February Review and March Goals

After such an amazing effort during January, health and fitness certainly took a backseat during February.  Unfortunately my lazy approach this month has resulted in a plateau, or perhaps just a pause!  It is a relief that a month of limited exercise, and some indulgence has not meant completely falling off the wagon 

So I am ready to re-focus, and start seeing some results again.  I can’t help but check how many days remaining until our wedding – 199 days and counting.  Of course, I want a life of health, but it doesn’t hurt to add some serious motivation(!)  I have plenty of time, but I would love to have a couple of months before the wedding to work on my ability to maintain.

Anyway, so what is on the agenda for March?!

For continued weight loss – Cardio, continuing with c25k and I am considering introducing weekly Zumba.

For longer term weight maintenance and toning – Introducing weights utilising the p90x weight routines.

Paleo paleo paleo!  And to be even more accountable, a return of calorie counting and wearing my BodyMedia armband to ensure I am on the right track.

Giving Zumba a try tonight at Kokoloco, … nervous!

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January Goals: Paleo + c25k

11 days in to 2012, so how is it going?  Although I am not big on the new year resolutions, after finishing my degree in December, and with our wedding coming up in September – It’s great timing to make some life changes 

I decided that this year, it is finally time to get my nutrition in check.  Years of uni-related poor eating habits > I am definitely ready for good healthy eating habits.  And so, Mr. J and I decided to try the Paleo idea.  I guess that we are looking at doing it seriously for a month, and then re-evaluating (to see if it’s all worth the hype!).

Over the past 10 days I feel like my attempt at the ‘paleo lifestyle’ has been going well.  Minus about 3 meals and a few/several glasses of wine, I am going strong(!)  I have completely cut white carbs, and I think I am actually starting to feel better for it.   I definitely feel less bloated, but I still feel sluggish and tired, which may have more to do with life stress 

In terms of exercise, I am still not 100% sure where I want to take my fitness this year.  I dabbled with many routines in 2011, gym classes, yoga, 30 Day Shred, Ripped in 30, p90x, c25k etc.

For the mean time, I am attempting to give c25k a solid chance.  4 runs completed so far!  It has been hard, I didn’t realise how much my cardiovascular fitness had dropped last year while doing p90x.  I am doing the runs with Mr. J, and I hope that he will continue to motivate me to keep it up    I know that I should incorporate some weight training soon, but I am wary of exercising too much, which I think explained the lack of weight loss last year.  So perhaps cardio for January, beginning to incorporate some weights in Feburary… perhaps!  Yup, I am pretty indecisive at this point!

 

The good news is … ladies and gentlemen … drum roll please (!!)  Ha!

I have lost 1.1kg since January 1st!

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2012, I Am Ready!

This year, I am ready.  Healthy and fit, I will be.

Mr. J and I have decided to give the Paleo diet a go.  I don’t like calling it a diet, but for the short-term, I know that is what it will feel like.  Sugar withdrawals, carb cravings?  Yup, I am ready.  Bring it.

At this stage, I am not entirely sure what exercise routine I want to follow.  I enjoyed 30 Day Shred, Ripped in 30, P90x, and briefly attempted couch to 5k, last year.  With no gym membership this year, I would love to invest in a treadmill, but $$ is an issue.

I think that perhaps a combination of the above may be more achievable/sustainable.  The 20 minute workouts in 30 Day Shred and Ripped in 30 I feel are not enough, yet, the P90x routine was a bit much.  I am working on a plan, and hope to share it soon.

January 1st: I have weighed in, measurements taken – I can’t wait to make it happen this year.

 

 

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Plyo Goodness

2355 calories, 26 minutes vigorous activity and 1hr 49 minutes moderate activity, yesterday. That is of course thanks to plyometrics.

It is crazy, and half way through I was ready to throw in the towel.  But I kept with it, of course modifying when necessary.  I don’t feel as sore as I did last week, which I am hoping is a good sign.  I did feel more capable, but sheesh it is crazy.

In fact, I am pretty hesitant to work out this morning.  So a morning of new episodes of Gossip Girl and Dexter, yes please.  Then I will get back on the wagon.

My weight is slowly coming back down after two weekends of over indulging, but I still need to focus more on nutrition.

Only ten days until NZ.  Aiming for 2kg loss, difficult, but not unreasonable.

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When Life Gets in the Way

I am a little off schedule after my four day break.  Yesterday I had planned to do Plyometrics and a weights component later.  But Plyo (o-m-g!), is crazy and I am still sore this morning.  Today Cardio is on the agenda, followed by Back, Biceps and Abs.  Not quite sure if I will have time to fit it all in before road tripping to Sydney this afternoon.

I am heading home for my birthday   so another break…  Although there will be birthday cake, I will be taking it easy

Looking at my exercise log, I knew that I had stopped logging my food for a while – but I realised that it has been two weeks   Which I think is a major element of this weight loss business for me.  80% nutrition, 20% exercise.  Not sure how many times I need to keep telling myself this(!)

Monday, I will officially be under the two week mark for New Zealand.  Time to get back to 1200 calories.  For the first eight days, I want to 100% strictly follow the p90x doubles routine – focusing on continuing to build muscle, while maintaining cardio.  Then, the last four days before flying out, will be 100% cardio.  Yep, going to get running again  :S  It’s been a while.

I am hoping with a couple of days practice, I will be happy to treadmill it while cruising.  I will be satisfied with a gym session on six out of our 12 days 

Excitement!  Ok, I need to put my shoes on and do some exercise!

 

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p90x – Off, Now Back ON

Four days break from exercise, how it scares me.  It should have only been three, but yesterday, I missed the boat.

Yes, my girlfriend was in town, and yes it is hard to engage in hardcore, 2+ hrs per day exercise with visitors.  But no, I did not have to indulge so much over the weekend, nor continue it into a fourth day.

I want fitness, health, + a smashing hot body wouldn’t hurt     So I need to get this started.

Today was back on track – Cardio this morning, chest, shoulders, triceps and abs this evening.  It felt good

Although I am loving p90x, it is not going to be feasible to keep it up while on holidays and back and forth visiting home.  So, over the next couple of weeks, any day I am unable to do the p90x thing, hello cardio.  Only 16 days until New Zealand – excitment!

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Plyometrics and #NoSugarVember

Plyo was… HARD >  So many squats,  so much jumping.  My first go, there was a fair amount of modification going on   But I got through it.  Today was meant to be another doubles day, but a 6am working day start, did not permit that routine.  So it was Back and Biceps, and Ab Ripper.  Tomorrow is meant to be yoga, so I might start the day with Cardio, and yoga later on 

I have been keeping up with the exercise routine, no worry.  It’s tough, but I know it’s healthy and really makes me feel the burn.

Nutrition and #NoSugarVember on the other hand – was I even ever on the ‘wagon’?  Well if I was, then I really fell off, hard.  If only my butt was sore and I was feeling the repercussions of my actions.  Overeating, you are my enemy.  Of course I am feeling it – lethargy, disappointment, nausea, more disappointment.

Now is my time, so what am I doing?

As Jillian Michaels puts it, 1200 calories a day, clean eating.  That is the weight loss way.

More of this >>

And absolute 100% zero tolerance for this >>

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Thoughts on p90x

Into my third week of p90x…
I decided to do the Lean program, as it is recommended for women wanting more cardio and less muscle building.  It is definitely intense, but I feel left wanting more.  I make quite a few modifications – I cannot do pullups, and pushups are on my knees, but other than that, I feel like I have been coping quite well with the workouts.

I am definitely losing inches and last week I saw a significant drop in body fat percentage (which after the weekend has crept up again unfortunately).  But no significant weight loss.  I know my food intake could be better  – in fact yesterday I began #NoSugarVember with the hope of seeing more results.

I have read enough to know that I shouldn’t expect crazy results in the earlier stages of the program, but my problem is, I will only make it to week 7 before going to NZ.  It’s great that I am getting more muscle-y   but even if I could lose a couple of kilo’s of flab I would be really pleased.  Not only that, but wedding dress shopping deadlines are starting to get scary(!)

So here are my thoughts:

- Switch to the Classic Program next week (more weights with cardio)
- Skip the recovery week (it’s not as though I have been lifting heavy anyway)
- Start doing the Doubles Classic Program in Stage 2 (Incorporates an extra 3 sessions of cardio per week).

It’s a big commitment, but I am hoping that any muscle growth before our holiday means that I will consistently burn more calories while away.  And depending on my fitness in January after 3 weeks away from p90x (I still plan to exercise while away, but not at the same intensity/duration), I may re-start Stage 2/3 of p90x, or just start from the beginning again.

So that’s the plan, for now.  Loving the extra time to dedicate to working out, but the extra time to worry about results, not so awesome

Time to bring it(!) p90x style

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The Weekender

Started the weekend with Kenpo X from p90x.  At first I really didn’t like it, the whole martial arts type of moves aren’t really for me.  But when I saw the calorie burn, I was pretty happy.  24 minutes vigorous activity.  Kenpo, along with an attempted shopping trip, made for a great calorie burn

Unfortunately the shopping trip was a complete fail.  I need a dress for a wedding next week… but the whole colour blocking trend (translated in Aussie shops = fluoro and/or garish colours) isn’t really my thing.  Plus is everything mini-mini, or is it just me
Anyway, I did manage to pick up some Le Tan coconut oil…  30SPF.  Safe tanning – not sure there is such a thing.  But I have to admit I love being in the sun, and it’s got to be safer right?  And some moisturiser, L’Occitane, I heart you 

After that I returned home to Mr. J and poker.  He was having a casual game with friends.  I have no idea about poker    Two games, and luckily Mr. J won the second.  I expect a dinner date very soon 

Due to my mega calorie burn, I decided that it was okay to indulge in pizza on Saturday night.  Not a good idea, I overindulged.  Then of course, there were left overs to be eaten on Sunday.  And on top of that, Sunday was supposed to be a rest day… so I was pretty lazy… Went for a light walk… but after dinner my cals burned were still super low.  So, I did some cardio.  35 minutes, done and done.  Pushed my calorie burn for the day over 2000.

Not the happiest way to end the weekend… but I am starting to realise that when they say nutrition is 80%, they really mean it.

So Monday, I am going to start #NoSugarVember.  A week late, but I think that it’s time.

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November Goals

The last couple of months have been pretty tough for me.  It is never easy to come to terms with weight gain.  It often feels like I am starting all over again.  Of course that is not the case – I have maintained a lot of muscle, my fitness has not declined excessively, and … it is never too late to make changes.  Determination, strength, perseverence.  I don’t quit.

So I am loving the fact that it is November.  I am … READY for it.

Now that I have more time, it is time to really focus on nutrition, while maintaining exercise.  The facts are really pointing to weight loss being 80% nutrition, maybe even 90%.  And the last little 10-20% being exercise.  So, I got that 10-20%.  I will exercise.
Throughout November (and the beginning of December), I will continue to exercise with the following goals:

+ Continue with the P90x routine.  That a means maximum of one day rest per week.
+ Burn a minimum of 2100 calories per day.  (I think the best way to reach this goal is to monitor my calories over the next week or so, because a change in routine means my activity level will surely change, and I am not sure what my BMR will look like.  I am thinking that if my burn has been low, an evening walk after dinner will help).

But what about that all important nutrition?

+  Start logging my intake again.  With as much accuracy as possible.
+  Keeping my calories consumed under 1500, which means a minimum deficit of 500 calories per day.
This may be difficult now that I am moving toward ‘holiday mode’, but I want to try my best.  During the week, 100% no excuses.  But I do want to save one meal per week, (not a cheat meal), but a chance to eat out and enjoy myself without feeling guilty.

And of course,

+ To monitor my progress, weekly measurements and weighing.

I’ve sneakily filled in Nov 1st.  It’s good motivation.  Day one – exercise, tick, good cals burned, tick, good calorie deficit, tick(!)  Definitely going to stick with that trend!

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