Tag: diet

Breaking through the plateau

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Of course this was going to happen…Of course.  It was inevitable after losing so much weight that I would hit a standstill.  The weight loss plateau has reared it’s ugly head in my direction.

Stuck at 127 with absolutely not a budge in two weeks.

Now I know it’s the holidays.  And most people who are trying to lose weight would be happy to see themselves maintaining during such a difficult time of the year.  I shouldn’t complain.   But it’s still a disappointing.

I am becoming one of my own clients.  I’m doing all the wrong things like weighing myself after dinner (WHAT!? Duh!), stressing out about a measly little pound, freaking out and envisioning the scale frozen on 127 forever.

This won’t happen.  I will start to lose again but the first step is to figure out what the hell I’m doing wrong.

A few possibilities:

1.  I’m doing too much:  I have only allowed myself 1 day off since starting this journey.  That’s more then 3 months of non-stop exercising.  Not good.  That could lead to overtraining which can lead to all sorts of metabolic issues if I don’t address it.

2. I’m not doing enough:  Even with all this working out, it’s possible I’m not doing enough of the QUALITY workouts.  Possibly  too much steady state and not enough High Intensity?  Too many full body workouts and not enough splits?

3.  I’m doing the same thing over and over:  Don’t we all know the definition of insanity?  Although my strength training program has been different each week, it has always been full body.  So it might be time to change it to split routines.  Also the diet has been the same for 3 weeks so it’s quite possibly my coach will change that up next week.

Those are the three main reasons why I we all hit a weight loss rut.   In keeping with my previous post about looking at the positives and staying optimistic, I’m going to attempt to have some fun while trying to figure out exactly what is holding me back.

In the meantime, I’m still planning my regular meal plan for this week despite celebrating Christmas (tomorrow actually), traveling on a plane Wednesday and Thursday and working a nice long day on Christmas Eve starting at 6am and ending after I get finished with Christmas Eve dinner.  I have my work cut out for me this week.

But in the end, now is not the time to worry or care about staying perfect; it’s time to enjoy spending time with loved ones and friends.  I will be enjoying the hell out of my food and hanging with my family.  And I will not give this plateau a second thought! I might even eat a piece of (gasp!) bread.  Yes real life starch! (what’s starch? It’s been so long since I’ve had any I forgot what the hell it is.)

Merry Christmas Happy Holidays and all that jazz everyone!

-Michelle

Random song on iTunes: The Killer by The Twilight Singers (quite possibly the best song ever…ever!)

Random Tweet courtesy of some random person: When someone walks into a school w/a rope w/a spear attached throwing it & screaming “Get over here!” then let’s discuss video games.

Progress Pics

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I don’t even want to make a big deal out of this even though this is probably one of the more difficult things I have posted.  It’s not like anyone is forcing me to do this of course but if you have a goal you better make sure you note a starting point.  And with weight loss, pictures are pretty much the best route to go.

I didn’t manipulate these photos in any way EXCEPT brightness and contrast because some turned out so bright and some not so bright.  It took me a second to understand how to add text to a picture as you can see from one of the December pics.  I never figured out how to delete the text so….you are left with this.  Photoshop smart I AM NOT.

Left:  October  Center: November   Right: December

I’m at 137.5lbs in the October pics, 133lbs in the November pics and 127 in the December 10th pic.

Thanks to Danielle for stitching these all together for me!!

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Front
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Weekend Challenge

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I’m going to go out on a limb and say the holidays are upon us…as in people have started to crowd the malls doing their shopping, the stores have their sales and advertisements plastered everywhere, the carols are playing on the radio and holiday parties are taking place.

Well, I can also tell you I can always tell the holidays are here because the gyms aren’t as full as they usually are.  Or as full as they should be.  I should know, I spend about 99% of my time in a gym of some sort everyday.  It’s pathetic awesome!  I hear from friends and co-workers that clients are canceling or just not showing up for their personal training sessions.  THAT’s how I know the holidays are here.

So here’s a quick little boost to those of you who are suffocating in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and you can’t quite seem to fit your workout in:

a-one-hour-workout-is-4-percent-of-your-day

This has been circulating around the internet lately and I thought it was appropriate for this time of year for all of us.

As for my weekend challenge, and in line with the holiday spirit, I’ll be attending my friend and former client Lina’s Dessert Party.  Yes that’s right a party with JUST DESSERTS.  All homemade as far as I know? And all very delicious.

I’ve searched and searched my nutrition plan from my coach and lo and behold I don’t see desserts listed.  Hmmm…

Well, looks like I need a plan.  Remember my Holiday Pledge?  I’m sure there’s a way to copy my old post in here but I am not savvy enough to figure that out so here’s the picture again:

XmasPledge

Notice #4.  I will not be anti-social.  I will attend this party because it’s been awhile since I’ve seen my friend Lina and her husband Jeff and we have a lot to catch up on.  I’m treating the desserts like part of the background.  They’ll be there but almost like I’m at a museum. I can look but not touch. Ha!  I will most likely cheat indulge in a couple of the smaller desserts without going absolutely nuts.  I’m also planning on eating just like my plan suggests with nothing changing.  Most importantly I’ll be arriving on a full stomach.  There will not be an entrée in sight (hence the point of coming after dinner anyways) so I feel as long as I have eaten my protein beforehand. I should be okay.

This will be my first real challenge since taking on this goal.  I’ll be happy to post the outcome on Sunday morning! 🙂

Also, I am definitely posting progress pics right before Christmas.  I can finally see a difference from October to now in pictures and I’m really jazzed to show them to everyone believe it or not!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

-Michelle

Victory Formation

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This was a pretty great weekend for Ohio sports so I’m feeling victorious today.  I can’t help but be inspired by my alma mater Kent State football team getting *this close* to a bowl game, The Ohio State University beating Michigan and going undefeated, and the Browns beating the Steelers.

One non sports related reason is because I hopped on the scale this morning and I’m already down 1lb!  So note to Craig, my weight loss challenge instigator, get your check book ready! 🙂  That $20 (big money big money no whammies!) is as good as mine.

I also heard from an FB friend from high school that is inspired by my little challenge to take on the challenge herself!  She’s in it with me too, we are determined to lose these 5 little pounds.   Anyone else up for the challenge?  Let me know!

As for my workouts, this week starts Week 5 of the Fighter Diet – on tap for the workouts are Pyramid Deadlifts.  Basically means increase the weight with each set until you’re at your heaviest and then work your way back down to the weight you started with.  I’m also seeing some squats, max rep push-ups and hanging leg raises which I still suck at.

Week 6 is Pull-ups.  YIKES.  YAY!

Although I can chalk up this week to a victory in terms of food selection, workouts and weight loss, it’s important not to get caught up in the moment and stay focused.

Here’s to another “winning” week!

-Michelle

Random iTunes song: Titanium by David Guetta Featuring Sia – LOVE HER!  How does this song not make anyone feel empowered?

Random Tweet:  “I love the product placement of the SUV’s in #TheWalkingDead. Got Zombies? Get a Hyundai!”

 

 

Eat this, not that or that and definitely not THAT!

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Trying my first blog post via the mobile WordPress App..and with one hand! I would try to insert a picture of why I only have one hand but I have no clue how to upload pics via this app.
Short explanation: I have an IV stuck in the other hand. ( I’m okay, no need to panic)
Just a quick entry on Stress eating. I’m confessing I had a particularly bad day yesterday. Coupled with good old female issues made my good eating habits go right out the window.
I proceeded to eat anything in sight while at work. Luckily I work at a personal training studio so my options were limited to Clif Bars and peanut butter…and perhaps some string cheese that someone left in the fridge…..I couldn’t let that cheese go to waste could I??? A tablespoon (or two) of PB later I still felt hungry. And stressed. And did I mention cranky???
The two string cheeses were my next victims. I think I tore those puppies open like it was my last meal on earth. Pathetic.
Did I mention the expiration date on them was July?
Yikes.
The clif bar was smashed within minutes as well…
I know…this isn’t much of a pig out fest like most people think of when they think of someone falling off the “diet” wagon. But for me, this was a definite low point.
After having slept on it, I’m chalking it up to my first “challenge.”
I think I may have lost this one. Next month, I vow to be prepared.
Prepare for a fight string cheese! You’re going down!!

-Michelle
Random song playing on iTunes: Heaven by Bryan Adams
Random tweet: I haven’t tweeted yet today…so I’ll just say GO VOTE!

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Go ahead, have that cake…and that pie…and that chocolate…

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So as the title suggests these past two days were quite…”challenging” to say the least.  My first celebration since getting serious about getting this body in shape was this Sunday, my Dad’s 70th Birthday.

The day started out great with a workout at a new gym!  Well, not new….as a matter of fact it’s 15 years old.  But it was new to me.  I decided to try it out because I’m trying to get out of my contract with a gym that’s about 35 minutes away from me.  I joined when I worked closer to it and paid for a year in full.   In any case, I found a bare bones no-frills gym about 10 minutes from my house.  Jackpot!  I promptly signed up for a free 7 day pass.

As I entered, I realized No Frills should be their slogan.  No shower, one little bathroom in the locker room…a few lockers.  But hey, I don’t need much.  Just give me some weights and cables and pulleys and I’m happy.  I was the only female there on Sunday morning but didn’t matter.  Sometimes I get a little creeped out if I’m the only chick in a gym…like at some point some random dude is going to come up to me and tell me what I’m doing wrong or ask me why the hell I’m lifting weights and not on the elliptical.  I got some looks that told me I’m one of the few women that actually ATTENDS this little gym.  But no worries, I held my own.

I came back from the gym and went to the store to spend money I don’t have on food I really need.   I went to a bigger grocery store with better selections…I actually researched how to find http://www.navitasnaturals.com/ snacks and saw that they sell them at this grocery store not far from my house.  I even went so far as to ask someone where to find them but when I went to the aisle, they were not there! BOOOOO.   No worries, I got plenty of stuff.  $148 worth of food to be exact.  Yikes.  But I am determined to make it last as long as possible.

Enter Birthday Celebration:  Okay I can handle this I thought.  Here’s what was offered: Pizza, KFC chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, birthday cake and ice cream.

Here’s what I ate: 1 piece of pizza (plain), 1 piece of chicken, 1 piece of cake, 1 slice of pumpkin pie.

I refuse to put in pictures of this food because I think you all know what these things look like right? Great…Read on.

Not terrible right?  I survived!  It wasn’t the best but one bad meal will not undo all the hard work I’ve done this month.

Enter Hurricane Sandy:   So I’m not going to pretend this storm devastated us here in Cleveland compared to all the lives lost and damages done in NYC and NJ.  But it did have a small contribution to my food failure today:  Power outage.

So when you just purchased a ton of healthy food, and the power goes out, you tend to panic and want to EAT all the food you bought before it goes bad.  No I didn’t eat everything in sight, but I definitely got off track a little bit.

The biggest downfall which seems silly to even mention? I couldn’t use my Vitamix.   Anyone who knows me knows I’m in love with my Vitamix.

Beautiful isn’t it? What’s the commandment about worshiping false gods? Yeah I’m breaking that one right now.

I use it at least 2 times a day.  I almost considered bringing it to my work so I could make my smoothie there.  I work at a small personal training and fitness studio so it actually wouldn’t have been TOO odd.  But I made do with my new favorite drink http://www.sambazon.com/ and a banana and a little Fage yogurt with blueberry before my cardio workout at work.  I mainly went to get warm but figured, I’m due for a workout anyways.

Lunch was fine, tuna sandwich with Olive Oil based Mayo and another Fage yogurt. (see what I mean about eating all this stuff before it goes bad?).

I snacked on some of my mini sweet peppers and came home to have baked chicken and sauteed veggies.

But guess what was sitting in the fridge just asking to be eaten??? One last piece of birthday cake and one last piece of pumpkin pie.  UGH! Had to have it!! HAD TO!!! (I’m sure none of the other 3 people in my house was going to eat it…)

The Aftermath:  Feeling a little crappy.  A little upset I let myself fail not once but twice.  But again, when you think about the bigger picture, it’s really not anything to lose sleep over.  I’m almost glad it happened because this was almost like a little test-drive before the real holidays hit.  I have no idea how that’s going to go with me and this whole plan because it’s impossible to assume I will skip all sweets altogether.  We’ll have to wait and see.

The Plan: In addition to the bootcamp class I was going to take tomorrow morning, I will be hitting the weights as planned but also going to try to fit in a second boxing class at night.  Just going for a big calorie burn without overdoing it.  And I’ll probably take Thursday off or just do abs.  Back to weights Friday.

Move on people, nothing more to see (or eat) here for the night.

On the press for Thursday/Fridays blog post:  Fitness professionals promoting questionable products.  Already got alot of ideas on what I want to write about for this…gonna be a good one.

-Michelle

 

Random iTunes song:  Your Fractured Life by Air Traffic

Random Tweet of the day: My Dad’s car this morning (no it’s not destroyed although we haven’t taken the tree off of it yet..)

Best response we got on Facebook was to cut off the top and make it our little Christmas Tree.

Being Healthy Is a Revolutionary Act…

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Today I’m sharing a website that I believe everyone should bookmark, read, instapaper, tweet, like, share…whatever you prefer.  But instead of just skimming over it, really read it.  Read it and don’t even tell me you don’t get pumped up a little bit and WANT to actually live a healthier lifestyle just by reading it.

Being Healthy Is a Revolutionary Act: Renegade Perspectives for Thriving in a Mixed-Up World.

I came across Pilar Gerasimo’s article in Experience Life Magazine in February of 2011.  As an employee (Personal Trainer) at Life Time Fitness, I was able to receive this great wealth of information in my mailbox for free.  (Members received it too, for just a dollar or two extra a month).  I encouraged all of my clients and any member I came across to read it and take the information it provided as bible.  The authors that contributed to the articles were top-notch.  Plus I pretty much adhered and agreed with everything they preached – the workouts, the recipes, the training advice, the “real-world” pieces.  All great stuff.  Plus there’s something to be said for the written word on paper (or magazine form) that seems to be lost these days.  Sometimes don’t you just want to pick up a book or a magazine instead of a Kindle, or an iPhone or another electronic device??

Fast forward to the February 2011 edition.  The cover photo alone was enough to get me to begin reading Pilar’s article immediately.  It pretty much beckons to it’s readers “Come on, BE HEALTHY!”  But it was actually the title that intrigued me:  “Being Healthy is a Revolutionary Act.” 

Wow.

I mean, it speaks volumes doesn’t it?  It’s so true!

As I continued to read this article, I felt like I was getting pumped up to fight a battle or something, ha!  I mean, she really engages the reader to look at the world in a different way.  By the end of it, you really do want to put some armor on and suit up and fight the war on Health!  At least… for me.

As someone in the health and fitness field, it becomes almost like an order…like a frustrating and redundant order, telling people “This is what I want you to do to improve your health.  This is what you MUST do to improve your health.”  The resistance I am met with is almost like a war in a itself.

It’s almost as if many people don’t want to be healthy.  Maybe they don’t come out and say it, but so many times  I hear people say “No thanks” when offered something for FREE.  If it’s FREE and it’s for their HEALTH, they don’t want it.

The most recent example was just a month ago at our Free (YES FREE) Health Fair.  Our free services consisted of getting your glucose and cholesterol checked, blood pressure, body fat, weight, chiropractor screening, balance test, massage therapist and a sleep apnea questionnaire.  Everything you need to know right? All in one place.  All free, no strings attached.  We even gave all participants a free week of fitness classes.  Again, no catch.

We got a good turnout but what was so discouraging and  disheartening were the amount of people who passed by and said self-degrading or just plain negative things like

“I already know I’m fat.”

“Oh I’m a diabetic, my doc has me on meds.”

“No thanks I don’t want to know my numbers.”

“Why would I want to know how unhealthy I am?”

It was extremely discouraging.  My friend and I who were standing at the front trying to entice people to come in discussed this somewhat surprising reaction:

Does no one really care about their health? Is it really that unpopular to take try and prolong your life?

Of course this is a general statement and I know there are people out there who DO care.  Unfortunately a lot of people care too late.  They wait until they are on meds or until something unfortunate happens and then all of a sudden, they care.

As a trainer for 4 years I should be used to this type of mentality.  But it still irks me.

This is why I’m so glad the Revolutionary Act was created.  Being healthy shouldn’t HAVE to be a revolutionary act, but it is.  And it’s time people started caring.

For those that don’t, I try not to let it bother me.  I can only worry about myself.

I can only be the healthiest ME regardless of how unpopular it is.