Wednesday Weigh-In Video Update

This past Wednesday, I wrote about my experiences at the gym. Here is a video, where I am actually describing what happened during my visits with a trainer.

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Here is an update on my vacation bikini fine challenge. I’m still at 130 pounds. You may recall, that I mentioned that I have been going to a trainer. I had the second session today, and let me tell you that for me, working out with a trainer has made all the difference. I have a warm fuzzy feeling knowing that I am at least working out correctly with the weights and machines. It also feels great to know that I am working out with a partner who understands my fitness goals. We had a discussion about them and we even looked at a picture in one of those muscle magazines to make sure that he visualized where I want to be.

I worked out with the trainer on Monday and today. On Monday, we worked legs. I did a bunch of walking lunges, squats, and worked out with a machine. I’m giving you all the abbreviated version of my work-out. I was tired at the end and slightly sore the following day. Today we worked my back, shoulders and arms. You have to start somewhere, and I could only lift about 10 pounds over my head. Five pounds would have been more my speed. So, if you all are nervous about going to the gym and working out, I’m here to let you know that I can only lift 10 pounds and I’m in there.  I struggled with the 10 pounds. It felt like 25 or 50 or something. If I can lift weights, you can do it too. You don’t have to go to the gym, discount stores sell weights these days.

I feel a lot better about working with a trainer because I think that I need that extra push to reach my fitness goals. I wouldn’t have tried to lift the 10 pounds had he not put the weights in my hands and told me to "go."  If you are unable to get a trainer, maybe some of you should consider having a workout partner.

Anyway, I want to hear from you! Tell me how you are working out! What are you doing? What are your goals? Let’s stay motivated. Oh, and yes. I did tell my trainer about my desire to run a 5k. I really just want to have the stamina to be able to finish a 5k. I’m not there yet, guys!

I just wanted to share a recipe for those of you who are trying to lose weight over the summer months for your vacations! Even if you stay at home, the summer is a good time to start trimming down. As I mentioned yesterday, I had a session with a trainer yesterday and I’m alive to tell you about it. You have to wait until tomorrow, though. I’ll share the details on my Weigh In Wednesday post. Peace and love!

I’m still weighing in at 130 pounds, although I plan to have another weigh-in later and will update this post. This post is a continuation to the posts that I have written on my quest to obtain the coveted bikini body and six pack-abs. I added the six-pack abs goal. I figure that I might was well go for it all!

My Smoothie is Green!

I’ve begun drinking my green smoothies to for a more healthy me. What is a green smoothie? I put as many leafy green veggies as I can stuff into my blender, add a little pure, unpasteurized orange juice and maybe some whey protein and blend. Most of the ingredients are raw, meaning that they are uncooked. The whey protein isn’t raw. It’s a product that I buy from Wal-Mart. Sometimes I add it for the extra protein, sometimes I don’t. I really don’t feel that it’s necessary. I am trying it to see if it helps me develop a little muscle mass and tone up in all the right places.

What is the Smoothie Like?

The smoothie tastes a lot better than it looks, though. It looks like a dark green drink, but somehow the orange juice masks the taste of the greens. I also use Agave, a syrup-like sweetener which comes from a cactus. I actually saw the cactus growing at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Agave is sweeter than sugar; it is also a raw, natural product. I am careful about adding too much of it, because it does have calories.

How do I Feel?

I feel awesome from drinking my green smoothies. I first learned about them from some raw foodists, people who eat all uncooked food (like salads, fresh fruits, and unsteamed veggies). Raw foodists are typically vegan, so most of them do not eat any animal products. They don’t eat raw meat.

Next week, I have a session with a trainer, so I am looking forward to having more structured workouts. I’ll be sure to update you!

I promised that I’d update you on my Bikini Body Challenge, so I put together a short video so that you can hear my plans. Basically, I am going to continue with the Couch to 5K plan, but I am going to make my workouts a bit more convenient so that I will have better weight loss results. In the next few days, I will be selecting a gym that’s a little closer to home. Although I love my current gym, it’s a bit too far to travel, even during the summer months when I have more free time.

I didn’t go to the gym at all last week and this week so far. I have been walking, doing a lot of walking. Yesterday, I took my poodle to the park and he basically walked me. I was sweating by the time I finished the 1+ miles and I felt exhausted. I know that I was in the proper heart rate zone because I walked briskly. At some points I had to carry my poodle. I thought that the poor guy was about to fall out! He as breathing hard. I gave him water in the car, but he didn’t drink much. Both of us need to work out consistently! If you recall, I had been doing the Couch to 5k Challenge. I haven’t given up on it. I will run a 5k someday. I am going to get up in the morning and jog before it gets too hot. Hey, because I don’t want you all to feel shortchanged, and because I don’t want to shortchange myself, I’ll make a video and post it.

I also plan to go to the farmer’s market this week. I want to stock up on fruits and vegetables because I am finding that it’s too easy to snack on unhealthy foods when I am sitting at the computer or traveling! I got off track while on the road, but I did order healthy meals at times, salmon and salads. I had an excellent parfait at the Indigo Hotel in Atlanta. It was made with low-fat yogurt, granola and strawberries. I bought ingredients to make one at home, but ate the granola before I could assemble the parfait. Sound familiar? Help!

Oh, and I am taking a oath to stay away from Klondike bars. Yep. They bring back a childhood memory. I used to get them from the ice cream truck while visiting my grandmother. Finally, she began to buy them by the box. So anyway, I have been eating the skinny 100 calorie Klondike bars, which are delicious, by the way. The Abs Diet for Women book has a meal plan that includes a low-fat ice cream sandwich. Other people who are following that book must have better willpower than me, because I can take out an entire box of Klondike bars in less than an hour. There are six in a box. Do the math. So, although today in weigh-in Wednesday, I am going to defer my weigh in until ugh, another date. I will pick-up with the workouts, though. I really do enjoy working out.

I started my journey to lose weight by using the Extreme Fat Smash Diet as my guide. I love Celebrity Fit Club and Dr. Ian Smith. I like this diet plan because it lists daily menus for you to follow as well as a work-out program. The book says that you can lose up to five pounds a week on this plan. He suggests that you do about 55 minutes of cardio on most days, depending on your metabolism and how your body holds on to fat. Dr. Ian knows his stuff about weight loss.

My Cardio Plan, Couch to 5k or C25k Plan

I used the Couch to 5K plan for my cardio workouts. I lost 7 pounds between dieting and doing the cardio. I probably lost more, but gained weight back during a huge splurge (for about a week). So, I now weigh 124 pounds. I began at 131 pounds. Watch my video to see an update on how I am am doing with that workout plan.

So I was walking and jogging about three days per week to build up to a point where I could jog three miles without walking. You are able to repeat weeks, and I have repeated week four because the five minute jogs were difficult for me to complete.

The Abs Diet for Women, 6 Pack Abs

While at the bookstore, I also picked up The Abs Diet because I have a vain desire to have six-pack abs that look as hot as Janet Jackson or Beyonce. Well, hotter than that. So, I really took the time to read the Abs Diet for Women book and I have decided to follow that meal plan and workout. The Abs Diet for Women states that you can have a flat belly in 6 weeks. I am however, still going to do the cardio recommended in The Fat Smash Diet.

The Abs Diet had my dedication when I read that I can have one free meal a week in which I can have anything that I want. It was difficult to stay on the Fat Smash Diet and eat out, especially when someone else was treating!

The Abs Diet encourages you to eat a lot of protein with 12 Superfoods. The Superfoods are reasonable.

Superfoods

Spinach and other green veggies almonds, berries, whey protein, peanut butter, lean meats, olive oil, beans, eggs, low fat dairy, whole grain breads and cereals.

There are a couple examples of Perfect Days in the book. The meals on those day total to about 1,500 calories. Some of the recipes are 500+ calories, though so you really have to watch portion sizes and calories on your own this plan. The author feels that you should be able to naturally tell when you are full or have had enough, and I think that the trouble is that most Americans can’t do that. They want that extremely full, satiated feeling. I have a food scale (to weigh my food) and I use Fit Day to count calories so that I won’t get off track. I have to admit that sometimes I forget to count, like today.

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I had a major set-back in reaching my fitness goals. I haven’t officially weighed myself yet, but I am certain that I have gained about five pounds! I know that I didn’t lose any weight. Well, the five pounds will probably show up next week or so. See, here’s what happened. I was invited to dinner at a restaurant which has the best filet mignon. The restaurant also has the best desserts. I ate and ate and ate. I can’t even begin to call the day a cheat day, because I probably ate more than I should have eaten for a week.

Let’s see. I had filet mignon, potatoes, gravy. A salad with blue cheese crumbles and candied almonds (the salad probably didn’t do much damage). Then I had dessert. The dessert came in little shot glasses; they were delicious. The trouble is that I ate a few of the little shot glass desserts. I had the chocolate cream, the strawberry whipped cream, and just about everything else that was creamed.

I also didn’t jog my three required days for the Couch to 5K program. The week, however is not over. This week, I had decided to redo week four and run five minute intervals with walking. I plan to get back on the bandwagon tomorrow. Do I feel guilty? Yes. Did I learn a lesson? Yes. It’s important to eat before going to a fancy restaurant. It’s also a good idea to select a healthier meal before you go. If you do cheat, just east extremely small portions of the food. I think that I will tell the server to only give me 1/4 of the order or something and maybe wrap up the rest? Even that may be too hard for me, because I’ll probably eat the take-home before I even get home. I have a question for you all. How do you cope with eating out when you are dieting? What do you do to stay on your diet while enjoying an evening out on the town or in a fantastic restaurant?

This week was a bust, so I am going to discuss stress and its impact on weight loss goals. I’m sure that many of you would say that you are emotional eaters. I definitely am an emotional eater, and I tend to eat junk food when I am stressed. Admitting that weakness is the first step to a solution.

Today was a particularly stressful day. The paperwork was overwhelming. I had to drive downtown to get a vital document and when I returned with it the person who desperately requested the document had left (so I made the trip for nothing). I was under deadline pressure; I had to put huge files in order in a few hours and I was afraid that some of the files may have been incomplete. A co-worker brought a dish of chocolate candy Hershey Kisses. Another co-worker brought a bag of chocolate mint cookies.

After a few hours of a major chocolate binge, I had a sugar high out of this world. I almost called it a day and went to go get a fast food burger and fries — but I didn’t go that far. I let my sugar high wear off and went ate fish and cauliflower for dinner.

I have been jogging about three days a week and I know that I have lost inches because I can fit into jeans that are a size smaller than my size. I still need to work on my overall health and reduce body fat, though. I wrote this scenario to let you know that we all have bad days, and that you shouldn’t beat yourself up or compound the problem. When you recognize that you are stress, get away from any bad foods or take a break from the situation. I wish that I’d done that. Don’t give in to temptation. If you do slip, learn from the experience and move on. Don’t repeat your mistake. Have faith that you will reach your goal. Meditate and pray on it.

I am now in week four the the Couch to 5k Challenge. I jog for five minutes and three minutes and walk short distance. It’s been a difficult week, though, and I have gotten winded before the five minutes are up for the run. I’m still working on and will succeed! I will have a bikini body.

My official weight is now 127 pounds. I’ve lost about 6 pounds so far! This is the fourth week of my quest to have a bikini body. I am still following the Couch to 5k plan and I am now on week four for that plan as well. So far, this week, I’ve been climbing the stairs in my home for morning exercise. I don’t want to run alone early in the morning in the dark. In the afternoon I jog or do cardio on the machines at Bally’s. Don’t get all excited. I just started this twice a day work-out schedule. Actually, I’m following Dr. Ian Smith’s Fat Smash Diet. You may know Dr. Ian Smith from the popular show, Celebrity Fit Club. The diet plan includes a daily work-out schedule, which is usually  about an hour a day, divided up in morning and afternoon sessions. The Extreme Fat Smash Diet can help you lose 12 pounds in three weeks. I certainly feel better, more grounded, since I began eating the foods on the Extreme Fat Smash Diet plan.  Here is what I did today:

5:50 a.m. 20 minutes of stair climbing on real stairs in my home

6:15 a.m. Meal 1: Oatmeal, pure fruit juice (not from concentrate)

9:45 a.m. Snack 1: Baby Carrots (about 10)

12:35 a.m. Meal 2: Chicken, two servings of vegetables, a half of a cup of rice

3:35 a.m. Snack 2: Baby Carrots (about 20) on the way home from work, driving

5 p.m. Meal 3: Beans, brown rice, one serving of vegetables

Exercise:  jogging on a treadmill and running on a cross trainer at Bally’s for 35 minutes

Listen to Dr. Ian Smith talk about his Extreme Fat Smash Diet, the 50 million pound challenge and drama on Celebrity Fit Club.