So I'm one week in.
Overall I'm happy with my recommitment to the gym. It's going pretty well, I could still add more cardio in, but I think that'll come the more I go and the more my life sort of normals out.
With food, I'm finding it pretty easy to keep breakfast and lunch to the 25% rule and when I'm out to eat. But I'm having a hard time still doing this and keeping it down when I'm having dinner at home or watching tv late at night. That's the hardest thing for me right now getting use to lowering my calories. I'm hoping I'll get better at it the more I keep up with my food diary.
I'm two pounds down as of this morning, but I think it might be water weight. But hey, maybe it's actually working :)
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Workout 6: Chest Day (e.g. Bitch Day)
Chest day is my least favorite day ever. And I might have been a bit hungover for other reasons, albeit not from a rager the night before sadly.
Was a few minutes late but had a quick efficient chest workout with the bestie again. Had muscle failure doing pushups at the end so felt like that was a good sign. Didn't have cardio, but did have an 815am meeting I needed to get to.
1 / 20
6 / 100
2 / 20
25 / 25
Was a few minutes late but had a quick efficient chest workout with the bestie again. Had muscle failure doing pushups at the end so felt like that was a good sign. Didn't have cardio, but did have an 815am meeting I needed to get to.
1 / 20
6 / 100
2 / 20
25 / 25
Monday, July 14, 2014
Workout 5: Monday Cardio Day
Mondays are always the hardest day, and bestie and i definitely don't get up early on Mondays so I try and do cardio by myself after work.
I definitely was not having a fun time and needed some inspiration. Usually that requires some Hoarders on Lifetime. That wasn't enough. So I decided maybe reading was needed - and I'm reading Gone Girl - which if you haven't read, DAMN ITS SO GOOD. Such a good distraction while doing 40 minutes of cardio followed by 100 lunges and 100 squats. Overall not too shabby for a Monday evening at the gym.
1 / 20
5 / 100
0 / 20
25 / 25
I definitely was not having a fun time and needed some inspiration. Usually that requires some Hoarders on Lifetime. That wasn't enough. So I decided maybe reading was needed - and I'm reading Gone Girl - which if you haven't read, DAMN ITS SO GOOD. Such a good distraction while doing 40 minutes of cardio followed by 100 lunges and 100 squats. Overall not too shabby for a Monday evening at the gym.
1 / 20
5 / 100
0 / 20
25 / 25
Sunday, July 13, 2014
Workout 4: Sunday Funday?
Sunday was a good day. Met the bestie at the gym and we did arm day. You know what I hate about arm day though, you feel like t-rex the rest of the day. Like no joke. Your arms just sort of fold up unless you keep stretching them out.
Also, it was a funday pool day so we added in a set of shoulder exercises. Gotta make those shoulders pop at the pool gurlfriends.
No cardio but our workout did last an hour. But I also went to a concert at 930 club to see Neon Trees. I danced. I'm gonna consider that cardio for the day.
1 / 20
4 / 100
.5 / 20
25 / 25
Also, it was a funday pool day so we added in a set of shoulder exercises. Gotta make those shoulders pop at the pool gurlfriends.
No cardio but our workout did last an hour. But I also went to a concert at 930 club to see Neon Trees. I danced. I'm gonna consider that cardio for the day.
1 / 20
4 / 100
.5 / 20
25 / 25
Friday, July 11, 2014
Workout 3: Friday Workout
Today was leg day. My favesies, besties most hated. We determined we would do leg days on Fridays since he would make it through because it's Friday, and we would do chest days on Tuesdays since I'm already bitching at that point anyways.
Legs to me are the easiest to push through and I enjoy it. So today wasn't too shabby.
Only hard part was getting up early still - even though we had a late start by meeting at 7. I've been on a bender watching The Good Wife while working late, so I've been going to sleep late and sleeping poorly due to work stress. Although this morning I woke up at 550 thinking I overslept, went back to sleep and when my alarm went off at 630 I literally thought I was dying from exhaustion. But, the experiment called and so I beckoned.
At the end of the workout, bestie had gotten some water for his protein shake, it was sitting on the locker room bench all cold and looking fine, and I said so, and he gave it to me. Such a catch, that one. That water might have saved my day it tasted so good.
Now, on to the weeeeeeekend.
1 / 20
3 / 100
0 / 20
25 / 25
Legs to me are the easiest to push through and I enjoy it. So today wasn't too shabby.
Only hard part was getting up early still - even though we had a late start by meeting at 7. I've been on a bender watching The Good Wife while working late, so I've been going to sleep late and sleeping poorly due to work stress. Although this morning I woke up at 550 thinking I overslept, went back to sleep and when my alarm went off at 630 I literally thought I was dying from exhaustion. But, the experiment called and so I beckoned.
At the end of the workout, bestie had gotten some water for his protein shake, it was sitting on the locker room bench all cold and looking fine, and I said so, and he gave it to me. Such a catch, that one. That water might have saved my day it tasted so good.
Now, on to the weeeeeeekend.
1 / 20
3 / 100
0 / 20
25 / 25
Thursday, July 10, 2014
Workout 2: Tired
Back day. 630am.
I'll just summarize today by sharing my checkin on Facebook: "I want to go back to bed."
But it happened. 2% of the way there. Now for breakfast of two hard boiled eggs and a banana.
1 / 20
2 / 100
0 / 20
? / 25
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Workout 1: Getting in to It
First day in to a routine is always hard, and today was no exception, although it could have been harder so that's encouraging.
Met my best friend at the gym at 630am like we do most days of the week. We debated what we should do, and settled on shoulders (it is tank top season after all). We did 5 different exercises ranging from 3 sets to 4 sets, and 10 reps each.
*as a note, if you are reading and thinking you might be able to do some routines that I do, or pick up some tips on workouts and weightlifting, this is the wrong place for that. I barely knew anything about weight lifting. I know nothing about science or muscle names, and I heavily rely on the bestie to help come up with the routines.
At the end of the routine, it was about 45 minutes in, and I had to get to work. I knew I committed to doing cardio, but this morning that was not an option timewise. Luckily, my afternoon at work cleared up meeting wise and I was able to leave the office around 5. While mentally I was not in the mood to go BACK to the gym and do cardio, I knew it was needed if this was going to be my first day.
So I went to the gym closest to my house and did 20 minutes of sprint cardio on the stairmaster (3 minute warmup, alternate between 1 minute at full speed and 2 minutes at warmup speed until your time is up. A trainer taught me one time that alternating between steady state cardio some days and sprints is a good way to make sure you don't plateau. That could be bullshit for all I know, but I usually try and do sprints when I'm less motivated cause you do more in less time.
As for eating. I left about a third of my meal on the plate at lunch, and at dinner I just made sure that I had the appropriate portion size. I also tracked all of it on the food diary app.
All in all, day one, complete, all goals accomplished. Feeling good.
1 / 20
1 / 100
0 / 20
25 / 25
Kickstart: 20 x 100 x 20 x 25
I think everyone would like to have a better body. Ripped abs. Bigger arms. Stronger chest. Larger legs. I’m no exception to that.
That being said, I will never be the person who LOVES going to the gym. When I do cardio, I don’t get happy, I want to cry. When I lift weights, I don’t finish by thinking “crushed it.” I’m annoyed by how sore I’m going to be tomorrow. And I definitely don’t leave my 630am workouts thinking “I’m so refreshed and awake and ready to take on the world!” I really think I’m just tired and want to nap.
However, I do go to the gym regularly because I know that it’s good for me. I eat mostly healthy because I don’t want to get fat, but I definitely splurge regularly because it tastes good (do I need a better reason?). But, how do I go from being normal (gay fat) to having a better body (visible abs)? I mean, I don’t think I’m out of shape or look bad in a bathing suit. I’ve always struggled a little bit with my weight and 2 years ago lost about 50 pounds over the course of a year. I’ve put about 20 of those pounds back on. I’d say right now is my “status quo” body, a little around the midsection and maybe slight love handles, but nothing to be embarrassed by. It’s not like I’d be on the Biggest Loser, but I definitely have room for improvement.
Current Routines
I go to the gym 3-5 times a week focusing mainly on weights. Luckily I have a best friend I go to the gym and that helps immensely with going regularly. I eat mostly healthy when I’m cooking (lots of chicken and fresh veggies avoiding carbs as much as possible) but do splurge when I’m eating out, drink sodas, and definitely drink too much alcohol (it’s a gay gay world I’m living in and daddy loves him some wine and spirits).
Changes
To get to that better body, I know I need to make some changes, however there are some things I don’t want to change, like drinking sodas and alcohol or my overall diet. Things I don’t mind changing include going to the gym more frequently and eating less food overall.
Goals
Everybody has some fad diet or fad workout program that you can do to lose weight and build muscle. I’m motivated enough to do things on my own, so I need to set my own goals instead of following someone else’s plan. At the core of it, I know getting a better body is going to come from weight loss and regular exercise and weight lifting. But subscribing to some plan or some diet isn't going to work for me. I always fall back in to similar routines and similar eating patterns. So how do I keep similar routines but incorporate more gym, less food. I realize it's not really rocket science, but I think that's something everyone struggles with. So in order to do it, and to make it actually achievable, I need some sort goal and metric to track your progress. So here’s what I’ve come up with to kick start this better body: 20x100x20x25: 20 weeks x 100 workouts x 20 pounds x 25% less calories.
20 Weeks
In order to get to the better body, I’ve got to give myself time to get there. 20 weeks is a nice even number, and is around 5 months. I think that’s enough time to kickstart things and let’s me be reasonable in achieving this goal.
100 Workouts
During those 20 weeks, I need to make sure I’m getting more regular exercise to drop some weight and build muscle. Having a better body is like a job and I need to commit enough time to doing it right. Even with going regularly currently, I need to change some things up. For that reason, I’m going to make sure that I have workouts that incorporate more cardio and weights equally – with at least a 20 minute cardio of sprints or steady state for 30 minutes and at least one focus area on weights. Also a better body is achieved through longevity not just harder longer workouts. That’s why I’m making a goal of 100 workouts – an average of 5 per week. Some weeks I won’t make it 5 times, but other weeks I might go every day – it’s a goal of 100 workouts total during that 20 weeks.
20 Pounds
I know to have a better body there’s some fat that needs to go away. I’m currently at 185 pounds on my 5’10 frame. That puts me at a BMI of 26.5, in the overweight category. I know there’s plenty of reasons to say the BMI is wrong and there are better ways to do it, but it’s at least a good gauge. I think I could probably drop 30 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle and have a my better body – or it would be well on my way to being there regardless. That would put me at 165 pounds, or a BMI of 23.7 back in the normal weight zone. A reasonable goal for my height and to reach in 20 weeks.
25% Less Calories
If I’m going to drop weight, that means I need to eat less calories than I am right now. I’ve done plenty of diets in the past that work really effectively – basically only eat chicken, broccoli and eggs and avoid carbs like they are the spawn of satan. This isn’t a sustainable diet and also makes me a miserable bitch. But, since I already eat mostly healthy, and I don’t want to dramatically change how I eat, how do I drop my caloric intake? Pretty simple, I need to eat less focusing on portion control. So I’m going to get in the habit of leaving food on my plate, roughly 25% of it since 1/4 of everything is pretty easy to visualize. This might seem wasteful, but for me, it’s how to control my portions in a way that I can do easily and no matter where I am or what I’m eating.
Tracking Progress
I’m going to post a blog entry for every one of the 100 workouts. I’ll track what I did as well as how long I was there. I’ll give a summary of what I’ve eaten and drank since the previous workout as well. In order to do this, I’ll track what I eat and drink with an app on my phone as a sort of food diary. Also, I’ll take a photo each morning during these 20 weeks so I can see visual progress at the end of the 20 weeks to see how my body has changed.
Post 20 Weeks?
At the end of the 20 weeks, I'll merge all of the photos to show how the experiment worked. And after that, I'll do an analysis of Like all experiments, this is something I am not sure of the outcome. I certainly hope it works, and if it does, I'll see how I can manipulate the plan to be sustainable, or even if that plan becomes my new status quo. If it doesn't work, then it's not the end of the world. I'll see what areas I might have failed at, and what areas I need to change. Then I'll do something else. It's called an experiment for a reason, and life is all about new things and trying.
First Step
Each journey begins with a first step. And today was my first day on the better body experiment by starting my 20x100x20x25 plan. Feel free to follow along on my journey – and anyone who wants to join in, let me know! More than happy to have and give encouragement along the way!
That being said, I will never be the person who LOVES going to the gym. When I do cardio, I don’t get happy, I want to cry. When I lift weights, I don’t finish by thinking “crushed it.” I’m annoyed by how sore I’m going to be tomorrow. And I definitely don’t leave my 630am workouts thinking “I’m so refreshed and awake and ready to take on the world!” I really think I’m just tired and want to nap.
However, I do go to the gym regularly because I know that it’s good for me. I eat mostly healthy because I don’t want to get fat, but I definitely splurge regularly because it tastes good (do I need a better reason?). But, how do I go from being normal (gay fat) to having a better body (visible abs)? I mean, I don’t think I’m out of shape or look bad in a bathing suit. I’ve always struggled a little bit with my weight and 2 years ago lost about 50 pounds over the course of a year. I’ve put about 20 of those pounds back on. I’d say right now is my “status quo” body, a little around the midsection and maybe slight love handles, but nothing to be embarrassed by. It’s not like I’d be on the Biggest Loser, but I definitely have room for improvement.
Current Routines
I go to the gym 3-5 times a week focusing mainly on weights. Luckily I have a best friend I go to the gym and that helps immensely with going regularly. I eat mostly healthy when I’m cooking (lots of chicken and fresh veggies avoiding carbs as much as possible) but do splurge when I’m eating out, drink sodas, and definitely drink too much alcohol (it’s a gay gay world I’m living in and daddy loves him some wine and spirits).
Changes
To get to that better body, I know I need to make some changes, however there are some things I don’t want to change, like drinking sodas and alcohol or my overall diet. Things I don’t mind changing include going to the gym more frequently and eating less food overall.
Goals
Everybody has some fad diet or fad workout program that you can do to lose weight and build muscle. I’m motivated enough to do things on my own, so I need to set my own goals instead of following someone else’s plan. At the core of it, I know getting a better body is going to come from weight loss and regular exercise and weight lifting. But subscribing to some plan or some diet isn't going to work for me. I always fall back in to similar routines and similar eating patterns. So how do I keep similar routines but incorporate more gym, less food. I realize it's not really rocket science, but I think that's something everyone struggles with. So in order to do it, and to make it actually achievable, I need some sort goal and metric to track your progress. So here’s what I’ve come up with to kick start this better body: 20x100x20x25: 20 weeks x 100 workouts x 20 pounds x 25% less calories.
20 Weeks
In order to get to the better body, I’ve got to give myself time to get there. 20 weeks is a nice even number, and is around 5 months. I think that’s enough time to kickstart things and let’s me be reasonable in achieving this goal.
100 Workouts
During those 20 weeks, I need to make sure I’m getting more regular exercise to drop some weight and build muscle. Having a better body is like a job and I need to commit enough time to doing it right. Even with going regularly currently, I need to change some things up. For that reason, I’m going to make sure that I have workouts that incorporate more cardio and weights equally – with at least a 20 minute cardio of sprints or steady state for 30 minutes and at least one focus area on weights. Also a better body is achieved through longevity not just harder longer workouts. That’s why I’m making a goal of 100 workouts – an average of 5 per week. Some weeks I won’t make it 5 times, but other weeks I might go every day – it’s a goal of 100 workouts total during that 20 weeks.
20 Pounds
I know to have a better body there’s some fat that needs to go away. I’m currently at 185 pounds on my 5’10 frame. That puts me at a BMI of 26.5, in the overweight category. I know there’s plenty of reasons to say the BMI is wrong and there are better ways to do it, but it’s at least a good gauge. I think I could probably drop 30 pounds of fat and gain 10 pounds of muscle and have a my better body – or it would be well on my way to being there regardless. That would put me at 165 pounds, or a BMI of 23.7 back in the normal weight zone. A reasonable goal for my height and to reach in 20 weeks.
25% Less Calories
If I’m going to drop weight, that means I need to eat less calories than I am right now. I’ve done plenty of diets in the past that work really effectively – basically only eat chicken, broccoli and eggs and avoid carbs like they are the spawn of satan. This isn’t a sustainable diet and also makes me a miserable bitch. But, since I already eat mostly healthy, and I don’t want to dramatically change how I eat, how do I drop my caloric intake? Pretty simple, I need to eat less focusing on portion control. So I’m going to get in the habit of leaving food on my plate, roughly 25% of it since 1/4 of everything is pretty easy to visualize. This might seem wasteful, but for me, it’s how to control my portions in a way that I can do easily and no matter where I am or what I’m eating.
Tracking Progress
I’m going to post a blog entry for every one of the 100 workouts. I’ll track what I did as well as how long I was there. I’ll give a summary of what I’ve eaten and drank since the previous workout as well. In order to do this, I’ll track what I eat and drink with an app on my phone as a sort of food diary. Also, I’ll take a photo each morning during these 20 weeks so I can see visual progress at the end of the 20 weeks to see how my body has changed.
Post 20 Weeks?
At the end of the 20 weeks, I'll merge all of the photos to show how the experiment worked. And after that, I'll do an analysis of Like all experiments, this is something I am not sure of the outcome. I certainly hope it works, and if it does, I'll see how I can manipulate the plan to be sustainable, or even if that plan becomes my new status quo. If it doesn't work, then it's not the end of the world. I'll see what areas I might have failed at, and what areas I need to change. Then I'll do something else. It's called an experiment for a reason, and life is all about new things and trying.
First Step
Each journey begins with a first step. And today was my first day on the better body experiment by starting my 20x100x20x25 plan. Feel free to follow along on my journey – and anyone who wants to join in, let me know! More than happy to have and give encouragement along the way!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)