It was bound to happen sooner or later... I haven't been sick in so long and even adopting good habits doesn't make us completely immune. I feel the start of a cold, the scratchy throat and dry cough; it might have been a long time, but I always recognize it. Started the week under a lot of down slides though; my grandma's death, some of my fish dying, then a bungled shopping trip and a huge tank cleaning today. My diet has been higher calorie than usual but stress and sickness together can do that. Restarted scheduled workouts (Accelerator, Warrior, Yoga). I intend to workout sick unless it becomes impossible. I have CVX coming up tomorrow. If anything, being sick is never an excuse not to workout or attempt to get a diet back on track. Sliding into bad habits can easily prolong a sickness. As long as I can do it, I will. Barring being unable to breath, extreme muscle fatigue/pain, etc,, it will be done.
So need to sleep now. Sometimes being sick is the only time I really catch up on sleep. I wouldn't mind if my appetite goes bye bye too. As much as it sucks, this is probably the best time for it. Better now than once the boys are back in school and I have to walk them. Here's to accelerated symptoms that go away by January 3! I don't give a single fuck about New Year's anyway. Never has a new year ever set the tone for the rest of it. It's a day and every day is a chance to start over.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Flying High
I officially started Round Two of the Lean schedule for P90X3. Considering it's been so long since I've done Accelerator or The Warrior, they really kicked my ass. Doesn't help that I'm a bit under the weather. Not sick, mind you, just in a state of body confusion from the weather going from rain in the 60s one day then sunny in the 30s overnight. I was out for about 3 hours today, due to a shopping trip that should have only taken me 45 minutes tops, except I forgot the pin on the v-chip card, left my phone at home, and even once I sorted that out, didn't get home before realizing a box of tea hadn't made it into the bag. Needless to say a lot of extra walking, but my fish are going to have to wait another day to get their tank changed because I am exhausted after that. Workouts always come first, followed by everything else. The workout just sets the tone for everything my body feels in a day and missing it is setting myself up for a bad day.
Since I have yoga tomorrow, it seems like the perfect way to stretch out before I'm lugging about 30-35 gallons of dirty water downstairs and lugging the replacement water upstairs. 5 gallons of water weighs about 30 lbs I believe, so it's one hell of a strength workout, typically taking about 2 hours to accomplish. Gravel vacuuming is always a huge pain in the ass, but definitely needs to be done. They can manage to make it damn near opaque with waste deposits. I can't really afford a decent sump pump system to cut all the extra work out, but as I mentioned, it's a free strength workout. Only sucks because it is strenuous and doesn't get done as often as it should be.
A lot of fish owners are meticulous and do it every 7-10 days. I have a filter too powerful for my tank, underpopulated, and an algae eater, so I do it once every 4-6 weeks even though it never looks like it's needed. I do use conditioning chemicals to keep nitrates/nitrites low, chlorine non existent and ph levels were they should be at least. We have hard water, which cichlids like anyway so I don't worry about that. They're spoiled. Don't feel bad for them for not getting weekly water changes. They get pellets, flakes and algae wafers. I swear they eat better than I do.
Anyways, that got its own paragraph for skipability... It's been a slow start for the week, but it always takes some time to get into a phase. The minute you feel like you're nailing it, Tony Horton snatches it away from you, no doubt for the sake of muscle confusion. It's always 3-4 weeks of a basic repetition, a transitional week that is more stretching and cardio than strength, then you keep maybe half of the old workouts, swapped out for 2-3 new ones. I think most of the workouts use all three a bit, nothing is just all strength/cardio/flexibility/balance. They tend to be one or two elements heavier than the rest, but still well-rounded. Some I still groan when they come up, but I file that under 'shit I do anyway because they don't get easier if I swap them out'. There should probably be a shorter way to say it because it's something of a mantra, telling myself to just fucking do it. lol I'm not a brand whore, so I'm ignoring Nike pretty much covers that. I don't mind their little check showing up on my clothes or shoes, but I'm not a fucking billboard.
Since I have yoga tomorrow, it seems like the perfect way to stretch out before I'm lugging about 30-35 gallons of dirty water downstairs and lugging the replacement water upstairs. 5 gallons of water weighs about 30 lbs I believe, so it's one hell of a strength workout, typically taking about 2 hours to accomplish. Gravel vacuuming is always a huge pain in the ass, but definitely needs to be done. They can manage to make it damn near opaque with waste deposits. I can't really afford a decent sump pump system to cut all the extra work out, but as I mentioned, it's a free strength workout. Only sucks because it is strenuous and doesn't get done as often as it should be.
A lot of fish owners are meticulous and do it every 7-10 days. I have a filter too powerful for my tank, underpopulated, and an algae eater, so I do it once every 4-6 weeks even though it never looks like it's needed. I do use conditioning chemicals to keep nitrates/nitrites low, chlorine non existent and ph levels were they should be at least. We have hard water, which cichlids like anyway so I don't worry about that. They're spoiled. Don't feel bad for them for not getting weekly water changes. They get pellets, flakes and algae wafers. I swear they eat better than I do.
Anyways, that got its own paragraph for skipability... It's been a slow start for the week, but it always takes some time to get into a phase. The minute you feel like you're nailing it, Tony Horton snatches it away from you, no doubt for the sake of muscle confusion. It's always 3-4 weeks of a basic repetition, a transitional week that is more stretching and cardio than strength, then you keep maybe half of the old workouts, swapped out for 2-3 new ones. I think most of the workouts use all three a bit, nothing is just all strength/cardio/flexibility/balance. They tend to be one or two elements heavier than the rest, but still well-rounded. Some I still groan when they come up, but I file that under 'shit I do anyway because they don't get easier if I swap them out'. There should probably be a shorter way to say it because it's something of a mantra, telling myself to just fucking do it. lol I'm not a brand whore, so I'm ignoring Nike pretty much covers that. I don't mind their little check showing up on my clothes or shoes, but I'm not a fucking billboard.
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Picking it up with a Push and Pull
Today, I decided to get outside of stretching and balancing and throw in some of The Challenge. It's been so long since this was on the schedule that I really wanted to get some good pulls and push-ups back in my life. I was able to do the first half doing push-ups normally, but had to drop to my knees to finish it out. More proof that I gotta get more strength in my routine again, but really getting through about 100+ pushups (my goal in each set is 20, which starts to add up quick) was a feat I hadn't accomplished before so yay progress! I always feel like the pull routine is lacking in my circumstances since I have to use 1 lb weights, not having any equipment. It still builds that sweat but it's not really strengthening the pull muscles, which I'll have to remedy. I'd love to dump some Christmas money into improving my equipment, make Round 2 a real beast. We shall see...
I feel so freaking amazing with fitness in my life that I can't really complain. I will always be critical of some things I perceive as lacking but in a more motivational tone rather than self-defeating. I recognize that my body has its own ideas of health an shape. I don't post pictures of someone else's body as something to work for. I take pride in my own achievements, learn from my own frustrations and try to motivate others who want to improve without overwhelming them with facts. In my own journey, I had to learn very, very slowly what to expect from my body. Nothing is more clear than that I do have limitations, but I will always push them a little more. Some of those limits become breakthroughs, as long as the break isn't an injury. I've been great at avoiding those.
My current rough spot is hip bursitis. It appeared in my life nearly a decade ago and resurfaced for the same reasons-- athletic exercise and stress. Again, I listen to it. It always loves a good stress, but cardio and strength sometimes need careful modification, rather than just rest. Chronic pain loves to surface when I think rest is the answer. It isn't. I do need to grit my teeth and try. Weight bearing is where I need to be the most careful and some extensions in stretching will shoot the pain through, but if I slow down and try again, usually I can eliminate that kink. It can be difficult, learning which pains are strain based and which are just overactive nerves, but I don't let them become crutches against progress. Sometimes an Advil can knock out false signals so I can target deeper issues.
If you're finding strength from my blog, never be put off by risks. I promised to be honest not just about milestones, but also about difficulties. I can make excuses on my worst days, but they don't slog me down for more than a day before I vow to try again. Even if I can't make it through a whole workout or have to modify it completely, I do it. Doing it eliminates the guilt of not doing it and I always learn something about my body's current state. I don't worry that I'll need to see a doctor unless it worsens or becomes unbearable. So far, it hasn't. I don't try to double up workouts when I barely got through one. I'll add a nice warm-up if I'm feeling stellar. Even if every minute of a workout feels exhausting, I feel terrific a half hour later. This hasn't been variable; it's always been a guarantee, save for when I overdo it. Over time, I don't overdo it.
These programs are designed to be sufficient alone. I do add walks on the weekdays, but I don't worry that 'only a half hour' won't be enough. This is why I also record the milestones, in case I need that reminder that even though I didn't lose any weight, I got better. My muscles will have their work cut out for them trying to reshape me, but they absolutely are working. Because of this, my diet can be challenging, making sure they get the carbs and proteins to build me up. Fats are also so important, healthy delicious fats that I definitely have no guilt over. Fat is such an important building block! Don't avoid them, just gobble them up strategically! As a woman, I am mostly subcutaneous fat, that fat that keeps our skin soft and supple and protects us, whereas men are visceral fat that gathers around their organs. This is why men tend to have those huge bellies and the spindly little legs and arms. When I am targeting fat as a woman, it's not just about shrinking the fat, it's about making sure it distributes better. This is why my blog is titled as it is. We are not just trying to disappear into tiny little sticks, we are trying to embrace our muscles, maybe our curves, our entire silhouette. It's not purely aesthetic, at least for me. When I'm loving myself the most, I'm running my hands over toned calves, firm muscles, enjoying the real benefits of a healthier life.
Let me make this clear. I eat pizza and cheesecake and it's not the cardboard, falsely marketed 'health food'. It's the real deal. It's about portion control and calories. I don't restrict any damn thing so if you're going to tell me that you love cheesecake too much, I'm going to assure you that it's not about leaving that behind. I have become amazing at cooking, with real ingredients, to make better quality, better tasting versions than your takeout. I assure you I'm not fucking with wheat germ or drying things out. I met a woman with sickle cell that couldn't eat the fried chicken in chain operations. She made me her fried chicken and it looked dry. It was the juiciest most delicious fried chicken I ever tasted. I am a foodie. I want it all. I just learned to make wiser choices, little by little to max out how much I get to eat, how filling it is, and if I crave it. I don't fuck around. Deprive yourself and cravings will murder all of your intentions. I do eat fast food-- sometimes you just crave the real deal. I make sure I can handle extra cardio and eat it guilt free to make up for it. I used to hate sweat. Now, like Pavlov's dogs, I crave it for what it means. Washing it off still feels terrific-- that's when I get to gawk at the changes.
I want to gush about how great it feels without making anyone feel inadequate or pressured. So please, eat all the cheesecake you want around me. I don't drink a lot of alcohol, but feel free to get sloppy drunk. In every way that you might be afraid to be judged or pressured for what you're not doing, I am holding up in the same way. I want you to see that my choices have made me feel alive not just existing. I can be a better friend and actually do things for the people I care about instead of crying in bed. This isn't about you, what I do for me. I might be pickier when I'm ordering real food with you, but I'm not gonna order a tiny salad and make disgusted faces at you. I'm going to make yummy noises and I might steal some of your fries. Discreetly, I'll log it on my app later. Because my journey is about accountability. Your role is just being my friend.
I feel so freaking amazing with fitness in my life that I can't really complain. I will always be critical of some things I perceive as lacking but in a more motivational tone rather than self-defeating. I recognize that my body has its own ideas of health an shape. I don't post pictures of someone else's body as something to work for. I take pride in my own achievements, learn from my own frustrations and try to motivate others who want to improve without overwhelming them with facts. In my own journey, I had to learn very, very slowly what to expect from my body. Nothing is more clear than that I do have limitations, but I will always push them a little more. Some of those limits become breakthroughs, as long as the break isn't an injury. I've been great at avoiding those.
My current rough spot is hip bursitis. It appeared in my life nearly a decade ago and resurfaced for the same reasons-- athletic exercise and stress. Again, I listen to it. It always loves a good stress, but cardio and strength sometimes need careful modification, rather than just rest. Chronic pain loves to surface when I think rest is the answer. It isn't. I do need to grit my teeth and try. Weight bearing is where I need to be the most careful and some extensions in stretching will shoot the pain through, but if I slow down and try again, usually I can eliminate that kink. It can be difficult, learning which pains are strain based and which are just overactive nerves, but I don't let them become crutches against progress. Sometimes an Advil can knock out false signals so I can target deeper issues.
If you're finding strength from my blog, never be put off by risks. I promised to be honest not just about milestones, but also about difficulties. I can make excuses on my worst days, but they don't slog me down for more than a day before I vow to try again. Even if I can't make it through a whole workout or have to modify it completely, I do it. Doing it eliminates the guilt of not doing it and I always learn something about my body's current state. I don't worry that I'll need to see a doctor unless it worsens or becomes unbearable. So far, it hasn't. I don't try to double up workouts when I barely got through one. I'll add a nice warm-up if I'm feeling stellar. Even if every minute of a workout feels exhausting, I feel terrific a half hour later. This hasn't been variable; it's always been a guarantee, save for when I overdo it. Over time, I don't overdo it.
These programs are designed to be sufficient alone. I do add walks on the weekdays, but I don't worry that 'only a half hour' won't be enough. This is why I also record the milestones, in case I need that reminder that even though I didn't lose any weight, I got better. My muscles will have their work cut out for them trying to reshape me, but they absolutely are working. Because of this, my diet can be challenging, making sure they get the carbs and proteins to build me up. Fats are also so important, healthy delicious fats that I definitely have no guilt over. Fat is such an important building block! Don't avoid them, just gobble them up strategically! As a woman, I am mostly subcutaneous fat, that fat that keeps our skin soft and supple and protects us, whereas men are visceral fat that gathers around their organs. This is why men tend to have those huge bellies and the spindly little legs and arms. When I am targeting fat as a woman, it's not just about shrinking the fat, it's about making sure it distributes better. This is why my blog is titled as it is. We are not just trying to disappear into tiny little sticks, we are trying to embrace our muscles, maybe our curves, our entire silhouette. It's not purely aesthetic, at least for me. When I'm loving myself the most, I'm running my hands over toned calves, firm muscles, enjoying the real benefits of a healthier life.
Let me make this clear. I eat pizza and cheesecake and it's not the cardboard, falsely marketed 'health food'. It's the real deal. It's about portion control and calories. I don't restrict any damn thing so if you're going to tell me that you love cheesecake too much, I'm going to assure you that it's not about leaving that behind. I have become amazing at cooking, with real ingredients, to make better quality, better tasting versions than your takeout. I assure you I'm not fucking with wheat germ or drying things out. I met a woman with sickle cell that couldn't eat the fried chicken in chain operations. She made me her fried chicken and it looked dry. It was the juiciest most delicious fried chicken I ever tasted. I am a foodie. I want it all. I just learned to make wiser choices, little by little to max out how much I get to eat, how filling it is, and if I crave it. I don't fuck around. Deprive yourself and cravings will murder all of your intentions. I do eat fast food-- sometimes you just crave the real deal. I make sure I can handle extra cardio and eat it guilt free to make up for it. I used to hate sweat. Now, like Pavlov's dogs, I crave it for what it means. Washing it off still feels terrific-- that's when I get to gawk at the changes.
I want to gush about how great it feels without making anyone feel inadequate or pressured. So please, eat all the cheesecake you want around me. I don't drink a lot of alcohol, but feel free to get sloppy drunk. In every way that you might be afraid to be judged or pressured for what you're not doing, I am holding up in the same way. I want you to see that my choices have made me feel alive not just existing. I can be a better friend and actually do things for the people I care about instead of crying in bed. This isn't about you, what I do for me. I might be pickier when I'm ordering real food with you, but I'm not gonna order a tiny salad and make disgusted faces at you. I'm going to make yummy noises and I might steal some of your fries. Discreetly, I'll log it on my app later. Because my journey is about accountability. Your role is just being my friend.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Pilates Shmilates
While I'm in the mood to blog, I felt it might take advantage of this to keep updates rolling.
Today, as you can tell by the heading, was Pilates day. I always struggle with this one, mainly because of its rarity on the official schedules so, this being that transitional week, I chose it for today.
First off, I've always aced certain ones. The first ten minutes, while still challenging, never need to be modified. You go into this one focusing on breathing and get your arms pumping and posturing while you prepare your body for the things to come. I always found Teaser to be difficult, but great preparation for the V Rocker. Teaser asks you to pull your legs in and keep your head up, then on one long exhale you push your arms and legs out at a 45 degree angle and swing them around into a V sit, all in that same breath where you hold it (oh, muscular power!) before rolling back into the starting position. Sounds simple but doing ten of those properly is where the sweat really starts rolling. I really feel like I nailed it today where I always fumbled through it. With V Rocker, you start in plow but spread your feet to keep the V position and grab as high as you can on your leg (ankles if you can) then roll up into the V sit. I have always loved this one. I keep my hands loosely on the first roll out and gauge where I can both hold the sit strongly while keeping a firm grip on my leg. Today, it was ankles all the way.
Saw and Alphabet Soup have always been favorites. Saw asks you to inhale and exhale specifically in each pose given and it really feels amazing once you get going. This was where I first realized my ability to roll up without a sticking point. Alphabet Soup lets you get creative each time, writing out the letters of the alphabet with your feet together, in any 'font' you choose. I say creative but I mostly stick to the capital letters. Although 'free mustache rides on Monday nights' might break the tedium. Maybe 'the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog' might be more appropriate. In either case, I really feel my lower back eating that one up.
As far as the rest goes, I love all the roll up exercises, but not a big fan of the swimmer series of moves because my arms and back really don't play well there. Something to work on. The side plank exercises are where I always have the most trouble and often do those even more modified than the suggested modifiers. I prefer to keep my hip on the floor here or moving my legs at all is a lost cause. I can barely keep my leg up on a stationary side plank let alone think about movement. I still get the benefit of the breathing, the movement, but i don't have to worry about injuring my ankle or wrist with the hold. The T allows for the modification, so I learned my lesson and stick to that for now. I always try to lift up but I pay attention to my body's warnings.
The Pretzel used to be a lost cause. Holding my leg up and pumping it was immediately rejected by my hips but now I can do Tony's sorry excuse for it at least. It's a good way to end the workout. I might have trouble with it still, but I always sweat in sheets and my body always feels more limber, my breaths more relaxed after putting myself through the paces.
Of course, you can thank my frequency of blogs to this being a transitional time. With a set schedule, I am finding this is great for accountability. Still... I cannot WAIT to get back on schedule.
Today, as you can tell by the heading, was Pilates day. I always struggle with this one, mainly because of its rarity on the official schedules so, this being that transitional week, I chose it for today.
First off, I've always aced certain ones. The first ten minutes, while still challenging, never need to be modified. You go into this one focusing on breathing and get your arms pumping and posturing while you prepare your body for the things to come. I always found Teaser to be difficult, but great preparation for the V Rocker. Teaser asks you to pull your legs in and keep your head up, then on one long exhale you push your arms and legs out at a 45 degree angle and swing them around into a V sit, all in that same breath where you hold it (oh, muscular power!) before rolling back into the starting position. Sounds simple but doing ten of those properly is where the sweat really starts rolling. I really feel like I nailed it today where I always fumbled through it. With V Rocker, you start in plow but spread your feet to keep the V position and grab as high as you can on your leg (ankles if you can) then roll up into the V sit. I have always loved this one. I keep my hands loosely on the first roll out and gauge where I can both hold the sit strongly while keeping a firm grip on my leg. Today, it was ankles all the way.
Saw and Alphabet Soup have always been favorites. Saw asks you to inhale and exhale specifically in each pose given and it really feels amazing once you get going. This was where I first realized my ability to roll up without a sticking point. Alphabet Soup lets you get creative each time, writing out the letters of the alphabet with your feet together, in any 'font' you choose. I say creative but I mostly stick to the capital letters. Although 'free mustache rides on Monday nights' might break the tedium. Maybe 'the quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog' might be more appropriate. In either case, I really feel my lower back eating that one up.
As far as the rest goes, I love all the roll up exercises, but not a big fan of the swimmer series of moves because my arms and back really don't play well there. Something to work on. The side plank exercises are where I always have the most trouble and often do those even more modified than the suggested modifiers. I prefer to keep my hip on the floor here or moving my legs at all is a lost cause. I can barely keep my leg up on a stationary side plank let alone think about movement. I still get the benefit of the breathing, the movement, but i don't have to worry about injuring my ankle or wrist with the hold. The T allows for the modification, so I learned my lesson and stick to that for now. I always try to lift up but I pay attention to my body's warnings.
The Pretzel used to be a lost cause. Holding my leg up and pumping it was immediately rejected by my hips but now I can do Tony's sorry excuse for it at least. It's a good way to end the workout. I might have trouble with it still, but I always sweat in sheets and my body always feels more limber, my breaths more relaxed after putting myself through the paces.
Of course, you can thank my frequency of blogs to this being a transitional time. With a set schedule, I am finding this is great for accountability. Still... I cannot WAIT to get back on schedule.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
So Many Milestones: Yoga
Omg, omg, omg... I did crow today! I've had a lot of trouble targeting desensitizing my pressure points in my triceps and I was leery, pressing really slowly so I wouldn't collapse from a sudden sharp pain and it held. I couldn't stabilize it very well because my wrists are flexible enough that I kept tipping too far forward, but I held it for a good few seconds before needing to touch down each time. I'd like to try crane on my next good day since it's basically the same without stacking the feet. Still, I could cry. I needed a boost, however small and I went for it. So glad I didn't just call it a rest day, that I went for it once my hip and knee eased up. I was able to land everything today and I can close hands on the bound side angle pose too. It was fingertips for a long time. I'd love to work on getting my head to the floor on that airplane but my shoulder stretch and getting my face to my knee on standing splits happens now. I can firmly hold my feet on that figure four that presses the hamstring too. I'm really struggling with strength but clearly something is working because my muscles are really supporting my stretches.
Yoga is life, people. Don't give up on miracles.
Yoga is life, people. Don't give up on miracles.
The Guilt of Transition
Health experts will tout the necessity of, every once in a while, be it for one week every month or so or some other experimental format, to go ahead and take a transitional week. It is supposed to reduce cravings, help overworked muscles etc. Most of these weeks yield the best weight loss results for me as opposed to weeks when I'm doing a vigorous schedule, mostly because I am not stacking muscle, eating as many carbs/protein for energy, relaxing to a diet of healthy fats, etc. However, what should be a week of restoration often comes with a HUGE dose of guilt and even paranoia.
Let's face it-- when we got to the point where weight or health forced us to rethink our habits, we had to pull teeth, sweat, cry, gasp for air and HURT to finally get to the point where we started to love the abuse, to actually feel it heal us. Resting can feel like a betrayal to our motivation where we feel we'll just slip back into our old bad habits and make excuses again.
Let me assure you-- I haven't 'gone back'. I am still watching my calorie intake. I still stretch and do push-ups, do yoga poses while I'm cooking. Yet there is something completely WRONG about not sticking to the rigid schedule I had gotten used to. At this point, and because I still have a minimum of 29 lbs to lose, I am ever vigilant of my evil twin looking to sabotage me with 'kindness'. Come on, Krista, have a piece of cake. You've EARNED it. Ugh, no. I do still enjoy things and I do satiate cravings, but I don't dare let whole unplanned wedges of cake into my body. Luckily for me, I almost have no craving for sweets anyway. It's a rare temptation, if at all.
Still, even when I am still on track, I crave going back to my workout schedule. I told myself to relax a bit for the next two weeks, heal up a bit, it's all good. I will barely be able to get through one week, let alone two. No, P90X3 Round Two is starting the day after Christmas.
Yes, maybe I can have my ninja cake or skip a few workout days in my future. But every excuse I make now makes my goals drift further away-- and they do, because that's exactly what happened when I started in January. This isn't one and done if you really want this to be your new reality. Between January and August, 6 months, I was only able to lose 18 lbs. When I focused on a program I lost another 18 lbs, this time not only gaining muscle, but doing so in 18 weeks (4 and a half months). It doesn't sound like a big difference, but consider muscle weight. Consider the fact that fibromyalgia pain is now manageable without swallowing handfuls of ibuprofen every day. Consider all of the milestones I've made in fitness. This isn't just another 18 lbs in 'only' 6 less weeks that before. This is the real deal health turnover I had been aching for (pun intended-- I'm a white girl. Puns are irresistible).
I look at my schedule hanging up and every day I think "soon...". Every day I forget how important my journey has been is dangerous. My confidence, my well-being, how I treat others, has all been affected by this journey. For all I've suffered, I've been able to give more of myself-- to my talents, to my hobbies, to my energy, to raising my nephews. Aunt Krista doesn't just yell for them to shut-up because she's in too much pain to get up and mediate. Now, she picks them up in one arm and tosses them on their bed while they laugh and forget whatever petty argument they were having.
When someone tells me I'll be fine, I know they are right, but not for the reason they think they are. I will be fine worrying about getting back to my schedule. I will be fine deciding to only have two beers or none at all, or not having that piece of cake until I manage my other dietary needs first. I will be fine making my own decisions and ignoring bad advice given with good intentions.
I promise I will not be the girl that tells you it was ever easy or pushes you to suffer with me. I won't be the one to make sour faces and ask if you're really going to eat that. Even if I really want you to live a long time, I'd much rather it be as the person you are than the person I think you should be. You don't need to treat me like I will sit in judgment of you as harshly as I judge myself. It isn't even possible. The only one who can challenge me is me and I don't suffer under the delusion that you need me to challenge you either.
Just please, understand that I am going to feel some guilt when I have to stray, even planned entirely. I have a chronic illness now and it stole too many happy days. I will spend a couple hours total every day doing something I don't always like so that the other 22 are in the state of health and body that makes me happiest. Even when I snip at you, I swear that I am not nearly as irritated or mentally drained as I was then. I heal faster mentally too, believe it or not. My short term memory isn't non-existent.
If this is you right now, the person that is struggling with the guilt, you are not alone. You are aware that the issue didn't disappear just because you made steps. Maybe you're even at your goal, maintaining, still learning how to keep that healthy relationship with food and exercise. If you haven't learned it yet, allow the guilt to linger there. Certainly don't let it absorb your thoughts, but keep those alerts on. Just like Tony Horton reminds you that yoga and stretching are no less important than the power days, sometimes you have to take your rest days even more gracefully. Life is about balance and this includes listening to your body. Your brain will want you to go, go, go. Let it get frustrated and keep motivating and pestering you.
Then get back on that schedule and rock!
Let's face it-- when we got to the point where weight or health forced us to rethink our habits, we had to pull teeth, sweat, cry, gasp for air and HURT to finally get to the point where we started to love the abuse, to actually feel it heal us. Resting can feel like a betrayal to our motivation where we feel we'll just slip back into our old bad habits and make excuses again.
Let me assure you-- I haven't 'gone back'. I am still watching my calorie intake. I still stretch and do push-ups, do yoga poses while I'm cooking. Yet there is something completely WRONG about not sticking to the rigid schedule I had gotten used to. At this point, and because I still have a minimum of 29 lbs to lose, I am ever vigilant of my evil twin looking to sabotage me with 'kindness'. Come on, Krista, have a piece of cake. You've EARNED it. Ugh, no. I do still enjoy things and I do satiate cravings, but I don't dare let whole unplanned wedges of cake into my body. Luckily for me, I almost have no craving for sweets anyway. It's a rare temptation, if at all.
Still, even when I am still on track, I crave going back to my workout schedule. I told myself to relax a bit for the next two weeks, heal up a bit, it's all good. I will barely be able to get through one week, let alone two. No, P90X3 Round Two is starting the day after Christmas.
Yes, maybe I can have my ninja cake or skip a few workout days in my future. But every excuse I make now makes my goals drift further away-- and they do, because that's exactly what happened when I started in January. This isn't one and done if you really want this to be your new reality. Between January and August, 6 months, I was only able to lose 18 lbs. When I focused on a program I lost another 18 lbs, this time not only gaining muscle, but doing so in 18 weeks (4 and a half months). It doesn't sound like a big difference, but consider muscle weight. Consider the fact that fibromyalgia pain is now manageable without swallowing handfuls of ibuprofen every day. Consider all of the milestones I've made in fitness. This isn't just another 18 lbs in 'only' 6 less weeks that before. This is the real deal health turnover I had been aching for (pun intended-- I'm a white girl. Puns are irresistible).
I look at my schedule hanging up and every day I think "soon...". Every day I forget how important my journey has been is dangerous. My confidence, my well-being, how I treat others, has all been affected by this journey. For all I've suffered, I've been able to give more of myself-- to my talents, to my hobbies, to my energy, to raising my nephews. Aunt Krista doesn't just yell for them to shut-up because she's in too much pain to get up and mediate. Now, she picks them up in one arm and tosses them on their bed while they laugh and forget whatever petty argument they were having.
When someone tells me I'll be fine, I know they are right, but not for the reason they think they are. I will be fine worrying about getting back to my schedule. I will be fine deciding to only have two beers or none at all, or not having that piece of cake until I manage my other dietary needs first. I will be fine making my own decisions and ignoring bad advice given with good intentions.
I promise I will not be the girl that tells you it was ever easy or pushes you to suffer with me. I won't be the one to make sour faces and ask if you're really going to eat that. Even if I really want you to live a long time, I'd much rather it be as the person you are than the person I think you should be. You don't need to treat me like I will sit in judgment of you as harshly as I judge myself. It isn't even possible. The only one who can challenge me is me and I don't suffer under the delusion that you need me to challenge you either.
Just please, understand that I am going to feel some guilt when I have to stray, even planned entirely. I have a chronic illness now and it stole too many happy days. I will spend a couple hours total every day doing something I don't always like so that the other 22 are in the state of health and body that makes me happiest. Even when I snip at you, I swear that I am not nearly as irritated or mentally drained as I was then. I heal faster mentally too, believe it or not. My short term memory isn't non-existent.
If this is you right now, the person that is struggling with the guilt, you are not alone. You are aware that the issue didn't disappear just because you made steps. Maybe you're even at your goal, maintaining, still learning how to keep that healthy relationship with food and exercise. If you haven't learned it yet, allow the guilt to linger there. Certainly don't let it absorb your thoughts, but keep those alerts on. Just like Tony Horton reminds you that yoga and stretching are no less important than the power days, sometimes you have to take your rest days even more gracefully. Life is about balance and this includes listening to your body. Your brain will want you to go, go, go. Let it get frustrated and keep motivating and pestering you.
Then get back on that schedule and rock!
Monday, December 19, 2016
Back to the final results for Round One!
I completed P90X3 yesterday and I couldn't feel better. Scratch that-- I can. I am still a way off from my weight loss goals, but I am so in love with this shape I'm cultivating. The tone, the change in posture, balance, strength, reflexes, it's allllll good.
I am currently 179 lbs., down from my starting weight of 197. I have lost 11 inches all over, mostly from the hips and thighs. You don't get to target areas, that's a myth or that would have been my last choice. Still looking to tighten up my arms and thighs more, but I can't complain. I'm in a transitional week, taking my first rest day today, but I intend to try some other workouts that can target a hip bursitis issue and heal it before I go back for a round two.
I'm ecstatic nonetheless. I was really worried since weight loss is proving a real pain in the ass. I won't lose fast, that much I have to accept. Still, a pound a week on average is the kind of thing I like to see. If that's all I get then I'll take it. I might not get my bikini body this summer, but I will have it and a healthier body to boot. It takes time but I get more quality and quantity time with it.
Bring. It. On...
I am currently 179 lbs., down from my starting weight of 197. I have lost 11 inches all over, mostly from the hips and thighs. You don't get to target areas, that's a myth or that would have been my last choice. Still looking to tighten up my arms and thighs more, but I can't complain. I'm in a transitional week, taking my first rest day today, but I intend to try some other workouts that can target a hip bursitis issue and heal it before I go back for a round two.
I'm ecstatic nonetheless. I was really worried since weight loss is proving a real pain in the ass. I won't lose fast, that much I have to accept. Still, a pound a week on average is the kind of thing I like to see. If that's all I get then I'll take it. I might not get my bikini body this summer, but I will have it and a healthier body to boot. It takes time but I get more quality and quantity time with it.
Bring. It. On...
FFXV: Why I have to interrupt my blog with my other obsession
I won't belabor an introduction to my lifelong love of Final Fantasy and the handful of disappointments I've experiences amidst the overall shining glory as a whole. The graphics are always cutting edge. The characters are worth investing in. The gameplay slowly evolved but always tests new systems. And the stories... Well, damn it, Square...
I don't like to cry, but I like a moving story. I have been okay with the feels that other FF games have given; even when they tear your heart out, they triumph in heroic glory. FFVI was a game that I don't think can be surpassed in terms of storytelling. It moved and rocked me and not one of the main characters had to die to do it. FFVII was the game that brought along the first death scene and I think no one can forget how shattering Aeris's death was. The spin-offs were actually welcome and brought such a richness to the whole. FFVIII brought along the bittersweet notes of two ships passing in the night and their children picking up the torch. Sorry, but FFIX was meh for me, but I didn't love the music or gameplay less for the story. FFX is to many people the last of the best storytelling. The ending was sad but sweet and you could make it even better with the sequel. FFXII is usually where most longtime fans start to fall off with the unconditional love, although I'm probably one of the few who really enjoyed it completely. It wasn't wholly memorable but it was a feel good game for me, although the bunny chick Fran was probably the worst character in the series as a whole. You wanted to be sympathetic to her story since her boyfriend, Balthier, was one of the most animated lovable characters, but she really fell flat.
XIII was the series that started to leave the bad taste in my mouth. It was absolutely beautiful but the first game was linear in gameplay and confusing as a whole. It brought along a very extensive vocabulary and while I loved Lightning and Snow and Hope, I had a hard time liking any of the others. Once I finally understood all the magical rules, the story itself started to become less clear. Let me summarize the rest because the blog post is ultimately about the newest entry to the series. The second game was an unexpected gem. The battle lost its anal-retentive structure and while I found Sera annoying in the first game, I truly liked her and her new sidekick Noah. Again, we got a sad cliffhanger ending. Enter Lightning Returns. I couldn't get through the very first town in this game although I restarted the game three times trying to get on the right foot. This game was nearly unplayable. I would have been more excited if you threw a bunch of one piece Legos at me and told me to build a dragon. I am still tempted to Youtube videos from the game to see what possibly resolved in this trainwreck of a series, but I can't bring myself to try a fourth time.
Type-0 had its jerky camera but couldn't been great aside from that oversight. The beginning cutscene was a tearjerker and it had some real downer moments, but I still felt like the plot made sense.
Ah, FFXV. I loved the brotherhood theme. The building blocks for all of the characters was masterfully done, a hard feat to accomplish with such a huge cast over the course of the prequel movie Kingsglaive and the Brotherhood anime. I have no complaints about either. They were easy to watch and really got me excited to game. And damn, the gameplay was a mark of grace and mastery. There is so much freedom in the choices which is also difficult to pull off. I never felt like I had to troll through menus to get what I wanted out of battle but the choices were there and they were fun to play with. I loved how you could tag team in your comrades' techniques to change the flow of battle. I loved that the menus could give you a breather without disconnecting you from the action. I'm the sort that loves trolling around on fetch quests so I loved the many, many that they gave me. The hunts were always fun (although I admit that I haven't yet beat the Daemonwall, mostly due to not leveling magic because I'm a melee whore). It was the story that could have murdered this game if not for all the shining talent that went into every damn thing else.
So spoilers, peeps, because this is where I needed to rant. It was a great story up until you wake up in Altissia. I didn't hate how Lunafreya died. It seemed inevitable. She hadn't failed to mention that her oracle duties were already shortening her life span just as the Crystal drained the king Regis. Basically, the first 8 chapters really built up a vast potential of possibility... and the rest of the story practically shit down its backside and wiped it up its back. It would be a bit tedious to really hash out all of the WTF moments without having to retell the whole story but I will attempt to bullet some points that bothered me, in no particular order.
*The Niflheim emperor never comes into play after Kingsglaive. He is mentioned but his enormous betrayal or fate never comes up again.
*Ravus is probably the largest most confusing plot hole. Luna had her hands full trying to sell Noctis's good traits to him and he had been a cold and great villain with promise. He gets a couple of cutscenes in the game and... then his body turns up. The smaller plot up to that point seemed to revolve around how he thirsted for the power of the Lucii (but was rejected) then took the sword because Noctis wasn't worthy of it. When you find his body, you might have missed the letters from his sister where for some unclear reason, he decided that Noctis was worthy of the sword and he would return it even if it cost him his life. Clearly it did, but what the hell specifically could have motivated him to both betray his emperor and risk his life? No telling because there was absolutely no real build-up here.
*Pryna... you know, the other dog. Umbra had the strange ability to transport Noctis and his friends "through time" (there's a reason I put that in quotes-- we'll get to that). This is significant in my opinion because this is where I believe the game might be hinting at something with all the references to sleep and dreaming. Pryna is the reason that Prompto turns his life around befriends Noctis but that is the last actual role she ever has... her last passive appearance being a dream Noctis has in the hotel. It is him just fighting a hopeless battle, exhausted and hurt, with Pryna. You see Pryna dead and he falls through the floor and wakes up. This is where I believe Noctis is losing his mind a bit or being pulled into a dream where he can't tell what is real or not.
*The ending supports that theory but hell if I can tell you what parts were real or a dream after a while. The whole 'ten years later' he comes out of the Crystal thing was irritating. The world falls into ruin while he's playing pat-a-cake with Bahamut or something. No one is surprised that Noctis shows up again, but why? The entire story from here at least seems like it is completely his nightmare. Is he going mad or did the daemons physically pull him into a dream that gradually became a nightmare? Did it start when his father died or was it the guilt of thinking he lost Luna where the line was blurred? Absolutely no clue. Did everyone actually die? I saw one theory that stated that the last scene where they are married was simply their last wish in the afterlife, their 'final fantasy.' Oh fucking groan, I hope to hell that corny attempt at wordplay was NOT the intention of the story. I feel differently here...
Once the end screen fades, you go back to the title screen. It is now bright white, with Noctis and Luna sitting together and the music switches from Somnus (Sleep) to the happier one. I would not be surprised if the song is called "Awake". I will research this a bit better when I'm not lazy and hungry, but I hated how depressing the face value story was and had to attempt to fill it in with my own imagination.
Which brings me to the 'final' point-- knock it the fuck off, storytellers, with the 'fill in the blanks' storytelling. In this case, it was extremely rushed and lazy. It was otherwise an amazing game, marred by the bad taste the story left in my mouth. Are you planning on redeeming this story with DLC or a sequel in this world, new characters if we were supposed to take that 'born to die' shit as gospel? I want to kiss everyone else who made this masterpiece, but I've got a bone to pick with what the final direction made of it.
I'm always interested in seeing what other fans may have to add or argue to my opinion pieces. Forgive any of my own oversights. I don't have a perfect memory so I may have missed things here or there. I absolutely believe that fans need to gripe, to hold their beloved developers accountable and work together in whatever active or passive arenas to get the games the absolute best they can be!
I don't like to cry, but I like a moving story. I have been okay with the feels that other FF games have given; even when they tear your heart out, they triumph in heroic glory. FFVI was a game that I don't think can be surpassed in terms of storytelling. It moved and rocked me and not one of the main characters had to die to do it. FFVII was the game that brought along the first death scene and I think no one can forget how shattering Aeris's death was. The spin-offs were actually welcome and brought such a richness to the whole. FFVIII brought along the bittersweet notes of two ships passing in the night and their children picking up the torch. Sorry, but FFIX was meh for me, but I didn't love the music or gameplay less for the story. FFX is to many people the last of the best storytelling. The ending was sad but sweet and you could make it even better with the sequel. FFXII is usually where most longtime fans start to fall off with the unconditional love, although I'm probably one of the few who really enjoyed it completely. It wasn't wholly memorable but it was a feel good game for me, although the bunny chick Fran was probably the worst character in the series as a whole. You wanted to be sympathetic to her story since her boyfriend, Balthier, was one of the most animated lovable characters, but she really fell flat.
XIII was the series that started to leave the bad taste in my mouth. It was absolutely beautiful but the first game was linear in gameplay and confusing as a whole. It brought along a very extensive vocabulary and while I loved Lightning and Snow and Hope, I had a hard time liking any of the others. Once I finally understood all the magical rules, the story itself started to become less clear. Let me summarize the rest because the blog post is ultimately about the newest entry to the series. The second game was an unexpected gem. The battle lost its anal-retentive structure and while I found Sera annoying in the first game, I truly liked her and her new sidekick Noah. Again, we got a sad cliffhanger ending. Enter Lightning Returns. I couldn't get through the very first town in this game although I restarted the game three times trying to get on the right foot. This game was nearly unplayable. I would have been more excited if you threw a bunch of one piece Legos at me and told me to build a dragon. I am still tempted to Youtube videos from the game to see what possibly resolved in this trainwreck of a series, but I can't bring myself to try a fourth time.
Type-0 had its jerky camera but couldn't been great aside from that oversight. The beginning cutscene was a tearjerker and it had some real downer moments, but I still felt like the plot made sense.
Ah, FFXV. I loved the brotherhood theme. The building blocks for all of the characters was masterfully done, a hard feat to accomplish with such a huge cast over the course of the prequel movie Kingsglaive and the Brotherhood anime. I have no complaints about either. They were easy to watch and really got me excited to game. And damn, the gameplay was a mark of grace and mastery. There is so much freedom in the choices which is also difficult to pull off. I never felt like I had to troll through menus to get what I wanted out of battle but the choices were there and they were fun to play with. I loved how you could tag team in your comrades' techniques to change the flow of battle. I loved that the menus could give you a breather without disconnecting you from the action. I'm the sort that loves trolling around on fetch quests so I loved the many, many that they gave me. The hunts were always fun (although I admit that I haven't yet beat the Daemonwall, mostly due to not leveling magic because I'm a melee whore). It was the story that could have murdered this game if not for all the shining talent that went into every damn thing else.
So spoilers, peeps, because this is where I needed to rant. It was a great story up until you wake up in Altissia. I didn't hate how Lunafreya died. It seemed inevitable. She hadn't failed to mention that her oracle duties were already shortening her life span just as the Crystal drained the king Regis. Basically, the first 8 chapters really built up a vast potential of possibility... and the rest of the story practically shit down its backside and wiped it up its back. It would be a bit tedious to really hash out all of the WTF moments without having to retell the whole story but I will attempt to bullet some points that bothered me, in no particular order.
*The Niflheim emperor never comes into play after Kingsglaive. He is mentioned but his enormous betrayal or fate never comes up again.
*Ravus is probably the largest most confusing plot hole. Luna had her hands full trying to sell Noctis's good traits to him and he had been a cold and great villain with promise. He gets a couple of cutscenes in the game and... then his body turns up. The smaller plot up to that point seemed to revolve around how he thirsted for the power of the Lucii (but was rejected) then took the sword because Noctis wasn't worthy of it. When you find his body, you might have missed the letters from his sister where for some unclear reason, he decided that Noctis was worthy of the sword and he would return it even if it cost him his life. Clearly it did, but what the hell specifically could have motivated him to both betray his emperor and risk his life? No telling because there was absolutely no real build-up here.
*Pryna... you know, the other dog. Umbra had the strange ability to transport Noctis and his friends "through time" (there's a reason I put that in quotes-- we'll get to that). This is significant in my opinion because this is where I believe the game might be hinting at something with all the references to sleep and dreaming. Pryna is the reason that Prompto turns his life around befriends Noctis but that is the last actual role she ever has... her last passive appearance being a dream Noctis has in the hotel. It is him just fighting a hopeless battle, exhausted and hurt, with Pryna. You see Pryna dead and he falls through the floor and wakes up. This is where I believe Noctis is losing his mind a bit or being pulled into a dream where he can't tell what is real or not.
*The ending supports that theory but hell if I can tell you what parts were real or a dream after a while. The whole 'ten years later' he comes out of the Crystal thing was irritating. The world falls into ruin while he's playing pat-a-cake with Bahamut or something. No one is surprised that Noctis shows up again, but why? The entire story from here at least seems like it is completely his nightmare. Is he going mad or did the daemons physically pull him into a dream that gradually became a nightmare? Did it start when his father died or was it the guilt of thinking he lost Luna where the line was blurred? Absolutely no clue. Did everyone actually die? I saw one theory that stated that the last scene where they are married was simply their last wish in the afterlife, their 'final fantasy.' Oh fucking groan, I hope to hell that corny attempt at wordplay was NOT the intention of the story. I feel differently here...
Once the end screen fades, you go back to the title screen. It is now bright white, with Noctis and Luna sitting together and the music switches from Somnus (Sleep) to the happier one. I would not be surprised if the song is called "Awake". I will research this a bit better when I'm not lazy and hungry, but I hated how depressing the face value story was and had to attempt to fill it in with my own imagination.
Which brings me to the 'final' point-- knock it the fuck off, storytellers, with the 'fill in the blanks' storytelling. In this case, it was extremely rushed and lazy. It was otherwise an amazing game, marred by the bad taste the story left in my mouth. Are you planning on redeeming this story with DLC or a sequel in this world, new characters if we were supposed to take that 'born to die' shit as gospel? I want to kiss everyone else who made this masterpiece, but I've got a bone to pick with what the final direction made of it.
I'm always interested in seeing what other fans may have to add or argue to my opinion pieces. Forgive any of my own oversights. I don't have a perfect memory so I may have missed things here or there. I absolutely believe that fans need to gripe, to hold their beloved developers accountable and work together in whatever active or passive arenas to get the games the absolute best they can be!
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Slacking
I'm slacking a bit on keeping up here. Not because I haven't been consistently doing my thang, because I have. Still eating healthy, still making milestones, still getting better. I've been dealing with a hip bursitis issue that has cropped up again after many years of having been gone, but I knew intense exercise might bring it back. It hasn't stopped me, just made it necessary to keep on modifying.
Here's the real reason I haven't been logging... Final Fantasy XV, guys. It's fucking amazing. I've been at it like a fiend. I get up, I eat, I take the boys to school, I exercise, I shower, I gaaaaaaaaaame, all damn day. Yes, I stretch, I remember to eat more, I go get the boys from school, but then I gaaaaaaaame. It had been so long since I've been able to enjoy marathon gaming. It hasn't been bad for me either. I actually saw another 2 lbs down and another few inches off of the overall measurements.
So, if the blog dates are few and far between, know that I will update all of the things at a later date, including my workouts logs and reviews for P90X3 workouts. I will be finishing my first challenge at the end of this coming week. I plan on doing some transitional workouts to stretch out this stubborn hip issue before starting back up after Christmas. It's been a good but hard couple of weeks. I avoid social media because my dog died around this time last year and FB likes to remind me of that horrible time all over again. So, for now, I am focusing on happy thoughts.
Like getting the holidays over with. Bah humbug, but I'll be glad to see it all go and just keep gaming until I'm gamed out then get back to drawing. And writing. Can't believe I'm working on my 8th book. I really ought to work on publishing those... I'm being extremely picky about it though. I have to illustrate the first book at least, but this is proving monumental.
Anyways, more later. This girl is tired! Love, peace, and chicken grease!
Here's the real reason I haven't been logging... Final Fantasy XV, guys. It's fucking amazing. I've been at it like a fiend. I get up, I eat, I take the boys to school, I exercise, I shower, I gaaaaaaaaaame, all damn day. Yes, I stretch, I remember to eat more, I go get the boys from school, but then I gaaaaaaaame. It had been so long since I've been able to enjoy marathon gaming. It hasn't been bad for me either. I actually saw another 2 lbs down and another few inches off of the overall measurements.
So, if the blog dates are few and far between, know that I will update all of the things at a later date, including my workouts logs and reviews for P90X3 workouts. I will be finishing my first challenge at the end of this coming week. I plan on doing some transitional workouts to stretch out this stubborn hip issue before starting back up after Christmas. It's been a good but hard couple of weeks. I avoid social media because my dog died around this time last year and FB likes to remind me of that horrible time all over again. So, for now, I am focusing on happy thoughts.
Like getting the holidays over with. Bah humbug, but I'll be glad to see it all go and just keep gaming until I'm gamed out then get back to drawing. And writing. Can't believe I'm working on my 8th book. I really ought to work on publishing those... I'm being extremely picky about it though. I have to illustrate the first book at least, but this is proving monumental.
Anyways, more later. This girl is tired! Love, peace, and chicken grease!
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Ups and downs and bmr
While looking up info on BMI, I stumbled on the acronym BMR = basal metabolic rate. I input my own stats and it tells me that my daily intake should be at 1600. I haven't been losing or gaining weight which has been discouraging so I was looking for insight. Most people will only tout the math 3500 calories = 1 pound, but very few will tell you that going too low can create plateaus and slow your metabolic rate. For every 15 lbs I lose, that daily intake drops 100 calories, but apparently I've needed those calories or my body cold simply be holding onto everything I take in to try (and fail) to convert it to energy. So I'll try this new budget for a couple weeks and see where it gets me. It honestly never occurred to me that these new muscles are thirsty, that they'll help me burn the fat, if I feed them well!
I'm not going to say weight plateaus disappoint me anymore. I'll figure that out. I truly enjoy what I do for my muscles with exercise and I know better than to believe I'm failing when I've developed these amazing benefits to better health. I already have a better relationship with food and my body moves with more confidence, grace and balance. I look healthy and my usual clothes look baggier because my measurements are definitely shrinking even if the number on the scale isn't. That will happen. I'm on my 15th week of these programs and my other posts show significant progress. Four months ago, I was discouraged, sure that after 6 months of failed programs and diets, I'd never find a way. Still, I had lost 18 lbs in those months so I was learning then too. It seems there is always more to learn about my own unique body chemistry as well as how it pertains to my existing and lifelong struggle with chronic pain. I have been on this journey for 10 months and I'm finally grasping some things and newly stumbling on others. I've seen some real whack job theories and diets and have weeded through what works and doesn't work.
And I get it, muscleheads; why you're always kissing them and flexing them. Muscles are amazing. I actually get it now. It feels damn good!
Saturday, November 12, 2016
just an update
Since I've isolated the workout and diet info into updates posts, I figured I'd dedicate newer posts to whatever else i observe. My weight has made it down to 183 lbs, slow and steady but yes, it is dropping. Im enjoying a diet rich in veggies, some fruit, whole wheat sandwiches packed with tuna, turkey, or chicken (and sometimes spinach or avocado), delicious Greek yogurt combos and healthy choice steamers when i need a quick low calorie option. I make my own milkshakes and bake treats. It took a while to get used to but i use food prep and baking time to test some of the moves i know.
I can hold my leg straight in an extended leg toe bind now! Even though my pushup strength is mediocre, my arms are toning up and i am able to plank strongly. My wrists are most of the challenge here and I take Tony Horton's words to heart when he says it counts as long as you're bending the elbow. I'm a little better off than that since i can close the gap about halfway, but i listen to my body, push myself, but understand where to stop. Havent injured myself since I've really started gauging what my muscles are up to. In fact, i have had one rest day in the past six weeks and mostly due a bad day in chronic pain rather than overdoing exercise. Mostly, i am able to work through the pain, but every once in a while,the rest day is mandatory if I want to get the most out of future workouts.
Anyways, progress is phenomenal and I look forward to every day I get to wake up and fight for better health.
I can hold my leg straight in an extended leg toe bind now! Even though my pushup strength is mediocre, my arms are toning up and i am able to plank strongly. My wrists are most of the challenge here and I take Tony Horton's words to heart when he says it counts as long as you're bending the elbow. I'm a little better off than that since i can close the gap about halfway, but i listen to my body, push myself, but understand where to stop. Havent injured myself since I've really started gauging what my muscles are up to. In fact, i have had one rest day in the past six weeks and mostly due a bad day in chronic pain rather than overdoing exercise. Mostly, i am able to work through the pain, but every once in a while,the rest day is mandatory if I want to get the most out of future workouts.
Anyways, progress is phenomenal and I look forward to every day I get to wake up and fight for better health.
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Comprehensive Review of P90X3 (to be updated periodically)
I'm going to take my original reviews and expand on these as impressions change. This will help people see more effectively how progress and attitudes can change with time.
P90X3 Reviews:
Total Synergistics- this leads off the 90 day challenge schedule and I'm fairly sure it's meant to weed out the undetermined. Starts off with what I call "jiggle exercises" which I hate for the basic fact it reminds me exactly where all the fat on my body is. It requires a pull-up bar and weights or resistance bands, but I have neither except for one pound weights so I modified the best I could, trying to engage the same muscle groups at least. Some of the exercises I found exhausting and difficult and while I did breathe hard, I didn't get as much sweat going as I do with PiYo or a basic HIIT workout. I wouldn't mind phasing this video out if I find ones that seem to challenge and interest me more. With the sheer number of videos in this series, I am positive I will find enough variety to weed out ones I don't feel are effective for my goals. I didn't record reps or anything either, but the first time I take the challenge, I want to focus more on what's going on with my body than the "one more rep" mentality. I'm the sort to push to my limits anyway, but I can see how this method might prove effective for people who always just do the bare minimum. I have a friend who swears by this series though so I do have faith that something will appeal to me. I feel like this is a program that you can tailor with experience so I look forward to seeing how I can make it work best for me.
UPDATE: This workout was only a part of the Classic schedule and I swtiched to the Lean schedule. Admittedly, I never did get fond of this and often swapped it out with Warrior. I may come back to this at a later date, but I will tell you, for a chronic pain sufferer, it was not my favorite nor is it likely to grow on me.
Agility X- this one used floor tape marked to indicate foot positions but I really just mimicked the moves. This one is not good in the limited space I have. I also couldn't do some of the moves because there were no modifications for high impact jumps. There was a lot of jumping I had to avoid and running was something I had to do very carefully. Because of the squat moves, my lower back is feeling the ache after, but like the first one, there's still a good take away of moves that are effective and challenging. Again, one to put off if someone has iffy joints and doesn't quite have the strength or ability, but it's not impossible. I got a good sweat even throwing in some alternating HIIT moves to substitute jumps. I've heard this program referred to as being the easiest P90x and I can only assume these people are very healthy and already in great shape because this workout is no joke. The guy on the left especially was gasping for air and he had some good lean muscle at that. Always take the bravado in reviews with a grain of salt. This may be too much for me right now, but I think an 'easier' P90x may still be too difficult for some people. I couldn't have done this at all 8 weeks ago, but I think that this program is more doable for people with chronic pain if they limber up with some lighter workouts first. PiYo's first week of the challenge and a simple HIIT routine were my precursors and while I can't nail everything, I still think trying gets me closer to maybe doing so one day.
UPDATE: Only did this once since I don't have adequate room for it. I will tell you-- I researched and this is one of the highest calorie burners in the series so I wouldn't skip it unless you really can't handle the running and jumping at all. It was possible to modify this a bit, but I would love to be able to do this one at a later date.
3x Yoga- I love yoga based workouts so I was really excited for this one going into it. Exceeded expectations! Having done PiYo before, I was relieved to see a lot of familiar poses, however, Tony really wins here. Not only did he walk you through poses smoothly, he didn't have you hold things overly long (just to lock in form or extend a stretch) and actually cued breathing too, which is a huge thing in yoga that PiYo overlooked. The only two I absolutely couldn't connect were extended toe bind and camel (although my plow was pretty mediocre) but my back is still a bit sore from engaging little used lower back muscles on Agility X the day before. Still, this has been far and away my favorite and definitely makes it into my long term plan. Yoga uses such amazing engagements with strength and flexibility, a good break from intense cardio that still let's you know it counts. It's like leg day, guys-- don't skip it.
UPDATE: This one has consistently stayed my sentimental favorite. It does wonders for my joints and confidence and really gets the body ready for harder workouts. It may be some time before I can do Crow or any that ask me to balance on my arms, but I have really managed to nail most of the rest, including Camel and Plow, which were not happening at first. I really can't manage the Extended Leg Toe Bind either, but I am really nailing Bound Side Angle. I don't join my hands behind me but I do wrap my arm completely around my calf, which is where I feel the best stretch at this time.
The Challenge- this one lives up to the name but not more so than any of the others. Like its name implies, it challenges you to 'pick your numbers' (pull-up reps and push-up reps) then has you alternate between types of pulls and pushes twice before giving you a one minute cool down. Don't think this cheats you out of the thirty minutes because you need to use that time to gently stretch the muscles you just pushed. The cool down phase is just as important as the workout phase in HIIT workouts and you can ruin your muscles if you don't limber up between sets. It goes on like this until the last two and a half minutes, which is a burnout phase (reps of 1 and 3 as fast as you can fire them off with proper form) before the cool down. Since this was my first time through, I did the pull-up phase without resistance or a bar, but I did muscle flexing and holds to engage the muscles. Again, because of my joints, I often opt out of anything but body weight or one pound weights, at least until I can build up to it without sharp pain. It was still kicking my ass because I was careful to follow form and movement. Again, not one of my favorites but it was still worthy. Like the others, it gives you something to work towards. Tony's a scary looking dude on first glance but he's a joker that also gets down to business. A lot of workout instructors will say a cheesy phrase that I roll my eyes on every time I get to it, but this guy pals around with his group, which I find I like more.
UPDATE: I miss doing this one. It really grew on me after a while but got swapped out for harder workouts in later phases. Still, I love how it encouraged you to always just go after your personal best each time.
CVX- the first 15 minutes were the hardest, but the combination of cardio and weights was meant to really tire you and Tony is really forgiving about dropping that weight and just hitting the right motion. I didn't always get through the full minute without needing to catch my breath but I felt every bit of it. I skipped the burnout phase, which I catch myself doing a lot the first time through, but I didn't waste it either, preferring to stretch. I'm finding I've developed a soreness in the muscles just under the collarbone at the shoulder (the "fly" muscles) but I did do push-ups yesterday. I have noticed that where I am the most sore from a previous workout, they seem to get a rest with the next day in the schedule or at the least a less vigorous warming up. It was a rough start but I still like the rotation of moves, like with The Challenge. I tend to have a better attitude towards the more structured sets.
UPDATE: This is one of my favorites even though it's really love/hate. The first 15 minutes always piss me off but once it goes into the hops, my body starts to feel looser and I finish up strong. I still struggle to get through the full minute sometimes, but I never feel like I'm losing out because I always sweat and really feel the burn.
The Warrior- this one is a sort of high energy boot camp one that was hell on my lower back the first time around but really gets you sweating and focusing on targeting movement and muscle. I find that the pushup phases can be really hard on me, so I've taken to doing some of them on my knees so I don't put too much stress on my wrists. I'd love to get some of the powerstands eventually to really push through this issue. Still, I find this has become one I look forward to, despite not liking it at first. I still find myself not following through with sprawls since I don't have good shoes for it, but I do palm the floor instead so I can lightly stretch my lower back and legs.
Dynamix- this one kinda reminds me of a PiYo workout only more intense than the first week of PiYo. It takes some yoga elements and focuses on keeping it cardiovascular and moving. It can be a bit grueling at times and I did need to make my own modifications since my hips don't allow for forearm side planks with open hip (I crossed the leg that was supposed to go up forward and used it to straighten out my hips to hold the side plank less painfully) and if you have larger breasts like I do, you might need to use your forearms to keep them from pressing into the floor on glute lifts and scorpions. Again, some of my complaints mainly come from struggling to overcome a pain condition so I do have some hypersensitivities even larger women don't experience. Still, I do enjoy the polka stretches and the way difficult moves seem to sandwich in between less difficult ones to keep me from getting discouraged. I find it hard to make it all the way through a minute on some videos, but this one I find myself being able to get there more.
UPDATE: This is one I hate skipping so I often don't. Gives me one of the most sweaty workouts and the stretches are so crucial to ending the week before Monday hits you. You can get benefit out of all of these moves no matter how much you have to modify them. Sometimes I can go advanced, but I never feel guilty when I have to pull back because this workout is meant to prep muscles not exhaust them.
Accelerator- cardio hell. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad workout! I feel like my lungs expanded a bit painfully at times and could very rarely push beyond halfway to three quarters on my first try, but some of these moves are a bit advanced for my level. The donkey kicks at the end were a big hell no since I've just gotten to the point where I can do planks on my toes instead of my knees. My wrists are much stronger than they were two months ago but definitely not ready for supporting all of my current body weight. Again, my main complaint would be that some of the jumps and twists are really dangerous to even attempt for my wrists and ankles but I'm not ruling out the possibility for the future. I've come a long way on my path to good habits and good health and I think this one will definitely be more valuable with time.
Isometrix- this one I recall was a tough power yoga sort of challenge. It takes basic yoga poses to a harder level, asking you to isolate and hold in very uncomfortable poses, challenging your balance, strength, stamina and flexibility. It's not cardio, but it will have you sweating. I wasn't able to really lock in a lot of them, but I didn't feel like I was cheating when I had to modify them even more simply just so I could still feel a challenge with my current limits. Definitely one I have any iffy relationship with out of the gate but I still think this is one I'll keep coming back to stubbornly, hoping I'll get a little further each time.
Pilates X- This is one I always look forward to yet end up grunting through. The combination of pulsing breaths and precise motions is very yoga like and yet absolutely nothing like it in that you REALLY have to build strength and flexibility over balance here. I love doing Saw and Alphabet Soup the most, but V Rocker and the scissor moves are refreshing too. Some of the side planking moves are still way outside of my skill level; at this point, I drop onto my hip and just focus on strengthening the active leg, which is plenty challenging without trying to keep my hip and quad holding my body up. I always try to do at least one rep before dropping though. Like Yoga, this is definitely something that you don't want to skip if you want to avoid injury in strength and cardio routines. These kinds of workouts are deceptively tough when it comes to endurance of strength.
Triometrix- shit just got real. This one will take you through 3 levels in each one. Tony will tell you stick with Level 2 if you struggle there, but there were one or two where I had to hang at level 1. Again, this one is a gradual push to see where you're at. Nate, the modifier working on previous injuries, normally stayed at Level 2 but he had a couple sets that he excelled at, forcing the mid-level modifier to swap so he could show you. This one will put everyone at different skill levels. Men tend to rock the strength sets where women tend to take it on flexibility but that wasn't always the case and you could really see all the different benefits of listening to your own body. Tough cookie, to be sure, but I found it intriguing rather than frustrating and I always challenge myself.
MMX- This was the one I was really pumped about since I wanted to incorporate more martial arts in. Fair warning, being overzealous had me regretting it in my traps and shoulders. I corrected this on the next go, but isolate your punches and kicks until you understand where to extend a move and where to rein it in. If that doesn't make sense to you, it will. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. I wasn't able to really get the Superman Punch, Scrambles, Sprawls, or Gladiator Kicks down. Again, without proper shoes and being leery about jumpy at my current level, I do need to modify certain moves. Rest assured, everything else I can do absolutely kicked my ass. This one is fun regardless, but don't overdo it!
Eccentric Upper- very challenging. If you were feeling overconfident by the time this one shows up, this one will humble you. This one will really test your upper body strength with both weights and body weights moves. I still find this one oddly less difficult than Eccentric Lower, but then I have a hip bursitis to contend with. I tend to like the workouts that ask you to tailor your reps and weights to improve on a personal level. This one definitely hits the right spots.
Eccentric Lower- I was not a fan of this the first time around. It happened to fall on a week where an old hip issue reared its ugly head and the sidekicks especially were painful. Like Eccentric Upper, this one asks you to do a sort of interval isolation and hold style that focuses on the lower body instead. I did like the lunges where you put a leg behind you on a chair to dip down though. It was a very different approach to lunges and one that really added a challenge. This one really takes some getting used to but very worth the effort.
P90X3 Reviews:
Total Synergistics- this leads off the 90 day challenge schedule and I'm fairly sure it's meant to weed out the undetermined. Starts off with what I call "jiggle exercises" which I hate for the basic fact it reminds me exactly where all the fat on my body is. It requires a pull-up bar and weights or resistance bands, but I have neither except for one pound weights so I modified the best I could, trying to engage the same muscle groups at least. Some of the exercises I found exhausting and difficult and while I did breathe hard, I didn't get as much sweat going as I do with PiYo or a basic HIIT workout. I wouldn't mind phasing this video out if I find ones that seem to challenge and interest me more. With the sheer number of videos in this series, I am positive I will find enough variety to weed out ones I don't feel are effective for my goals. I didn't record reps or anything either, but the first time I take the challenge, I want to focus more on what's going on with my body than the "one more rep" mentality. I'm the sort to push to my limits anyway, but I can see how this method might prove effective for people who always just do the bare minimum. I have a friend who swears by this series though so I do have faith that something will appeal to me. I feel like this is a program that you can tailor with experience so I look forward to seeing how I can make it work best for me.
UPDATE: This workout was only a part of the Classic schedule and I swtiched to the Lean schedule. Admittedly, I never did get fond of this and often swapped it out with Warrior. I may come back to this at a later date, but I will tell you, for a chronic pain sufferer, it was not my favorite nor is it likely to grow on me.
Agility X- this one used floor tape marked to indicate foot positions but I really just mimicked the moves. This one is not good in the limited space I have. I also couldn't do some of the moves because there were no modifications for high impact jumps. There was a lot of jumping I had to avoid and running was something I had to do very carefully. Because of the squat moves, my lower back is feeling the ache after, but like the first one, there's still a good take away of moves that are effective and challenging. Again, one to put off if someone has iffy joints and doesn't quite have the strength or ability, but it's not impossible. I got a good sweat even throwing in some alternating HIIT moves to substitute jumps. I've heard this program referred to as being the easiest P90x and I can only assume these people are very healthy and already in great shape because this workout is no joke. The guy on the left especially was gasping for air and he had some good lean muscle at that. Always take the bravado in reviews with a grain of salt. This may be too much for me right now, but I think an 'easier' P90x may still be too difficult for some people. I couldn't have done this at all 8 weeks ago, but I think that this program is more doable for people with chronic pain if they limber up with some lighter workouts first. PiYo's first week of the challenge and a simple HIIT routine were my precursors and while I can't nail everything, I still think trying gets me closer to maybe doing so one day.
UPDATE: Only did this once since I don't have adequate room for it. I will tell you-- I researched and this is one of the highest calorie burners in the series so I wouldn't skip it unless you really can't handle the running and jumping at all. It was possible to modify this a bit, but I would love to be able to do this one at a later date.
3x Yoga- I love yoga based workouts so I was really excited for this one going into it. Exceeded expectations! Having done PiYo before, I was relieved to see a lot of familiar poses, however, Tony really wins here. Not only did he walk you through poses smoothly, he didn't have you hold things overly long (just to lock in form or extend a stretch) and actually cued breathing too, which is a huge thing in yoga that PiYo overlooked. The only two I absolutely couldn't connect were extended toe bind and camel (although my plow was pretty mediocre) but my back is still a bit sore from engaging little used lower back muscles on Agility X the day before. Still, this has been far and away my favorite and definitely makes it into my long term plan. Yoga uses such amazing engagements with strength and flexibility, a good break from intense cardio that still let's you know it counts. It's like leg day, guys-- don't skip it.
UPDATE: This one has consistently stayed my sentimental favorite. It does wonders for my joints and confidence and really gets the body ready for harder workouts. It may be some time before I can do Crow or any that ask me to balance on my arms, but I have really managed to nail most of the rest, including Camel and Plow, which were not happening at first. I really can't manage the Extended Leg Toe Bind either, but I am really nailing Bound Side Angle. I don't join my hands behind me but I do wrap my arm completely around my calf, which is where I feel the best stretch at this time.
The Challenge- this one lives up to the name but not more so than any of the others. Like its name implies, it challenges you to 'pick your numbers' (pull-up reps and push-up reps) then has you alternate between types of pulls and pushes twice before giving you a one minute cool down. Don't think this cheats you out of the thirty minutes because you need to use that time to gently stretch the muscles you just pushed. The cool down phase is just as important as the workout phase in HIIT workouts and you can ruin your muscles if you don't limber up between sets. It goes on like this until the last two and a half minutes, which is a burnout phase (reps of 1 and 3 as fast as you can fire them off with proper form) before the cool down. Since this was my first time through, I did the pull-up phase without resistance or a bar, but I did muscle flexing and holds to engage the muscles. Again, because of my joints, I often opt out of anything but body weight or one pound weights, at least until I can build up to it without sharp pain. It was still kicking my ass because I was careful to follow form and movement. Again, not one of my favorites but it was still worthy. Like the others, it gives you something to work towards. Tony's a scary looking dude on first glance but he's a joker that also gets down to business. A lot of workout instructors will say a cheesy phrase that I roll my eyes on every time I get to it, but this guy pals around with his group, which I find I like more.
UPDATE: I miss doing this one. It really grew on me after a while but got swapped out for harder workouts in later phases. Still, I love how it encouraged you to always just go after your personal best each time.
CVX- the first 15 minutes were the hardest, but the combination of cardio and weights was meant to really tire you and Tony is really forgiving about dropping that weight and just hitting the right motion. I didn't always get through the full minute without needing to catch my breath but I felt every bit of it. I skipped the burnout phase, which I catch myself doing a lot the first time through, but I didn't waste it either, preferring to stretch. I'm finding I've developed a soreness in the muscles just under the collarbone at the shoulder (the "fly" muscles) but I did do push-ups yesterday. I have noticed that where I am the most sore from a previous workout, they seem to get a rest with the next day in the schedule or at the least a less vigorous warming up. It was a rough start but I still like the rotation of moves, like with The Challenge. I tend to have a better attitude towards the more structured sets.
UPDATE: This is one of my favorites even though it's really love/hate. The first 15 minutes always piss me off but once it goes into the hops, my body starts to feel looser and I finish up strong. I still struggle to get through the full minute sometimes, but I never feel like I'm losing out because I always sweat and really feel the burn.
The Warrior- this one is a sort of high energy boot camp one that was hell on my lower back the first time around but really gets you sweating and focusing on targeting movement and muscle. I find that the pushup phases can be really hard on me, so I've taken to doing some of them on my knees so I don't put too much stress on my wrists. I'd love to get some of the powerstands eventually to really push through this issue. Still, I find this has become one I look forward to, despite not liking it at first. I still find myself not following through with sprawls since I don't have good shoes for it, but I do palm the floor instead so I can lightly stretch my lower back and legs.
Dynamix- this one kinda reminds me of a PiYo workout only more intense than the first week of PiYo. It takes some yoga elements and focuses on keeping it cardiovascular and moving. It can be a bit grueling at times and I did need to make my own modifications since my hips don't allow for forearm side planks with open hip (I crossed the leg that was supposed to go up forward and used it to straighten out my hips to hold the side plank less painfully) and if you have larger breasts like I do, you might need to use your forearms to keep them from pressing into the floor on glute lifts and scorpions. Again, some of my complaints mainly come from struggling to overcome a pain condition so I do have some hypersensitivities even larger women don't experience. Still, I do enjoy the polka stretches and the way difficult moves seem to sandwich in between less difficult ones to keep me from getting discouraged. I find it hard to make it all the way through a minute on some videos, but this one I find myself being able to get there more.
UPDATE: This is one I hate skipping so I often don't. Gives me one of the most sweaty workouts and the stretches are so crucial to ending the week before Monday hits you. You can get benefit out of all of these moves no matter how much you have to modify them. Sometimes I can go advanced, but I never feel guilty when I have to pull back because this workout is meant to prep muscles not exhaust them.
Accelerator- cardio hell. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad workout! I feel like my lungs expanded a bit painfully at times and could very rarely push beyond halfway to three quarters on my first try, but some of these moves are a bit advanced for my level. The donkey kicks at the end were a big hell no since I've just gotten to the point where I can do planks on my toes instead of my knees. My wrists are much stronger than they were two months ago but definitely not ready for supporting all of my current body weight. Again, my main complaint would be that some of the jumps and twists are really dangerous to even attempt for my wrists and ankles but I'm not ruling out the possibility for the future. I've come a long way on my path to good habits and good health and I think this one will definitely be more valuable with time.
Isometrix- this one I recall was a tough power yoga sort of challenge. It takes basic yoga poses to a harder level, asking you to isolate and hold in very uncomfortable poses, challenging your balance, strength, stamina and flexibility. It's not cardio, but it will have you sweating. I wasn't able to really lock in a lot of them, but I didn't feel like I was cheating when I had to modify them even more simply just so I could still feel a challenge with my current limits. Definitely one I have any iffy relationship with out of the gate but I still think this is one I'll keep coming back to stubbornly, hoping I'll get a little further each time.
Pilates X- This is one I always look forward to yet end up grunting through. The combination of pulsing breaths and precise motions is very yoga like and yet absolutely nothing like it in that you REALLY have to build strength and flexibility over balance here. I love doing Saw and Alphabet Soup the most, but V Rocker and the scissor moves are refreshing too. Some of the side planking moves are still way outside of my skill level; at this point, I drop onto my hip and just focus on strengthening the active leg, which is plenty challenging without trying to keep my hip and quad holding my body up. I always try to do at least one rep before dropping though. Like Yoga, this is definitely something that you don't want to skip if you want to avoid injury in strength and cardio routines. These kinds of workouts are deceptively tough when it comes to endurance of strength.
Triometrix- shit just got real. This one will take you through 3 levels in each one. Tony will tell you stick with Level 2 if you struggle there, but there were one or two where I had to hang at level 1. Again, this one is a gradual push to see where you're at. Nate, the modifier working on previous injuries, normally stayed at Level 2 but he had a couple sets that he excelled at, forcing the mid-level modifier to swap so he could show you. This one will put everyone at different skill levels. Men tend to rock the strength sets where women tend to take it on flexibility but that wasn't always the case and you could really see all the different benefits of listening to your own body. Tough cookie, to be sure, but I found it intriguing rather than frustrating and I always challenge myself.
MMX- This was the one I was really pumped about since I wanted to incorporate more martial arts in. Fair warning, being overzealous had me regretting it in my traps and shoulders. I corrected this on the next go, but isolate your punches and kicks until you understand where to extend a move and where to rein it in. If that doesn't make sense to you, it will. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. I wasn't able to really get the Superman Punch, Scrambles, Sprawls, or Gladiator Kicks down. Again, without proper shoes and being leery about jumpy at my current level, I do need to modify certain moves. Rest assured, everything else I can do absolutely kicked my ass. This one is fun regardless, but don't overdo it!
Eccentric Upper- very challenging. If you were feeling overconfident by the time this one shows up, this one will humble you. This one will really test your upper body strength with both weights and body weights moves. I still find this one oddly less difficult than Eccentric Lower, but then I have a hip bursitis to contend with. I tend to like the workouts that ask you to tailor your reps and weights to improve on a personal level. This one definitely hits the right spots.
Eccentric Lower- I was not a fan of this the first time around. It happened to fall on a week where an old hip issue reared its ugly head and the sidekicks especially were painful. Like Eccentric Upper, this one asks you to do a sort of interval isolation and hold style that focuses on the lower body instead. I did like the lunges where you put a leg behind you on a chair to dip down though. It was a very different approach to lunges and one that really added a challenge. This one really takes some getting used to but very worth the effort.
I think I'm onto something!
Oh, thank fuck, I'm moving in the right direction. After suspecting that low calorie was actually working against me with daily exercise and constant movement, I decided to do the stupidest thing and weigh myself after eating to see the scale reading 184 lbs. that's two pounds lower than last week and I've been veering away from low calorie. I don't consistently do calorie budgets anymore-- I listen to my body. If I can do a low calorie day, I do, but if I'm hungry, I load up on protein and healthy fats like my body wants. Low calories days are still 1200-1400 calories, higher calorie days are 1800-2000. According to most Beachbody diets, I should be doing about 2000-2100 calories but I found this tend to feel like I'm stuffing myself if I do that consistently. A lot of people are having good results from a sort of roller coaster diet like I'm doing so as long as it works, I'll keep it up, adjusting when I have to. I really feel like I'm getting the hang of it though.
Six more weeks of P90X3 after this! Once completed, I plan on doing a second round. If I need the rest, I'll take a week off and just do the lifts cardio walks and basic stretching to prepare. I could never just rest entirely, but I know the value of listening to my body. Ffs, I am now down 31 lbs this year. I hope that I can pick that up a bit now that I've reached a diet breakthrough. For now. Who knows what my body is up to...
I'll have to consolidate my P90X3 reviews and possibly add to those now that I have more developed impressions. I wanted beginners like I was to get those honest first impressions before pride made me forget just how much I struggled. However, I also want to encourage people that, yes, it does get easier. Don't let that fool you-- you will never feel like you aren't challenged. There is always a way to push a set that will humble you.
Six more weeks of P90X3 after this! Once completed, I plan on doing a second round. If I need the rest, I'll take a week off and just do the lifts cardio walks and basic stretching to prepare. I could never just rest entirely, but I know the value of listening to my body. Ffs, I am now down 31 lbs this year. I hope that I can pick that up a bit now that I've reached a diet breakthrough. For now. Who knows what my body is up to...
I'll have to consolidate my P90X3 reviews and possibly add to those now that I have more developed impressions. I wanted beginners like I was to get those honest first impressions before pride made me forget just how much I struggled. However, I also want to encourage people that, yes, it does get easier. Don't let that fool you-- you will never feel like you aren't challenged. There is always a way to push a set that will humble you.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Discovery
Learning today I might be one of those odd sorts that plateaus on low calorie diets. I tested the theory and did a higher calorie week... Only to be three pounds lower. That's maintenance mode though so I switched back to low calorie for two weeks and I'll switch back again, see if I'm onto something. I had read something online that said some people who are moderately active experience this issue where at first they lose but then their body starts to store and you struggle for energy and resources. Tested this and odd how that does seem to be the case but I have to cycle a few times to be sure. It's not always a numbers game and every body is different. I reached a desperate point when after a month of low calories, I had only dropped 3 lbs and then no loss the three weeks after. You'd think I'd maintain or gain with higher calories but no, I lost again going back up. If I lose again this week but little or nothing the next but lose on the higher calorie week, I'll know I'm onto something. See saw dieting, who knew?
Let's be clear, I still make mostly healthy choices with a cheat meal here and there that doesn't disturb my daily intake limits/ weekly average. I don't restrict foods, but I do weigh if they are worth the calories and sometimes opt out. If higher calorie weeks need to be a thing, those will be perfect opportunities to plug in guilt-free cheats.
It was so frustrating getting to this point as I've struggled with the dieting part of this. My muscles are leaving me in awe. Every day's increase in tone, strength, flexibility, stamina, form just puts me in awe. You can be body positive at any size and even though I do want to change shape, hence the blog title, I am excited every time I do a little better, hold a little longer, lift a little more effortlessly.
I plan to do P90X3 again right when I finish in mid December. I will finish round 2 in mid February. I can't wait to see what is in store.
Let's be clear, I still make mostly healthy choices with a cheat meal here and there that doesn't disturb my daily intake limits/ weekly average. I don't restrict foods, but I do weigh if they are worth the calories and sometimes opt out. If higher calorie weeks need to be a thing, those will be perfect opportunities to plug in guilt-free cheats.
It was so frustrating getting to this point as I've struggled with the dieting part of this. My muscles are leaving me in awe. Every day's increase in tone, strength, flexibility, stamina, form just puts me in awe. You can be body positive at any size and even though I do want to change shape, hence the blog title, I am excited every time I do a little better, hold a little longer, lift a little more effortlessly.
I plan to do P90X3 again right when I finish in mid December. I will finish round 2 in mid February. I can't wait to see what is in store.
Friday, October 28, 2016
Sore, hungry, and strong
This week I decide to go back into a maintenance budget because my stomach feels so hollow from the 1200-1400 calorie limit. Averaging about 1800 calories this week. Sometimes this jump starts weight loss when I plateau. No idea why, but it works for me. I've been really muscle sore and tired but I've been nailing down my workouts anyway. Even on my worst days, I hate the guilt of missing a workout. I know I'll feel physically worse if I chicken out too. Haven't missed a workout in three weeks and I'm not about to start.
So not my best week, but when I feel the muscles, the tone and remember I still have better days ahead, I know I have to go strong. I'll need my gut loading weeks, thinking about doing it every 3-4 weeks. I still make healthy food choices, I just get to feel full instead of good enough. I still plan on having that bikini body. Don't tell me all bodies are bikini bodies. Be as body positive as you want but I have always dressed to best flaunt my features. A bikini does not flatter my big body, I have no illusions and confidence doesn't cut it. I want my fit and curvy body back so I can feel like a warrior, not just a woman. I want to do handstands and roundhouse kicks. It's not enough just to wear that bikini-- I want to rock it.
So not my best week, but when I feel the muscles, the tone and remember I still have better days ahead, I know I have to go strong. I'll need my gut loading weeks, thinking about doing it every 3-4 weeks. I still make healthy food choices, I just get to feel full instead of good enough. I still plan on having that bikini body. Don't tell me all bodies are bikini bodies. Be as body positive as you want but I have always dressed to best flaunt my features. A bikini does not flatter my big body, I have no illusions and confidence doesn't cut it. I want my fit and curvy body back so I can feel like a warrior, not just a woman. I want to do handstands and roundhouse kicks. It's not enough just to wear that bikini-- I want to rock it.
Thursday, October 20, 2016
A little milestone
I had been telling my mandatory friend Joe that the small milestones can be the thing that motivates me to get through the tougher days, where the morale is flagging-- I'm hungry, I'm tired, I don't feel like things are moving, blah, blah, blah. Today, I went back and did PiYo lower and upper body workouts, yes, one after the other, and the things that I struggled through were actually EASY. I was blown away by how much strength and flexibility I brought after six weeks of P90X3. One thing is certain; they complement the other. I never would have had the strength to start P90X3 if not for PiYo, nor beat the rut I was in with PiYo if not for P90X3. Look, sometimes you have to tell the scale to go fuck itself and really look at your body. The fit of clothes, taking the stairs and not being winded, that excellent balance or strength you didn't have before. It's far more impressive than just that number.
Yeah, my numbers have gone down little by little, but the new grace and confidence in my posture? That shit is awesome.
Yeah, my numbers have gone down little by little, but the new grace and confidence in my posture? That shit is awesome.
Monday, October 17, 2016
Dem milestones...
One of the best ways to gauge my progress is to challenge my nephews to try out some of the things I've gotten better at. This week, I've been able to nail some exercises I couldn't do before: sprawls, roll-ups (with no sticking point!), to name a couple. I need to pull up a list to really get into how I've improved, but when my body decides to work, I'm always in for a shock.
I have my nephew helping with arm and back mobility by pushing my arms up on the shoulder stretch. I really need to work on that since it seems to be the least improved. I showed them starfish pushups, which they enjoyed doing. I swear though, nothing feels better than being able to best them at some physical challenge. It gives me back years of youth like nothing else can.
I'll have three new P90X3 workout reviews to add to that post this week: Decelerator, Eccentric Lower and Eccentric Upper. This is the last phase so I expect them to be frustrating at first then give me the joys of accomplishment later. Seriously, I could hug Tony Horton. If you told me I could ever make so much progress in my war on chronic pain, I would have called you a liar, but Tony made it happen. I probably swore at him like a sailor more times than I can count (and Tony, I almost peed when you pulled off that dance on Inner Balance when my eyes were supposed to be closed, but I forgive you), but now I'm singing his praises. I have a long way to go before I can nail some of these down quite so skillfully, but I haven't been this damn healthy in years and it's the most amazing feeling.
I am ever struggling with the weight loss part, but I will nail that too. I've lost 32 pounds since January, 14 of those since starting P90X3 (started at 197 lbs, now at 183). It feels slow but considering I had a long plateau over the summer, I'm just glad to see a pound a week if that's all I get. I definitely know the muscle is there so the numbers are secondary. I have 34 to go to get to my big goal. I'd like to get to 135 (another 15) but as long as I'm healthy I won't hate the numbers. I've never had lean muscle like this before so I don't know if 135 is practical for that. 150 definitely is so we'll see.
I think it was Kate Moss who said nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. She's kind of full of shit, but only because nothing tastes as good as HEALTHY feels. Skinny kind of seems miserable and food is awesome, so it needs a revision. I'm rather fond of strong curves. I know skinny girls and I know fat girls and one thing the happiest among them can agree on is that nothing is better than good health.
I have my nephew helping with arm and back mobility by pushing my arms up on the shoulder stretch. I really need to work on that since it seems to be the least improved. I showed them starfish pushups, which they enjoyed doing. I swear though, nothing feels better than being able to best them at some physical challenge. It gives me back years of youth like nothing else can.
I'll have three new P90X3 workout reviews to add to that post this week: Decelerator, Eccentric Lower and Eccentric Upper. This is the last phase so I expect them to be frustrating at first then give me the joys of accomplishment later. Seriously, I could hug Tony Horton. If you told me I could ever make so much progress in my war on chronic pain, I would have called you a liar, but Tony made it happen. I probably swore at him like a sailor more times than I can count (and Tony, I almost peed when you pulled off that dance on Inner Balance when my eyes were supposed to be closed, but I forgive you), but now I'm singing his praises. I have a long way to go before I can nail some of these down quite so skillfully, but I haven't been this damn healthy in years and it's the most amazing feeling.
I am ever struggling with the weight loss part, but I will nail that too. I've lost 32 pounds since January, 14 of those since starting P90X3 (started at 197 lbs, now at 183). It feels slow but considering I had a long plateau over the summer, I'm just glad to see a pound a week if that's all I get. I definitely know the muscle is there so the numbers are secondary. I have 34 to go to get to my big goal. I'd like to get to 135 (another 15) but as long as I'm healthy I won't hate the numbers. I've never had lean muscle like this before so I don't know if 135 is practical for that. 150 definitely is so we'll see.
I think it was Kate Moss who said nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. She's kind of full of shit, but only because nothing tastes as good as HEALTHY feels. Skinny kind of seems miserable and food is awesome, so it needs a revision. I'm rather fond of strong curves. I know skinny girls and I know fat girls and one thing the happiest among them can agree on is that nothing is better than good health.
Recorded Exercise Calendar
This will be a constant work in progress, at least until goals are met, but this is my current progress, both for accountability and to see how I've improved over time.
At this point, I have completed two full rounds of P90X3, bridging into my first full month of PiYo.
I will be starting P90X over the summer for an added challenge, without having my weekday walks taking my nephews to school with them out for break. As of May 1, I am down to 175 lbs, with 40 to go for my low goal, 25 to be safely in my Normal BMI range. Ambitious target is at 2 lbs a week. Daily calorie goal is 1200, not to exceed 1600 (1600-2400 is often a maintenance mode range for me). I don't normally abide by rest days unless my health demands it (I'll still workout with a cold if I'm not too dizzy to stand). I have had to push around rest days to accommodate having to take a rest day sooner than I have wanted. It happens; get back on the horse and tough it out when possible.
That said, I tend to melt away the pounds when warmer weather accompanies my workout and diet, so I'm optimistic I'll reach my weight goals by winter of this year. Not too much to ask and no drastic measure to get there. Let's do this!
At this point, I have completed two full rounds of P90X3, bridging into my first full month of PiYo.
I will be starting P90X over the summer for an added challenge, without having my weekday walks taking my nephews to school with them out for break. As of May 1, I am down to 175 lbs, with 40 to go for my low goal, 25 to be safely in my Normal BMI range. Ambitious target is at 2 lbs a week. Daily calorie goal is 1200, not to exceed 1600 (1600-2400 is often a maintenance mode range for me). I don't normally abide by rest days unless my health demands it (I'll still workout with a cold if I'm not too dizzy to stand). I have had to push around rest days to accommodate having to take a rest day sooner than I have wanted. It happens; get back on the horse and tough it out when possible.
That said, I tend to melt away the pounds when warmer weather accompanies my workout and diet, so I'm optimistic I'll reach my weight goals by winter of this year. Not too much to ask and no drastic measure to get there. Let's do this!
Accountability
One thing I am learning is most important with a big life change is to embrace every step of it. There are rules that you try to place before you realize that the journey is a lot more personal. I set out on this leg of my journey with what I thought were hard rules: 1200 calories daily, no more or less, these exercises, etc. I've broken some of these rules on certain days and recorded the reasons/excuses so I could understand or assess whether it was a destructive behavior or my body might have been telling me something. Because of this, I believe this has been the most successful 8 weeks of my entire journey.
Let me give you a few details I've picked up gradually. Balance in diet was one of the hardest things I've had to adjust but I'm going to rattle off what I feel are important figures for women trying to lose weight. Some of these also apply to men, but these are daily averages that become important for me to calculate each week. Keep in mind when I am entering in what I eat in the Lose It app, I am always careful to either scan in new foods myself or pick the most complete information available.
Caloric intake: 1200-1400; on a cheat day I will allow up to 2000 one day a week, on days where I have strenuous exercise, I might allow 1600-1800 to refuel. 1200-1400 is what I aim for though and I do not make cheat days mandatory. If I don't use it, it doesn't get to rollover.
Carbs: less than 150, no more than 200. This is tricky. Since I have a very demanding daily exercise routine, low carb isn't realistic but I do aim for complex carbs rather than the "unhealthy" or simple carbs in white bread and such. On most days I can keep them between 100-150 but I don't beat myself up if it nears 200 on high activity days, especially when it's because of higher fruit intake.
Fat: I focus less on numbers here, as long as I steer clear of trans fat and limit saturated fats. Very simple to do. I think my daily average is about 60 grams which is actually on the low side and I've been told more isn't bad.
Protein: this is one where the Internet just confuses me more. On average, women only need about 49 g daily. I average about 60-80 but I am trying to build muscle. Bodybuilders sites say to aim for twice that but I'd have to pound protein shakes to get anywhere close. I'm not trying to build a lot of muscle but lean muscle is still important to me, so I believe I am in a good place here for now. I may learn differently.
Sugars: this one is simple. Don't exceed 90g daily. I don't have a sweet tooth so my weekly average usually doesn't even come close. This week it averaged 60g a day, which is even higher than usual, but the boys had given me those fun size kitkat candies a few times this week.
Cholesterol: 300mg daily seems to be the average here. I used to get close to this, but oddly enough, over the past month, I haven't come close. My average over the past four weeks is, again, half of that, but I think it's because my go to protein went from eggs to Greek yogurt.
Fiber: I feel a bit sheepish in saying I have been paying zero attention to this and want my new goal to be researching this and making sure this one is right. I may need to supplement for this one since my diet has been pretty stellar everywhere else.
A new P90X3 workout this past week so a quick review:
Pilates X: this one introduces a routine that is focused on breathing and is mostly done on your back. Do not think this means it is easy. There were some instant dislikes, if only for the difficulty, but I enjoyed a series called Saw and another called Alphabet Soup. It wasn't as fun as Yoga but it did have some charming moments sandwiched in good spots that made it worth getting through. I've built so much strength in the past two months (5 weeks just in P90X3 alone) that this one might have been less likable without it. At this point though, it was definitely something I did and said "I can get better." Tony does impress on you throughout to breathe, which is a staple in both Pilates and Yoga, so I like that. I find a lot of workout series have that one line that makes you roll your eyes when you hear it. I never feel that way on repeat watches. So far there was that one stupid line one of his helpers thought was funny "I eat brains for protein" (not in this video) but Tony's light humor and focused workouts otherwise don't irritate me. I find he has good timing and doesn't ramble on or get me lost or distracted. This workout flowed nicely as most of them do. I won't hate doing this one again.
Lastly, I'll put in last week's rundown. Eventually, I do want to spreadsheet this and just edit the post so both and I and any others using my routine as a guide can reference it easier, but for now, this will have to do!
Monday: Isometrix, 1 hr walk *added walk
Tuesday: Dynamix, 1 hr walk
Wednesday: accelerator, 1 hr walk *added walk
Thursday: Pilates X, 1 hr. Walk
Friday: rest-- did some experimental focus on triceps, 1 hr walk
Saturday: X3 yoga
Sunday: Dynamix
Not a bad week and Friday weigh in put me at 187 lbs so I'm happy to be down another two pounds. As a side note, added walks are untimed walks outside of my home but exceeding at least 15 minutes. Most of these walks do exceed 30 minutes and are sometimes just over an hour. I don't record them strictly because I consider them bonuses and not an excuse to exceed my calorie or fitness goals. I do feel like they at least deserve a mention since they signify increases in energy levels at the least.
To finish, I'd like to say my motivation has been increasing by the day. I notice every little change and I've made a few small victories. I can correctly hold a forearm plank and do Camel properly, both new to this week. I should probably post those more. They are honest boosters in my journey and some people can use every encouragement they can get to reach their goals. My balance is becoming amazing and all that stuff we take for granted in youth, bending, getting down and up off the floor, that stuff is still amazing to me being easy again. I do still suffer from excruciating unexplainable pain, but it's not nearly as crippling. I also have muscle pain that makes sense and lessens over time. Nothing will end chronic pain, but I sure as hell don't let it stop me. I am gaining more understanding of anatomy, my own limits (and how to push them), and even how to manage my pain through breathing, movement and focus. When pain does hold me back, I've learned to postpone plans and pick it up when I get that window. So if I feel too wretched for that morning workout, I'll sometimes find that i get a reprieve in the afternoon or evening and take advantage. It can't always fall neatly but it gets done.
Let me give you a few details I've picked up gradually. Balance in diet was one of the hardest things I've had to adjust but I'm going to rattle off what I feel are important figures for women trying to lose weight. Some of these also apply to men, but these are daily averages that become important for me to calculate each week. Keep in mind when I am entering in what I eat in the Lose It app, I am always careful to either scan in new foods myself or pick the most complete information available.
Caloric intake: 1200-1400; on a cheat day I will allow up to 2000 one day a week, on days where I have strenuous exercise, I might allow 1600-1800 to refuel. 1200-1400 is what I aim for though and I do not make cheat days mandatory. If I don't use it, it doesn't get to rollover.
Carbs: less than 150, no more than 200. This is tricky. Since I have a very demanding daily exercise routine, low carb isn't realistic but I do aim for complex carbs rather than the "unhealthy" or simple carbs in white bread and such. On most days I can keep them between 100-150 but I don't beat myself up if it nears 200 on high activity days, especially when it's because of higher fruit intake.
Fat: I focus less on numbers here, as long as I steer clear of trans fat and limit saturated fats. Very simple to do. I think my daily average is about 60 grams which is actually on the low side and I've been told more isn't bad.
Protein: this is one where the Internet just confuses me more. On average, women only need about 49 g daily. I average about 60-80 but I am trying to build muscle. Bodybuilders sites say to aim for twice that but I'd have to pound protein shakes to get anywhere close. I'm not trying to build a lot of muscle but lean muscle is still important to me, so I believe I am in a good place here for now. I may learn differently.
Sugars: this one is simple. Don't exceed 90g daily. I don't have a sweet tooth so my weekly average usually doesn't even come close. This week it averaged 60g a day, which is even higher than usual, but the boys had given me those fun size kitkat candies a few times this week.
Cholesterol: 300mg daily seems to be the average here. I used to get close to this, but oddly enough, over the past month, I haven't come close. My average over the past four weeks is, again, half of that, but I think it's because my go to protein went from eggs to Greek yogurt.
Fiber: I feel a bit sheepish in saying I have been paying zero attention to this and want my new goal to be researching this and making sure this one is right. I may need to supplement for this one since my diet has been pretty stellar everywhere else.
A new P90X3 workout this past week so a quick review:
Pilates X: this one introduces a routine that is focused on breathing and is mostly done on your back. Do not think this means it is easy. There were some instant dislikes, if only for the difficulty, but I enjoyed a series called Saw and another called Alphabet Soup. It wasn't as fun as Yoga but it did have some charming moments sandwiched in good spots that made it worth getting through. I've built so much strength in the past two months (5 weeks just in P90X3 alone) that this one might have been less likable without it. At this point though, it was definitely something I did and said "I can get better." Tony does impress on you throughout to breathe, which is a staple in both Pilates and Yoga, so I like that. I find a lot of workout series have that one line that makes you roll your eyes when you hear it. I never feel that way on repeat watches. So far there was that one stupid line one of his helpers thought was funny "I eat brains for protein" (not in this video) but Tony's light humor and focused workouts otherwise don't irritate me. I find he has good timing and doesn't ramble on or get me lost or distracted. This workout flowed nicely as most of them do. I won't hate doing this one again.
Lastly, I'll put in last week's rundown. Eventually, I do want to spreadsheet this and just edit the post so both and I and any others using my routine as a guide can reference it easier, but for now, this will have to do!
Monday: Isometrix, 1 hr walk *added walk
Tuesday: Dynamix, 1 hr walk
Wednesday: accelerator, 1 hr walk *added walk
Thursday: Pilates X, 1 hr. Walk
Friday: rest-- did some experimental focus on triceps, 1 hr walk
Saturday: X3 yoga
Sunday: Dynamix
Not a bad week and Friday weigh in put me at 187 lbs so I'm happy to be down another two pounds. As a side note, added walks are untimed walks outside of my home but exceeding at least 15 minutes. Most of these walks do exceed 30 minutes and are sometimes just over an hour. I don't record them strictly because I consider them bonuses and not an excuse to exceed my calorie or fitness goals. I do feel like they at least deserve a mention since they signify increases in energy levels at the least.
To finish, I'd like to say my motivation has been increasing by the day. I notice every little change and I've made a few small victories. I can correctly hold a forearm plank and do Camel properly, both new to this week. I should probably post those more. They are honest boosters in my journey and some people can use every encouragement they can get to reach their goals. My balance is becoming amazing and all that stuff we take for granted in youth, bending, getting down and up off the floor, that stuff is still amazing to me being easy again. I do still suffer from excruciating unexplainable pain, but it's not nearly as crippling. I also have muscle pain that makes sense and lessens over time. Nothing will end chronic pain, but I sure as hell don't let it stop me. I am gaining more understanding of anatomy, my own limits (and how to push them), and even how to manage my pain through breathing, movement and focus. When pain does hold me back, I've learned to postpone plans and pick it up when I get that window. So if I feel too wretched for that morning workout, I'll sometimes find that i get a reprieve in the afternoon or evening and take advantage. It can't always fall neatly but it gets done.
Friday, October 7, 2016
Crazy week
This has been a trial week, for already stated reasons as well as the crazy fluctuations in mood, energy, temptation and medical influence. Here's a Monday through Friday rundown.
Monday: accelerator, 1 hr walk 1800 calorie day
Tuesday: the warrior, crazy zoo field trip chaperoning, 1 hr walk, additional rage walking, 1600 calorie day
Wednesday: x3 yoga, 1 hr walk, 1400 calorie day
Thursday: CVX, 1 hr walk, another rage walk, back to 1200 calories
Friday: Isometrix, 1 hr walk, still in progress...
I started off wondering if I was slipping into high calorie habits but, with steroids throwing my energy levels into chaos, I realize that turning stress into exercise instead of eating actually gave me a lot of wiggle room and I should probably still be eating more protein to supply all the stress energy. I could very well burnout if I keep trying to bank calories rather than eat. I don't have a healthy relationship with food and I still fear I can easily overdo it with excuses. I don't go under 1200 regardless, so I don't feel as if I'm in danger of that sort of eating disorder but I do feel like I would like some advice. With as much time I put into exercise, I wonder if I might be creating too much of a deficit. I'm still unclear if I should add a certain amount of calories in healthy foods for big burn days. Definitely thinking I should get a doctor's advice. I don't want to trade obesity for anorexia.
Monday: accelerator, 1 hr walk 1800 calorie day
Tuesday: the warrior, crazy zoo field trip chaperoning, 1 hr walk, additional rage walking, 1600 calorie day
Wednesday: x3 yoga, 1 hr walk, 1400 calorie day
Thursday: CVX, 1 hr walk, another rage walk, back to 1200 calories
Friday: Isometrix, 1 hr walk, still in progress...
I started off wondering if I was slipping into high calorie habits but, with steroids throwing my energy levels into chaos, I realize that turning stress into exercise instead of eating actually gave me a lot of wiggle room and I should probably still be eating more protein to supply all the stress energy. I could very well burnout if I keep trying to bank calories rather than eat. I don't have a healthy relationship with food and I still fear I can easily overdo it with excuses. I don't go under 1200 regardless, so I don't feel as if I'm in danger of that sort of eating disorder but I do feel like I would like some advice. With as much time I put into exercise, I wonder if I might be creating too much of a deficit. I'm still unclear if I should add a certain amount of calories in healthy foods for big burn days. Definitely thinking I should get a doctor's advice. I don't want to trade obesity for anorexia.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Rage walking my way to better health?
This week has proven special in terms of being emotionally trying. Without getting too personal, let's just say a family member I particularly loathe is back in town and I've had to deal with being around them. Then there are all the little asshole kids showing up today... Three times this week, I've gone on rage walks-- rather than be stuck enduring said people, I've power walked the neighborhood until they leave. A walk that once used to make me struggle for an hour, I can now do in 45 minutes and barely breaking a sweat. As I told my obligatory friend named Joe, I'd rather be tired and moving than pissed and stuck. My nephew is going to help me overcome my fear of driving and that will change who I have to tolerate in my life. I will give the same consideration for feelings as I was given when I can finally move out: none. My family is welcome to tolerate each other. I know I can do better.
More on progress by week's end. I wait on tomorrow's weigh in with bated breath!
Monday, October 3, 2016
A Chronic Pain Sufferer's Guide to P90X3
I'll start this post off with my first impression reviews of P90X3. I neglected to jot down notes for Accelerator and Isometrix so they won't be as thorough but I do believe my impressions will change as I go anyway. Without further ado, a review of P90X3 so far.
Total Synergetics- this leads off the 90 day challenge schedule and I'm fairly sure it's meant to weed out the undetermined. Starts off with what I call "jiggle exercises" which I hate for the basic fact it reminds me exactly where all the fat on my body is. It requires a pull-up bar and weights or resistance bands, but I have neither except for one pound weights so I modified the best I could, trying to engage the same muscle groups at least. Some of the exercises I found exhausting and difficult and while I did breathe hard, I didn't get as much sweat going as I do with PiYo or a basic HIIT workout. I wouldn't mind phasing this video out if I find ones that seem to challenge and interest me more. With the sheer number of videos in this series, I am positive I will find enough variety to weed out ones I don't feel are effective for my goals. I didn't record reps or anything either, but the first time I take the challenge, I want to focus more on what's going on with my body than the "one more rep" mentality. I'm the sort to push to my limits anyway, but I can see how this method might prove effective for people who always just do the bare minimum. I have a friend who swears by this series though so I do have faith that something will appeal to me. I feel like this is a program that you can tailor with experience so I look forward to seeing how I can make it work best for me.
Agility X- this one used floor tape marked to indicate foot positions but I really just mimicked the moves. This one is not good in the limited space I have. I also couldn't do some of the moves because there were no modifications for high impact jumps. There was a lot of jumping I had to avoid and running was something I had to do very carefully. Because of the squat moves, my lower back is feeling the ache after, but like the first one, there's still a good take away of moves that are effective and challenging. Again, one to put off if someone has iffy joints and doesn't quite have the strength or ability, but it's not impossible. I got a good sweat even throwing in some alternating HIIT moves to substitute jumps. I've heard this program referred to as being the easiest P90x and I can only assume these people are very healthy and already in great shape because this workout is no joke. The guy on the left especially was gasping for air and he had some good lean muscle at that. Always take the bravado in reviews with a grain of salt. This may be too much for me right now, but I think an 'easier' P90x may still be too difficult for some people. I couldn't have done this at all 8 weeks ago, but I think that this program is more doable for people with chronic pain if they limber up with some lighter workouts first. PiYo's first week of the challenge and a simple HIIT routine were my precursors and while I can't nail everything, I still think trying gets me closer to maybe doing so one day.
3x Yoga- I love yoga based workouts so I was really excited for this one going into it. Exceeded expectations! Having done PiYo before, I was relieved to see a lot of familiar poses,however, Tony really wins here. Not only did he walk you through poses smoothly, he didn't have you hold things overly long (just to lock in form or extend a stretch) and actually cued breathing too, which is a huge thing in yoga that PiYo overlooked. The only two I absolutely couldn't connect were extended toe bind and camel (although my plow was pretty mediocre) but my back is still a bit sore from engaging little used lower back muscles on Agility X the day before. Still, this has been far and away my favorite and definitely makes it into my long term plan. Yoga uses such amazing engagements with strength and flexibility, a good break from intense cardio that still let's you know it counts. It's like leg day, guys-- don't skip it.
The Challenge- this one lives up to the name but not more so than any of the others. Like its name implies, it challenges you to 'pick your numbers' (pull-up reps and push-up reps) then has you alternate between types of pulls and pushes twice before giving you a one minute cool down. Don't think this cheats you out of the thirty minutes because you need to use that time to gently stretch the muscles you just pushed. The cool down phase is just as important as the workout phase in HIIT workouts and you can ruin your muscles if you don't limber up between sets. It goes on like this until the last two and a half minutes, which is a burnout phase (reps of 1 and 3 as fast as you can fire them off with proper form) before the cool down. Since this was my first time through, I did the pull-up phase without resistance or a bar, but I did muscle flexing and holds to engage the muscles. Again, because of my joints, I often opt out of anything but body weight or one pound weights, at least until I can build up to it without sharp pain. It was still kicking my ass because I was careful to follow form and movement. Again, not one of my favorites but it was still worthy. Like the others, it gives you something to work towards. Tony's a scary looking dude on first glance but he's a joker that also gets down to business. A lot of workout instructors will say a cheesy phrase that I roll my eyes on every time I get to it, but this guy pals around with his group, which I find I like more.
CVX- the first 15 minutes were the hardest, but the combination of cardio and weights was meant to really tire you and Tony is really forgiving about dropping that weight and just hitting the right motion. I didn't always get through the full minute without needing to catch my breath but I felt every bit of it. I skipped the burnout phase, which I catch myself doing a lot the first time through, but I didn't waste it either, preferring to stretch. I'm finding I've developed a soreness in the muscles just under the collarbone at the shoulder (the "fly" muscles) but I did do push-ups yesterday. I have noticed that where I am the most sore from a previous workout, they seem to get a rest with the next day in the schedule or at the least a less vigorous warming up. It was a rough start but I still like the rotation of moves, like with The Challenge. I tend to have a better attitude towards the more structured sets.
The Warrior- this one is a sort of high energy boot camp one that was hell on my lower back the first time around but really gets you sweating and focusing on targeting movement and muscle.
Dynamix- this one kinda reminds me of a PiYo workout only more intense than the first week of PiYo. It takes some yoga elements and focuses on keeping it cardiovascular and moving. It can be a bit grueling at times and I did need to make my own modifications since my hips don't allow for forearm side planks with open hip (I crossed the leg that was supposed to go up forward and used it to straighten out my hips to hold the side plank less painfully) and if you have larger breasts like I do, you might need to use your forearms to keep them from pressing into the floor on glute lifts and scorpions. Again, some of my complaints mainly come from struggling to overcome a pain condition so I do have some hypersensitivities even larger women don't experience. Still, I do enjoy the polka stretches and the way difficult moves seem to sandwich in between less difficult ones to keep me from getting discouraged. I find it hard to make it all the way through a minute on some videos, but this one I find myself being able to get there more.
Accelerator- cardio hell. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad workout! I feel like my lungs expanded a bit painfully at times and could very rarely push beyond halfway to three quarters on my first try, but some of these moves are a bit advanced for my level. The donkey kicks at the end were a big hell no since I've just gotten to the point where I can do planks on my toes instead of my knees. My wrists are much stronger than they were two months ago but definitely not ready for supporting all of my current body weight. Again, my main complaint would be that some of the jumps and twists are really dangerous to even attempt for my wrists and ankles but I'm not ruling out the possibility for the future. I've come a long way on my path to good habits and good health and I think this one will definitely be more valuable with time.
Isometrix- this one I recall was a tough power yoga sort of challenge. It takes basic yoga poses to a harder level, asking you to isolate and hold in very uncomfortable poses, challenging your balance, strength, stamina and flexibility. It's not cardio, but it will have you sweating. I wasn't able to really lock in a lot of them, but I didn't feel like I was cheating when I had to modify them even more simply just so I could still feel a challenge with my current limits. Definitely one I have any iffy relationship with out of the gate but I still think this is one I'll keep coming back to stubbornly, hoping I'll get a little further each time.
My Challenge:
I approached this challenge using the 90 day classic but realized I wanted to edge towards a Lean goal. I don't follow the challenge exactly and decide that rather than refusing to workout on a day I wasn't up for, I would often pick a similar workout in the series that I liked more, still trying to keep up with a good mix of muscle challenge. Here is my current progress:
Week One- week of 9/15
Monday: total Synergistics
Tuesday: Agility X, 1 1/2 hour walk
Wednesday: X3 yoga, 1 hr walk
Thursday: the challenge, 1 hr. Walk
Friday: CVX, 1 hr walk
Saturday: rest
Sunday: The Warrior, 1 hr walk
Week Two: week of 9/12
Monday: Dynamix,1 hr walk
Tuesday: 1 hr walk (rest)
Wednesday: X3 Yoga, 1 hr walk
Thursday: the challenge, 1 hr walk, 15 minutes PiYo lower
Friday: CVX, 1 hr walk
Saturday: total Synergistics
Sunday: Dynamix
Week Three: week of 9/19
Monday: Accelerator, 1 hr walk
Tuesday: the warrior, 1 hr walk
Wednesday: x3 yoga, 1 hr walk
Thursday: CVX, 1 hr walk
Friday: Isometrix, 1/2 hour walk *comic con
Saturday: 15 minutes PiYo Sweat
Sunday: rest
Week Four: week of 9/26
Monday: the warrior, 1 hr walk
Tuesday: the challenge, 1 hr walk
Wednesday: x3 yoga, 1 hr walk
Thursday: CVX, 1 hr walk
Friday: rest, 1 hr walk
Saturday: the challenge
Sunday:Dynamix
Had good and bad days but where the end of week three finished weak, I had contracted a mysterious rash that worsened rapidly, covering most of my body. Was misdiagnosed on Monday which made it ten times worse by Friday when I was put on oral steroids to bring down the swelling. I am still impressed with the determination I put into making Week Four strong even if it was one I suffered through. I think because of the misery, I was even more determined to work towards something positive. I am still itchy but the horrible bumps are going away and I choose to stay optimistic that I won't need to schedule with a dermatologist by Tuesday. For this week ahead, I am chaperoning my nephew's school field trip to the zoo and I'm looking forward to that. I won't bore anyone with the details of my horrible week, but let me just say I was so relieved that it wasn't a contagious issue like they had first thought and I could hug my nephews again! I thought that I got treated subhuman for being thick was bad until I got to see how people treated me with a visible rash.
I still have a lot of videos to cover as I pick and choose from the schedules, more progress to post as I go. I would love to stick to a stricter challenge once I get through my first go too, but for now I enjoy a freer approach.
Ending on a high note: hit a milestone weight goal by dropping down to 189 pounds on Friday. It always feels great to move that tens place down. I hope by Halloween I can be close to doing so again. The diet is really working for me and I'm more motivated than ever.
Total Synergetics- this leads off the 90 day challenge schedule and I'm fairly sure it's meant to weed out the undetermined. Starts off with what I call "jiggle exercises" which I hate for the basic fact it reminds me exactly where all the fat on my body is. It requires a pull-up bar and weights or resistance bands, but I have neither except for one pound weights so I modified the best I could, trying to engage the same muscle groups at least. Some of the exercises I found exhausting and difficult and while I did breathe hard, I didn't get as much sweat going as I do with PiYo or a basic HIIT workout. I wouldn't mind phasing this video out if I find ones that seem to challenge and interest me more. With the sheer number of videos in this series, I am positive I will find enough variety to weed out ones I don't feel are effective for my goals. I didn't record reps or anything either, but the first time I take the challenge, I want to focus more on what's going on with my body than the "one more rep" mentality. I'm the sort to push to my limits anyway, but I can see how this method might prove effective for people who always just do the bare minimum. I have a friend who swears by this series though so I do have faith that something will appeal to me. I feel like this is a program that you can tailor with experience so I look forward to seeing how I can make it work best for me.
Agility X- this one used floor tape marked to indicate foot positions but I really just mimicked the moves. This one is not good in the limited space I have. I also couldn't do some of the moves because there were no modifications for high impact jumps. There was a lot of jumping I had to avoid and running was something I had to do very carefully. Because of the squat moves, my lower back is feeling the ache after, but like the first one, there's still a good take away of moves that are effective and challenging. Again, one to put off if someone has iffy joints and doesn't quite have the strength or ability, but it's not impossible. I got a good sweat even throwing in some alternating HIIT moves to substitute jumps. I've heard this program referred to as being the easiest P90x and I can only assume these people are very healthy and already in great shape because this workout is no joke. The guy on the left especially was gasping for air and he had some good lean muscle at that. Always take the bravado in reviews with a grain of salt. This may be too much for me right now, but I think an 'easier' P90x may still be too difficult for some people. I couldn't have done this at all 8 weeks ago, but I think that this program is more doable for people with chronic pain if they limber up with some lighter workouts first. PiYo's first week of the challenge and a simple HIIT routine were my precursors and while I can't nail everything, I still think trying gets me closer to maybe doing so one day.
3x Yoga- I love yoga based workouts so I was really excited for this one going into it. Exceeded expectations! Having done PiYo before, I was relieved to see a lot of familiar poses,however, Tony really wins here. Not only did he walk you through poses smoothly, he didn't have you hold things overly long (just to lock in form or extend a stretch) and actually cued breathing too, which is a huge thing in yoga that PiYo overlooked. The only two I absolutely couldn't connect were extended toe bind and camel (although my plow was pretty mediocre) but my back is still a bit sore from engaging little used lower back muscles on Agility X the day before. Still, this has been far and away my favorite and definitely makes it into my long term plan. Yoga uses such amazing engagements with strength and flexibility, a good break from intense cardio that still let's you know it counts. It's like leg day, guys-- don't skip it.
The Challenge- this one lives up to the name but not more so than any of the others. Like its name implies, it challenges you to 'pick your numbers' (pull-up reps and push-up reps) then has you alternate between types of pulls and pushes twice before giving you a one minute cool down. Don't think this cheats you out of the thirty minutes because you need to use that time to gently stretch the muscles you just pushed. The cool down phase is just as important as the workout phase in HIIT workouts and you can ruin your muscles if you don't limber up between sets. It goes on like this until the last two and a half minutes, which is a burnout phase (reps of 1 and 3 as fast as you can fire them off with proper form) before the cool down. Since this was my first time through, I did the pull-up phase without resistance or a bar, but I did muscle flexing and holds to engage the muscles. Again, because of my joints, I often opt out of anything but body weight or one pound weights, at least until I can build up to it without sharp pain. It was still kicking my ass because I was careful to follow form and movement. Again, not one of my favorites but it was still worthy. Like the others, it gives you something to work towards. Tony's a scary looking dude on first glance but he's a joker that also gets down to business. A lot of workout instructors will say a cheesy phrase that I roll my eyes on every time I get to it, but this guy pals around with his group, which I find I like more.
CVX- the first 15 minutes were the hardest, but the combination of cardio and weights was meant to really tire you and Tony is really forgiving about dropping that weight and just hitting the right motion. I didn't always get through the full minute without needing to catch my breath but I felt every bit of it. I skipped the burnout phase, which I catch myself doing a lot the first time through, but I didn't waste it either, preferring to stretch. I'm finding I've developed a soreness in the muscles just under the collarbone at the shoulder (the "fly" muscles) but I did do push-ups yesterday. I have noticed that where I am the most sore from a previous workout, they seem to get a rest with the next day in the schedule or at the least a less vigorous warming up. It was a rough start but I still like the rotation of moves, like with The Challenge. I tend to have a better attitude towards the more structured sets.
The Warrior- this one is a sort of high energy boot camp one that was hell on my lower back the first time around but really gets you sweating and focusing on targeting movement and muscle.
Dynamix- this one kinda reminds me of a PiYo workout only more intense than the first week of PiYo. It takes some yoga elements and focuses on keeping it cardiovascular and moving. It can be a bit grueling at times and I did need to make my own modifications since my hips don't allow for forearm side planks with open hip (I crossed the leg that was supposed to go up forward and used it to straighten out my hips to hold the side plank less painfully) and if you have larger breasts like I do, you might need to use your forearms to keep them from pressing into the floor on glute lifts and scorpions. Again, some of my complaints mainly come from struggling to overcome a pain condition so I do have some hypersensitivities even larger women don't experience. Still, I do enjoy the polka stretches and the way difficult moves seem to sandwich in between less difficult ones to keep me from getting discouraged. I find it hard to make it all the way through a minute on some videos, but this one I find myself being able to get there more.
Accelerator- cardio hell. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad workout! I feel like my lungs expanded a bit painfully at times and could very rarely push beyond halfway to three quarters on my first try, but some of these moves are a bit advanced for my level. The donkey kicks at the end were a big hell no since I've just gotten to the point where I can do planks on my toes instead of my knees. My wrists are much stronger than they were two months ago but definitely not ready for supporting all of my current body weight. Again, my main complaint would be that some of the jumps and twists are really dangerous to even attempt for my wrists and ankles but I'm not ruling out the possibility for the future. I've come a long way on my path to good habits and good health and I think this one will definitely be more valuable with time.
Isometrix- this one I recall was a tough power yoga sort of challenge. It takes basic yoga poses to a harder level, asking you to isolate and hold in very uncomfortable poses, challenging your balance, strength, stamina and flexibility. It's not cardio, but it will have you sweating. I wasn't able to really lock in a lot of them, but I didn't feel like I was cheating when I had to modify them even more simply just so I could still feel a challenge with my current limits. Definitely one I have any iffy relationship with out of the gate but I still think this is one I'll keep coming back to stubbornly, hoping I'll get a little further each time.
My Challenge:
I approached this challenge using the 90 day classic but realized I wanted to edge towards a Lean goal. I don't follow the challenge exactly and decide that rather than refusing to workout on a day I wasn't up for, I would often pick a similar workout in the series that I liked more, still trying to keep up with a good mix of muscle challenge. Here is my current progress:
Week One- week of 9/15
Monday: total Synergistics
Tuesday: Agility X, 1 1/2 hour walk
Wednesday: X3 yoga, 1 hr walk
Thursday: the challenge, 1 hr. Walk
Friday: CVX, 1 hr walk
Saturday: rest
Sunday: The Warrior, 1 hr walk
Week Two: week of 9/12
Monday: Dynamix,1 hr walk
Tuesday: 1 hr walk (rest)
Wednesday: X3 Yoga, 1 hr walk
Thursday: the challenge, 1 hr walk, 15 minutes PiYo lower
Friday: CVX, 1 hr walk
Saturday: total Synergistics
Sunday: Dynamix
Week Three: week of 9/19
Monday: Accelerator, 1 hr walk
Tuesday: the warrior, 1 hr walk
Wednesday: x3 yoga, 1 hr walk
Thursday: CVX, 1 hr walk
Friday: Isometrix, 1/2 hour walk *comic con
Saturday: 15 minutes PiYo Sweat
Sunday: rest
Week Four: week of 9/26
Monday: the warrior, 1 hr walk
Tuesday: the challenge, 1 hr walk
Wednesday: x3 yoga, 1 hr walk
Thursday: CVX, 1 hr walk
Friday: rest, 1 hr walk
Saturday: the challenge
Sunday:Dynamix
Had good and bad days but where the end of week three finished weak, I had contracted a mysterious rash that worsened rapidly, covering most of my body. Was misdiagnosed on Monday which made it ten times worse by Friday when I was put on oral steroids to bring down the swelling. I am still impressed with the determination I put into making Week Four strong even if it was one I suffered through. I think because of the misery, I was even more determined to work towards something positive. I am still itchy but the horrible bumps are going away and I choose to stay optimistic that I won't need to schedule with a dermatologist by Tuesday. For this week ahead, I am chaperoning my nephew's school field trip to the zoo and I'm looking forward to that. I won't bore anyone with the details of my horrible week, but let me just say I was so relieved that it wasn't a contagious issue like they had first thought and I could hug my nephews again! I thought that I got treated subhuman for being thick was bad until I got to see how people treated me with a visible rash.
I still have a lot of videos to cover as I pick and choose from the schedules, more progress to post as I go. I would love to stick to a stricter challenge once I get through my first go too, but for now I enjoy a freer approach.
Ending on a high note: hit a milestone weight goal by dropping down to 189 pounds on Friday. It always feels great to move that tens place down. I hope by Halloween I can be close to doing so again. The diet is really working for me and I'm more motivated than ever.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Fighting!
I was greeted overnight with a nasty full body rash, just when things finally seemed to kick off for weight loss again. Hopefully, cream and Benadryl will take care of it because I don't want to delay my exercise challenge for it. I've already done little but sleep. My joints are aching from standing around Comic Con all day, so it's no wonder my immune system failed me.
Still, I am down to 191 lbs and still fighting! I want to update my daily exercise but that will have to wait for my next post. I struggle just to stay awake to write this. I might be ill right now but I remain hopeful for my current course. Things are moving again. I'll get through this too!
Still, I am down to 191 lbs and still fighting! I want to update my daily exercise but that will have to wait for my next post. I struggle just to stay awake to write this. I might be ill right now but I remain hopeful for my current course. Things are moving again. I'll get through this too!
Friday, September 2, 2016
Challenge week almost over
So here's the deal. This week I wanted to go whole hog, so I kicked things into gear and pushed. I'm nervous about weighing in on Monday, expecting not to see a drop of weight lost. My muscles are really digging in and Ive had to keep my calories up just to fuel. I regret nothing. No rest day and here's where I am, with Saturday and Sunday not done yet:
Monday: hour walk, PiYo upper, HIIT lower, floor
Tuesday: hour walk, PiYo lower, HIIT upper
Wednesday: hour walk, PiYo upper, HIIT core, floor
Thursday: hour walk, PiYo lower, HIIT upper
Friday: hour walk, PiYo upper (partial), HIIT lower, floor
Saturday: PiYo sweat, HIIT core
Sunday: PiYo core, HIIT head to toe
Yeah, so Friday I had to go light but it's a hard day on my joints. I did nail my HIIT for the good cardio though so I'm okay with that.
I'm starting P90X3 Monday for a trial run. I'm going to take detailed notes on my impressions for blogging later but it comes highly recommend by Joe. Who's Joe? Never mind, he's Joe so he knows. I hope to keep it up for the 90 days and resume PiYo later. He assures me PiYo was way harder for him so I'm hoping whatever I built on px3 will set me back up to do the PiYo challenge later. I do love IGNiTE with SPRI 900 with Ashley Borden for the awesome warm ups and cool downs and deceptive simplicity. You look and think it's cake but, dayum, it's no joke. I'll be doing all of these with px3 though so I'll only be doing PiYo or ignite if I am up for an extra push.
Still weigh in be damned, I see the tone, damn it! I might need a doc to figure out how to make food work in this aching body, but it will be so eventually. At some point, my sexy new muscles will pick up some slack.
Monday: hour walk, PiYo upper, HIIT lower, floor
Tuesday: hour walk, PiYo lower, HIIT upper
Wednesday: hour walk, PiYo upper, HIIT core, floor
Thursday: hour walk, PiYo lower, HIIT upper
Friday: hour walk, PiYo upper (partial), HIIT lower, floor
Saturday: PiYo sweat, HIIT core
Sunday: PiYo core, HIIT head to toe
Yeah, so Friday I had to go light but it's a hard day on my joints. I did nail my HIIT for the good cardio though so I'm okay with that.
I'm starting P90X3 Monday for a trial run. I'm going to take detailed notes on my impressions for blogging later but it comes highly recommend by Joe. Who's Joe? Never mind, he's Joe so he knows. I hope to keep it up for the 90 days and resume PiYo later. He assures me PiYo was way harder for him so I'm hoping whatever I built on px3 will set me back up to do the PiYo challenge later. I do love IGNiTE with SPRI 900 with Ashley Borden for the awesome warm ups and cool downs and deceptive simplicity. You look and think it's cake but, dayum, it's no joke. I'll be doing all of these with px3 though so I'll only be doing PiYo or ignite if I am up for an extra push.
Still weigh in be damned, I see the tone, damn it! I might need a doc to figure out how to make food work in this aching body, but it will be so eventually. At some point, my sexy new muscles will pick up some slack.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Or just whenever I want is okay too.
Despite the punishing humidity, I've still stuck to my hour long walks Monday through Friday and I do take rest days more based on what my body tells me than forcing it if I don't need to. Keeping in mind that I do PiYo and HIIT training every day if possible, I realize I am probably overdoing it for any hope of weight loss, but my muscles are still obviously developing (lean and mean!) under the padding and the skin is tightening so despite the snail crawl and weight fluctuation/plateauing, I still feel like this is where I should be. When you have big weight loss goals, one of the things women always fear is the hanging skin. As long as my skin and muscle are making healthy changes, I can wait on the weight melting away.
Oh, speaking of skin, this is an added challenge for me: I'm sun sensitive so even with sunscreen, I break out in itchy bumps out in the sun. I get a lot of strange looks from people for walking out in 90 degree heat with 90%+ humidity wearing pants and sun sleeves, but it's a necessary evil for some additional light cardio. Coming home to air conditioning, tall glasses of ice water and a book never felt so good. Can't say I'm not looking forward to fall though. I love, love, love walking when hoodie weather kicks in. I look forward to extending my walk times just to take advantage. Sometimes I bring a camera and turn it into a more leisurely walk. Sometimes I bring along the kids' and my 3DSs just to try to hit someone on Street Pass or at least get Play Coins.
Anyways, a rundown of weeks 1 and 2 (to present) to stay accountable...
Week 1 (8/15):
Monday: 1/2 hr. Walk, HIIT (lower), PiYo (lower), floor
Tuesday: 1 hr. Walk, HIIT (upper), PiYo (upper)
Wednesday: 1 hr walk (rest day)
Thursday: 1 hr walk + floor to test muscles
Friday: 1 hr walk, PiYo Sweat, HIIT Core
Saturday: PiYo (lower), HIIT (lower), floor
Sunday: PiYo (upper), HIIT Head to Toe
*HIIT is SPRI 900 with Ashley Borden at present.
Week 2 (8/22):
Monday: 1 hr walk, PiYo (lower), HIIT (upper)
Tuesday: 1 1/2 hour walk (rest)
Wednesday: 1 hr walk, PiYo (upper), floor
Thursday: 1 hr walk, PiYo (lower), HIIT Core
Friday: 1 hr walk (rest)
Saturday: PiYo Sweat, HIIT Head to Toe
Sunday:
Since today is Saturday and I haven't done that yet, that's still just a maybe. Sweat and Head to Toe are super ambitious in one day, especially given the humidity is kicking my ass this week. Still, I want to kick it up as much as I can today because when I take two semi rest days midweek, I really feel like not having walks on weekends make those challenge days for pushing it if I can. Yes, I do intend to go more gymnastics and flexibility based over time, but at present, I really want to get muscle development in a solid place. This will put me in a better place for muscle burn that will assist in flexibility and weight loss later. Yoga will also take more prominence over time and I may throw in pure Pilates too although I really want to research both before deciding what specific way to go with those. I make all choices with the three important categories at heart: flexibility, strength, cardio. I try to balance those as well as I can. I may not have that body to prove it yet, but I am definitely serious about developing a core of healthy habits inside and out.
Oh, speaking of skin, this is an added challenge for me: I'm sun sensitive so even with sunscreen, I break out in itchy bumps out in the sun. I get a lot of strange looks from people for walking out in 90 degree heat with 90%+ humidity wearing pants and sun sleeves, but it's a necessary evil for some additional light cardio. Coming home to air conditioning, tall glasses of ice water and a book never felt so good. Can't say I'm not looking forward to fall though. I love, love, love walking when hoodie weather kicks in. I look forward to extending my walk times just to take advantage. Sometimes I bring a camera and turn it into a more leisurely walk. Sometimes I bring along the kids' and my 3DSs just to try to hit someone on Street Pass or at least get Play Coins.
Anyways, a rundown of weeks 1 and 2 (to present) to stay accountable...
Week 1 (8/15):
Monday: 1/2 hr. Walk, HIIT (lower), PiYo (lower), floor
Tuesday: 1 hr. Walk, HIIT (upper), PiYo (upper)
Wednesday: 1 hr walk (rest day)
Thursday: 1 hr walk + floor to test muscles
Friday: 1 hr walk, PiYo Sweat, HIIT Core
Saturday: PiYo (lower), HIIT (lower), floor
Sunday: PiYo (upper), HIIT Head to Toe
*HIIT is SPRI 900 with Ashley Borden at present.
Week 2 (8/22):
Monday: 1 hr walk, PiYo (lower), HIIT (upper)
Tuesday: 1 1/2 hour walk (rest)
Wednesday: 1 hr walk, PiYo (upper), floor
Thursday: 1 hr walk, PiYo (lower), HIIT Core
Friday: 1 hr walk (rest)
Saturday: PiYo Sweat, HIIT Head to Toe
Sunday:
Since today is Saturday and I haven't done that yet, that's still just a maybe. Sweat and Head to Toe are super ambitious in one day, especially given the humidity is kicking my ass this week. Still, I want to kick it up as much as I can today because when I take two semi rest days midweek, I really feel like not having walks on weekends make those challenge days for pushing it if I can. Yes, I do intend to go more gymnastics and flexibility based over time, but at present, I really want to get muscle development in a solid place. This will put me in a better place for muscle burn that will assist in flexibility and weight loss later. Yoga will also take more prominence over time and I may throw in pure Pilates too although I really want to research both before deciding what specific way to go with those. I make all choices with the three important categories at heart: flexibility, strength, cardio. I try to balance those as well as I can. I may not have that body to prove it yet, but I am definitely serious about developing a core of healthy habits inside and out.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Partway through week one
Day One: half hour walk, PiYo (lower body), HIIT (lower body), half hour walk, floor routine
Day Two: half hour walk, PiYo (upper body), HIIT (upper body), half hour walk, floor routine
Day Three: 1 hour walk (rest needed)
Day Four: 1 hour walk (rest needed)
Issues: forgot to wear sunscreen in the afternoon (sun allergy causing itching rash), pulled quads/glutes/lower back on HIIT lower body routine
Calorie intake rules: 1900 calorie limit on high activity days, 1400 on rest days.
Floor routine: 20 each of crunches, reverse crunches, oblique crunches, leg lifts, elevated oblique crunches (20 on each side), centered lift crunches, bicycle crunches, double crunches. I tend to go between 40-60 oblique crunches since I find them the least difficult and like to dig in and feel those.
I also add in test stretches before workout videos to test muscle groups for persistent or sharp pains and modify accordingly. Sometimes I push out some push-ups or tricep push-ups over the day. Upper thigh area such as quads and glutes are actually weakest areas that need more attention, with core and shoulders being strongest at this point. Adjust accordingly.
Hoping to get back to this set for day five:
Half hour walk, PiYo Sweat, HIIT Core, half hour walk, floor routine.
Tonight, I'll stick to floor and test stretching. Will reblog the week on Sunday with actual schedule. I will wait until early September to do any weighing. Still haven't started measuring which I may just start base measurements when I resume weighing. I realize I'm slamming exercise right now so weight loss might be disappointing with the muscle I'm putting on, but damn, I'm getting better at yoga at least. Never thought I'd see the day again where I bend to touch the floor and am shocked that I palm it without effort. I was a gymnast as a kid though and would love to be able to build to that fitness level again.
I do have feminine issues that sometimes interfere with pain levels and hormones, of course, but I'm not setting out to be that honest. I keep separate personal records for the specifics of my health issues, but I like to combine this blog with that to understand what might be causing plateaus or setbacks. One thing I do motivate myself with is that I am only gaining strength and flexibility and endurance even when the scales aren't moving. I am not engaging in drastic or dangerous dieting-- I know that protein, fat, carb, sugar, sodium intake is important with the demands that this activity puts on me and starvation increases the risk of injury or other health risks. I understand that even if weight loss takes forever to kickstart, I am much healthier than where I started and have learned much and keep learning how to overcome my health challenges. Even without pain management, nothing has proved impossible.
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