Yesterday, I told you that I would share the information given to me at bootcamp on Friday all about nutrition. Those of you that have been following this blog are aware that I don't consider myself to be on a diet, rather I focus on healthy eating. In terms of using the word "diet", I actually described it as a bad word. One thing to remember during this post is that I will be using the word "diet" but it's just going to be used to describe the things that I eat. The food that I eat each day is my diet - it's not a fad plan that's going to help me lose a bunch of weight only to return to eating junk.
Ok, now that we've cleared that up - we'll talk about how to control your diet so that it can be maintained every day for the rest of your life. The information I am providing was the information provided to me by the trainers at bootcamp - it's not my opinion, it's professional advice - so PAY ATTENTION!! ;)
Any one that considers carbs or protein to be "the devil" are setting themselves up for failure. Carbohydrates and protein are necessary for a healthy body. We'll focus on carbs first. Have you ever wondered why the word "hydrate" is at the end of carbohydrates? That's because carbs help your body absorb water - the number one essential that makes your body work. If you deprive yourself of carbs, you also deprive your body from proper water absorbtion - ultimately leading towards dehydration which can cause headaches, dizziness, etc. Proper hydration helps energize your body and provides the fuel to run it properly. This can help lead to more calories being burned during exercise. If your body doesn't receive an adequate supply of water AND carbs, it will start to store body fat to help provide energy. In order for carbs to do their job, you also need to be drinking plenty of water. The recommendation for proper hydration is 100ozs of water a day!! Now, let's move on to protein. Protein helps repair and strenghten the muscles in your body. Without the correct amounts of protein, your muscles begin to break down and fat begins to store around them. Your muscles will become weak, and you will start to gain body fat. Seeing a pattern here? Basically, you will gain more body fat by depriving yourself carbs and protein - which means you will end up eventually gaining more weight.
Let's move on to how much you should be eating. In order to obtain and keep a healthy body, you need to refuel your body about six times a day. You should eat a small meal every 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Now, that doesn't mean that you eat 6 full meals a day. In order to adequately refuel, you need to focus on 6 small meals a day that are focused on small portions. Each meal should contain protein and carbs as well as a very small amount of fat. Fat is another essential, although in much smaller amounts. Fats help your body absorb vitamins and nutrients, so if you are focusing on a fat-free diet - that is very unhealthy to your body. So, how do you know what the correct amounts of carbs, proteins and fats you should be eating? Your diet should be made up of 60% carbs, 30% protein, and 10% fat. That means that each meal should have 2 servings of carbs to one serving of protein.
I asked this question during a post the other day: "How many grams of carbs and proteins should I be eating?" Well the answer to that question is in the form of formula. Don't we all love formulas? Don't worry, those that aren't great at math can do this - it's easy. You take your desired weight, cut that number in half - and that's the grams of protein you should be eating every day. The carbs should be pound for pound. Your head spinning yet?? Let me show you....
My desired body weight is 140lbs. If I cut that number in half, I get 70. That means I should be eating 70 grams of protein each day and 140 grams of carbs each day. Those numbers will help me get to my desired weight, and once I'm there will help maintain that weight.
Ok, now on to portions. Portion size is the vital key in maintaining your diet. The best tool to help with portion control is the palm of your hand. Each portion of carbs and protein should be about the size of the palm of your hand - not your entire hand - the palm. When put together, the meal should fit on a small plate. Now, you probably won't eat a piece of meat and 2 servings of veggies at each meal - but for the meals you do, use your palm as a guide. A piece of meat should be no more than 4ozs and should fit (with room) into the palm of your hand. If you eat eggs and toast for breakfast, 2 scrambled eggs and a piece of toast would be the correct portion.
Lastly, I'm going to touch on suppliments. Eating six meals a day can be quite difficult, especially to someone who leads an extremely busy lifestyle. This can't be an excuse. One mistake that I have been making is grabbing a piece of fruit to eat as my "snacks". The problem with that - no protein. An apple has 17 grams of carbs, but no protein. So, how do I add protein to it? By using a protein suppliment drink. You can find protein suppliments in any healthy food store or Wal-Mart - but be careful when making your selections. When choosing a suppliment, watch how much sugar and fat are in the suppliments. You can buy protein powder that you can add to juice or water that contain no fat or empty calories. Protein meal bars are also available. The best ones that I found are the South Beach Diet meal bars - each bar has 100 calories, 15 grams of carbs, 5 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fat which are the perfect ratios for a meal. There are other meal bars, but be sure to look at the carb to protein ratios and the fat content. If a meal bar has 5 grams of protein but 12 grams of fat - STAY AWAY!! Also remember that you can't eat 6 meal bars a day - that doesn't add up to enough carbs and protein. A guide is to eat 3 meals a day with 3 "snack size" meals a day. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner should be staple meals to eat higher amounts of carbs and protein, and the other three meals can have less carbs and protein.
Ok, I think that about sums it up. I will continue to dish out all of the great tips I learn while in bootcamp - this is a learning process for me, and I want to help pass on the knowledge I gain.
Till next time. ;)
Sunday, June 06, 2010
Saturday, June 05, 2010
I AM WOMAN, HEAR ME ROAR!!!!
Today's blog title is my new slogan after the workout I did at bootcamp last night. I think I'm gonna have to get a t-shirt or headband made with it - cause that's exactly how I felt after I left last night.
What a night it was. You will remember that after my first session (which just consisted of basic fitness tests) I was on the verge of passing out? Well, not last night. I made sure I stayed hydrated correctly all day, ate well all day, and ate an apple before I left to ensure that I had the proper fuel in my body for what they had in store for me.
Ok - so when we get there, there's a member of the National Guard there to help train us. We started the night out with doing push-up, sit-up, and pull-up drills. We had to do push-ups against a beam, then on the sandbags, then we went to the floor. I was very surprised that I was able to do several push-ups against the beam - not so much with the sandbags and on the ground. After that, we had to do sit-ups until we couldn't sit up anymore. I did about 15. Then the pull-ups..oh, the pull-ups. I was lucky enough to have a guy help me out, and he helped push me up so that I was able to do 5 pull-ups. That sounds impressive, but not really when you have a guy doing most of the work...LOL After that we had our nutritional counseling. We were able to sit down for 10 minutes and rest so that the head instructor could give us some tips for our nutritional logs. Because our heart rate went to rest after the counseling, it was then time for warm-ups
The stretching was simple - the calasthetics were what really got the blood pumping. We did 10 jumping jacks, 10 ski jumps, 10 lunge jumps, and then jogged on the spot. After we were good and warmed up, it was time for the obstacle course. We were paired up, and we had to do the obstacle course with a partner and race against 2 other teams. My partner and I were in the second set of people to do the course. It wouldn't of been so bad, if the drill sargeant hadn't made us do continuous calasthetics while the other team was running the course. We did push-ups, sit-ups, leg floats, swimmers, and then repeated. I was EXHAUSTED before we even started the obstacle course. I did the course, though. My partner helped motivate me the whole way, and the National Guard guy helped give me a boost over the 5ft wall. I even had the energy to sprint back to the finish line when I was done. :) When we got back, the last team was on the course and so it was back to calasthetics until that team finished the course. Did I mention I was EXHAUSTED???
After the last team completed, we had 90 seconds to get a drink of water and then we had to sprint to the end of the parking lot. There we were met with 3 foot peddled go-carts. We then did go-cart relay races as teams. Each team member would get in line, everyone had a turn at lifting and turning the go-cart, pushing the next person off, and then driving the go-cart down the track and back again. I had a lot of fun with the go-carts. They require a lot of lower body strength, and that's about the only strength I have..LOL Our team came in second (out of 3) so we didn't lose. :) After 10 push-ups for not winning, it was time to do the race again - and that race we came in second too.
So, are you feeling exhausted just from reading this yet? You should!! Only half of the session was over with by then...there was still a long way to go. Which brings me to the next challenge. This was the highlight of my night and gave me the "I am woman, hear me roar" feeling. In our teams, we were told that we were going to pull one of two National Guard HumVees across the parking lot. I was so excited. We got in our formations, grabbed the rope, and off we went. We managed to get to a steady jog pulling that sucker -and we won the race!! It was such a rush knowing that I could do something like that. Even it was a team effort - I felt so empowered. We then did it two more times...and I LOVED every time. To show that I didn't just let my team pick up the slack and that I busted my ass - here's a couple pics of my arm....the battle wound from the HumVee pulling contest:
The night still wasn't over - and it was back to the obstacle course for us. This time we ran the obstacle course individually in groups of 3. The pain of the evening really set in climbing up the rope ladder..but I just kept trucking. I pulled every ounce of energy I had inside of me and I finished that course..again!! Back to the starting line...MORE freakin' calasthetics. We did football rushes, mountain climbers, push-ups, and repeat. We did that for 5 MINUTES! That may not sound a lot...but it most certainly is. Then, just when we think it's all over - time to rest... WRONG - just one more time through the obstacle course. The last time I literally had to crawl through the course..but again, I did it. Didn't sprint to the finish line - but I jogged - and being that every muscle in my body was screaming at me...I told them to shut-up and finished.
When we were dismissed, I just had this burst of energy rush through my body. I felt like I could take on the world...not a feeling one would expect after the severe punishment I'd just put my body though. I came home, bragged to the family about my night, and then when it was time to go to bed I slept like a baby.
I woke up this morning feeling the same sense of empowerment and energy. I expected not to be able to get out of bed..LOL I am sore, don't get me wrong about that, but it's a good pain - one that makes me know that something is going on in this body for the good.
So, can you tell that I'm liking it so far?? Hopefully you can. Tomorrow, I will share the information given to me about nutrition - and the best way to be healthy for life.
Till next time. :)
What a night it was. You will remember that after my first session (which just consisted of basic fitness tests) I was on the verge of passing out? Well, not last night. I made sure I stayed hydrated correctly all day, ate well all day, and ate an apple before I left to ensure that I had the proper fuel in my body for what they had in store for me.
Ok - so when we get there, there's a member of the National Guard there to help train us. We started the night out with doing push-up, sit-up, and pull-up drills. We had to do push-ups against a beam, then on the sandbags, then we went to the floor. I was very surprised that I was able to do several push-ups against the beam - not so much with the sandbags and on the ground. After that, we had to do sit-ups until we couldn't sit up anymore. I did about 15. Then the pull-ups..oh, the pull-ups. I was lucky enough to have a guy help me out, and he helped push me up so that I was able to do 5 pull-ups. That sounds impressive, but not really when you have a guy doing most of the work...LOL After that we had our nutritional counseling. We were able to sit down for 10 minutes and rest so that the head instructor could give us some tips for our nutritional logs. Because our heart rate went to rest after the counseling, it was then time for warm-ups
The stretching was simple - the calasthetics were what really got the blood pumping. We did 10 jumping jacks, 10 ski jumps, 10 lunge jumps, and then jogged on the spot. After we were good and warmed up, it was time for the obstacle course. We were paired up, and we had to do the obstacle course with a partner and race against 2 other teams. My partner and I were in the second set of people to do the course. It wouldn't of been so bad, if the drill sargeant hadn't made us do continuous calasthetics while the other team was running the course. We did push-ups, sit-ups, leg floats, swimmers, and then repeated. I was EXHAUSTED before we even started the obstacle course. I did the course, though. My partner helped motivate me the whole way, and the National Guard guy helped give me a boost over the 5ft wall. I even had the energy to sprint back to the finish line when I was done. :) When we got back, the last team was on the course and so it was back to calasthetics until that team finished the course. Did I mention I was EXHAUSTED???
After the last team completed, we had 90 seconds to get a drink of water and then we had to sprint to the end of the parking lot. There we were met with 3 foot peddled go-carts. We then did go-cart relay races as teams. Each team member would get in line, everyone had a turn at lifting and turning the go-cart, pushing the next person off, and then driving the go-cart down the track and back again. I had a lot of fun with the go-carts. They require a lot of lower body strength, and that's about the only strength I have..LOL Our team came in second (out of 3) so we didn't lose. :) After 10 push-ups for not winning, it was time to do the race again - and that race we came in second too.
So, are you feeling exhausted just from reading this yet? You should!! Only half of the session was over with by then...there was still a long way to go. Which brings me to the next challenge. This was the highlight of my night and gave me the "I am woman, hear me roar" feeling. In our teams, we were told that we were going to pull one of two National Guard HumVees across the parking lot. I was so excited. We got in our formations, grabbed the rope, and off we went. We managed to get to a steady jog pulling that sucker -and we won the race!! It was such a rush knowing that I could do something like that. Even it was a team effort - I felt so empowered. We then did it two more times...and I LOVED every time. To show that I didn't just let my team pick up the slack and that I busted my ass - here's a couple pics of my arm....the battle wound from the HumVee pulling contest:
When we were dismissed, I just had this burst of energy rush through my body. I felt like I could take on the world...not a feeling one would expect after the severe punishment I'd just put my body though. I came home, bragged to the family about my night, and then when it was time to go to bed I slept like a baby.
I woke up this morning feeling the same sense of empowerment and energy. I expected not to be able to get out of bed..LOL I am sore, don't get me wrong about that, but it's a good pain - one that makes me know that something is going on in this body for the good.
So, can you tell that I'm liking it so far?? Hopefully you can. Tomorrow, I will share the information given to me about nutrition - and the best way to be healthy for life.
Till next time. :)
Friday, June 04, 2010
The Food Recording Book
So, everyone that has read my blog for a while knows how much I despise keeping a log of all the food that I eat. When life is stressful enough with family, work, school, working out, etc. the last thing I want to do is take time out of my busy day to sit in front of a food journal and log everything I eat - and I mean everything - and then count how many grams of carbs, protein, and fat I'm eating. Despite my despise, it's something I have to do for the next six weeks of bootcamp.
Bootcamp isn't just about working out, it's about getting healthy. That wouldn't be complete without nutritional counseling. Unfortunately, we don't get that part until tonight. On Wednesday, we were all given a log book that we have to write down EVERYTHING that we put into our mouths and then count how many grams of carbs, protein, and fat that is in all of the food and drinks. The only guidance we were given on Wednesday was that we have to eat 6 times a day and drink 100ozs of water each day. That wasn't a real problem for me, because I have been doing that for a very long time - so I'm in the routine. The part that sits uneasy with me is if am I eating the amounts I'm supposed to be?
Here's my log from yesterday:
Meal 1: 2 slices of 45 calorie toast, 2 tbsp sugar free peach butter, 8ozs of 1% milk, 3 cups of coffee Total Carbs: 38g Total Protein: 13g Total Fat: 3.5g
Meal 2: 90 calorie granola bar, 24ozs water
Total Carbs: 19g Total Protein: 1g Total Fat: 2g
Meal 3: Turkey & Cheese sandwich (on 2 slices whole wheat), 24ozs water
Total Carbs: 37g Total Protein: 25g Total Fat: 9g
Meal 4: Large apple, 24ozs water
Total Carbs: 17g Total Protein: 0 Total Fat: 0
Meal 5: Ft. long low fat ham sub from Subway, 24ozs water
Total Carbs: 96g Total Protein: 37g Total Fat: 17.5g
Meal 6: 8ozs 1% milk, 2 Weight Watchers chocolate chip cookies
Total Carbs: 26.9g Total Protein: 8.9g Total Fat: 4.5g
Grand Total Carbs: 250.9g
Grand Total Protein: 84.9g
Grand Total Fat: 36.5g
Grand Total Water: 96ozs (very close!!)
When I saw those total numbers, I was a little freaked out. That looks like A LOT! So, I decided to check out a website that I love, but haven't used in a while http://www.sparkpeople.com/ The site is a free dieting website that offers recommended daily counts based on your weight. You can log how much you eat and track if you're within your limits. For my weight, the site states that my daily goal for carbs is 163 - 236g, protein is 60-127g, and fat is 32-56g. So, I actually was in my goal range for everything but my carbs.
Now, I guess tonight will tell if the website is accurate about those ranges or not. I will say, it was weird not counting calories. The one thing the bootcamp instructor pressed on us was to NOT count calories, but instead make healthy food choices and only count protein and carbs. I would hope that being my carbs, protein, and fats were within range (somewhat) with what my recommendations are, that my calories would be about the same.
So, today's blog is not a recommendation for the "book" - you all know how I feel about that. It's just simply an update on what I have to do for bootcamp. I am curious about the counting protein, carbs, and fat vs. counting calories. I guess time will tell on that one.
I'm all ready for Round 2 tonight - and I'm not going to make the mistake of showing up not fully hydrated and without eating prior to. I'm sore this morning, something I wasn't yesterday. It's weird how exercise can have a delayed reaction on your body - but I love the phrase "no pain, no gain" so hopefully the pain is a great sign that something is already working.
Till next time. ;)
Bootcamp isn't just about working out, it's about getting healthy. That wouldn't be complete without nutritional counseling. Unfortunately, we don't get that part until tonight. On Wednesday, we were all given a log book that we have to write down EVERYTHING that we put into our mouths and then count how many grams of carbs, protein, and fat that is in all of the food and drinks. The only guidance we were given on Wednesday was that we have to eat 6 times a day and drink 100ozs of water each day. That wasn't a real problem for me, because I have been doing that for a very long time - so I'm in the routine. The part that sits uneasy with me is if am I eating the amounts I'm supposed to be?
Here's my log from yesterday:
Meal 1: 2 slices of 45 calorie toast, 2 tbsp sugar free peach butter, 8ozs of 1% milk, 3 cups of coffee Total Carbs: 38g Total Protein: 13g Total Fat: 3.5g
Meal 2: 90 calorie granola bar, 24ozs water
Total Carbs: 19g Total Protein: 1g Total Fat: 2g
Meal 3: Turkey & Cheese sandwich (on 2 slices whole wheat), 24ozs water
Total Carbs: 37g Total Protein: 25g Total Fat: 9g
Meal 4: Large apple, 24ozs water
Total Carbs: 17g Total Protein: 0 Total Fat: 0
Meal 5: Ft. long low fat ham sub from Subway, 24ozs water
Total Carbs: 96g Total Protein: 37g Total Fat: 17.5g
Meal 6: 8ozs 1% milk, 2 Weight Watchers chocolate chip cookies
Total Carbs: 26.9g Total Protein: 8.9g Total Fat: 4.5g
Grand Total Carbs: 250.9g
Grand Total Protein: 84.9g
Grand Total Fat: 36.5g
Grand Total Water: 96ozs (very close!!)
When I saw those total numbers, I was a little freaked out. That looks like A LOT! So, I decided to check out a website that I love, but haven't used in a while http://www.sparkpeople.com/ The site is a free dieting website that offers recommended daily counts based on your weight. You can log how much you eat and track if you're within your limits. For my weight, the site states that my daily goal for carbs is 163 - 236g, protein is 60-127g, and fat is 32-56g. So, I actually was in my goal range for everything but my carbs.
Now, I guess tonight will tell if the website is accurate about those ranges or not. I will say, it was weird not counting calories. The one thing the bootcamp instructor pressed on us was to NOT count calories, but instead make healthy food choices and only count protein and carbs. I would hope that being my carbs, protein, and fats were within range (somewhat) with what my recommendations are, that my calories would be about the same.
So, today's blog is not a recommendation for the "book" - you all know how I feel about that. It's just simply an update on what I have to do for bootcamp. I am curious about the counting protein, carbs, and fat vs. counting calories. I guess time will tell on that one.
I'm all ready for Round 2 tonight - and I'm not going to make the mistake of showing up not fully hydrated and without eating prior to. I'm sore this morning, something I wasn't yesterday. It's weird how exercise can have a delayed reaction on your body - but I love the phrase "no pain, no gain" so hopefully the pain is a great sign that something is already working.
Till next time. ;)
Thursday, June 03, 2010
What a Night - Bootcamp Session One
So, after much anticipation, I finally started bootcamp. What an evening it was. Being that it was the first session, we spent the entire time performing fitness tests. I really thought that it wouldn't be so bad just doing that, but oh I was wrong.
We started in the building with the AC while 3 instructors took all of our measurments. I was spot on with the measurements I posted yesterday - so I was happy about that. Then the head "drill sargeant" did the "pinch an inch" test - and holy cow!! It felt like he was going to physically remove my skin. That test was a little painful. Then the intstructors informed us that all of our sessions would be done outside, so we made our way out there. Now, luckily the temperature had dropped from 95 degrees to 90 degress - so it was only a little uncomfortable heat wise (**insert sarcasm**).
We started off with doing the push-up and sit-up test. Each test consisted of seeing how many of each we could do in a minute. I was expecting a big fat zero for both -but I was a little surprised. I actually managed to do 4 push-ups in a minute, and 10 sit-ups in a minute. I was happy with that.
Then came the running test. This was the one test that I was pretty confident about. I mean, I've done quite a bit of running in the past couple of months - so I thought it would be a piece of cake to knock out a mile. Well, we started walking to the running area which was across a field. The walk itself had me pretty pooped out..LOL So, we get to the starting line, stretch a little, and get told that we have to try and run the mile as fast as we can. I'm still thinking "no problemo"!! We start, I get a good start, and then about 45 seconds in I get a sharp pain in my side..ugh!! It was the pain that said "hey, you haven't ran in several weeks - you're not going to be able to pull this off". So, I had to walk for a second (or two, or 30). Every time the pain subsided, I took off running again - only to have the pain right back in a couple of seconds. I was getting really pissed!! I got through half a mile, and decided to just try and powerwalk back. That worked and then when I got about halfway back, I took off running again and sprinted to the end. I managed to finish the mile in 14 minutes...NOT IMPRESSED!! As soon as I was done though, it hit me why I did so bad - I almost passed out because I hadn't eaten before going....IDIOT!! I had a terrible dizzy sensation, and the feeling that I was going to throw up. The instuctors then informed us that we were headed for the obstacle course.
I have to say, being completely exhausted and on the verge of passing out didn't slow me down a bit during the obstacle course. I stepped through tires, up a 10ft rope wall, down the other side, jumped over 5 hurdles, didn't make the monkey bars, but did manage to jump over and under 6 more hurdles, had to crawl on my elbows and knees under 10ft of wire, made it over a 5ft wall (with a little help) and then ran across a zig-zag beam. We stopped between each obstacle for an explanation, so we didn't get timed - but I'm ready for that part tomorrow.
So, there you go - that's how the first day of bootcamp went. I left completely exhausted, dripping in sweat, and ready for the next round. I have a feeling I'm finally going to see some dramatic results in the next 6 weeks - so stay posted. :)
Till next time. ;)
We started in the building with the AC while 3 instructors took all of our measurments. I was spot on with the measurements I posted yesterday - so I was happy about that. Then the head "drill sargeant" did the "pinch an inch" test - and holy cow!! It felt like he was going to physically remove my skin. That test was a little painful. Then the intstructors informed us that all of our sessions would be done outside, so we made our way out there. Now, luckily the temperature had dropped from 95 degrees to 90 degress - so it was only a little uncomfortable heat wise (**insert sarcasm**).
We started off with doing the push-up and sit-up test. Each test consisted of seeing how many of each we could do in a minute. I was expecting a big fat zero for both -but I was a little surprised. I actually managed to do 4 push-ups in a minute, and 10 sit-ups in a minute. I was happy with that.
Then came the running test. This was the one test that I was pretty confident about. I mean, I've done quite a bit of running in the past couple of months - so I thought it would be a piece of cake to knock out a mile. Well, we started walking to the running area which was across a field. The walk itself had me pretty pooped out..LOL So, we get to the starting line, stretch a little, and get told that we have to try and run the mile as fast as we can. I'm still thinking "no problemo"!! We start, I get a good start, and then about 45 seconds in I get a sharp pain in my side..ugh!! It was the pain that said "hey, you haven't ran in several weeks - you're not going to be able to pull this off". So, I had to walk for a second (or two, or 30). Every time the pain subsided, I took off running again - only to have the pain right back in a couple of seconds. I was getting really pissed!! I got through half a mile, and decided to just try and powerwalk back. That worked and then when I got about halfway back, I took off running again and sprinted to the end. I managed to finish the mile in 14 minutes...NOT IMPRESSED!! As soon as I was done though, it hit me why I did so bad - I almost passed out because I hadn't eaten before going....IDIOT!! I had a terrible dizzy sensation, and the feeling that I was going to throw up. The instuctors then informed us that we were headed for the obstacle course.
I have to say, being completely exhausted and on the verge of passing out didn't slow me down a bit during the obstacle course. I stepped through tires, up a 10ft rope wall, down the other side, jumped over 5 hurdles, didn't make the monkey bars, but did manage to jump over and under 6 more hurdles, had to crawl on my elbows and knees under 10ft of wire, made it over a 5ft wall (with a little help) and then ran across a zig-zag beam. We stopped between each obstacle for an explanation, so we didn't get timed - but I'm ready for that part tomorrow.
So, there you go - that's how the first day of bootcamp went. I left completely exhausted, dripping in sweat, and ready for the next round. I have a feeling I'm finally going to see some dramatic results in the next 6 weeks - so stay posted. :)
Till next time. ;)
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
Today's the Day!! Pre-Bootcamp Weigh-In and Measurements
So, time to get down to business. This morning, not only did I weigh myself, but I also decided to take some measurements. I want to see the change in the inches I'm losing, as well as the weight that will be coming off.
Ok - so starting weight for bootcamp:
225lbs
I lost the pound that I put on last week, but after the holiday and stuff I'm not too unhappy with the start weight.
Measurements:
Waist - 44"
Hips - 50 1/2" (ouch!!)
Bicep - 16"
Thigh - 28 1/2"
Calf - 19" (only 3" bigger than my bicep - ouch again!!)
It really is terrifying to see those numbers on the screen. My 2 1/2 year old is 40" tall, which means that I'm actually bigger around than she is tall!!
Here are my short-term goals:
Be smaller around than the height of my 2 year old
Lose 26lbs by August 1st (2 months)
Each week, I will add more goals that pertain to bootcamp - but until I know what I will be doing, there is no way for me to set any.
So, there you have it. My starting information. Tomorrow, you'll get to hear all about my first night at bootcamp.
Till next time. ;)
Tuesday, June 01, 2010
Plan of Action for the Blog
So, I'm down to one day away from starting boot camp - and I couldn't be more excited. I've gone back and forth between being nervous and excited, but after a lot of mental preparation - I think I'm finally ready.
I have three weeks left of summer school, and then I get 6 weeks off before having to start the fall semester. My goal is to lose at least 26lbs by the end of the summer, but if I could do that by the end of boot camp that would be AWESOME!!
So, here's what to expect going forward from me and the blog. I won't lie, it's been really difficult coming up with new stuff to talk about every day. Even though this is my personal blog to talk about my progress and feelings while trying to lose weight - I also want to incorporate helpful tips and support to others that are looking to do the same thing. Lately, it feels all I've done is talk about myself without any real helpful insight into why. There are days that I get up and sit in front of the computer for a long time trying to think about what to talk about. Then, I start rambling - and that's not good reading.
My plan is that starting bootcamp will give me 3 days a week to blog about fitness tips and how I'm doing with that, 3 days I can blog about other stuff, and Wednesdays will be "weigh-in" day that will track my progress for the week. So, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I will blog about what I did in bootcamp and how you can apply it to your life. The other days, I will try to mix things up with eating and my personal feelings.
I really want to help motivate people and inspire them. I can't really do that if all I do is ramble on about clothes that I bought or how I painted my fingernails..LOL So, being that today is the first day of the month - it's a great time to start getting back on track with the blog.
Happy reading!!
Till next time. ;)
I have three weeks left of summer school, and then I get 6 weeks off before having to start the fall semester. My goal is to lose at least 26lbs by the end of the summer, but if I could do that by the end of boot camp that would be AWESOME!!
So, here's what to expect going forward from me and the blog. I won't lie, it's been really difficult coming up with new stuff to talk about every day. Even though this is my personal blog to talk about my progress and feelings while trying to lose weight - I also want to incorporate helpful tips and support to others that are looking to do the same thing. Lately, it feels all I've done is talk about myself without any real helpful insight into why. There are days that I get up and sit in front of the computer for a long time trying to think about what to talk about. Then, I start rambling - and that's not good reading.
My plan is that starting bootcamp will give me 3 days a week to blog about fitness tips and how I'm doing with that, 3 days I can blog about other stuff, and Wednesdays will be "weigh-in" day that will track my progress for the week. So, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays I will blog about what I did in bootcamp and how you can apply it to your life. The other days, I will try to mix things up with eating and my personal feelings.
I really want to help motivate people and inspire them. I can't really do that if all I do is ramble on about clothes that I bought or how I painted my fingernails..LOL So, being that today is the first day of the month - it's a great time to start getting back on track with the blog.
Happy reading!!
Till next time. ;)
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Summer Lovin'
Before I forget - there will not be a weigh-in post this week until Wednesday. I've decided that being that bootcamp starts on Wednesday, it will be best to weigh in then and then weigh in each week on Wednesdays to track my progress.
Ok - so summer is here and it's hitting me HARD! Yeah, the allergies suck, but I have also bloomed into wanting to enjoy every minute of it. I broke my own advice on Thursday, and went out and bought a new summer wardrobe. Remember the post where I said not to do that?? Yeah, well, I did. The difference, though, I bought DRESSES!! Yep, after the first couple of dresses I bought a few weeks ago - I just wanted more. Wearing dresses is so much cooler during the hot weather - and they are so darn cute! Also, I can still wear the dresses after losing more weight. It was so exhilerating shopping in the women's department of the store, rather than the plus size section. I opted for bright colors like red and pink, and also a couple of blue dresses. I also got really funky and painted my fingernails - hot pink and purple!! I alternated the colors on my fingers and toes. Now, I feel younger, hipper, and just all around funky!! LOL
My family are all here for the holiday weekend, so going to have to keep my post short today. I promise that this next week I will talk less about how wonderful I'm feeling and get back on track with the weight loss talk. Here are a few pics from my trip to the zoo on Friday with my 2 year old. The first pic was taken last year on our trip to the zoo, and the others are from this year....see a difference?
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My family are all here for the holiday weekend, so going to have to keep my post short today. I promise that this next week I will talk less about how wonderful I'm feeling and get back on track with the weight loss talk. Here are a few pics from my trip to the zoo on Friday with my 2 year old. The first pic was taken last year on our trip to the zoo, and the others are from this year....see a difference?
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