Sad - but with a plan

This weekend I was feeling very down about myself. While I put it partly down to wedding stress, there’s no hiding from it; I’ve adjusted to my new size and I loathe my body once more. Perhaps loathe is a little strong, but on Sunday morning that was how I felt.

We’ve got a nice little gym setup in the garage now, but for some reason I couldn’t face it. I don’t know why (though it not exactly being warm in there didn’t help!). So despite having my own Olympic bar (though FH has had more use out of it than I have!) I’ve not really been using it. The new setup does have some safety features which should mean I can do more with the bar without as much risk. Having seen a recent photo of me where I am less than impressed with how I look, I know I need to do something about my soft pudgy shoulders. Whether I can do anything of note in 4 weeks (yes people, it’s one month to the wedding), is another question, but if I don’t try how will I know.

Anyway, on Sunday I finally bucked myself up enough to have 20 minutes on DDR 3 on the Wii. It allows you to set an amount of time you want to dance for, and then you’re away. It accused me of being heavier than last time I played, which might be all the layers of clothes I was wearing! I do enjoy DDR, so it’s a good way for me to get some cardio in! I also did about 10 minutes on the Wii Fit, which though short was fun again. I need to do more of the strength exercises!

Well, I have a sort-of-plan too. I know I need to do more stuff in order to get my weight down, I’ve shown I can lose with just diet, but doing some exercise should really help. So, here it is:

Mondays – nothing, this is knit-night
Tuesdays – we go shopping, so 2x8 shoulder press, tricep curl, pushup (if I can), crunch, plank (2x30s)
Wednesday – is slimming world night, so probably nothing
Thursday – DDR x 20mins, weights as per Tuesday
Friday – WiiFit x 20mins on the strength/yoga moves
Saturday – weights as per Tuesday
Sunday – DDR x 20mins, WiiFit x 20mins

Do you think I can stick to that? Is it realistic to expect to do some kind of activity when I get home from work every night, before dinner? Should I look to do some of it in the mornings before work?

I’ll let you know.

Currently 3lbs more required to have lost 1.5 stone.

Program Update

After a shaky start, I’m enjoying my new program.
The things I was most worried about were T-push-ups and pull-ups. After getting some advice, and also a little thought, I’ve managed to sort out a compromise with the program.
For push-ups, I’ve been working my way down to the floor. I was using a bench (the sort with the removable levels that they use in step aerobics) which I was dropping down slowly. So, when I started the new program I decided to really push myself and go all the way to the floor. (I was two blocks and the step itself away – about one-and-a-half feet) and the first time I did that it was brutal! I really struggled to do the second set. However, in the second attempt at this workout (It is workout B) I managed to do two sets of six proper push-ups! I’m really pleased with myself.
For pull-ups I’m taking a similar approach. One of the biggest problems is my grip strength. I just can’t hold my own weight at the moment. We’ve ordered some resistance bands, which can be used to reduce the amount of weight you’re lifting, but the ones we have don’t reduce it enough. A larger band would leave me with a risk of getting pinged* so I’m using the assisted pull-up for now. The plan is to reduce the weight down to an amount equivalent to the amount the bands can do, and then switch to the bands. That way I improve my core strength. I gather this doesn’t happen, or happens less well, with the assisted machine.
Next Sunday is meant to be a weigh in day, although we’re doing some house-move things. I’ll make the time first thing to get that out of the way. I’ll be doing the “jeans test” again at the end of this part of the program. Once every four weeks should be plenty often enough.

Can I Be a Fit Female?

I want to talk briefly about the programme that I'm doing, Rachel Cosgrove's Body Breakthrough.
I've done the first four weeks of the programme, and I'm pretty pleased with my progress.
I've lowered the height of the bench that I'm doing my push-ups on, I've raised my weight on every exercise which uses weights, I do two sets of 45 seconds of prone cobra (I started at two sets of half a minute, and that was hard!), in short; I'm stronger than I was when I began, in many ways.

So, tomorrow is my first day of section 2 of the programme. It's meant to be challenging, it's meant to be harder than the first section. I'm fine with that, I enjoy challenging myself in the gym. However, there are some things which I'm finding sort of demoralising.
One of the exercises I'm due to move on to is called a T-Push-Up. This is the same as a standard push-up, except when you get to the top of the movement, you extend one arm upwards and cross your feet, making a T shape with your body. That's all well and good, but I haven't progressed far enough to do a normal push up yet, so how can I move on to the T?

The other thing that I'm worried about is the chin-up. I've bought some exercise bands to assist with my chin-up, but honestly I can't do even one chin-up (we have a bar at home, so I've had a go already)

I've had some great advice from Ravelry (amazing huh, knitters who lift (Rav Link) are a new group, but they're supportive!) regarding the push-up situation, and they're suggesting what I was thinking of anyway.

So, that leaves the chin-up. I've had a look at some videos on YouTube, I've got advice from my fiancé, I think what I'll have to do is a combination of things to try to get into a place where I can do a chin up. So, that's going to include:
Hanging from the bar, to get used to holding myself up (with bands to begin with)
Assisted Chin Ups at the gym, to get used to lifting using those muscles
Hopefully the inverted row in the other half of this section of the program will also help.

Who knows, by the end of the four weeks, I might be able to do a chin-up!

Weigh in Day

So, last Sunday I was out of town, which means that this Sunday is two weeks after the previous measurements.

Weight: 12st 4lb (up 1lb)
Body Fat: 25.8% (up 0.3%)
Bust: 38 inches (no change)
Chest: 31 inches (down 3 inches!)
Waist: 30inches / 34inches (down 1 inch / down 2 inches)
Hips: 43.5 inches (down 0.5 inches)
Thighs (L/R): 26 inches / 26 inches (Left thigh up 0.5 inches)
Biceps (L/R): 11.5 inches / 11.5 inches (down 0.5 inches both arms)

I've recorded both my natural waist (the first number) and my waist around my bellybutton, which is where most clothes manufacturers think my waist should be!

The workouts are going pretty well, although I had an awful week last week. I wasn't well on Thursday, so my Thursday workout wasn't as good as I would have liked, and then I spent the day in bed! Then we were away at the weekend, so the diet took a bit of a hammering. Only 72% on plan.
This week has been a bit better, though I substituted one of my workouts for a swim, as my Fiancé was unwell, and I go to the gym with him. Food's not been bad, though I had a craving for a snickers which I caved in to, and we've had pizza this week. However, looking at the numbers above, I'm not doing too badly.

For those who are interested in that sort of thing, here are the weights I'm doing. I'm working through Rachel Cosgrove's book "The Female Body Breakthrough" and so far I'm finding it tough but good. At the moment I do two sets of everything, and I'm only listing those which require weights to help me remember!

Step-up 10e/s 5kg each hand
3 point dumbell row 8kg
Bent over reverse fly 3kg each hand
Russian twist 3kg
Prone cobra 45secs
Overhead squat 2kg each hand
Lateral raise with rotation 4kg each hand
SLSA Romanian deadlift 4kg
Single arm pullover 3.25 / 6.25
Cable row 8.75

There's one more challenge in the book which I think is great. It's the jeans challenge. Everyone has a pair of jeans that they look great in, right? Perhaps they're stashed away. Mine were in my holiday drawer, and I didn't take them on my more recent holiday because I couldn't fit into them. I wore them in Florida a few years ago, but haven't got into them since. I know they look good on, but they just don't fasten (well, I can get the hooks done, but that ain't pretty!)
So, here's where I am on my jeans challenge:

I'm going to be wearing these this summer. I don't really need to lose that much girth to get into them either.

I think the important thing for me, today, is that I have lost inches in the past three weeks, yet I'm heavier! It's odd really, not something I'm used to.

Good luck in your diets, your workouts and your general health.

Back too soon?

We were back at the gym yesterday, since I know I’m going to be at knit-night tonight. The warm up, squats and even push-ups went well (I managed to squat 32.5kg on my second set, and did twos sets of 10 push-ups, on my knees) but there was a class on in the studio by the mats we do the other exercises on, and they had the door open for some reason. While the ball thingy and the bent over row went well, by the time we were doing side-plank I was ready to go and punch the woman taking the class. Add to that my arms were no longer working (20 push ups will apparently do that to me) and I just couldn’t do it. Terrible. Perhaps a slightly longer rest between sessions is called for. Perhaps I was just having a bad night. Anyway, we did the cardio/intervals – I was on the cross trainer again, so my arms got a bit more workout! Still, I’m getting on okay with that and 20 minutes in total (including warm up and cool down) is a sensible amount of time.

We plan to go back on Thursday I think, which is three days rather than two. Hopefully that will make all the difference.

Oh, we had stew again last night. This time with venison in. I’d recommend it! simply pat the venison dry and then coat with flour, fry lightly for just a couple of minutes until brown, add crushed garlic and fry until that’s brown, then stick it in a casserole dish with a bunch of veggies and enough stock to cover. I also like to add a couple of teaspoons of corn flour to thicken the gravy. Cook for like three hours, and then reheat the next day. (it’s way better if you eat it the day after you cook it, the flavour gets to permeate) Venison is a lean meat (being wild and all) and very tasty, and all the veggies make it filling too. Serve with a slice of home-made honey-and-sunflower-seed bread. Spot on.

Workout B, and the perils of hunger

Yes, we did workout B on Saturday, the first day I could move all of my limbs without them aching badly. (how in need of a workout was I?)

Either I didn't work out as hard as I could have, or my body was more ready for it, but today I don't ache so much.



Workout on Saturday was mostly bodyweight exercises. I did step-ups with two 10kg dumbbells and superset that with chest presses. I used 6kg each hand for that. I could probably have done more.

Then we did hip extensions, one-arm-raised push-ups, plank and something which I've been calling superman. Follow all this with a 22 minute intervals session, and you're done.



I felt pretty good afterwards, though the changing rooms were packed. I hate that. I don't mind having to share a changing area, but when you're pushed for space to stand, never mind put your bag, it just ends the session on a low.



Then I had steak for lunch. Yummy, but probably not aiding in the weight-loss. Hmm. And we bought cake.

Had the usual roast chicken and veg today though, and leftovers in home-baked bread for lunch tomorrow. Then we have Venison Stew for dinner tomorrow (I cooked it tonight while the oven was on for the roast) which should last two days I think.



Hopefully I'll get a good night's sleep tonight, which will leave me all raring to go for another session at the gym tomorrow night.

I have found that doing the same workout as OH (though with different weights) is really quite motivating, it makes it almost fun. Actually, the weights part is fun anyway.



My boss commented that he doesn't think that muscular women are very attractive. Now, while I don't want to look like the lady on this page I don't think that muscular women are not attractive. You can go too far.

Too far, that would require an obsessive personality, right?

Tonight's Workout

We did the first of the workouts today.
Squat - 27.5x8reps, 30x8reps
push-up - kneeling, 2 sets of 8
Dumbell Row - 6kg each arm, 10 reps, 2 sets.
Crunch / Side Plank, 2x10 and 2e/s x15secs
Intervals for 20minutes.

It was good. My legs ache a bit now.