Finding long term motivation

For some crazy lucky people, working out and eating right come naturally.  It is a part of their routine and they thoroughly enjoy every minute of it.  I am not one of those people.  I need something tangible, something to chase, some THING to motivate me.  So when I talk with others about the need to find my motivation their usual first response is "you should do it to be healthy and for general quality of life."  While I do agree that is probably the BEST reason to exercise & eat healthy, it just doesn't do it for me.  What I do know is that when I have a goal with a set outcome, I am the fiercest competitor you will ever meet.  I will go above and beyond what is necessary to get what I want.  This was great for me as an athlete.  The outcome goals were to win, whether it was volleyball, softball, throwing, whatever.  Now that I have "retired" from full time competition, have no training partners, have no coach, what am I shooting for?  That is the #1 question I am trying to answer right now.

The other issue I have noticed is that I get bored easily.  The last time I lost a large amount of weight, I had a goal to get down to 200lbs.  I got down to 202.  I said "close enough" and what I was doing to lose that weight became boring to me, so I quit.  This summer I got back in the weightroom, I trained hard for 4 weeks.  I rocked out those 4 weeks.  I maxed out at the end, was so excited with my results, felt like I exceeded my goal, so I quit.  There is a major mental block going on somewhere.  Without being a full time athlete I really don't know how to motivate right now.

My question to you is what motivates you to eat right & go to the gym?

The hubby & I have embarked on a new journey selling lifestyle products including sports nutrition, weight management, green cleaning supplies & all natural beauty supplies with Shaklee.  So now it's time to find the motivation so I can walk the walk when I suggest to my athletes & clients to do the same.

If you're interested in making a change for the better in your life, please contact me, I'm glad to help!

Shaklee

We are embarking on a new journey, distributing products that we know, love & trust to keep us healthy.  If you are interested in learning more about the Shaklee line of home & health products, please feel free to click on the image above.  I'll be bringing you more posts in the future detailing just how we use these products in our training and everyday life.

Protein packed dinner

Have you ever tried Quinoa?  If you haven't you should give it a shot in place of any recipe that calls for rice!  A perfect example of this was the dinner we made last night Chicken Fried Quinoa.  Chicken fried rice was always a go-to meal for the hubby and I back when we were in college.  We still like it now, but we've made a few minor changes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry quinoa (prepare according to package direction)
• 1lb. Shredded Chicken (you can used canned if you're feeling lazy, we do it all the time!)
• Assorted frozen veggies of your choice (we like peas, corn, bell peppers, onions)
• Low Sodium Soy sauce to taste & turn the quinoa brown
• Olive Oil
• Black Pepper
• Garlic

I precooked my chicken in the crockpot during the day and just chopped it up before adding to the mix.  Heat a large skillet on med-high with olive oil and add cooked quinoa, spreading evenly in the pan.  Add enough soy sauce to get a nice brown color throughout the quinoa.  I usually start with about 12-15 "shakes" and will add more later.  Stir in veggies and cover for a while so they cook and the bottom of the pan will start to crisp up.  Season liberally with black pepper and minced garlic.  Add chicken, more soy sauce (5 or so more shakes) and mix, being sure to turn the rice so everything gets the chance to crisp up.  Cover and let sit for a few  more minutes and it will be ready to serve.  Occasionally we will toss in some cream cheese and it adds a great flavor and dimension to the dish.

Quinoa is a great complete source of protein, it is actually a seed, but has a very similar texture to rice.  This dish stores really well and was a great leftover lunch today!  Give it a try sometime!

Deload

After hitting new maxes last week, I was really looking forward to starting up a new cycle in the weightroom.  When I began warming up for my first exercise (cleans) on Monday I was really in for a rude awakening.  My back was telling me to stop.  I realized after such an unexpected improvement on my squat max, my back didn't know what to do.  Enter the "Deload" week.  I continued with the same exercises that I was planning on, but severely decreased the reps, sets and amount of weight.  It took until today to actually feel normal with 135 on the bar for cleans.  Next week starts the fun stuff!  My goal is to get over 380lbs in the squat and 205lbs in bench at then end of the next 4 week cycle...wish me luck!!

1 RM

Source: jenandjoeygogreen.com via Jeni on Pinterest

I decided after last Tuesday's squat workout that I wanted to test my progress by maxing out in squat and bench today instead of my normal workout. I had been looking forward to it all week, getting a good 1 rep max is such a great feeling! 

So I started this morning by getting my body fat percentage calculated.  I wasn't planning on it, but a couple of my athletes were getting theirs checked and I decided to join in the fun.  Now, it wasn't a great number, but it was much better than I was anticipating.  Now for the numbers...deep breath...I weighed in at 228.2lbs and was 21% bf.  If you do the calculations that is actually 47lbs of FAT...yikes!  But I am happy with where I am going at this point.

Then it was time to hit the squat rack!  I was hoping to hit 300lbs.  I got 360!  That was just a few pounds under what I did in college.  I am hoping now to push 400 in the near future!!!  I rounded things out with a bench max of 195, about 20lbs under where I was in college.  I had a great morning, but my legs are DEAD now and I could really go for a good back rub ;)

Resuming Normality

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I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July holiday. I know we did! It could have thrown a hurdle in the workout plan, but I was able to {somewhat}successfully complete the week's workouts. The biggest obstacle I faced wasn't getting in to do the workouts, but rather getting everything done because I had a strange pain in my deltoid. {I'm guessing from a flye gone awry} I probably ate too much when I was in vacation mode, and I drank way more than normal {that doesn't take much when normal involves no drinking}, so we're not going to step on the scale for a while. I love having guests in the house, but resuming normality is always a great feeling. Back to early bird workouts tomorrow and a better eating schedule! The last 4 days have been a lot of fun with friends. We found some great things to do in town and tried a few new restaurants. But now it's time to get back to reality!!

Changes

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So yesterday was one of those "i'm-so-exhausted-i-just-want-to-sleep-all-day" kind of days.  Plain and simple, I felt like a slug!

I got through the weightroom session just fine (Squats/Bench/Auxiliary).  Feeling pretty good actually.  But I had ZERO desire to go run.  I don't know if it was the struggles I had faced the previous 2 days with my runs or the nasty humidity or whatever other excuse I could come up with, I just didnt' want to do it.  And I didn't.  I knew Wednesdays are usually my recovery day, so if I was feeling up to it I would run today.  And I did.

I got in some good core work, scap work (for posture) and stretching then headed out for my run.  The fact that is was only 62 degrees may have helped ;)  After discussing with the hubby a bit, we decided that continuing to train on the "week 1" plan for my running was probably in my best interest for now, so that's what I did.  It was still difficult, but I finished it and I wasn't so dead that I wanted to curl up in a ball on the floor.


I haven't posted a food log in a while, but here's what I've had so far today:
B- Light Multi Grain English Muffin w/ Honey Peanut Butter
PW- Vanilla protein shake made with Almond Milk
L- Mesquite Deli Turkey, Spreadable Swiss, Dill Pickles on FlatOut Sliders, Pistachios & Bing Cherries (and a Philly Swirl bar for dessert!)
Not sure what the rest of the day will bring, but I have about 1000 cals left for my afternoon meal, dinner and possible evening snack or dessert.

It's my birthday...I'll complain if I want to!

I lifted this morning...I felt slow and sluggish.
I attempted to run this morning...I couldn't move and stopped half way through and went inside to finish on the eliptical.

Such a blah day.  Hopefully I have more energy tomorrow, I need to bust my butt after tonight's birthday dinner!  I gave myself some slack for dinner tonight and just ate what I wanted to.  I was really in the mood for pasta, so we tried a new place that we'd been told was tasty.  Georgio's Italian Ristorante.  I consumed copious amounts of bread and olive oil, indulged in a caesar salad, and ate about 1/4 of my actual entree: penne with pesto cream sauce and italian sausage and of course a diet coke.  I WAS STUFFED! Oh Lordy was I stuffed!!!

But what was the one and only thing I had been wanting since my last birthday when we showed up and the shop was closed so I didn't get it?  That's right, Crumb Cake.  I was hoping for blueberry, but they only had strawberry tonight.  Either way, still delectable! I enjoyed each and every crumb.  Now back to reality tomorrow!

I did get some killer workout swag for my birthday though!  More on that later, once I take some pictures!!

Productive Morning

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Today was the beginning of week 2 of the Color Run Workout I am doing.  Last week I was running for 1 minute, walking for 90 seconds.  Today was a role reversal: Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minutes.  It kicked my butt! HA!!

I still feel much more at home in the weightroom, but I am trying to build a little bit of a base for my cardio.  I don't really ever see myself going out for a long run for the fun of it.  But I'm starting to make my training a little bit more well-balanced.  Cardio was always a BIG no-no in my training as an athlete, but since those days are over, my overall health should benefit from its addition.

Back into the weightroom on Monday! 

2 good days of training!

The last 2 days of workouts were great...and they kicked my butt at the same time! I love that feeling you get after a great workout, when you're drenched in sweat, on the floor, slouched against the wall.

I am still really motivated in the weightroom, which is great.  Some days I feel like going back in the afternoon to get in another session.  I also finished week 1 of my running workout today.  There are 2 things I have learned while running. 1) Running on concrete sucks, always find some grass to run on; and 2) Your sports bra serves as a great cell phone holder (it has my timer on it) but your phone WILL get wet, so you may want to invest in a better case!

Sunday I begin week 2 of this workout and I'm ready for things to get heavier, harder & more intense!!

Thunder Thighs!

Source: google.com via Jeni on Pinterest

I came across this image the other day on Pinterest and couldn't help but share. I love my "Thunder Thighs!"

My workouts are finally starting to get a bit more organized.  So much so that I was actually able to get a 4-week plan written out on paper with all of my reps/sets/percentages for the cycle.  If you'd like to check it out CLICK HERE (I uploaded it to Google Docs, please let me know if the link doesn't work...I'm new to this!)

Today's Plan:
Squats & Bench 6-4-2-12 (75%,80%,85%,40%)
Lat Pull Downs 3x10 @ 90lbs
Rolling Triceps 3x10 @ 10, 15, 20 lbs
Fat Bar Curls 3x10 @ 55lbs
Color Run Week 1: Run 1 min, Walk 90 sec x8

I don't even want to get into what I ate today.  I am within my calorie range, but I at SO many little "meals" today it was insane.  I just wasn't hungry for a sit down meal so I nibbled A LOT!!!


I am putting together a tutorial for making "Snow Cones" with your ninja blender, some ice & crystal light.   Perfect for sweet cravings!!

So it continues

Source: emptybench.tumblr.com via Jeni on Pinterest

Good morning everybody...all 2 or 3 of you who actually read this!

I started out the morning in the weightroom as usual & then followed it up with some grass running.

• Hang Cleans 5 @ 155; 4 @ 170; 3 @ 180; 2 @ 185 (I was doing percentages of the max 1 rep effort I did last week of 210.  This was 75%, 80%, 85% & 87.5% respectively)
• Cable Low Row 3x8 @ 75, 80, 85lbs.
• Flyes & Reverse Flyes superset 3x8 with 15lb dumbbells
• Russian Twists 3x20 with a 40lb dumbbell
• Week 1 (Day 2) of my running program.  8x 1 min run; 90 sec walk.

The running was definitely easier than yesterday!  Probably the biggest difference was running on our grass rec fields at our university versus pounding the pavement.  I'm almost to the point of looking forward to getting my runs in.  My plan is to run after my lifting workouts Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and get one in on the weekend.  Wednesdays will be dedicated to recovery in both the weightroom and on my runs.

Breakfast: Thomas Multigrain Light English Muffin with half of a banana mashed with PB2 {190cals}
Post-Workout: Vanilla Protein mixed with almond milk {180cals}
Lunch:  Taco Salad (Shredded Lettuce, Deli Chicken, Black Beans, Cottage Cheese, Salsa, Corn) {300cals}

I swore I would never do it...

Source: sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net via Jeni on Pinterest

Today I went for a run.  There, I said it, I actually went for a run.  I came across the above workout on Pinterest and thought it looked like a reasonable way to get into running.  I am not actually prepping for a 5k, nor do I really ever see one in my near future.

It felt pretty good.  My legs were definitely a different kind of tired afterwards!  I plan on incorporating 4-5 days of this into my workouts, most definitely AFTER my weight training.

Had a great dinner tonight as well!  Spinach & Feta Salmon burgers on focaccia bread with a spinach salad and sweet potatoes.  DELISH!

NO MORE ICE CREAM!

Well, the rest of our day has been jam packed.  We made the 3.5 hour trip to Charlotte, the hubby competed in his last {sad face} track meet of the season, and we make the 3.5 hour trip back home.  So it has been quite the long day, and I am glad to be at home sitting comfy on my couch.

When the hubby and I travel, we usually do a great job of packing a cooler of food & drinks to tide us over on the trip.  Not only does this allow us to make somewhat healthier choices, it also saves us some major dinero $$.  Today, however, was NOT one of those types of trips!  So let me run down my food for the day with y'all:
Breakfast: Leftover Pizza, 1 slice {295cals}
PostWorkout: McDonald's Egg McMuffin {290cals}
Lunch: Panera Bakery's BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad & an Apple {565cals}
Afternoon Snack: Luna Chocolate Dipped Coconut Bar {190cals}
Dinner: Sonic Drive-In 4pc Chicken Strips & Small Tots {526cals}
Which left me with {203cals} left in my daily allotment.

Not too bad for eating take-out ALL DAY!  But then...

I decided that if I'm going to stick to healthier eating this summer there may be a few things I need to completely swear off for a while.  Before our wedding I gave up all ice cream & fried foods.  It didn't bother me what-so-ever and helped me lose some weight.  So the ice cream is on the chopping block yet again.  And the way my brain works...if you aren't going to eat ice cream for a LONG time, you need to get one last fix!  DQ to the rescue with an Oreo Cheesequake Blizzard...all 820cals of it! HA!

So I ended the day 617cals over the limit because of a last minute snack that I probably didn't need, but I won't get to taste again for a LONG time!

This morning's workout

Nothing fancy today.

3x8 Front Squat (95, 115, 135)
3x8 Close Grip Bench (95, 95, 95)
3x10 Rolling Triceps (15lb Dumbbells)
3x8 Fat Bar Curls (45, 55, 55)
No core work today, I think I overloaded on core earlier this week and the abs and low back have been randomly spasming and cramping on me, so I'll leave them out for the day.

Breakfast was a leftover slice of pizza (300cals)
I forgot to grab my post workout snack {sad face}

I'll update later with the rest of our exciting day!

Salads are healthy...right?

Stupid salad, I should have looked it up before eating it.  The hubby and I were running late for work this morning, and we didn't get our snacks/lunches packed for the day {sad face}so we ran over to McAllister's Deli for lunch.  I was wanting a big crunchy salad, so I went for my old standby of the Southwest Cobb Salad.  It consists of mixed greens, a corn relish, chicken breast, tomatoes, guacamole & chipotle ranch dressing with tortilla chips on the side.  I don't care for their guac and I never eat the chips so I handed that over to the hubs.

I started by adding about half of the portion of dressing they give you...and I should have stopped there!  I ended up adding all of it, and found out afterwards that the dressing alone was 420cals!!!! Are you kidding me?  I just ate an 850cal salad, what if I would have eaten the guac & chips???? UGH.  My normal lunch is the same amount of calories as the dressing alone.  Thank goodness it kept me full until just now when I came home for dinner #1.

Today's food consisted of:
Breakfast - 1 whole grain waffle w/ peanut butter, honey, banana & chia seeds {318cals}
PostWorkout - 1/2 of a Svelte Cappuccino Protein shake {130cals}
Lunch - Southwest Cobb Salad minus the chips & guac from McAllister's {850cals}
Dinner #1 - slice of leftover pizza and a huge bowl of watermelon {395cals}
Dinner #2 - 1c. of peas, a serving of deli turkey chopped up, 1/2 a serving of cottage cheese, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese & red pepper flakes {225cals}
Snack - Blackberries {60cals}
Calories left for the rest of the night - {90cals}

In the weightroom I started with 3x4 Hang Cleans {165, 185, 195} Lat Pull Downs 3x10; Low Rows 3x8; Shoulder Press 3x8; Assorted Core.  Felt really good except for the tweak in my shoulder during cleans.  I saw the trainer and started treatment for a strained muscle behind my shoulder blade, but it won't hold me out of anything as long as it doesn't increase pain.

Tonight's Dinner

Tonight's dinner calorie totals :)

Core Work

Source: xe9.xanga.com via Jeni on Pinterest

I am starting to fall into a routine with my workouts.  It is very reminiscent of my college days in how it is set up.  Mondays & Thursdays my main lift is HANG CLEANS followed by an assortment of auxiliary exercises that will more than likely change up from day to day.  Tuesdays & Fridays are SQUATS & BENCH PRESS followed again with auxiliaries. That leaves us with Wednesdays.  These used to be a complete day of rest in college, but right now I don't think that is necessary.  So I am loading these days up with CORE WORK.

Today's workout:
Leg Thrusts 2x50
20lb. Russian Twists 2x30
Hip Curls 1x10 each side
25lb. Back Extensions 3x10
65lb. Low Rows 3x10
Alternate Leg Box Jumps (just for good measure!) 1x10 each leg

So compared to the intensity of the other days, this was a "down day" but we will call it "active rest."

On the meal plan today:
Breakfast - 2 Whole Grain Eggo's with egg, turkey sausage & cheese and a bit of jelly; Coffee w/ creamer (480cals)
PostWorkout - 1/2 of a Svelte Cappuccino Protein Shake (130cals)
Lunch - Shredded Chicken w/ mustard, vinegar & oil dressing and banana peppers (411cals)
Afternoon snack will be Sweet Chili Pistachios & a Banana (275cals)
Dinner will be a taco salad of Lettuce, Ground Sirloin, Black Beans, Cottage Cheese & Salsa (445cals)
And I've saved some room, 321cals worth to be exact, for a dessert/snack after dinner!

Back to tracking

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I decided yesterday I had to make a change.  So I am going back to tracking my calories on LiveStrong.com's My Plate.  I have their app on my phone and iPad and can log in on the computer, so there is no reason not to put my food in the tracker.

Not that you all care, but I will also be posting my food on here more frequently.  Even though I don't have many followers, I feel like it will hold me more accountable if I am telling others what I eat.  Like you are all silently judging me, lol.

Breakfast this morning was 480cals.
2 Eggo Whole Grain Waffles
1 egg
1 Turkey Sausage Patty
1 Slice of 2% Cheese
1 Serving of Polaner All Fruit Seedless Spread w/ Fiber
1 glass of coffee with White Chocolate Mocha creamer

I will pack a lunch box with my 2 meals and Post-Workout snack that I will eat at work and dinner will more than likely be taco salads with lean ground beef, black beans and salsa.

Here's to a better day!

Yesterday was frustrating...

So I did make it back into the weight room for another workout yesterday.  I decided to do some hang cleans (4x4 @ 155, 165, 185, 205).  It felt so good to get back into such heavy weights again...SO GOOD!  But what frustrated me was stepping on the scale.  I know I haven't been counting every calorie I eat like I used to do, but I have been working out daily.  The number was back in the 230's.  I was soooooooo close to being under 200 back in October (201 to be exact) and since then I have put so much weight back on!  I am determined to start losing again.  I really don't know what else to do except start documenting every single calorie I consume once again.  And that was a pain in my backside to do.

Either way, I got back at it this morning.  I hit up the weightroom at 6:00am and crushed some heavy squats, bench press, shoulder series, triceps, biceps & core.  A great total body workout.  I started the day with a banana pre-workout and a Cherry Pie Lara Bar, some dried apricots & almonds post-workout and some tuna & crackers for lunch #1.  I have had 4 bottles (32oz) of water so far and I took all of my vitamins.  I need to do some planning tonight so I can have better meals planned out for the week.

Crossfit Style Workout

Source: crossfitworkouts.co via Jeni on Pinterest

I've always contemplated trying a crossfit workout. But then I saw some videos online of people doing insanely stupid things at some of their gyms. Now, I know that not all crossfit gyms will take this approach, but it impacted me enough to stay away from it. But the thought of an intense workout sounded good this morning, and I had found the above workout on pinterest so I thought I'd give it a try.

Put me in a weightroom and I am comfortable, I will lift heavy weights with the best of them. But put me in any type of cardio workout and I am a slug. It's no wonder why I only made it through a round and half when I was supposed to do 3 rounds! Overall, it didn't seem that "hard" but it got to me. Fast pace anything will get to you! Actually I think it was the burpees with a belly full of water that got to me!

Since I didn't finish it, I think I will head in to the weightroom later today to get in another workout so I actually feel accomplished, lol.

Feeling like an athlete again!

It feels so good to be getting stronger again.  I haven't really been losing any weight from my workouts, but I am starting to feel athletic again.  Nowhere near where I was in college, but it's getting there!

This morning I hit the weightroom and did 3x8 Squats (155, 185, 205 lbs.); 3x8 Bench Press (115, 135, 155 lbs.) and didn't quite get the full last set;  1x20 Weighted sit-up (25lbs); 1x20 Weighted twist sit-ups (25lbs); 1x20 Pull Overs (25lbs.); 1x10 4-Way Shoulder Series (7.5lbs); Simple Six back exercises;

I haven't got in any sprint work this week, so I should probably include that tomorrow.  We'll see what happens!

Yesterday for dinner the hubby & I went to a local joint called Flaming Amy's Bowl.  It is a hibachi style restaurant, but they have other flavors besides Asian.  I made myself a bowl of chicken breast, black beans, peas, corn, red onion, green onion, red peppers and brown rice with chipotle bbq sauce.  HOLY MOLY was it fantastic!  Definitely an easy enough thing to replicate at home if I can find a similar sauce.  And fairly healthy too!

Tuesday night we had Cajun Salmon, Asparagus & Baby Potatoes cooked in foil in the oven.  Another tasty & healthy meal!

Monday was lean ground beef with sweet potatoes, peas and a bit of mozzarella that we added a little ketchup to for flavor.

It's been a pretty healthy week!

Seafood

My summer goal was to improve my eating habits, which included eating fish 1x a week.  I stopped by Whole Foods tonight (so glad they just opened here a couple weeks ago!) and picked up some cajun salmon.  We cooked it in a foil packet in the oven along with 2 other packets, one of asparagus and one of potatoes.  Dinner was delicious and incredible filling!

Cleaning Day

No, not at my house...it's still a mess!  In the weightroom.  I kept it short & sweet today with 3x4 Hang Cleans, 3x6 Seated Box Jumps & 3x20 Standing Plate Swings. 

It's been a dreary day...time to go relax at home.

I've never walked so much in my life!

I spent last week in Orlando, FL at Walt Disney World.  We had a blast with all of my hubby's family and I think we ate more in a week than I normally do in an entire month!  But, the good news is we walked it all off.  According to the scale, I actually lost 2 lbs. while we were there and I bet it was from all of the walking.  My mother in law had her FitBit on and in one day we walked over 6 miles.  Now multiply that by 4 days of walking the parks, plus the other days with a little less walking and that equals: my legs are dead!  I did get in a quick weights workout on Monday when we were there as well, then I decided that the walking would be enough for the week.

Today, however, was back to reality.  It felt so good to be back in the weightroom again.  I did a simple workout of 3x8 on Squat, Bench, Leg Curl & Shoulder Press.  I figured my legs wouldn't handle a sprint workout this morning, so I'll hold off on that for a bit.

My goal for the day is to go without eating bread or pasta, and one of my summer goals is to add fish into my diet at least once a week.  Starting now.

I enjoy running....wait, what???

That's right, I said it, I enjoy running.  But none of that long distance run for a long time crap, no-sir-ree!  I am really enjoying my sprint workouts that I'm getting in 2x a week.  As I've said before, I sprint 50m, walk 50m for a total of 800m (that's 2 laps around the track).  I was hoping to add another lap today, but I've been sick with a cold this week, and my lungs were yelling at me after only 2.

I capped things off with Tabata core and a 20min yoga session.  And now from all of my sweating that lovely sunburn I got last Sunday is a bubbly mess!

Another morning in the weightroom!  It felt so good...even though I am S.O.R.E. right now.

Today's workout consisted of:
3x5 Hang Cleans
3x20 Russian Twists
3x20 Alternate Leg Box Jumps

Tomorrow morning I am heading back out to the track for some sprint work and some core exercises on a Tabata timer.  And maybe a little basic yoga to top it off!

Felt like old times!

Since my lungs are still full of gunk from this cold I'm fighting off, I figured sprints on the track probably wasn't the best idea this morning.  So I headed into the weightroom instead.

Squats 3x10
Shoulder Press 3x10

Hamstring Curl 3x10
Assisted Pullups 2x10
Bench Press 3x10

It felt good to get a full body workout in.  This is the closest I have come to the way I used to work out in college, and I am missed it!  Maybe this throwing comeback I've been joking about might actually be in the cards!  We'll see!

A fun Sunday & a sore throat

Sunday was so much fun!  I competed in my first outdoor track meet of the season and had a blast!  I threw the discus & the shot put and threw farther than I have in years.  It always shocks me at how far I can still throw after not training or lifting weights in so long.  But, boy am I sore today! (maybe that's just the sunburn though!!!)

I was throwing with a little bit of a sore throat though.  And it only got worse on Monday, so I sat out my workout yesterday.  I'm feeling a bit better now, so I plan on either hitting up the track or the weightroom this morning.

A Week's Worth of Workouts!

I have worked out EVERYDAY this week! EVERYDAY!!!

Monday I did 800m of 50m sprint/50m walk; a core & pushup workout on a Tabata timer; and finished with a 20 minute session of Yoga For Complete Beginners

Tuesday I did a 200m jog warm up followed by sets of walking lunges, squats & curls with a 30lb sandbag

Realizing most of what I had done was lower body work, Yesterday I did a weightroom circuit of all upperbody exercises.  Bench Press, Cable Rows, DB Should Press, Barbell Curls, Straight Arm Triceps, Lateral & Front Should Raises, Tricep Pushdowns.  All on a 90sec timer, 3x10 each exercies.  You have 90sec to complete each set, with whatever time remaining as rest.

I'm working on cleaning up my diet.  Considering cutting out bread & pasta for a while, as I've been tracking my food consumption and realized they make up a majority of my diet, which isn't good!  We'll see what happens there.

It's been a while...

Well, I got a little sidetracked with work and got lazy with my workouts.  But I got back at it this morning, with a few battle scars to prove it!

I did a tire throwing workout today.  We have some small-medium car tires out at our track that we usually use for dragging behind runners attached with a rope.  I took off the ropes today and started chucking them.  I did reverse overhead throws for 200 meters chasing the tire (sprinting after it), followed by 200 meters of "hammer release" throws chasing after it.  I was WINDED after this, it was very intense.

Tomorrow I will either be going to the weightroom or doing a sprint workout out at the track.  Looking forward to it!

Hot Hot Hot

Yesterday  morning, Aaron & I took Mr. Magma for a nice walk.  I'm glad we did that early in the morning, because as the day went along it got H.O.T.!!!  That ended up being my only "workout" for the day.

I spent all but an hour and a half of my workday outside.  We reached the mid 80's fairly early in the day and it stayed there.  I had planned on getting a workout done in the afternoon, but after being in that heat all day, it sounded like a horrible idea.

Back to the morning workout today!

Still Kickin'

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It's been a while since I've posted, but I haven't gotten off track!  Last Thursday, I posted the daily workout plan I found on Pinterest. I decided to continue with the Friday workout, found it a bit easy, so I threw in the Sunday workout right after for good measure.  What can I say, I was motivated on Friday so I took advantage of it.  I am planning to stick with these workouts for one more week and then start adding back strength training in the weightroom. 

I noticed something over the weekend.  Even when my motivation work out is waning, I tend to still eat fairly healthy.  However, when I start getting motivated to move, my eating tends to be a bit reckless.  Now that I am aware of this, I am going to try to reign it in.  Because there really is no point to working out just to waste it with a bad diet.  I'm trying to keep the "bad" foods out of our kitchen and always have healthy foods on hand.  And just to clear things up, I don't think there are truly any bad foods as long as they are consumed in moderation, but I know what foods are "bad" for me.  The ones that when I start eating them, I can't stop. 

Time to hit the track for my daily workout.  I just finished a bowl of oatmeal (1/2 a serving) with Peanut Butter, Chia Seeds & a Banana.  Wish me luck!

Scouring the Internet

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I was in a rut with what to do for workouts, so I went to the internet. There are thousands of "workouts" online, and anything that gets you up and moving is probably worth trying, but some of what I came across was just plain stupid. I've been seeing the daily workout shown above on Pinterest a lot lately so I thought, why not give it a try.

Let me tell you, it was quick & effective.  100 jumping jacks to start off the morning was a lot tougher that I thought it would be.  I got through 60 in a row before my calves were burning.  I finished the last 40 in sets of 10 with little breaks in between.  I liked the higher volume of reps in all of the other exercises as well.  When I am putting my own workout together I tend to do sets of 10-20, so having this force me to do more was great.

They have workouts for every day of the week, so I think this morning will be the Friday workout.  I was winded and sweaty after yesterday morning, hopefully today will be more of the same!

Dessert

Tonight after I finished eating dinner and logging my food for the day, I realized I still had about 500 calories left.  Which was a good thing because, as usual, I had a huge sweet tooth!  We needed to make a trip to the store, so I thought I would look for something that would satisfy my sweet craving while not breaking the calorie bank.  Here's what I came up with:
Cinnamon Graham Crackers with Fat Free Strawberry Cream Cheese & Fresh Sliced Strawberries.  It tasted delectable, like strawberry pie, and it was just what the doctor ordered!  And under 200 calories!!!

This morning I got in a quick little workout.  Again, circuit style, like yesterday, but a little bit less time involved because I didn't have as much time to work with.

Fence Hops x10
Crunches x10
Incline Pushups x10
Twisting Sit Ups x10
Alt Leg Lunges x10
Fence Hops x10
Laying Knee Tucks x10
Incline Pushups x10
Fence Hops x10

My knee was feeling sub par after yesterday's workout, so I limited the lower body work today.  Going to see the doc next week, hopefully we'll figure out why I'm in so much pain!

Drop and give me 20!

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Yesterday I did a workout that seemed to revolve around the number 20.  I grabbed 2 20lb dumbbells, a 20lb sandbag and a 12in plyo box.  I did all of my exercises in sets of 20 and the workout lasted roughly 20mins.

I started by doing a dynamic warmup consisting of what I call the Triple Extension Series similar to this:

and then I followed it up with a little light stretching.

I can't remember exactly what order I did the following exercises, but I rotated through 12 different stations, repeating some of the stations that I really liked.  Here's what I did:

Overhead Sandbag Swings with a Squat x20
Core Twists with Sandbag 2x20
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 2x20
Step Ups (no weight added) 2x20 each leg
Sandbag Curls x20
Sandbag Tricep Extensions x20
Alternate Leg Lateral Box Jumps x20 {Hello Knee Pain!}
Dumbbell Jumps x20
Bench Press on the Plyo Box x20

I really liked this for a start up workout.  I need to up the intensity throughout the week, but I felt really "good" after completing this.

I tracked all of my calories today as well.  I ended up 228 cals over my goal for the day, but I did make much better decisions throughout the day.  Again, it was the evening dessert craving that took me over the limit, although pretzels with melted peanut butter & honey was a better choice than the giant bowl of ice cream I would normally have chosen.

Aspirations

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I've been doing some thinking.  What do I want my body to look like?  How do I want to feel?  What am I willing to do to get there? 

I always talk with my athletes about setting goals and I probably should heed my own advice.  This weekend I got the chance to see a few old friends/acquaintances who are still competing in track & field.  I miss that athletic body type I used to have, that they still have, and I know it truly wouldn't take that much time to get back to that physique.  I just have to stop making the excuses and do it.  So today, once again, I am going to get back on track.

I started this morning off with a breakfast of leftover ham from Easter dinner on 2 slices of multi grain toast with blackberry preserves.  Took my Shaklee Vitalizer Vitamins & Vivix Drink, and a glass of Metamucil Berry Burst Psyllium Fiber.

I WILL workout today, I WILL!  Time to create that will power, time to get things done!

Will Power, Don't Fail Me Now!

Compose

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I have been completely lacking in will power over the past week.  I started this little endeavor off strong, but after about a week and a half, I have lost the desire.

Somebody give me some hints!!! What do you do to stay motivated when you just don't want to get moving?

Calorie Content

Here is the calorie breakdown for this morning's overnight oats.  And that's about all I have to post for today, sorry!

Overnight Oats

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Inspired by the many posts I've seen in blog land and Pinterest, I'm trying my hand at overnight oats.  I mixed 1/2 cup of oats, 1 container of Greek yogurt with blueberry, chia seeds, a drizzle of honey & almond milk.  I licked the spoon clean after mixing it all together and it already tasted delicious!  I'll probably chop up a banana in the morning to add to it as well.

I didn't get in a workout today, no excuses, just didn't do it.  I'm going to scope out the internet tonight to find something that looks fun to do tomorrow.  Food intake was really good today until dinner.  We went out to Hibachi Bistro and I didn't make the healthiest of decisions.  Looking back I probably should have boxed up 1/2 of it for later, but I was overly hungry at the time so I snarfed it down.  Then I had dessert. 

Will Power, where did you go?!?!  I've noticed a trend that it seems to disappear after I get home from work, which makes me think I need to go back to menu planning for dinners.  What do you think?  Do you plan your meals out ahead of time?

A Hearty Breakfast

Breakfast is very important to a healthy lifestyle. It kick starts your metabolism in the morning after a good night's sleep. While anything is better than nothing, I have found that the heartier the breakfast is, the less likely I am to crave snacks all morning.

This morning I threw together some Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal with Creamy Peanut Butter, Banana, Chia Seeds & a splash of Vanilla Almond Milk (just to thin it out).  This brought me to a 430cal breakfast.  I added in a glass of 100% fruit juice as well which took my total to 560cals.  Below is a breakdown of my morning taken from a screen shot of LiveStrong.com which has been my life saver when trying to stick to a healthier eating plan.

I Lost Weight!

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Woo Hoo! That's right, you heard it...I lost some weight...3 lbs to be exact!  It felt so good to see a number besides 226 on that scale, I swear it's been there for the past 2 months.  I'm going to attribute it to better eating habits over the weekend and getting back into some motion.

I didn't do much of a traditional workout today, but I did do a bit of activity.  I practiced throwing discus with one of my athletes.  It felt good to throw again, and she learned some new things by watching me, double bonus!  I also ate pretty good today too.  Bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, some fruit, a chicken sandwich with cracker chips for lunch, a nature valley protein bar, some string cheese & a home made calzone for dinner.  The calzone is waiting for me on the stove top...smells delish!

Day of Rest

Sunday was my day of rest, and it turned into a "Cheat Day" as well.  I ate like junk and I didn't care, which isn't a good thing.  Time to get back at it today though!  Stay tuned for an update later today.

Weekend Recap

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As I said yesterday, I was on a trip for work.  These trips happen EVERY weekend from January through May, and I usually eat like junk on them.  We walk a fine line between good food & cheap food when we stop for meals.  You see, we provide a cash allowance for all of our athletes (per diem) to eat on for the trip.  And it's not very much.  We try to stop places that provide variety, but inevitably it's all fast food.  There's just so many times you can eat at Subway without getting sick of it, and after hearing my cousin got food poisoning there a couple weeks ago, I'm a bit leary.

That being said, I tried very hard this weekend to make mindful choices, even at the fast food restaurants, it is doable!  Friday, I chose Wendy's, I ordered a sour cream & chive potato and a 5-piece nugget.  Total calories was just over 500 and it only cost me $3, and it was delicious.  For dinner that night, there was a Wal-Mart next to the restaurants we stopped at.  I bought some Sandwich Thins and some Carving Board Turkey and made myself 2 sandwiches and ate some fruit that I had packed in my cooler.  And last night I chose Arby's for their Turkey & Swiss Wrap. 

Breakfast at the hotel was great.  I made a packet of instant oatmeal (maple & brown sugar) and added some peanut butter for protein and a chopped up banana. DELICIOUS! For the time I was at the track I packed my insulated lunch box with lots of fruit & some Clif Bars.  I had leftover Sandwich Thins as well, so I grabbed a couple extra peanut butters & jellies from the continental breakfast at our hotel.  It kept me tided over very well.

No real exercise for the day, but I was on my feet ALL day.  I probably put in over a mile walking back and forth from the hammer ring to the javelin runway, amongst other walking.  Then at the end of the day I had to walk to our van so I could pull it up to the entrance to pick up the athletes.  Mind you, we are in the mountains, I had to walk up a HUGE hill with my 20 pound backpack on, and once I got to the top I had to climb a set of about 25 stairs.  My calves were on fire & I was huffin' & puffin' by the time I got to the van.  So I did get some movement in a nontraditional way.

We'll see what today brings.  I should clean the house, that burns calories, right?

On the road again...

Well, I don't really have much to report today, I did sit in a van for 7 hours though. We are on a road trip to western Carolina university for a track meet.

I think I did much better with my eating than normal on the road.
Egg with cheese on rye for breakfast
Clif Bar for a snack and some cracker chips
Lunch was a Wendy's sour cream and chive potato and 5 piece nugget
Snacked on some kettle corn
Dinner of turkey on a sandwich thin & fig newtons

Much better than the junk I usually manage to eat on trips. I also have lots of fruit and Clif bars with me for tomorrow.

Jump Jump Jump

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This morning I decided to head out to the track before going into the office.  I think it was totally worth it as my motivation to get started was much higher than it is after work.

I decided to switch it up a bit and grab a jump rope.  I jumped for about 10 minutes off & on doing different variations & repetitions.  I started with 100 two foot jumps, and I didn't miss a single jump!  I did some moving up and down the track, I did some single leg & some lunge position jumps and just had some fun.  Boy oh boy were my calves on FIRE!!!  But it was a great workout, I was winded by the middle of it, but was having so much fun I just kept going.

As if my legs weren't completely shot already I added in some Forward & Reverse lunge combos.  10 each side with one forward & reverse counting as 1 repetition.  I rounded out the day with different core variations in sets of 10-20reps.

My food intake was pretty good today, well, except for that trip to the yogurt shop after dinner!

I hope to get my goals put up here in the near future.  I have a few pictures for motivation and some numbers (weight/measurements/jean sizes) that I would like to hit.  What are your healthy lifestyle goals & how do you hold yourself accountable?

What is necessary

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It is necessary for me to get off my butt, it is possible for me to lead a healthy lifestyle.  What seems impossible now is being below 200lbs, but by doing the things above I can achieve the impossible.

I took the day off.  There, I said it.  My knee felt like junk so I thought I would give it a rest.  I tried to eat healthier today, and for the most part, I did.  Tomorrow I will get back after the workout and I think I hear a jump rope calling my name. 

Today's Food:

• Bagel thin with deli chicken & 2% cheese; A nectarine & 2 cuties
• String Cheese & Green Grapes
• Cottage Cheese & Marinara Sauce with Pita Chips (same as yesterday...delish!); piece of white chocolate
• Nectarine & Dried Tropical Fruit
• Jimmy John's Italian Night Club & Oatmeal Cookie (this is where I may have went overboard)

Not too bad overall.  I'm eating a TON of fruit right now as there is more and more of it in the stores now coming into season.  I'll have to do some careful planning tomorrow as I leave on a work trip Friday morning through Saturday night and I'd like to not derail myself.
 

You must make the time...

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4% of your day! That's it! But for me, the thought of working out for a WHOLE hour seems a bit daunting right now. I was at the track (coaching) and could have very easily just stayed out there to get in a workout. I, however, went back to my office and ended up having to force myself back out to the track. At least I went, right?

So today's workout lasted about 10 minutes, but it was a fairly nonstop 10 minutes.

• Kettle Bell Swings from a Squat x20
• Incline Pushup against a bike rack x20
• Split Squats with a Sandbag x10 each leg
• Sandbag "Cleans" x20
• Lateral Lunges x10 each leg

I also tried to reign in my eating a bit more today.  I haven't been eating the healthiest lately, but here's a little recap of today.

• Everything Bagel Thin with a light smear of cream cheese & deli chicken; Glass of grape juice
• 3 Cuties
• Cottage Cheese mixed with Marinara Sauce & Stacy's Simply Naked Pita Chips; String Cheese
• Dried Tropical Fruit
• "Chicken Pot Pie" Calzone (Thin pizza crust wrapped around chicken, sundried tomato alfredo sauce, potatoes, peas, corn, spinach)
• Single Serve Cakebatter Ice Cream Sundae Cup, 2 Cuties

Here's to being better tomorrow!

The Aches & Pains Of It All

And this is where it usually derails.  Day 1 was what should have been an "easy" starter day, but even the easiest of days makes my knees ache.  I had a slight pre-existing muscular injury that affected my knee, so I knew to be expecting some discomfort, but today my old patellar tendonitis reared its ugly head.

Day 2 "Workout"

• 15-20mins of Shooting Hoops

 Yep, you read that right, that's all I did.  The tiniest bend in my knee when shooting a jump shot was the source of excruciating pain...ugh.  I think the basketball method could be a good workout though, but more of running the court for layups instead of just shooting around.  We'll see where this goes.

Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day!

Project Wonder Woman

Welcome to Project Wonder Woman!  My new blog to help hold me accountable to a healthier lifestyle.  If you have read my other blog, Waiting for Petronella, you know of some of my struggles with my weight.  Here's a quick recap for those of you who are new:

I am an athlete.  I have been an athlete my entire life.  I grew up playing volleyball, basketball, softball, golf, racquetball, and my favorite: throwing the shot/discus/hammer in track & field.  I was always the "big girl" from Middle School through High School, but my weight began to fluctuate in High School.  I am 5'10" and when I graduated High School in 2002 I weighed 185, and while I was the big girl then, I look back at those pictures and realize I was "skinny" compared to what I have become.  Track & Field took me to the University of Nebraska, where I competed for 5 years, and again my weight continued to fluctuate.  Most people have heard of the freshmen 15, try the freshmen 50!  That's right, you heard me, I went from 185 to 235 in that first year.  Granted a chunk of that weight was due to muscle gain in the weight room (my second home!) a lot of it was also due to poor eating, and drinking, habits.  At my highest I got up to 243 around my 2nd year of college, stayed in the 230's my 3rd year, dropped to 212 by 4th year, and hung around the 220's my senior year.  To be honest, I was comfortable in the 220's, I was competing at my highest level and even managed to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Trials in the shot put.  Quite honestly, I was one of the smaller girls there at 220, I mean, we're shot putters, people expect us to be the "big girls".  We throw heavy metal objects for a "living" and spend countless hours getting big & strong in the weight room.  After competing at the trials, I accepted a job coaching track & field at a University in North Carolina, and while I tried to continue my shot put training, life got in the way.  I stopped.  Not just my specific training, but working out all together.  I got lazy, and quite honestly, I had only known one kind of training for the past 10 years and I had no clue to what to do if I wasn't training for a competition.  In August 2009 I hit my highest weight ever, 247, and I knew I had to do something about it.  I still had no drive to workout, so I adjusted my diet using the MyPlate app from LiveStrong.com, and it was AMAZING!  I steadily, albeit slowly, dropped the weight.  From August 2009 to August 2011 I dropped 46 pounds, just one measly pound away from my goal of 200.  And I stayed at that weight through October 2011 when I got married and I felt fabulous in my wedding gown.  Then I don't know what shifted.  I started eating like crap again, and still not working out on a regular basis (read once every couple of months).  So here I sit today, weighing in at 225, and I've stayed here for the past couple months.  Something needs to change, so change it will today.

So are you still with me?  I know that was long, but I want you to understand my history with weight.  A history that doesn't need to be part of my future.  So, inspired by a blog I read from another former thrower that I competed against in college (The Workout Chronicles) I am starting Project Wonder Woman. 

Yesterday was Day 1 and here's what I did:

• Triple Extension Warm Up Series & Spiderman Lunges
• 1x20 Walking Forward Lunges
• 1x20 Walking Reverse Lunges
• 1x20 Incline Pushups
• 1x10 Partial Tricep Dips
• 1x10 Bodyweight Squats
• 2x20m "Sprints"
• 2x40m "Sprints"
• 1x10 Incline Pushups

It wasn't anything too intensive, but it was a start, it was SOMETHING!  I got off my but and started moving.