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

:mad:

I am pissed off.

I am tired of preparing a separate dish for each family member at each meal.

I am sick of pretending that it's healthy to eat pizza once a week.

I'm saddened that my family believes that ramen noodles alone constitutes a healthy meal.

For one of the first times in a year, I said "Okay, this is supper. Take it or leave it." They left it.

C'mon, it's not like I'm a bad cook. This is what was put in front of them:
2 pork loin chops, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups chicken broth
1 can pineapple tidbits in juice, undrained
1 1/4 cups uncooked white rice
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup sweet and sour sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Cook pork over medium high heat in nonstick pan until no longer pink.

2. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, until rice is tender. Stir occasionally. Serve immediately.

I must say, it was DELICIOUS. :eat: My husband ate it. He even seemed to enjoy it. My oldest daughter picked out two tiny pieces of pork and ate that. My youngest daughter fussed until her dad picked out the meat, the pineapple, and the carrot, and then put soy sauce on her rice for her. :rolleyes:

Isn't this what normal moms make for dinner? Don't their kids eat things like this? Why are my kids so much more damned fussy than all the other kids in the world? :(

Tonight's quote stolen from Kino's signature. Now if I can only get that positive attitude back. :d_redface

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. -Herm Albright

:mad:

I am pissed off.

I am tired of preparing a separate dish for each family member at each meal.

I am sick of pretending that it's healthy to eat pizza once a week.

I'm saddened that my family believes that ramen noodles alone constitutes a healthy meal.

For one of the first times in a year, I said "Okay, this is supper. Take it or leave it." They left it.

C'mon, it's not like I'm a bad cook. This is what was put in front of them:
2 pork loin chops, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups chicken broth
1 can pineapple tidbits in juice, undrained
1 1/4 cups uncooked white rice
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup sweet and sour sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Cook pork over medium high heat in nonstick pan until no longer pink.

2. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, until rice is tender. Stir occasionally. Serve immediately.

I must say, it was DELICIOUS. :eat: My husband ate it. He even seemed to enjoy it. My oldest daughter picked out two tiny pieces of pork and ate that. My youngest daughter fussed until her dad picked out the meat, the pineapple, and the carrot, and then put soy sauce on her rice for her. :rolleyes:

Isn't this what normal moms make for dinner? Don't their kids eat things like this? Why are my kids so much more damned fussy than all the other kids in the world? :(

Tonight's quote stolen from Kino's signature. Now if I can only get that positive attitude back. :d_redface

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. -Herm AlbrightYou used to eat fairly badly right? I mean, badly as in the same crap that most people eat...? If that's the case it's not surprising at all that your children would be resisting moving from a more junk-oriented meal to something that's good for them. I suppose they'll get used to it. Children will pretty well always prefer to eat crap. Of course they also lack the willpower to really make a point, so if you say it's this or nothing I don't think they'll choose the nothing option very many times.

I know a woman who feeds her child the most hideous crap imaginable, and all the time. She says that he won't eat things that are good for him. But, the kid is fat, and I'm thinking if he misses a meal or two he won't die, and you can't let a 5 year old beat you in a battle of wits, but as it is he does continually beat her time and time again and now he eats fries and processed chicken for most of his meals (he is also very unhealthy and gets sick all the time).

Your supper sounded pretty good to me :) But, for a person not interested in losing weight or health obviously it would pale in comparison to a nice box of delivered, greasy pizza.

You used to eat fairly badly right? I mean, badly as in the same crap that most people eat...? If that's the case it's not surprising at all that your children would be resisting moving from a more junk-oriented meal to something that's good for them. I suppose they'll get used to it. Children will pretty well always prefer to eat crap. Of course they also lack the willpower to really make a point, so if you say it's this or nothing I don't think they'll choose the nothing option very many times.

Your supper sounded pretty good to me :) But, for a person not interested in losing weight or health obviously it would pale in comparison to a nice box of delivered, greasy pizza.

It's been several years since I used to eat as badly as the crap that normal people eat, but just last year, yes, I used to be able to serve them pizza and not feel that I was doing a disservice to their health. *shudder*

From that point of view, it's easier to understand how they reacted to today's supper. This dinner made them queasy in the same way that a pizza would make me queasy. Amazing how easy it is to forget.

It's hard to stick to my principles when so many moms feed their kids like in your example. My husband thinks I'm fairly strict with what I won't allow the kids to eat. I was not pleased that he's given them ice cream each night for the last three nights. He's been swayed by the media that says it's normal to eat sugar-filled cereal for breakfast, Kraft Dinner for lunch, and pizza for dinner. I'm not sure I can make him understand how important nutrition is to me, and how important it is for me to try to feed my family the healthiest food available. He thinks what I'm doing is fine, as long as it's not affecting him and the kids. But it's hard to watch them eat garbage. It's hard to not insist that they make good choices.

:mad:

I am pissed off.

I am tired of preparing a separate dish for each family member at each meal.

I am sick of pretending that it's healthy to eat pizza once a week.

I'm saddened that my family believes that ramen noodles alone constitutes a healthy meal.


I grapple with the same thing every day. Fortunantly, my wife is on the bandwagon. The kids on the other hand, are not. My kids practically refuse to eat anything healthy. (Although, they would probably wolf down the meal you described, we all love oriental influenced cooking) Granted, neither one of them are overweight, both are very active in marching band, tae kwon do, etc so I wonder if it's really a concern right now, but my concern is the habits they are acquiring.

Guava, sorry to poke in your journal...I've been scoping out some b/c I am thinking of starting one here myself. I visit a few forums, but I want to find the 'home' for my journal and keep it in one place.

Anyway, to my point for posting...will you adopt me? I'll eat your dinners anytime! You are like the recipe queen of the forum & they always sounds soooo good! :drool:
I suck at cooking, there are a few dishes I know and do well, but when it comes to new stuff in the kitchen, I have no imagination. And I couldn't bake a thing if my life depended on it. I eat the same stuff often, pretty healthy, but the same stuff over & over. There was a time in my life when I subsisted mainly on cereal.
I wouldn't give ya any grief! :tu:
:gl:

It's hard to stick to my principles when so many moms feed their kids like in your example. My husband thinks I'm fairly strict with what I won't allow the kids to eat. I was not pleased that he's given them ice cream each night for the last three nights. He's been swayed by the media that says it's normal to eat sugar-filled cereal for breakfast, Kraft Dinner for lunch, and pizza for dinner. I'm not sure I can make him understand how important nutrition is to me, and how important it is for me to try to feed my family the healthiest food available. He thinks what I'm doing is fine, as long as it's not affecting him and the kids. But it's hard to watch them eat garbage. It's hard to not insist that they make good choices.I think it's that you've come to a realization about healthy eating and it's naturally difficult to ignore the importance of it now, but your husband has not yet and so he doesn't care as much. I'm the same way with finances: once, back in 2000, I finally had a moment of clarity regarding money I have never since been happy with credit card debt or not saving for the future. I know though that many people don't have this mindset. To me I simply cannot fathom living a life devoid of this concern (about being decent with money), although I know full well that in the past I did.

I'm sure I don't have to tell you to keep at it, but if you do it really will help your kids out so much. My parents were somewhat slack with our food (though to their credit nothing compared to how I see many kids eat these days), and I'm sure it gave me a sweet tooth and the love of binging more than I otherwise would have had. My wife's parents rarely had junk and as an adult my wife doesn't have much interest in it. I know kids have to have crap every once in a while just for a cheat (and so do the adults!), but stuff like KD is just such filthy crap. It's truly got nothing nutritious in it and is merely filler to keep them happy and keep them from starving to death.

Once you can ween your children off the crap - and admittedly it's hard in a world full of people who indulge their carb-crazed appetites and encourage their kids to do the same - they'll be healthier and happier, and when they are slim adults I'm sure that they will thank you for it. I think that by the time our daughter is grown up the population will be approximately 99.995% morbidly obese and I plan on being a better role model than most people are :)

I admire people who resist their children's whining about eating junk food and do what's best for their children, not best for the immediate desire to have the children be quiet! Afterall, that's what parenting is all about :D I say that never having had a kid whine at me for crap, but I'm preparing myself.

Yes, those are hibiscus. Here's the yellow hibiscus from my backyard this summer. We were at the beach a lot, so the begonias were taking them over! :)

Yes, those are hibiscus. Here's the yellow hibiscus from my backyard this summer. We were at the beach a lot, so the begonias were taking them over! :)

Sorry to hijack the thread, but those flowers earn the less prestigious Allen "Green Thumb" award.

-Allen

Sorry to hijack the thread, but those flowers earn the less prestigious Allen "Green Thumb" award.

-Allen
:lol:
For some reason, this cracked me up to no end. It's amazing that there's any sort of green thumb award going on in my thread. I've been able to kill plants in no time. My husband looks after all of our plants, or else we wouldn't have any. I tend to forget to water things. Did I mention hibiscus is one of my favorites? I'm going to buy a great big one when we get our new house. I'm already thinking about a vegetable garden for the back yard too. My daughter says she'll plant carrots and tomatoes and peas.

Pixie, yes, you can come and live with me. You must memorize these phrases that I never hear in my house:
My, that salmon smells delicious!
Could I please have some more broccoli?
Please pass the barley bean salad. (You'd be saying this a lot.)

Skoorb, your replies really help me a lot. Thanks.

If you have the will to win, you have achieved half your success; if you don't, you have achieved half your failure. ~David Ambrose

:lol:
I'm already thinking about a vegetable garden for the back yard too. My daughter says she'll plant carrots and tomatoes and peas.

Pixie, yes, you can come and live with me. You must memorize these phrases that I never hear in my house:
My, that salmon smells delicious!
Could I please have some more broccoli?
Please pass the barley bean salad. (You'd be saying this a lot.)


If you have the will to win, you have achieved half your success; if you don't, you have achieved half your failure. ~David Ambrose

Hi Guava, hope you're having a good day. :D

Will your daughter eat those carrots, tomatoes, & peas when they sprout??? Then that would definately be a great project for her.

BTW,
1) I love, love, LOVE salmon!
2) Broccoli is one of my favorite veggies! Steamed and sprinkled w/ salt and I'm good to go! I've often eaten an entire bag of frozen, steamed broccoli in a single meal.
3) I've never heard of barley bean salad, but it sounds completely delish! One of my favorite soups is a tomato-based barley veggie soup. I'm sure your barley bean salad would be taken care of in no time. :eat:

And this is coming from a girl, who from what I've been told by my mom & various other members of my family, went through a period in her childhood that would only eat hamburgers. Didn't matter where we went to eat...Chinese, Italian, home...I had to have a hamburger.

This morning:
curl/press 8x16.5 8x16.5 8x18
side laterals 8x11 8x11 6x11
barbell press behind neck 8x16.5+ 8x16.5+ 8x16.5+
barbell curl 8x16.5+ 8x16.5+ 8x16.5+
tate press 12x14 12x14
crunches 3x12
preacher curls 8x22 8x22 8x22
reverse crunches 2x24
tricep bench dips 8 8 8

A good day. :confused: I don't know. I'm nearly ready to book myself an appointment with a psychotherapist. Talking to a friend of mine, I found out that so-and-so's mom is pissed off at me for this, and so-and-so's mom felt hurt because of that, so I'm trying to figure out did I really do something wrong? :d_confuse I've spent so much of my life's effort trying to fit into the real world, and it's time to just try and fit other peoples' opinion into my version of reality. Too bad she's hurt, but she didn't misinterpreted my behavior. So what if she's pissed off. She doesn't understand my intentions.

To make it easy on myself, we're having the no-fail dinner tonight that everyone likes. Oven baked potato wedges and breaded pork chops. I'll stir fry some zucchini for myself and the rest of the family will pretend that vegetables are not a food group.

Since my exercise is messed up, and my diet is messed up, I decided on another area to focus improvements on for today. I am drinking water. Lots of it. I'm acting as if it's a doctor's prescription, eight glasses a day. I haven't stepped on my scale for a couple of days, I think, but I feel comfortable about my size and shape.

I don’t want everyone to like me; I should think less of myself if some people did. — Henry James

:mad:

C'mon, it's not like I'm a bad cook. This is what was put in front of them:
2 pork loin chops, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups chicken broth
1 can pineapple tidbits in juice, undrained
1 1/4 cups uncooked white rice
3/4 cup finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup sweet and sour sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder

1. Cook pork over medium high heat in nonstick pan until no longer pink.

2. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, until rice is tender. Stir occasionally. Serve immediately.


I made this for my family last night, and the 5 of us (myself, my wife, and 6, 4, and 3-year-old) demolished the whole thing! It was quite good (although for some reason I forgot the garlic powder, but added a chopped green pepper), and will become one of our staple "quick" meals.

As for my kids, the two boys (6 and 3) both loved it. My daughter (4) was lukewarm, but still ate it. My wife and I thought it was quite good.

In my family, I'm the "health nut", and my wife is the exact opposite. Of course, I've always been "muscular-overweight" and my wife has never had any problem staying thin (not fit, but thin). So, I fight the same battles as you, although to a lesser degree. She agrees that it's best that we provide our kids nutritious, healthy meals, but could easily revert back to chicken nugget-pizza-kraft dinner-nachos type of rotation if I weren't constantly harping on her. Vegetables? What's the point of that?

My wife grew up on Kraft dinner, Wendy's for lunch at school, etc., and hates Hates HATES to spend time preparing meals. Her mom was of the "I can eat all the junk I want as long as I wash it down with a handful of eighty different vitamin pills" variety. She WILL eat healthy food if I make it, but has quickly grown bored with the food I make since I started to get serious about a healthy diet 8 months ago. Since I'm the one who cooks most nights, that's a problem, just like for you.

So, I'm extremely happy to find recipes like this that are good FOR you, while still palatable to someone who loves "Cheesy-beefy-noodle skillet" type things that Kraft loves to print in the magazine ads. Thanks!

I made this for my family last night, and the 5 of us (myself, my wife, and 6, 4, and 3-year-old) demolished the whole thing! It was quite good (although for some reason I forgot the garlic powder, but added a chopped green pepper), and will become one of our staple "quick" meals. :d_redface Envy. Maybe I'll just go and cook for other families. I checked out some articles yesterday on picky eaters and it says that moms start feeling rejected and unappreciated when the family doesn't eat the food.

By the way, this recipe was my adaptation of something called Wowie Maui Chicken, and is from a fabulous cookbook called Looneyspoons. It DID have green pepper in it, so your instincts were right. I left it out because I'm the only one that likes it. Original recipe called for ketchup instead of sweet and sour sauce too, but I had some I wanted to use up in the fridge. Next time you make it, you can try here (http://www.ivillage.com/food/recipefinder/recipe/0,,389849,00.html).

So I ended up going out at dinner time shopping, and when I returned, they had eaten all the food I'd prepared. :eek: So I ended up eating half a loaf of bread absolutely smothered in peanut butter. :nod: Really, I did. And wow, it was good. But I'm not finished yet. I took the brownies that I made a couple of days ago, nestled them gently between a sliced banana, spritzed a little bit of whipped cream on top, then drizzled some chocolate sauce on top. Who's drooling now? :drool:

Amazingly enough, I was STILL hungry, so I ate an oatmeal cookie. Something tells me I didn't get enough protein yesterday. Oh well, no matter, it's still better for me than the heaps of fettuccini alfredo that I could have eaten ten years ago.

:jumping: This morning, I completed the 45 minute jogging program on the treadmill. That bingeing must have been good for me.

I haven't weighed myself in four days, and I feel better because of it.

As for my psychological well-being, I'm trying to tough it out. The worse I feel, the worse someone's comments about me can make me feel. Then there's just a downward spiral. I've got to do a complete "shake myself out of it" routine to get back on track.

Other people's opinion of you does not have to become your reality. ~Les Brown

I wish you could cook for me :) I literally just had my first "cooked by me" baked potato the other day so someone with your culinary skills would be a refreshing change from "oatmeal...every day...except for days with cheerios...or maybe a tuna from the can" cooking.

It your family doesn't appreciate it then they are crazy! Your recipies always sound tasty!

-Allen

So I ended up going out at dinner time shopping, and when I returned, they had eaten all the food I'd prepared. :eek: So I ended up eating half a loaf of bread absolutely smothered in peanut butter. :nod: Really, I did. And wow, it was good. But I'm not finished yet. I took the brownies that I made a couple of days ago, nestled them gently between a sliced banana, spritzed a little bit of whipped cream on top, then drizzled some chocolate sauce on top. Who's drooling now? :drool:

Amazingly enough, I was STILL hungry, so I ate an oatmeal cookie. Something tells me I didn't get enough protein yesterday. Oh well, no matter, it's still better for me than the heaps of fettuccini alfredo that I could have eaten ten years ago.

:jumping: This morning, I completed the 45 minute jogging program on the treadmill. That bingeing must have been good for me.

I haven't weighed myself in four days, and I feel better because of it.

As for my psychological well-being, I'm trying to tough it out. The worse I feel, the worse someone's comments about me can make me feel. Then there's just a downward spiral. I've got to do a complete "shake myself out of it" routine to get back on track.

Other people's opinion of you does not have to become your reality. ~Les Brown

Guava:
Hope you are feeling better today. I know how what other people say can sound about 1000 x's suckier when you already feel down. Shake it off, woman! ;) From what I've seen/read her you are one darned strong lady! Look at all that you've accomplished- you have 2 cutie-pie children & you've created a healthy lifestyle and body for yourself. Don't let yourself spiral.
And as for your completely :drool: -worthy 'meal' yesterday...OMG! *jealous* :mad:
I have noticed too that if I'm in caloric deficit for awhile w/o cheats, that my body will almost force me to eat more than usual, and I feel so much better, physically, and perform better the next day. Your body is usually good at telling you what it needs.
Thanks for posting that recipe link. I may try that this weekend. I'll probably also use sweet & sour sauce instead of ketchup, it sounds better and I found this low sugar sweet & sour sauce in the Asian food market the other day that I've been dying to try out.

Happy Friday.

:cool:

I know how what other people say can sound about 1000 x's suckier when you already feel down.

I have noticed too that if I'm in caloric deficit for awhile w/o cheats, that my body will almost force me to eat more than usual, and I feel so much better, physically, and perform better the next day. Your body is usually good at telling you what it needs.

Happy Friday.
Well, a happy Friday it has been.
Did I ever mention how incredibly brilliant my husband is? :D We went out for dinner and played a few games of pool tonight. A great time was had by all.

I realized how silly I was about wondering what I did wrong. I feel badly that my behavior upset a woman I know, but her behavior upsets me sometimes too. My revelation is this: Her behavior is her behavior. I can choose to be upset about it, or choose to accept her as she is. She has the same freedom about me. No hard feelings.

My body rarely lies to me. So, when it tells me to eat chocolate, I usually listen. :D

:) Someone must have been spiking my drinks on Friday night. Sure, my husband's brilliant, but I'm not usually so excited about it.

This morning I felt great about the treadmill when I started out, but it slowly went downhill. I managed about half an hour, then decided I'd save my energy for more enthusiastic times.

Yesterday's workout I noticed a definite increase in strength. Finally! That was one heck of a growth spurt on Thursday! I don't know if the three weeks in August out of routine set me back this far, or if it was just a regular plateau I've been working through.

jog 10 min
straight arm pulldown 15x22 12x22 10x22
bench press 8x55 8x55 8x55
lat pulldown (close) 8x77 8x77 6x88
upright row 8x22 8x22 8x22
incline DB bench 8x22 8x22 8x22
crunches 12 12 12
dumbbell flyes 8x16 8x16 8x16
pushups 8 6 8

Note about the bench press. I use this machine for it that is also the same machine for the pulldowns. When the cord is connected for the pulldowns, the bench press part doesn't go down very far. Because I was doing bench press between pulldowns, I didn't adjust it to go lower, so it was easier. Next chest workout, I'm confident I can do 8 reps of 55 at the proper height.

Later on in the afternoon, I went walking, about two miles. We went to a potluck for dinner, and it was requested that I bring dessert. I made a daiquiri pie, with lemon pie filling, lime Jello, and coconut rum in it. Yummy. This afternoon, we celebrate Thanksgiving, and the stuffing I am bringing is NOT low fat. I made the pumpkin pies too, and I had to have a wee sample.

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful. ~Buddha

:eek:

I have grey hairs in my eyebrows. Somehow, I've come to terms with the fact that I'm going grey. (I found my first grey hair when I was 17.) But to discover grey hairs in your eyebrows is rather shocking.

I can't believe this e-mail I got from the listing agent when I requested some information about a house:
How many rooms are on the main floor of this home? The mls listing lists two kitchens. On the RE/MAX website, a recreational, games room is listed. Is this the one in the basement?
There is no kit in the bsmt. There is a wking area & eating area on the main flr.The recrm/gamesrm is in the bsmt. I hope this helps. If u would like more info pls call me

Excuse me? A reply in English would have been more helpful, thanks. You didn't answer my question. I asked "How many rooms are on the main floor?". And no, I don't want to call you. I don't think I'd understand your street talk.

I knew I'd be busy this morning, so I did my lifting at home last night.
curl/press 12x8
curl 8x19.25 8x19.25 8x19.25
bent over row 12x19.25 12x19.25
external rotation 8x8 8x8 8x8
tate press 12x8
triceps press 12x8 8x16.5 12x16.5
reverse curl 8x8
side laterals 8x8 8x11 8x11 6x11

I feel very tired right now, and I wonder if it's because I didn't work out this morning.

Thanksgiving was lovely. We ate at about 2:00, which was nice, because since, of course, I overate, I just had a small evening snack instead of supper. Maybe I'll do it this way from now on.

Our credulity is greatest concerning the things we know least about. And since we know least about ourselves, we are ready to believe all that is said about us. Hence the mysterious power of both flattery and calumny. ~Eric Hoffer, The Passionate State of Mind

It's very close to freezing outside. It must have been zero at some point last night. At least we had a good Sunday afternoon, drinking wine outside, maybe 20 degrees.

After all the complaining I did this summer about the gym being 25 degrees, they've obviously got the air conditioning working. It was 14 this morning. Surely, they realize that one of the reasons I like going to the gym is to avoid the temperature extremes from outside.

So I was not enjoying myself on the treadmill this morning, so I went over to do the step circuit class next door (step aerobics, then muscle conditioning, repeat, repeat, repeat). It gave me a headache. I can't think while my heart rate is elevated.

Last night, I made pumpkin bread, followingthis recipe (http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/BakedPumpkinBread.asp) as a guideline. But, to make it even healthier, I used just 1/4 C of brown sugar plus 2 T of sweetener. I left out the buttermilk, and added 1 1/2 C of applesauce, as well as putting an additional 2 tsp of baking powder in with the dry ingredients. I must have gotten this idea from another recipe, as these substitutions were written in in pencil beside my recipe. I used oil instead of butter. Then I divided the batter in half. I put 3 T of chocolate chips in the one for the kids, and put 3 T of ground flax seeds and 3 T of chopped walnuts in the one for me.

Everyone in the family absolutely loves this recipe, and so does everyone else that I give some to.

Lifting is going well. Cardio is not.

This morning: 10 minutes on stationary bike. I hate it. 30 minutes on treadmill. I was supposed to go for a walk with my daughter afterwards, but she changed her mind. I'd like to take my camera out and take photos of the places that I shop, and the restaurants that I eat at, so that I can remember where I spent three years of my life.


Yesterday:
jog 10 min
step ups 8x22 8x22 8x22
leg press 12x110 10x132 8x154 8x154
squat/good morning 8x22 8x22 8x22
deadlift 0x66 :(
leg curl 8x44 6x55 5x55 6x55
calf raise 16x22 16x22 16x22

I think that possibly my calves are limiting my leg curl. While I'm happy with how they look, (I would hate for them to get any smaller or any bigger) they're maybe not as relatively strong as my other body parts, considering I've never ever specifically targeted them for strength training in the nine months I've been working out.

I could easily have done more than 22 pounds plus the bar on my squats, but I don't have a way to get the bar behind my neck, so I can't squat more than I can shoulder press once. Next workout, I will add 5 pounds to it.

I failed at the deadlift. I looked at the bar and said "I really don't want to lift that" so I didn't.

Lifting went well, considering what a crappy mood I was in. If I'd been psyched up for it, I could have lifted much heavier than what I did. It feels good to be getting stronger, to see the numbers increasing on my workout logs.

I'm not being fair to myself concerning my diet. I beat myself up for being hungrier than normal or certain days and consuming more calories as I think I "should", but I don't scold myself for being under. This is ridiculous. I'm not even trying to cut. :d_frown:

We put an offer on a house. Yes, we've never seen this house, but we're going to buy it, based on what we know about it from a dozen photos and an online description. That's crazy. I sure hope we like it. It's not the perfect house, but it's pretty close. Does the perfect house exist? Maybe with time, we can make it perfect.

It's like, at the end, there's this surprise quiz: am I proud of me? I gave my life to become the person I am right now! Was it worth what I paid? ~Richard Bach

I haven't felt this miserable in a year. It feels like everything is going wrong. My three year old is screaming and crying and hitting me several times a day. My eight year old is whining about homework and everything else. And my husband is upset because he doesn't like how I manage them.

I couldn't do my cardio this morning, because I had preschool duty. I should try to fit it in this afternoon, but I don't really want to.

Yesterday I took some pictures of the beautiful :rolleyes: city I live in. Okay, even if it's not beautiful, it's unique, and I've come to appreciate that.

Surrounded by people who love life, you love it too; surrounded by people who don't, you don't. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Second Neurotic's Notebook, 1966

Well, thank goodness for exercise. I'm feeling 100X better now. Once I psyched myself up to go out for my exercise, I was already feeling more in control. Once I got to the gym, I did 5 minutes walking, 4 minutes RUNNING, 2 minutes jogging, 4 minutes RUNNING, and 5 minutes walking. Rarely do I ever run, but I couldn't just do some winmpy jogging today. There's no better way to blast a bad mood than to run it away. I have power in my legs. I can do anything I want to do.

I always loved running... it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs. ~Jesse Owens

Well, thank goodness for exercise. I'm feeling 100X better now.

Good for you!! That is motivational!

I haven't felt this miserable in a year. It feels like everything is going wrong. My three year old is screaming and crying and hitting me several times a day. My eight year old is whining about homework and everything else. And my husband is upset because he doesn't like how I manage them.
Wow, I have an eight and three year old too (girl and boy) and they scream and complain a lot too. My daughter tries to play with him like he's eight and gets mad when he doesn't act eight, and my son knows that the instant she starts annoying him, he can get everyone's attention by being the loudest person in the house. I'd say they are probably the pickiest eaters in the world, too. Hang in there and try to savor the days when everyone just gets along nicely.

It's been a good day. No fighting, whining, complaining, crying, or hitting from the girls. They made a big mess on the living room floor, but that's what kids do best.

This morning, I ended up doing an arms workout again, because that's what was easiest to do at home.

curl/press 15x8
bicep curl 8x19.5 8x19.5 8x19.5
upright row 8x19.5 8x19.5 8x19.5
front raises 8x8 8x8 8x8
tricep press 8x33 8x33 8x33
pushups on ball/plank 8 8 8
crunches 12 12 12
reverse crunch 12 12 12

The 33 pounds on triceps press was, of course, with just one dumbbell, and not the usual one in each hand. Seems better this way. My workout is starting to feel overwhelming again. It seems that probably I should increase my weight and cut back to 6 reps or failure, but I've been doing 8 reps for so long, it just feels right. I will stick with what feels right for now, but I'll think harder about why I'm doing the 8 reps and whether it's beneficial to my goals (which are, by the way, completely undefined). Maybe I'm lucky, but from some of what I've heard, I seem to have maybe gained muscle more quickly than other people who would be lifting similar weights to what I'm lifting. I thank my genes for that. I feel so much better about myself now that I have embraced the mesomorph that I am.

Where am I going and why? I wish I knew.

It is a puzzling thing. The truth knocks on the door and you say, "Go away, I'm looking for the truth," and so it goes away. Puzzling. ~Robert M. Pirsig

Obsessive/scared of foods? (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?p=85684#)
Well, yes I am. Thanks for asking.

I also think it is rediculous when I hear about people worrying about going to a family outing, or family dinner and not wanting to eat the food that is there because it is not "clean." This is a lifestyle! A single meal will not destroy your body (assuming the average person who does not want to be a professional body builder/model).

I am tired of thinking, every time I eat a chocolate bar "I shouldn't be eating this." I am sick of the feelings of guilt when my appetite is a little larger than usual on some days.

My mistake is in trying to be perfect. It's odd; I've never had a perfectionism streak in my before so much, so I don't know why I'm having so much trouble with this one. But, hey, when my period is irregular, and when food is causing negative feelings like this, it can't be good.

Curious, I checked online, and the peak season for guava does indeed end in mid October. Past October, the plant needs to recover. There needs to be time as well to allow for structural growth as well. So, October ends my peak. I will peak again, (I will likely even surpass my current peak) but I cannot be at my peak physical state for eternity.

I'm going to have to spend less time on the forums. Too many perfectionists here. It's nice once in a while to get motivated, but I'm burning myself out.

My new goals:
*drink more water
*continue to make fish and beans a large part of my diet
*fill up on healthy foods before desserts and empty snacks
*find exercises that lead to maximum enjoyment rather than maximum fat burn/strength building/muscle growth, etc.

It's too hard to maintain the body I have now. It is exhausting to keep doing what I'm doing, to each week try to lift more, run longer, eat cleaner than the previous week. I'd be happy if the body I can maintain is similar to the one that I had in March. I was about 5 pounds heavier than now, I suppose, but I had less muscle. If I can look that way next March, and be stronger, and have a healthier heart, and have a reduced chance of dying of cancer, and can be generally happy about my life, I will count it as a huge success. :claplow:

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

It's too hard to maintain the body I have now. It is exhausting to keep doing what I'm doing, to each week try to lift more, run longer, eat cleaner than the previous week.

Just to point something out, maintainance isnt "trying to lift more, run longer and eat cleaner then the previous week".... maybe thats where your going wrong. :nod:

You can actually lift the same weights, run the same distances, and actually slacken up slightly on the diet every week, week in, week out, to maintain.

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending. [/I]
Listen to Reno!

You don't have to focus on fat burn/strenght building/muscle growth etc anymore. Give it a while with not increasing just maintaining before you decide to let go of what you have worked so hard for.

Just to point something out, maintainance isnt "trying to lift more, run longer and eat cleaner then the previous week".... maybe thats where your going wrong. :nod:

Where's the "smack forehead" smiley? Ack, yeah, that's where I'm going wrong. I have no idea what maintenance is. I mistakenly believe in a dichotomy; if I'm not moving forward, then I'm sliding backward. I forget to consider that I can just coast. Actually, I fail to believe that I can just coast. Regardless, I've now given myself permission to listen to what my body wants, even if it means gaining 5 or 10 pounds of fat, or losing a few pounds of muscle. It's weird, just like before, the more I'm focusing on issues external to physical appearance, the better results I am getting. When I really am hungry, my extra calories, even if they are from cake or chocolate, don't seem to be resulting in any added fat gain. I don't believe that I can maintain, but that's what I seem to be doing. So I give myself back more trust. Again.

Still, I will be visiting the forums less often, because I'm getting caught up in the incredible drive and determination here. Someone who is maintaining can go nuts in here. Thanks to those that sent me private messages. Sometimes I forget that there are dozens of people following my progress that I know nothing about.

Okay then, here's my "after", to keep myself accountable, and to give myself a comparison for when I get into the drive again next spring. I can't say for sure what will happen to my physique over the winter, but for now, I'll focus on my mental health (http://www.lisaholba.com/).

Things turn out best for the people who make the best out of the way things turn out. ~Art Linkletter

Ugh! :(
This week has not been good. Lifting has not been great. Cardio has been worse. I was motivated enough to show up for the workouts, but, once there, I burned out pretty quick.

On the bright side, yesterday's treadmill session was exciting. I watched vh1 on tv instead of listening to my mp3 player. They played the song "I'm too sexy". I have to agree, he is too sexy for his shirt. I have a special fondness for people who are completely full of themselves. (Madonna, I love you.) It gave me that extra oomph I needed to get through my workout. Maybe what I need for a good workout is a good Vin Diesel movie I can keep playing over and over again. Perhaps I could jog for hours with the right aymosphere.

Back to my negative week. I'm preparing for my Spanish vacation, which begins on Wednesday. I'm packing my belongings into boxes, to be shipped out of the country in three weeks. I'm looking at homes on the internet and wondering how I can possibly choose where I'm going to live based on what shows up on my computer screen.

I'm trying to relax my eating, but it is not working very well. Thursday night, we went out to a friend's for dinner, Friday night I hosted a birthday party in the afternoon, and went to a restaurant for supper. Saturday, we attended an Oktoberfest celebration. Saturday night my stomach was SO incredibly bloated, I couldn't believe it. I decided I needed to "detox" today. My self designed detox diet is very fruit heavy. The premise is to stuff as much healthy food into my body as I possibly can so that there is absolutely no room left for crap. Usually it ends up fairly carb heavy, and very low fat (it would have been even lower fat if I'd prepared the potatoes my way instead of letting my husband decide.) Checking it with fitday, I was absolutely astounded at the small number of calories in this huge amount of food I inhaled today. I have plenty of room left for another snack to go before bed. I'm hoping that tomorrow I can get back to moderation and start to figure out what is a normal amount of food for me to be eating to maintain my current weight.

Apple, raw 1 medium 81 0 21 0
Bread, pumpkin 0.5 slice 89 2 17 1
Milk, cow's, fluid, skim 1.2 cup 103 1 14 10
Bread, pumpkin 0.5 slice 89 1 17 1
Banana, raw 1 medium 109 1 28 1
Apple, raw 1 medium 81 0 21 0
Mueslix cereal, NFS 0.5 cup 155 3 31 4
Carrots, raw 1 medium 26 0 6 1
Pepper, sweet, red, raw 1 cup, NFS 40 0 10 1
Chicken, thigh, broiled, skin not eaten 1 small thigh 95 5 0 12
Banana, raw 0.5 medium 54 0 14 1
Chicory 1 mug (8 fl oz) 5 0 1 0
Sugar, NFS 1 teaspoon 16 0 4 0
Potatoes, scalloped, home-prepared with butter 0.7 cup 147 6 18 5
Cabbage, red, raw 1 cup, NFS 24 0 5 1
Carrots, raw 0.25 cup, NFS 12 0 3 0
Onions, young green, raw 0.1 cup, chopped 3 0 1 0
Beets, pickled 0.25 cup, sliced 27 0 6 1
Yogurt, fruit variety, nonfat milk 0.5 cup (8 fl oz) 115 0 23 5
Total Calories 1274 21 241 45

"I'm too sexy for my car, too sexy for my car, too sexy by far." ;)

Continuing on with my diet log of the other day, I'd forgotten to account for a peach and some pecans earlier on in the day. Before bed, I had a few handfuls of Shreddies. All in all, a grandly successful day. I feel perfectly cleansed. Perhaps this will be a monthly ritual.

Part of the magic to that day was this salad that I invented. I'm getting closer to believing I could really write a cookbook, so I'm considering that maybe I shouldn't be sharing all my secrets, but it was such a good eat, I have to recommend that you try it.

Purple salad
1 C shredded purple cabbage
1 carrot, grated or finely chopped
1/2 C pickled beets, julienned
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 C pecans, coarsely chopped

So simple, so healthy, so pretty, and so delicious. My husband liked it too, which doesn't happen all the time. A winner all around. :D

I didn't put dressing on it, because the pickled beets give it all the zing it needs. But my husband poured some vinegar on it (the liquid from the pickled beets would have been better). It was so good, I made more for lunch the next day, then another batch for supper.....

In total, we've put an offer on three different houses. On one, we weren't willing to pay the asking price (we went with our agent's suggested value), and on the other two, we were too late. The one is still there, and maybe the owner will budge in another few weeks. The others are disappointing, especially since the house sold before its photos were posted on the website. It's a huge disadvantage to be in a different time zone, let alone to be in the position where we can't physically go and see the house.

In 25 hours, we'll be on the plane for Barcelona. I am packing a lot of food with me (pumpkin oatmeal bars, almonds, dried apricots, Cheerios, etc). Our hotel is half board, which is slightly troublesome, because it just makes me want to eat more. I can't say no to a buffet just like I can't throw out food in my own home. :rolleyes:

My workouts are not at full steam, but at least I am still doing them. It's better to do a little bit than to just give it up entirely. I don't want to force myself to exercise because I don't want to end up hating it. Yesterday's treat on vh1 was Shakira doing a tango with a sexy Spanish man.

Whew, I'm ready for vacation. :drool:

Spain was fantastic.

Here's a quick quiz:

1) Do you get more exercise on a regular day, or when you're on holidays?
2) Is it possible to lose weight on holidays?
3) In the heart of Barcelona, in the midst of fabulous outdoor cafes and mouthwatering patisseries, where will your children want to eat?

Answers:

1) Physical exertion on holidays is greater than normal everyday activity. Especially if your holiday includes a day at a theme park, a day at a water park, and a day of exploring the gothic quarter. Even more so, if your holiday includes carrying a thirty pound child with you most places that you go.

2) It is if you develop a digestive problem. Starting last Thursday, I've been in excrutiating pain with every morsel of food I've put into my mouth. I finally saw the doctor when I got home today, and he's going to take some blood and do some tests tomorrow. He thinks it's more likely due to stress than to the huge amount of food I inhaled on the first all-you-can-eat dinner buffet. ;)

3) If you didn't know the answer is McDonald's, then you have no kids, or weird kids.

I just spent the weekend In Washington, DC, and I totally agree that you use more energy on vacations. I think I lost a few kg just from walking so much. Hope everything turns out alright with your stomach. :tu:

Jeff

The doctor suspects that nothing is wrong other than some stomach acid gone haywire. He gave me stuff to take once a day that makes me feel a little uncomfortable rather than feel like I'm dying with every bite. He took some blood to test for an ulcer, but he expects it will come up negative. He commented on my "ultra slow pulse" and described me as "a vampire's dream". Ironic, because they always had a heck of a time trying to draw blood when I was pregnant.

Now, let's talk about my favorite subject, food....

Did you know there are maybe only about three "Spanish" restaurants in Spain? Actually, I didn't go to any of them. Or any other type of sit-down restaurant either. Not once did anyone on vacation ask me "What can I get for you?". Out of 19 meals, 8 of them were from the hotel buffet, 1 from the sandwich chain "Pans" (wow, I love that place. I wish there were some in Canada) Five of the meals were at McDonald's, two at Buger King, and three at a burger/hot dog stand. Two meals we ate on the airplane. My goodness, Air France knows how to cook. On the way to Spain, I got the best brownie ever baked, and on the way back, a cold grilled salmon with pasta salad. I was lucky that my family doesn't eat fish. I got two portions for dinner than night, and two portions for breakfast the next morning. Mmmmm... the best salmon I've ever had. :drool: I think I'll book another flight to France, just so I can eat some more food. And a big thank-you to McDonald's for the fruit and yogurt. Holy cow, are those things delicious. Tell me the ones in Canada are just as good as all the ones I ate while on vacation.

Know anyone who's been to Barcelona without going to ANY museums or art galleries? I know, weird, but we enjoyed ourselves best that way. Funny how once I get on vacation I realize how my husband was right about me overestimating the kinds of things the kids will be able to do. :o He has such great foresight.

Yesterday, I wasn't much in the mood for working out, which seems to be a bit of a trend. I finally decided to drag myself to the gym, so I was a little put out that my security code failed to open the door. Same thing again this morning, and no one to complain to until tomorrow, so I did my walking/stair jogging outside instead. I hate being outside. Anything colder than about 10 degrees gives me a headache, and I even had the foresight to wear gloves and a hooded sweatshirt.

I'm sore all the way across my back. Friday's first lifting day at the gym in over a week was pretty hard on my body. Not surprising, however, because I pushed it pretty hard. I lifted heavier and for more reps than I was lifting before vacation. I WILL bench press my weight eventually, though not as quickly as I'd thought I would.

I'm managing myself better now that I quit typing my workout logs into this journal. A maintaining routine is boring, and I don't want to feel disappointed by not recording any progress. I'm a little nervous that I lost weight last week, but maybe I can figure out how to maintain once my stomach has settled. I really hope that I don't have to consider that I might be at risk for an eating disorder or other compulsive problem. I don't feel like I'm being TOO extreme. I had ice cream last night with no guilt whatsoever, and I don't feel a sense of dread when I miss my workouts, just disappointment.

I have a pain in my jaw that's been persisting for a couple of days. I just wish it was enjoyable to eat again. :(

Breakfast buffets are interesting, the variety of food you can come up with. One of these breakfasts is mine, the other is my husband's. The bread wasn't as good as it looked, so I ate my daughter's muffin instead.

The things we hate about ourselves aren't more real than things we like about ourselves. ~Ellen Goodman

The bread wasn't as good as it looked, so I ate my daughter's muffin instead.
Even though I know it wasn't, that sounds so mean.

Guava, your beauty never ceases to amaze me.

Knubb, you make me blush. :o

My daughters are both incredibly generous, but I still always make sure that I ask before I take anything from them. :)

I did not want to be annoyed again about the possibility of being locked out of the gym, so I trained at home this morning, with the sole purpose of giving a good workout to whichever muscles felt the most neglected. Started out with the bent over row, which always makes me feel better. Did some leg lifts for abs, leg curl on the ball for glutes, hams, etc, butt lift, crunches, upright row, supermans, front raise, lateral raise, then I did a bit with the resistance band for inner thighs. At the end, I threw in a couple of bicep curls, just because I love my biceps. Feel much better now. The sore back is because of packing, I'm sure. We've got about 20 boxes done; probably 30 or so more to go. My workout music for this morning was a new assortment, rather mellow. Worked well for me today, but not very motivating for cardio.

Knock Three Times
Alice
Cecilia
Lola
Fifty Ways to Leave your Lover
Sugar Pie Honey Bunch
Love is All Around
Silly Love Songs
Nobody Does it Better
The Air that I breathe
Sea of Love
Penny Lane
Hello I Love You
It Had to Be You
What a Wonderful World
Sloop John B
California Dreaming
Donna
Blowin in the Wind
Wouldn't it be nice
With a Girl like You
Every Sha La La La
Angel of the Morning
Snowbird

My favorite pictures of Spain attached:

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss

Hi guava! Just visiting this morning! :)

Wow, your legs are beautiful -- muscular and lean!

Happy Monday!

Thanks for the compliments hibiscus. I used to hate my legs, but I'm starting to occasionally appreciate them now. I can actually see quads instead of just thighs. It surprises me sometimes.

Yesterday, I made the ever-popularBumpy Peanut Butter Nuggets (http://cookie.allrecipes.com/AZ/NoBkBmpyPBttrNggts.asp) (I substitute ground flax seed for the coconut.) My daughter just gobbles these up.

I've been insatiable in regards to dairy products. I've been eating tons of yogurt, sugar free pudding, hot chocolate, and using twice as much milk in my cereal. Wonder if it means anything. Today, I whipped up a batch of protein pie (sugar free Jello with quark or cottage cheese and fat free cream cheese). I had intended to add some cherries to it, and I'd taken them out of the freezer, but my daughter spotted them first. I caught her nibbling and said "Are you eating my cherries? What am I going to put in my pie?" and she responds "Zucchini. Cuz I'm not going to eat your pie." :p

Who says kids aren't smart. :lol:

My stomach/chest/throat is feeling better. I hope my doctor hasn't forgotten to tell me that I'm going to die, because I just read in Nutrition Action Healthletter that I have all the symptoms of esophageal cancer, and seven in eight people diagnosed with it do not survive it. :eek:

By Sunday, I need to have almost all of my possessions (that includes my computer) into boxes so that they can take the slow boat to Canada. I should see them again by Christmas time.

I'm REALLY excited about the volunteer program that I'm going to get involved in as soon as I get to Canada. Before I unpack even. It's the Eat Smart! Healthy Restaurant Program. It involves visiting restaurants to explain the program and help them to complete the application form, and promoting the program to the public at community events. I couldn't have dreamed up a volunteer program that would be more fulfilling to me. :tu:

One more great picture of Spain. This is the cafe that was right across from our hotel in Barcelona. All of the treats were 36 Euros per kilogram. I couldn't figure out if this was expensive or not, but it sounded like it might be, so we didn't try to buy anything.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. ~Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992

A number of things are getting on my nerves.

My daughter is stressed about her toys and other things being packed away.

We cannot find a house to rent without signing a one year lease. My husband is now looking at places and saying "This one's not bad. Why don't we buy it?" Our best option right now is to be sleeping on a coworkers basement floor.

The lock on the gym door is still not fixed, so the door is left completely open. :rolleyes: It was 14 degrees in there this morning. How am I supposed to run in that?

Now that I'm sharing my husband's computer, I've disocered that he has more problems than I knew about. Something I confronted him about a year ago, and I don't care to bring up the past again.

One of my best friends has been fired from her volunteer position by my other best friend.

I've seen some negativity on this forum. Now, it could be that there is not negativity, I am just seeing everything in a different light.

Thursday night, I didn't sleep until 1:30 am. Saturday, I couldn't get to bed until 4, and Monday night, I was tossing and turning until 2:30.

So, is everything going downhill? No, I'm at a rough spot, and it will clear up.

In times like these, I turn to chocolate.
Abundance is not something we acquire, it is something we tune into - Wayne Dyer

Sorry to intrude on your journal but I just couldn't read your last post and not say something. Hang in there! Things get tough and then they get better and then they get tough again. Life and especially marriage and parenting are hard. Trust me I know. You'll get through these bumps in the road and be stronger for it. Your beautiful daughters (and I mean that in a dad of three girls myself way not a weird internet guy kind of way) have a great mom and things are gonna work out.

I also wanted to thank your for posting the pics of Spain. Wow! My wife and I are trying to decide between Spain and Costa Rica as to where we'll vacation with our three girls (10,7,5) next year. And I have to say Spain has taken the lead now.

I love getting older. I amaze myself at how wise I'm becoming.

Guru Stu (http://www.gurustu.com/) is very cool. He may be schizophrenic, but he loves himself, and that's a rare thing in today's world.

The good thing about all this chocolate is that the extra calories are giving me extra lifting power.

I am in awe of my amazing strength. :D

In case I failed to mention it, the highlight of the Spain trip was a huge theme park called Port Aventura (http://www.portaventura.es/home.asp?pIdi=uk)

When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid. - Audre Lorde

Yesterday, I took a look around the naturalphysiques website. In Jeremy's journal he talks about how being shredded is not about being the healthiest you can be. I reflect on how I am not succeeding in my jogging to the point where I used to and I wonder "Did I make myself less healthy by reducing my body fat percentage to where it is now?" Part of me is thinking I should be actively trying to gain some weight, but, on the other hand, I really like being able to see my abs, and it's very hard to let go of that. It's difficult to look in the mirror and not feel "I look better this week than I did last week." So I need to find other ways to quantify my successes, whether it be "I can run further this week", or "I'm stronger this week", or "I'm happier this week" or whatever.

I've switched my lifting routine to a full body workout. This sits much better with me. Max-OT is not a program for maintaining, so I don't know how much benefit there is to incorporating its principles into my workouts any more. I'm wavering on whether its worthwhile to write down the exercises that I do each day, or whether to just get out there and do whatever I feel like doing, with no recording hassles and expectations to stress about.

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.

The boards have taken a rather introspective turn today. So, let me continue on with my reflections.

I'm glad I read GKHammond's fitness journal (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=9117) tonight.

I've noticed (and my girls have noticed) that I've been more grouchy and impatient lately. I don't know if it's from lack of food or the change in my attitude to focusing more on myself and what my needs are. Before I began all this, I always tried to focus on others and what their needs are. Unfortunately, one of the by products of this whole fitness/weight loss thing is the requirement that I spend a lot of time and energy focusing on myself. Whether it's exercising, researching diets and exercise, keeping track of my diet, (and this log), shopping for food, etc. You have to admit that you spend a lot of time being selfish. I'm not too sure that's what I want to become. I need to find a balance. I definitely want to lose weight and get healthier but I need to get out of the me me me mentality.

I've focused a lot of time on me, and I think it's time to refocus. The easiest way to feel better about myself is not try to improve what I am doing, but to share my strengths with others.

I love everything Jeremy wrote in this thread (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=10196)

EVERY mentor ... not one, not a few, but EVERY mentor I chose and worked with taught me that the MOST IMPORTANT method to succeed is to focus on helping others - by giving - by sharing.

It's been a good day. Thanks.

So, I haven't exactly been thinking about physical fitness lately, but fitness encompasses more things than just a healthy body.

I packed up my St. John's wort supply. It's good relief for occasional anxiety, but I didn't need it until it was gone. Yesterday, I was so shaky I couldn't sit still (It could have been the caffeine). I went to the health food store to try to buy some, but they won't have any in until Wednesday.

We spent this evening at a dinner party. The host is this amazing optimistic woman, who, if you mention anything about any person that she knows, she always has something incredibly flattering to say about that person. :) I want to be like that. Why should we talk about other people's flaws instead of talking about what wonderful things they are capable of?

Saturday was a shopping day with my older daughter. While riding the bus home as the sun set, she pointed out that the clouds do not have a silver lining.... it's gold. I gazed up at the sky and saw that she was indeed correct. :)

The other day, contemplating a leftover porkchop, I decided to toss together a stir fry of onions, peppers, carrots and zucchini. Instead of mixing in with it a high sugar high sodium sauce, I chopped up a kumquat and three prunes, and it turned out tastier than the terriaki I had in mind.

I haven't been able to keep my regular jogging program, or lift weights as frequently as I was before, but I'm trying to increase my walking. The scale unfortunately did not get packed with our shipment. I think I'd really rather not know how much I weigh.

Wednesday afternoon, the preschool will have a bit of a celebration for my youngest. Friday, one of the mothers has planned a party for my oldest; one of the children will be unable to attend, so her mother is going to be holding a party at her home on Monday. Thursday we're invited out to dinner, Friday the social committee has arranged for a farewell party, Sunday, we're invited to another dinner, and Tuesday or Wednesday one of the guys at work has arranged a potluck party as well. Gee, I had no idea we had so many great friends.

Optimist: A man who gets treed by a lion but enjoys the scenery. ~Walter Winchell

I'm stronger still today. I guess that's one of my goals. Because I still feel a little silly going into the gym and NOT lifting more than I used to be able to. I should be happy about maintaining strength, but for some reason, that doesn't bring me as much satisfaction. My exercise motivation is at least back to "because it makes me feel good" rather than "because I should".

My shoulders are my favorite body part, but they're not necessarily my favorite part to work out. I've probably been missing out on some key exercises since I've switched to the full body workout. I may need to switch it to at least an upper/lower split. Tuesday I did a thirty minute jog before lifting for an hour, and today I did a twelve minute jog before about the same lifting time. That's a modified superset style, without taking many breaks, and without a proper warm-up: bench press, rest about 30 sec, barbell curl, rest 30 sec, bench press, rest, etc. I was tired tired tired after the work out, but it's a raised heart-rate tired, not a muscle fatigue tired. The worst is the leg curl, which really makes me work at my breathing. I've added a calf raise to my workouts (any reason I can't do them combined with shrugs?) which is helping me break through the leg curl strength plateau. With my weights packed, I can't do partial workouts at home as well. I must look up a way to work my shoulders with a resistance band. With the weather cold, I'm in no mood to go jogging outside. Is there a skipping rope around here somewhere?

Tomorrow is the first of one of our farewell parties. I suppose I am expecting to get drunk. I used to get drunk every Friday for about a year, but in the last year, I've only been drunk maybe once, and that's a real maybe. I figure about four drinks will do me in, but the extra calories really bloat me (I know because I had two drinks tonight at a friend's dinner party, and I feel extremely puffy.) So the plan is to portion my calories appropriately throughout the day to keep full enough without bloating.

Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose. ~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
I wish my silence could speak a little louder.

Traps and calves - You probably couldnt get two muscles further away from each other. Your body needs to ship energy to the muscle you work. If you do a raise then a shrug, raise then a shrug, your body will be rushing trying to get energy from one end of your body to the other. I would think both excersizes would suffer as a result of this. One usually supersets muscles that are in close proximity. Just IMO of course. :)

Your body needs to ship energy to the muscle you work. If you do a raise then a shrug, raise then a shrug, your body will be rushing trying to get energy from one end of your body to the other. I would think both excersizes would suffer as a result of this. One usually supersets muscles that are in close proximity. Just IMO of course. :)

I checked my workout logs, and I did nine separate exercises (with three sets of each, four sets for a couple of them) to try to hit all body parts on my last two lifting days. Am I tiring myself out too much to be expecting quality results?

Could I actually get just as good results by splitting the workout into just five exercises per day? (Effectively cutting my number of weekly exercises almost in half)?

Lately, I've been trying to get three days of cardio and three days of lifting in per week. It's turned out into closer to three and two, which is down from four and three from the previous several months. In your opinion, what's the most effective plan for my two or three lifting days per week?

Well, knowing that you prefer a fuller body workout to a seperate body spilt, i would at least consider spliting to back/legs/bi and chest/delts/tri (abs on cardio day). This is what i have switched to as of this week.

I dont like upper and lower splits much. They seem to force you to cram to much in one session.

If your doing a 2 day split, try to get all the compound movements in. Squats, deads, bench press, military press, chins, dips and seated rows. Then supersets your arms. That should toast you, and be the most effective use of your time. No point doing rotory cuff movements and forarm curls if your only lifting 2 days a week. A compound movement brings in the most muscles.

Then if you do have a third day, just use that time to do whatever you fancy, whatever floats the boat when you get into the gym. Some iscolation stuff, stretching, calves, shrugs, forarms, whatever. That way, you get the "fun" side of things which i know is important to u, but you also know that if you only get to lift 2wice in a week one week, you have covered everything, which i also know is important to you.

My split is.

Day 1
Bench press
Military press
Inc DB press
Arnolds
Bodyweight dips
Superset triceps

Day 2
Squat
Seated cabel rows
Deads (stiff leg)
DB Lunges
Bodyweight chins
Superset Biceps.

Just as a starting point. :)

I like your advice Reno, especially since you always relate your advice to people based on their specific goals. I think back/legs/biceps will work well for me.
The third day of winging it is a great idea too. I have some "fluffy" type exercise ball and resistance band exercises to do for that day, and it would thrill me to be able to say I could do the splits. Of course, you know that even more important to me than a balanced workout is a workout I enjoy, so I won't do exercises that I don't like even if they're the best ones to work the body parts I want to work. :p

I didn't write down what you recommended, and my memory really sucks, so today was mostly just a leg focused day. And a record breaking day it was. My leg press is up to 176 pounds, and leg extension is at 82.5 pounds. I put in a military press and managed 22 pounds plus the bar easily. Never done them before for various reasons, but next workout will definitely have to be heavier. I can't seem to be able to manage to squat properly. I'm at 22 pounds plus the bar for that, and afraid to add any additional weight. I'll look for a squatting cage at any new gym I attend. Reno, you posted somewhere about how much you lift for many of your lifts, and I think if I divide by a multiplier of 2.5 or something, I should have a good idea of what to aim for. :D

I got a little light headed in the gym this morning, and even had a bit of trouble making it down the stairs. Temperature wasn't too hot, and I had a medium sized breakfast beforehand, so I don't think it was overheating or a blood sugar problem. Could be that I was dehydrated, so again I will push harder to drink more water. That's one of the hardest things for me to do.

My daughter's party yesterday was fabulous. The woman who arranged it collected a scrap of yarn from each child in her class so that she could knit a scarf for her. It's simply beautiful. I was so touched. :d_smile:
Advice is like snow; the softer it falls, the longer it dwells upon, and deeper it sinks into the mind. ~Samuel Taylor Coleridge

I must start a new journal, but I can't think of a catchy title, so I'll continue to post under "Peak Season" even though it's not. :p

I guess you could say I'm bulking. I like the idea of eating more and gaining strength without adding a lot of body fat. Unfortunately, it's not by any means a clean bulk. My carbs and protein are probably about the same as they were before, I've just added some extra fat (not even the healthy kind) and alcohol. :o I've gained maybe a pound or two, but my waist is the same size, so I'm happy about that. Heck, I'd be happy even if my waist got bigger, but I dread the flabby look. I think my body fat percentage is staying about the same, but I don't record it, so I don't remember all that well.

Today for fun I tried out a new move. The Iron Cross (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Iron+Cross). It looked like a pretty manly thing to do, so I haven't attempted it before, but I really like it. It's great for the glutes, and I like how it feels for the shoulders. I don't imagine it's a Reno_1ted-recommended exercise because of the diverse body parts it's working all at the same time, but it's fun, so I'll throw it in there once in a while. Also attempted the butterfly (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exerprint.php?Real=%3C%3D+7&Name=Butterfly&MainMuscle=&Isolation=&Equip=&order=Name) but it caused some pain at the back of my shoulders at 44 pounds. It didn't really feel too heavy, but I'll need a trainer to show me what's going wrong.

We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance. ~Japanese proverb

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come. ~Chinese Proverb

Just been missing your posts. Hope everything's ok.

Thanks GK. I feel good today. I started a new journal for a new phase of my life. A fresh start in a new home. My focus: growing healthier