New Program

Baby is now about 7 weeks old, and I've decided to start a new exercise/fitness/diet/weight loss program! Based on past experience, I've chosen the Body for Life program. Although I've never achieved the dramatic results of actual BFL winners, I have lost a lot of weight and built a lot of muscle following the plan in the past.

Fortunately, Hubby is on board with the program, too. So we basically take turns watching Baby and exercising. Once my fitness levels increase and I can actually run instead of walk, we all three may be able to go out jogging together.

In terms of my diet... it's probably going to have to be bland and boring since I don't have much time to cook. (Up until this point I've been living on microwave foods, like processed mac and cheese.)

We took our "before" photos, but I'm not quite ready to share them. Maybe I'll take a progress pic in a few weeks and compare them here.

Health Enemy

The TV is probably my absolute worst enemy when it comes to health and fitness. Here's why:

• After my workday, I am more likely to plop on the couch instead of going for a walk.
• I eat a lot of meals in front of the TV, which means I'm not really conscious about my portion sizes (and it takes more food to satisfy my appetite).
• When I watch movies and fun shows, I like to munch on snack foods.
• Watching TV means lying practically motionless on the sofa.

I'd like to combat my TV addiction and start doing smarter things for my health. So I've decided to try and:

• Limit the amount of TV I watch... down to 2 hours per day.
• Switch to healthier snacks such as air-popped popcorn and fresh veggies.
• Try to be "active" during TV time, even if I'm just knitting a scarf.
• Start eating meals at the dining table instead of in the living room.
• Give myself exercise rewards: If I workout that day, I get extra TV time.
  

It may take me a while to make all those changes, but those are my ultimate goals.

Body For Life

I know there are at least a few bloggers out there who have tried Body for Life. It's a 12-week diet and fitness plan--fairly stringent--that's designed to help you lose weight and build muscle. (Although I tend to think it's mostly a "cutting" plan rather than a muscle-building plan.)

The basic tenants are this:

1. 5-6 mini meals per day, each of which contain one "portion" of protein and one "portion" of carbs
2. A "portion" is a serving approximately the size of your palm or fist
3. Veggies--like spinach, lettuce and broccoli--can be added to every meal
4. Workouts are either cardio (20 minute high intensity interval sessions) or weights (a half pyramid with a compound pump set)
5. Workouts are rotated each day (day of cardio, day of weights, day of cardio, etc.) six days a week
6. Day 7 is a "free" and "rest" day; no exercise, and you can eat anything you want

Follow the plan and you'll get visible results in 12 weeks.

Personally, I have always believed that Body for Life is a solid plan. It teaches portion control, regular eating habits and regular exercise. It balances cardio and strength training. And it teaches us to indulge--just a little bit--every once in a while.

Hubby and I are thinking about starting up this program again on Monday. I'm looking forward to it.

GOALS

Jake at Bring It! inspired me to write out some goals. So here they are. By...

October 7

• I will reinstate my workout plan of 6 days of exercise each week.
• I will reinstate my clean eating plan with 2 "free" meals per week.

October 31

• I will do 20 push-ups
• I will have short runs of 3 miles, long runs of 5 miles

November 4

• I will lose 5 pounds

These are reasonable goals, I think. In fact, I hope to overshoot a couple. I'd really like to be doing long runs of 5 miles in a few weeks.

Back in the saddle

Well, I got my "news." I can go back to my regular fitness routine.

So it's time for a fresh start! I've got only a month or two until my high school reunion--which I may or may not attend. If I do go, I'd like to look sexy and trim. That means I gotta drop some serious pounds before the party.

I've decided to go with Total Dedication. Generally speaking, this is something that's been hard for me to achieve during the last year or so. I point the finger of blame at alcohol, since I've been spending quite a lot of time with my friends (who are heavy drinkers). Alcohol is loaded with calories, and it always leads to late-night feasts and next-day hangovers (so I skip my workout).

Total Dedication, for me means clean eating, serious workouts and no cheating. I give myself small, occasional treats every once in a while--but rarely. I don't skip workouts, and I am totally focused when I exercise.

I managed to achieve Total Dedication a few years back when I (almost) completed the Body for Life Challenge. It made a huge difference in my perception of diet and exercise. I realized that I actually did possess the willpower to control my nutrition and body.

So tomorrow is a fresh start for me. (I know, I know... another Monday Diet. But this one will stick!)

If I get brave, I may even post my numbers (pounds, bodyfat, etc.)!

Exercising On A Random Schedule

Ever since I quit my corporate job to freelance full-time, I've found myself with a varied schedule. This is compounded by the fact that Hubby works a varied schedule, too. Each week he works different days.

So my exercise routine has, as a result, been floundering. I'm waking up later. I'm eating at haphazard times. I'm trying to squeeze freelance work in with spending time with Hubby, when maybe I should be focusing on my work a little bit more.

Overall, this month has kinda been a bust. I've generally felt adrift. At sea. Lost.

I guess I need a regimented scheduled to stay on track. I'm going to have to create one if I hope to be focused this next month.

I think I'm going to try and consistently wake up three hours before Hubby. That gives me 90 minutes for exercise, time for a shower, plus an extra hour to get some work done before he gets out of bed.

Maybe having some time to myself in the morning will help my exercise feel less random.

Commit

I've decided to commit:

One full month of clean eating and serious exercise. No more diddling around... cheating here and there... skipping the occasional workout.

It's an experiment, mostly.

What kind of results can a human really achieve after just four weeks of clean living?

Well, I'm going to find out.

I'm not going to be super super super strict. That would only lead to failure. But I am going to be as strict as I should be for a lifestyle change. This means paying attention to my meals 90% of the time, and giving myself cheat freedom 10% of the time. It also means skipping workouts only if absolutely necessary (e.g. a medical emergency) rather than just because "I don't feel like exercising."

I strongly suspect I'll lose a pound or two in a month.

July Goals

I haven't yet heard any news about the July Challenge, but I plan to set my own July goals anyway.

I mostly want to concentrate on getting back on track. I've been lax about both my diet and exercise lately, mostly because of work-related stress. Well, now that I am self-employed, I have more flexibility in my schedule for workouts and diet plans.

JULY GOALS

• Primary Goal: Stretch my foot. It sounds silly to stretch a foot, but I've been having a plantar fasciitis problem. I am currently breaking in custom orthotics. However, I know that it's important to stretch my foot. So I am making a commitment to do so at least 3 times per day.

• Primary Goal: Two "free" meals per week. I wholeheartedly believe in the concept of "free" meals for myself. It prevents me from feeling deprived, and I believe the extra occasional calories keeps my body alert. I intend to plan--and limit myself to--two "free" meals each week.

• Secondary Goal: Prep for HM training. This is a secondary goal because I'm unsure how things will go with my plantar fasciitis and this new orthotic. However, if everything goes smoothly, I'd like to start building a solid base for future Half-Marathon training.

That's it! What are your goals for July?

May Challenge Goals

It's taken me longer than usual to post my May challenge goals because:

1. I've been writing on deadline, so I've been swamped with work
2. I've had a hard time coming up with an appropriate goal

I can't make a goal to cut back on alcoholic beverage consumption--I'm going on vacation in May! No way I could keep that kind of goal.

I've been slacking a bit on the exercise program, however, so I decided that needs my focus. So my May Goals:

Primary Goal: Exercise 5 days per week

Secondary Goal: Return to Tae Kwon Do classes (Yes, I slacked on them again)

Secondary Goal: Eat "clean" 6 days per week

I'll give myself a little bit of leeway during vacation, but I'll still try and maintain most of my focus.

Also, a shout out to my May buddies: Tee, Amethyst, and Jeannie!

Decisions

A strict version of The Ultimate New York Body Plan (UNYBP) probably won't work for me because it's too low carb. I run 15-20 miles per week, plus regularly engage in other aerobic activities. I'd be totally dragging without some oatmeal and brown rice!

However, I am going to try to modify it a bit.

So I'll start this modified UNYBP on Monday, April 16.

My modified version will follow these rules:

I will eliminate the ABCDEFs from my diet, which means NO:

• Alcohol
• Bread (white)
• Starchy carbs (white)
• Dairy
• Extra sweets
• Fruit

I will eat 5 mini meals each day.

My diet modification: I will eat a serving of whole grain carbs (sweet potatoes, whole wheat bread, brown rice, oatmeal, etc.) the first 2 or 3 meals of the day. (Or, in rare cases, a whole grain carb may be replaced with a small piece of fruit.) The last 2 or 3 meals will not contain any starchy carbs or fruit.

I will stick to the exercise plan as written in the UNYBP book, which includes a cardio workout each day, plus either the "Cardio Sculpt" routine, an abs/core routine, or a legs/butt routine.

So basically my only modification will be adding whole grains/fruit to my first 2 or 3 meals each day.

Now... I am completing this challenge during the last part of a month when I don't plan to weigh myself! So I'll only know my end weight, not my starting weight.

But this should be pretty interesting anyway.

April Goals

After giving it some thought, I finally decided on my April Challenge Goals.

• Primary Goal: Limit alcoholic beverages to two per week. (Same goal as March. Only this time I hope to accomplish it completely.)

• Secondary Goal: No weigh-ins! The scale is my nemesis. I'm going to try to go the entire month without stepping on it. Perhaps it will be liberating.

• Secondary Goal: Think before I speak. I have a terrible habit of blurting out whatever is on my mind... which means I can be blunt, rude and offensive. Sometimes even hurtful. This month I am going to commit to actually thinking about my words--and my motivation behind them--before they leave my mouth.

So that's it. With any luck I'll be a happier, healthier person by the end of April.

Review Of March Goals

Here's a review of my March Goals:

• (Primary) Limit alcoholic beverages to two per week. I failed at this the first three weeks of March, but did manage to accomplish it during the last week. So I give myself partial credit.

• (Secondary) Attend one martial arts class per week. Accomplished! A success! I managed to go to class every single Monday in March.

• (Secondary) Limit cheat meals to two per week. Again, I failed at this the first three weeks, but finished up strong the last week of this month. Partial credit.

Not too bad. One goal met, plus partial credit on the other two. (I'm grading myself on a curve.)

I've been trying to think of April Goals. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as I thought. I don't want to set myself up for failure, but I do want to challenge myself. I may reuse one of my March Goals.

Alternatively, I've thought about goals that focus more on my spiritual or emotional side (instead of my physical health). I'd like to meditate more, for example. I'd also like to learn to be more patient and kind to my fellow human beings--especially the ones I love.

Spring is a time of new beginnings. It gives me hope.

So I'm going to stew on this a bit before making any decisions.

8 Week Countdown

I have 8 weeks until our beach trip.

And my weight hasn't been budging. (And, no, my clothes don't fit any better.) I do feel as if I've gotten stronger... but I haven't lost any flab!

Eight weeks is enough time to make a significant difference in my appearance. If I could drop 10 pounds of fat in that time, I'd be feeling (and looking) pretty decent. But the only way that'll happen is if I'm totally, 100% focused and dedicated. Which means maybe one small cheat meal each week. Not an easy thing for me to do.

But I don't have a choice. It's either get my tush in gear, or spend another vacation wearing an oversized, baggy tee-shirt on the beach.

Photo Challenge

Michelle has presented us with a new challenge!

She suggests we take photos of everything we eat or drink for a full day, and then post them on our blogs. (She also suggested that we could do it for a weekday and a weekend day!)

At this very moment I have the batteries charging for my digital camera. I'm willing to take on this challenge!

I think, actually, that I'll make tomorrow my "weekday" for photos. If I manage to do a weekend one, too, it'll probably be Saturday.

I'm a little bit nervous about this. Although I have a feeling this will improve my diet tomorrow. In a way, being accountable makes me more focused. I'd be too ashamed to show the photos if I ate an entire pizza, so I have no choice but to stay dedicated.

If it turns out I am more dedicated tomorrow, then I have to wonder if I should find a way to make myself accountable more often.

30 Days Without Wine

Although I consider my alcoholic beverage consumption to be just a little over "moderate" levels, I know it's damaging my weight loss goals. I calculate that I drink approximately 2 glasses of wine per day. (Some days I drink none, some days I drink 1 or 2, and on a Saturday night I may drink 3 or 4. It probably averages to 2 per day.)

When I say "glass," I mean a larger-than-6-ounce-serving. So each "glass" is probably 110 calories.

Two per day is 220 calories per day. That means 1,540 calories per week.

1 pound of fat = 3,500 calories.

That means... give or take a Saturday night party... my alcoholic beverage consumption equals a half pound of fat every week.

Or, another way of saying it: Every month I gain--or fail to lose--two pounds because of the alcoholic beverages I drink.

That doesn't include the calories I get from eating all the junk that seems so tempting after I've had a glass or two of wine.

Although all of this is very sobering, perhaps the most disturbing way of looking at this situation is--for me--this:

The wine I drink totally negates all the calories I burn off through exercise each day.

I bust my tushy with running, lifting weights, martial arts, etc. It needs to count for something!

Now that I've finally done the math, I've decided to go on the wagon for 30 days. I started my new goal yesterday. For 30 days, I'm going to be dry. A teetotaler. A non-drinker.

I'm curious to see if it makes a difference in my waistline.

I have a feeling it will.

March Challenge

I had to do some thinking to decide on my March Challenge. I didn't have a problem thinking of possible challenges. Oh no. I had too many challenges I wanted to complete!

I know, however, that bombarding myself with challenges will only make me feel overwhelmed--and I'm likely to accomplish none of them. (See February's distastrous results.) So I finally narrowed them down to the three most important ones for me:

Primary Goal

• Limit alcoholic beverages to two per week. I enjoy a glass (or two) of wine in the evenings. But I realize that alcohol is pretty much empty calories. And those two daily glasses of wine probably equal 200 calories--which completely negates all the calorie-burning effort of my workouts. (Also, too many glasses of wine gives me the munchies.) So, for the month of March, I'm limiting alcoholic beverages to just two per week.

Secondary Goals

• Attend one martial arts class per week. Maybe I'll attend more, but this is the minimum attendance I've set for myself.

• Limit cheat meals to two per week. Two glasses of wine per week, two cheat meals per week. In my opinion, that's enough to avoid feelings of deprivation, but not so much that it completely blows my weight loss efforts.

So that's it! My goals for March.

End Of February

An overview of my February goals:

Exercise in AM: Big ol' failure with this one. I didn't exercise in the morning once. I did, however, exercise in the afternoons. So at least I did my workouts, even if they were at the wrong time of day.

Limit restaurant meals to one per week: We cut back to about two per week. An improvement, though I still didn't meet the goal.

Begin attending martial arts classes again: I actually attended one class. Not as many as I hoped to attend in February, but a start.

Overall, February was a dismal failure. But I have high hopes for March.

40 Day Challenge

Michelle, our fearless leader for the 12 Month Challenge, has proposed a 40 Day Challenge for the Lenten season.

As a Catholic, I'm familiar with the Lenten season and all that it means. So I decided to sacrifice two things for Lent. One is related to health/diet, and the other is personal.

So for Lent, I'm giving up:

1. Distracted eating. For me, this means eating while watching TV, using the computer or reading a book/magazine. All meals will be eaten at an actual table whenever possible, and I will be fully conscious of my food. Mindless munching on the sofa or at my desk will be eliminated from my life for 40 days.

2. Swearing. I know it's not very ladylike. And, unfortunately, it's one of my worst habits. So I'm giving up all cursing and swearing. No "damn," "shit," "hell," or any other words that would make my mother sigh and roll her eyes.

Those are my Lenten sacrifices. Hopefully, they'll both turn into lifelong habits.

15 Weeks

Yesterday I started a personal 15 week Challenge. (If it works, it'll get me in shape by summer).

My program is a modified Body for Life plan, and involves a few rules:

• Exercise 6 days per week (3 of cardio/weights, 3 runs)
• 5-6 mini meals per day
• Limit portion sizes (2 cups per meal maximum, except veggies which are unlimited)
• Very limited refined carbs and sugars (only in desperate situations)
• Clean meals (close to nature, minimum processed foods)
  
• One free meal per week
• Alcoholic beverages (no more than 2 drinks) only once per week

That should do it. Those are the only rules.

And I plan on sticking to them with as much focus, will and determination I can muster.

Now... it does seem like a lot to take-on, especially since I am already setting monthly goals with the 2007 Challenge.

But I can't help it! I like challenges! (And I've always been an overachiever.)

Speaking of my February challenge, I actually woke up early today. Not early enough (or with enough energy) to exercise this AM, but at least early enough that my body can start adjusting to "early riser" time. If I can wake up early a few mornings in a row, I might try exercising in the AM next week.

One Challenge Ends... Another Begins...

January is over!

My challenge goal was to "eat one piece of fruit a day." So how did I do?

I skimmed over my food journal, and it appears I achieved about 50% success. Oftentimes my fruit was either half a banana or a handful of blueberries. If I stretch it a bit and count avocado as a fruit, I achieved about 75% success. Not bad.

My overall thoughts: Although I didn't achieve 100% success, my goal did help make me more conscious of my fruit consumption. I may try to make the "one piece of fruit per day" a lifetime goal.

February is here!

And so begins the February Challenge. The goals I set for myself this month are fairly difficult for me.

Today--the first day--didn't get off to a great start. Instead of waking up and exercising this morning, I ended up oversleeping. Clearly my first focus should be on changing my "wake-up" time.