Pledge to Myself

So it's been a really long time since my last post, and I've fallen way off the health wagon. So, tonight, I'm making a pledge to myself to get back on track.

Starting tomorrow, I am going to limit myself to the diet I had when I started training with Amanda back in April. It was tough at first then, and I know it's going to be tough again, but I've put on a good 10-12 pounds since I moved to Cincinnati, and I'm not feeling nearly as energized as I used to. I need to get healthy again.

So, I'm going back to my 140 g limit of carbs, cutting out added sugars (no more being tempted by the M&Ms at Loretta's desk at work), and eating as many lean proteins and veggies as I can.

I've been good about getting to the gym 5 days a week, but I've pretty much only been doing cardio and one day of strength training for my legs. I'm going to start working on my arms and abs this week too.

I know I have the Beaujolais event on Thursday and there will be all sorts of tasty food there, but I'm just going to have to be very choiceful about what I eat. I won't say "everything in moderation," because I seem to have issues with moderation anytime chocolate or sweets are involved, but I will have a couple bites of a dessert if it's there, and then call it a day.

I'm hoping that by putting this in writing, I'm more likely to stick to the plan.

Yikes!

I've had a rough couple of weeks in terms of my diet. Marijana told me when I first started with her that I should probably up my carb intake and decrease the amount of protein I eat. She also recommended adding fruits to my diet. I think I'm going to have to talk to her this week and figure out a new plan, as I've put on some weight and I'm not feeling nearly as good about my body.

A strange thing about me is that I do much better with strict rules-- for example, Amanda told me I should be aiming for less than 100 grams of carbs and less than 40 grams of fat every day. As long as I knew that, I was very disciplined with my diet and tracked everything in mydailyplate. As soon as Marijana told me to increase my carbs, I went crazy, and it's really had a negative impact on me and my progress. I was increasing my carbs with junky sugar carbs in desserts like ice cream and cookies. I've been eating way too much Graeters, and when I go to the grocery store, I sample just about anything they have available, whether it's cookies or dips served with chips and crackers. I've also been snacking on Special K cereal, and even though those are technically "good" carbs, I've been eating too many of them in the evening, so it's being stored in my body as fat. And that's why my weight keeps creeping up. Grrr.

When I started training with Amanda, my biggest challenge was overcoming my cravings for carbs, and particularly sweets. She told me that I just needed to not eat any sweets at all for three weeks, just to train my body not to crave them. I was able to do it then, so I'm setting out to start another three weeks without sweets tomorrow. I will be making one exception on the 9th when I go out to eat at Orchids for downtown Cincinnati restaurant week (the fixed-price menu includes a dessert, and since it's supposedly the best restaurant in Cincinnati, I have to try it), but I will plan accordingly and make sure I keep my carb count even lower in the couple days leading up to it.

The most annoying thing about all of this is that I know better. I did so incredibly well with my diet when I was sending Amanda my food journal each week, so maybe I just need to tell Marijana to keep me in line a bit more and hold me accountable to her. I should be able to hold myself accountable, but I'm learning that I really do need that extra push from someone else.

I looked at my Put-In-Bay bathing suit photo today, and literally almost started crying. My body is a far cry from where it was then, and even from where it was a month ago, and I'm just not happy about it. Luckily, I have been keeping up with my cardio workouts, and the training I'm doing with Marijana is going very well. I just have to get back into my diet routine and hopefully I'll be able to get back into shape, because right now, I'm definitely not where I want to be.

Lifestyle change

So I've been in Cincinnati for about three weeks now, and so far I'm loving it. I'm working at dunnhumbyUSA as a senior associate on the Johnson & Johnson team, though I have 8 weeks of onboarding with all the other new graduate hires before I'm allowed to do any "real" work. I've had a couple little team presentations to prepare for, but nothing too taxing yet. I really enjoy all my co-workers, and I'm reassured that it really is the perfect company for me.

I must admit, though, that working 8-5 every day is quite an adjustment from the rather relaxed schedule I had spring quarter. It hasn't been quite as easy to stick to the "eat every 3 hours" rule that I followed when I was training with Amanda, but I'm doing the best I can. dunnhumby also provides lunch for us at least a few times a week, and typically, it's a boxed lunch, which equals a lot of carbs (sandwiches and cookies are almost guaranteed to be on the menu). I've finally gotten to the point of bringing my own lunch, just to help stay on track. On occasion I will treat myself to a cookie for dessert, but I just can't let myself eat them every day.

In terms of working out, I joined Urban Active for $30 a month, and it's about 7 minutes from my apartment. When I signed up, I also got a free personal training session. I wasn't impressed, and the price was quite high ($45 for a half hour). Luckily, my manager at work recommended her former trainer, Marijana, who is located in Northern Kentucky. It should be about a 10 minute drive, but in bad traffic, it's more like 25. Still worth it to me.

I had a consult/initial training session with Marijana last week, and I've decided to hire her for two sessions a week. As much as I'd like to think I could train myself with weights at Urban Active, it's quite busy and crowded there, and it's hard to get to the equipment I'm familiar with. I also just do a lot better when I have someone else I'm accountable to. I can easily get myself to the gym to do 45 minutes of cardio and some core work 4 times a week, but I need that extra push to get a really good strength training workout, and that's what Marijana will do for me. She's fantastic-- a lot like Amanda in that she's young, does figure competitions, and is very encouraging. She complimented Amanda's training of me, and said that my form was already good and she looked forward to pushing me even harder in the future.

The one key difference is in the diet that she recommends. When I told her that I tried to keep carbs below 100 grams per day and protein of around 140, she said she thought I could up my carbs and lower my protein intake now. When I started with Amanda, my goal was to be bikini ready, so she essentially had me on a competition diet so that I would look really toned. However, now that I'm just trying to maintain a nice figure, I don't have to be quite as strict. Marijana was also concerned that since I'm working 40 hours a week, I will also start to feel sluggish if I only consume 100 g of carbs a day. She made it very clear that since the diet has been working well for me, she didn't want me to change if I felt healthy and energetic on it, but that if I started feeling tired, I should talk to her about potential changes. She did recommend adding a little bit of fruit (which I stayed away from due to the sugar content), so I'm looking forward to eating bananas again :)

We have "bootcamp" at work this week, so we'll learn everything there is to know about dunnhumby condensed into several sessions throughout the week. I went through it last year as an intern, and I'm actually looking forward to the refresher.

The Final Tally

This morning was my final training session with Amanda. It was bittersweet. I was sad that I'm not going to be working out with her anymore, but I was absolutely thrilled with my final results.

On March 18, (my first meeting with her, which was actually two weeks before my first training session) I started at 158.5 pounds, and 24% body fat.

Today, June 15, I was down to 140 pounds and 16.5% body fat. Wow. It was a lot hard work, major diet changes and some serious sweat, but definitely worth all of the effort.

Amanda even baked me a delicious, yet somehow healthy cheesecake cupcake as a cheat treat for actually listening to her for the last three months. I couldn't have done it without her, but I feel really confident that I'll be able to keep it up going forward.

I'm moving to Cincinnati in a week, so be sure to keep checking back for updates!

Weekend Recap

I got home yesterday from our trip to Put-In-Bay, and it was a fun weekend. Looking good in a bathing suit at PIB was one of my motivations for starting this personal training plan, and it definitely paid off. I got a lot of compliments on the fact that people could see a big change, so that was really nice to hear. More than anything, I just felt really happy and proud of what I've been able to accomplish. I promised early on that I would post a before and after shot, so here it is. Wish I'd thought to take a photo of me actually AT P-I-B, but this will have to suffice.



I was still fairly strict with myself while I was at PIB, though I did have a few cookies and a brownie at Annie's bachelorette party. I also splurged on the way home yesterday and had some gelato, which frankly, wasn't all that impressive. I guess my sweet tooth has been defeated :)

I decided that I'm going to keep working out with Amanda until graduation. I feel like I have myself trained pretty well, but knowing that I still have to report to her is going to make it more difficult to cheat with my diet and workouts, which I'm trying to avoid doing. As long as I can keep myself disciplined before I move to Cincinnati in a couple weeks, I'm hoping that it will help me stay fairly disciplined once I move. Guess only time will tell.

One week to go!

I can't believe it's been 7 weeks that I've been working with Amanda now. My results are absolutely amazing... and I still have one more week before Put-In-Bay!!

I just bought a new bathing suit, and for once I actually enjoyed trying them on, and I feel really good about this one. Super simple blue and white stripe, but really cute.

This weekend I've been in Cincinnati to find an apartment, and I had success! I have a really nice two bedroom that's right in between two of the main squares in Cincinnati (Hyde Park Square and Mt. Lookout Square). I'm about a half mile from each of them, so easily walkable when the weather is nice. Yay!!

I did really well with my diet this weekend too. I knew that I was going to a wine tasting with my friend Krista on Friday, so on Thursday and Friday, I was very careful about keeping my carbs and fat really low so that I could enjoy a few glasses of wine and some appetizers. Turns out the apps were just cheese and veggies, but I enjoyed each bite :) I'm also staying at a Hannaford Suites hotel, so I have a kitchen in my room, which allowed me to go grocery shopping and cook my own meals. Saved me money on not dining out, and I didn't have to worry about finding more healthy options on menus. The only exception was that I went to Panera for lunch during the apartment hunt yesterday. I had their vegetarian black bean soup, which tastes delicious and isn't bad nutritionally, but has A LOT of sodium in it (as in, more than 1,500 mg). I tried to drink a lot of water to help flush it out, but I can tell I'm still retaining some water. I'm drinking plenty of water today too, so hopefully that will do the trick.

My hotel is right next to the mall, so after I found my apartment yesterday, I went shopping and had another day of nice surprises when it came to sizes. The size 6 pants that I bought a few weeks ago are now baggy, and don't look particularly flattering, so I went into the Limited and found a new pair of size 4s that fit much better. I also went into banana republic and found a new pair of jeans that were on sale for $25, so I was thrilled!

My training schedule with Amanda this week isn't particularly ideal, especially since it's crunch time before Put-In-Bay, but it'll have to work. Monday I have to do a group workout as she didn't have any individual time slots that fit my schedule. Then I'm in Tuesday and Wednesday evening, and Thursday morning. No workout on Friday, which is the day before we leave for PIB, so that day's exercise is up to me. Then I get to go crazy with my classmates all weekend! Sooo excited!!

Number Crunching

Had my first "official" weigh-in in about a month today, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. In the six weeks I've been working with Amanda, I've lost 7% body fat and 15 pounds!!!!! It's pretty incredible.

I went into the White and Black store yesterday to look for a formal dress (still not sure what I'm going to wear), and the sales associate was the same one who sold me an absolutely amazing dress right at the beginning of my training. I was a size 8 then, and yesterday, I was trying on size 2s and 4s. It was crazy! The girl even asked for Amanda's contact information... we'll see whether she actually calls, but it was a nice feeling to know that it really has made such an impact!

Formal Preparations

Fisher Formal is tomorrow night! I'm really excited, as this is one of the last times the majority of our classmates will all be together for a night! Last year's formal was so much fun, though I don't necessarily remember much about it (8 drink tickets will do that to you, I suppose). What's nice is that this year, they offered the option to buy a $35 ticket which got you 8 drinks and appetizers, or a $10 ticket that gets you appetizers and no drinks, so I'm going with that plan. Celina is having a pre-party at her house, so I'll bring some flavored vodka and some diet sprite to mix up and drink before heading to formal, and then I'll just munch on the appetizers and drink water once I get there.

I told Amanda about formal last week, and she said that as long as I was good with my diet Monday through Friday afternoon, I could go crazy and eat whatever I wanted once I got to formal, so I've been sure to keep my calorie counts really low. I'm also lowering my limits for carbs and fat today and tomorrow to prepare for all the yummy, classy bar-food type appetizers they're going to serve at formal (pizza, bruschetta, chicken satay, Asian spring rolls and a veggie and hummus tray). Coming up with 3 meals and 2 snacks that only amount to 40 grams of carbs and 25 grams of fat seemed like it would be quite a challenge, but thanks to the food tracker on Livestrong.com, I figured it out, and I don't think I'll feel too starved by the end of the day.

All I know is that the food at formal had better be really good to make today and tomorrow's diet worth it!

5 weeks in!

This will be a short post, but I'm still making great progress with my training!

I'm down 13 pounds from where I started (super exciting!), and while I don't know my exact body fat loss (Amanda has the body fat reader in her car, which has been in the shop for 2 weeks since she was in an accident, so she hasn't been able to get it), I see the results, and that's good enough for me.

I was trying on clothes at Macy's yesterday and actually looked at my body in an entirely different way. It's no longer just about looking "thinner"-- it's about looking healthier, and I definitely do. My waist is much slimmer, and my arms are getting really toned. Still working on my lower abs and legs, but they'll get there eventually.

Had lunch with my Mom and grandma yesterday, and while my grandma doesn't understand the point of all this (she "used to eat donuts made with lard, and [she's] still alive"), my mom was impressed with my progress and seemed motivated to take on a healthier lifestyle herself. I hope she does!

I think the real test will be bathing suit shopping in the next couple weeks. Put-in-Bay is just 3 short weeks away... can't wait!!

Water Works!

One of the most frustrating parts about my personal training sessions is that my weight fluctuates so much because of water retention after weight training. It gets particularly bad after we train my legs, and I can literally see a 1 pound increase after just 30 minutes of lunges and squats. The oddest part is that I can also see and feel in my legs where the water is stuck... it's kinda gross!

I have figured out a couple things that seem to help though. First, I make sure I stretch out really well after my training sessions. At least 60 seconds for each stretch on each leg when I stretch out my quads and my hamstrings. I also try to massage my quads a bit as I'm doing the stretch, and it helps them loosen up and feel better faster.

I've also been drinking a heck of a lot of water. It seemed really counter-intuitive to me early on... if I drink more water, that's just more water that my body can hold on to, so I would actually drink less after my training sessions. However, when I noticed that the water weight was sticking around for days after my sessions, I looked up remedies online and found that I should actually be increasing my water consumption a lot after my workouts so that my body understands that it doesn't NEED to hold onto the water. So... I've been drinking at least 16 8-oz. glasses (that's a whole gallon!!!) of water every day. And the water weight has gone down much more quickly.

I'm also being more careful about my sodium intake, as that can lead to water retention as well. As long as I'm drinking plenty of water, it should mostly flush out, but I just need to be aware of how much sodium is in my diet to make sure I'm not going overboard and eating more than my body (and all the water) can process.

I'm still seeing great results, and I feel like I'm starting to understand how all the pieces of a healthy lifestyle fit together. It's exciting!

Proof is in the clothing

I'm fortunate in that I generally only have to get dressed up for school 2 or 3 times a week-- when I work on Mondays and Wednesdays, and then occasionally for meetings with our clients at the Zoo or presentations for our Marketing Field Studies class. Since I've been mostly wearing gym clothes, jeans and t-shirts lately (and my favorite jeans always fit-- think Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants-- no matter how my body shape changes, they still fit like a glove), I haven't paid much attention to how my dress clothes have been fitting.

I tried on a pair of pants this past week and they were pretty darn loose. I just figured it was because they had stretched out last time I wore them, so I washed them, put them in the dryer, and tried them back on. Still too loose. So I tried on another pair... same thing. I made it through the three days I had to dress up this week-- almost put on a belt one day, but it wasn't dressy enough-- and just wore longer shirts that would hide any gap in the pants. But today, I decided I needed to go shopping.

NY&Company is having their annual 50% off everything sale, so I made my way over. When I trained with Amanda this morning, I told her about my shopping plans, and she said she thought I would be a size 4. I told her that for most of my adult life, I'd been an 8 or a 10, so a 4 seemed unlikely. She told me to just try a pair of size-4 pants on, just to see where I was. I did so, and while I can wear them, I still probably have a few pounds and an inch or so to lose before they're 100% comfortable. I ended up buying a couple pairs in a 6, and I figure if they too become too large, I can certainly find a belt that will make them work until I have time to get them tailored. And who knows, by then, maybe NY&C will have an even better sale going on! I hate to buy clothes when I think my shape will continue to change, but I definitely couldn't wear the 8s anymore... and that's pretty exciting!

One more session with Amanda tomorrow morning with weigh-in (and hopefully body fat measurement). I'll be excited to see where I am!

Changed forever?

I had dinner with my girlfriends on Thursday night. These girls also started working with a personal trainer around the same time that I started working with Amanda, so we've had a good time talking about our different experiences. At one point during the evening, I told Melissa that "it will be so nice to eat normally again," and I expected her to say "I know what you mean," but her response was interesting. She asked "Do you think you'll ever be able to go back to eating the way you used to?" And the honest answer is, probably not.

I've put a lot of effort into changing my diet over the last month so far, and I'm definitely seeing results, so it would be a shame to just go right back to my old habits and have all this hard work go to waste. The work-outs with Amanda are certainly making a difference too, but even she told me that keeping up with the diet will be the most important thing for me to do to maintain my figure once I move to Cincinnati.

I think the main difference once I'm done working with Amanda is that I will allow myself to cheat a bit more often. If I'm out to dinner with girlfriends, I will most likely still eat a healthy, protein-filled dinner. But I may allow myself to splurge on a yummy dessert once in a while. Right now, I have not been cheating at all unless Amanda actually tells me to (apparently, I need to cheat once in a while to get my metabolism to kick into high gear). I also know that I will have a lot of food catered in once I start working at dunnhumby, and I just have to be smart about which sandwich options I eat. I think the key is just going to be enjoy the foods that I really enjoy, but in moderation. That's the key to healthy eating in general, but since I started working with Amanda, there's been no "moderation" in things like desserts... there's just been none of it.

5 more weeks til Put-In-Bay!

3 weeks stronger!

Today is exactly 3 weeks since I first started training with Amanda, and I'm still going strong! I had a couple days earlier this week when I was feeling a little heavier than usual, but I think that was because I didn't have any training sessions Saturday, Sunday or Monday... just a couple cardio days. Since I did some really hard-core workouts with Amanda on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I'm feeling much better today.

She was absolutely right when she told me I'd laugh about the day when I couldn't do a push-up. It's not like they've become easy now, but they're definitely doable, and I can even change them up a little to make them more challenging. I've also gotten beyond the point of telling Amanda "I can't." I didn't like saying it, she didn't like hearing it, so I've just stopped. She pushes my muscles to the limits every session, but I'm eating much better now and that helps my body to recover much more quickly.

My core is still not as strong as I would like it to be, but again, I'm only 3 weeks into my training, and I have another 5 to go before Put-In-Bay. I know I'm going to get there. I can tell that I'm getting more toned, so I just have to keep up the hard work.

Tonight the girls and I are going out for sushi to celebrate Annie's upcoming wedding and Melissa's engagement. I've had sushi the last two weeks, and I'm getting a little bored with sashimi (rolls are pretty much a no-no), but I found a dish at Haiku with seared tuna over fresh mixed greens with a ginger vinegarette that sounds amazing, so I think I'm going to go with that tonight. The diet has become much less of an issue lately. I've figured out what's ok to eat and what's not, and I just don't eat what's not. I still occasionally crave sweets, but it hasn't broken me yet. I just have some sugar free pudding instead and I'm good to go!

Seeing results

Another week of training is almost over! I have one more session today at 4, at which we'll also do another weigh-in/body fat measurement. I'm not supposed to be weighing myself everyday, but I have checked a couple times during the last week, and the weight keeps going down, even if only a little. I'm feeling lighter and healthier... but the real proof is in my body shape.

I took a picture of myself on my first day of training, and I decided that I would take a picture of myself each week thereafter to help me visually track my progress. I didn't really notice a big change between weeks one and two, nor did there seem to be a big change between weeks two and three. However, when I line them all up together, I can see just how much of a difference this training is making! I still have about 6 weeks go to until Put-In-Bay, and I hope the last picture in the series will be a photo of me posing proudly in my bathing suit!

I'm not going to post these photos to the blog each week (it's more of an internal motivation for me), but I will definitely post a before and after at the end of this journey.

Strength in Numbers

I have been writing quite a bit about my own training lately, but rather than bore you with more details about my killer shoulder workout today, I thought I'd write a bit about what's truly helping to keep me motivated... my wonderful friends :)

Several weeks ago during a (fairly healthy) lunch at Northstar Cafe, I mentioned to Melissa, Sam, Annie and Celina that I was going to start working with a personal trainer. Since all of us will be going to Put-In-Bay at the end of May, we want to look our best in our bathing suits. So now they have also started training with a trainer at the RPAC.

It has been so nice to be able to talk to them about my successes, and to laugh with them about my failures (as in, the first day when I couldn't do even one push-up). Our trainers seem to have slightly different training philosophies (i.e.-- Amanda is crazy about my diet and makes sure I'm sweating like mad by the end of my workout, whereas their trainer seems to be a bit more laid back), but the point is, we're all working on making ourselves healthier.

I also learned over the weekend that my friend Lindsey is going to start working toward her certification to teach kick-boxing, so she has also started working with a personal trainer to get her in even better shape than she already is. Also, my friend Kelly in Pittsburgh has started working on her own "get healthy" plan, so we're following each other's journeys through our blogs.

It just makes me feel really good to know that I have such a large group of people that I can turn to when my muscles are just a little more sore than I'd like, or when I need someone to remind me that I really don't need that extra large chocolate chip cookie that is tempting me :)

I'm definitely noticing positive changes in my body and that's certainly a motivating factor, but even more importantly, my friends are helping to keep me on track!

Weekend success!

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I was in North Canton for my friend Megan's wedding this past weekend. I haven't been to a lot of weddings, but the one thing that I've noticed about them is that there is never a lack of food and alcohol to be consumed at these events. This weekend's was no different.

I had ordered my entree before I started working with Amanda, so I chose the vegetarian platter instead of the chicken or steak option. If I'd known what an important role protein would be playing in my diet, I would have certainly ordered the chicken, but c'est la vie. I made sure to get plenty of protein in during the day before heading to the reception so that I'd still make my 120-gram daily goal. No big deal. As it turns out, the vegetarian platter was really delicious! One of my friends ordered the steak, and said it was a little tough. The chicken was parmesan crusted, and it looked like it had been fried, so probably not the healthiest choice (though friends who ordered it said the taste was good). The other problem with those entrees is that they only came with potatoes. The table got a bowl each of roasted green peppers and rigatoni, but the pasta definitely isn't part of my diet, and I'm not a huge fan of peppers in large doses. My platter was full of steamed broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms and a stuffed tomato... delicious!! I'd also had a few celery sticks before dinner was actually served, so I definitely got my fill of veggies for the day!

I had a couple bites of chocolate wedding cake, which was also pretty tasty, but I was pleased that I wasn't craving more sweets afterward. There was an entire room full of desserts after dinner, and I wasn't even tempted. Knowing that Amanda is going to check over every little thing I eat makes it a lot easier to stay away from the "bad" stuff.

Even though there was a full bar at the reception, I just drank water all night. Worked out well, as I really needed it to keep me hydrated while dancing with my friends for 2-3 hours. It was a great workout though!

Today, my friend Sam asked me to get dinner with her at Ted's Montana Grill. Ted's has great bison burgers, but I decided to check the nutrition facts on their web site before heading out, and it looked like the brick chicken would be a better choice for me and my diet. I only ate half of it (no bun) and brought the other half home to put on a salad sometime later this week. I asked for roasted asparagus instead of the french fries, and it was a filling and tasty meal. I was also pleased to see that MyDailyPlate has Ted's menu items already in the system, making it much easier for me to track!

Overall, a weekend that could have really tested my willpower when it comes to my diet, but I'd say I passed that test pretty easily!

Cheat Meal

As I mentioned in my last post, my Dad took me out to dinner tonight. Since I'd done so well with my diet and training the last few weeks, I had earned a "cheat meal" that could be anything except a big dessert or pasta. Should have been easy... right?

Funny thing was, I still scoured the menu for something that would still sorta fit the diet basics that I've been following. It's now stuck in my head that I want to go for maximum protein and minimum carbs while keeping an eye on fat content and making sure it's not too high.

We started off with friend calamari, which is a hit or miss at most restaurants. Luckily at this one, it was a miss. I ate a few (probably 5) pieces, but it really wasn't all that satisfying, so I didn't feel the need to eat any more. Dad and I left half of them on the plate, and it wasn't a huge plate to begin with.

For my entree, I ordered chicken bernaise, which was a grilled chicken breast covered with lump crab meat and bernaise sauce. It was served with steamed broccoli and green beans, as well as a side salad and warm dinner rolls (which I didn't touch because of the carbs). The side salad was covered in cheese, but I managed to just pick out the lettuce and eat that. Dipped my fork in a tiny bit of ranch dressing for a few bites, but that didn't do much for me either. The chicken bernaise was very, very good, but with every bite that had sauce on it, I couldn't help but wonder how much fat I was consuming. I guessed that there was about 3 tbsp of sauce on the chicken, and MyDailyPlate estimated that that's about 18.5 g of fat... glad I didn't know it at the time. I probably wouldn't have ordered it. On the other hand, at least I got a lot of protein with the chicken and the crab, the carbs for the meal were still fairly low and I got some nutrients out of the steamed veggies.

I guess the main point of this post is just that my cheat meal wasn't nearly as enjoyable as it should have been. I've gotten so used to this diet, and it's helped me to make so much progress so far, that this cheat meal just made me feel guilty afterward. Maybe other people really need a cheat meal or they would just go crazy, but it certainly didn't have that effect on me.

Making Progress!

I had to get up at 6 a.m. to make it to my 7 a.m. workout this morning for my last training session of the week, and while the lack of sleep wasn't so great, the beginning of today's session made it all worth it!

First thing we had to do was a weigh-in. Haven't done one since I first met Amanda 3 weeks ago, but my weight is down fairly significantly from then. But my weight tends to fluctuate quite a bit, so I wasn't all that excited. However, we also did a body fat analysis, and that's decreased 3% from 3 weeks ago! Apparently you normally lose about 2% per month once you start with hard-core training and diet, so I was really happy to see that I've already surpassed the norm.

After the weigh-in, I was even more motivated to push myself during the workout, which was focused 100% on legs today. In the last couple sessions, there have been a few times where I couldn't quite finish the last three or four reps in a set without taking a quick rest. There were defeinitely a few times when I felt like my muscles were completely exhausted, but I pushed through and finished every set without breaking. I did three sets of each of the following: quad machine, hamstring machine, squats while holding a weight bar on my shoulders (not very comfortable, but I did it!), and more dead lifts. We finished off with two laps of lunges around the gym, and the 30 minutes was up!

I did 45 minutes on the Arc Trainer after my session with Amanda was over, and I felt pretty sluggish on it. My heart rate stayed elevated, though, and I was happy to know that I get to rest and recover until Sunday afternoon.

I'm back in North Canton for Megan's wedding, and my dad's taking me out for dinner tonight. I had planned on using last night's "Date Night" with my friend Elika as my cheat meal at Eleven, but ended up ordering some delicious grilled salmon instead, so I can use my cheat meal tonight. I'm going to have to watch what I eat at the wedding tomorrow, but Amanda said I could have a small piece of cake, so that made me happy :)

Yay weekend!

Core competency

This morning was day 2 of 4 for the week, and I'm feeling pretty sore tonight. Most of the workout wasn't too bad today-- we focused on arms for the most part, so I did some "21s" (7 full curls, 7 half curls, and 7 mini curls) on the pully-lever machines (no idea what they're actually called), then some tricep dips on the bench. Those are definitely tough, but I'm getting better at them. We also used some freeweights, and I was glad to learn how to actually use them, since I typically stay away from them when I'm at the gym by myself.

Amanda asked if I've noticed any major changes to my body yet, and I can definitely see some muscle in my arms now if I flex... it's a little bump compared to people who have been lifting for a long time, but for me, it's still an accomplishment.

After my arms were exhausted, it was time to work on my core... again. That's the only muscle group that we're targeting at every session, which is good because I told Amanda one of my goals was to have more definition in my abs. She's definitely pushing me hard to reach that goal. I started with the stability ball... at the moment, this stability ball is my enemy. She first wanted me to do an elevated plank by balancing my forearms on the ball and then keeping my entire body lifted for 10 seconds. I made it for about 5 seconds the first time around. Then we moved onto crunches where I had to move the ball from my hands to between my feet as I crunched up, go back down, crunch up again and move the ball back to my hands. My abs hurt so much at this point that I ended up just sort of rolling the ball from my legs into my hands.

Amanda laughed at the way I "modified" the exercises to make them doable. I know they're not quite as effective the way I'm doing them, but I'd rather get at least something out of it. If I didn't modify the exercise, I wouldn't have been able to do the movement at all, so it's better than nothing. After 10 of those miserable crunches, I had to try the plank again. This time, I got my positioning right, and I did it. Crashed to the floor after I was done, but I felt good about it. Did a few sets of off-the-bench crunches, and just to make life interesting, I had to do two sets of 15 and 10 full-body push ups. The first 15 weren't too awful (still not moving in one motion), but by the time I got to the set of 10, I was pretty much done. I somehow forced my body up to finish them, but they weren't pretty.

So I definitely have to work on my core competence. Two more training days this week, then a couple days off while I go home to North Canton for my friend Megan's wedding!

Pushing myself

Just got back from my first of four straight training days with Amanda for the week. After last week, I definitely needed two days off to let my muscles recover, but today it was back to business.

Started with some deadlifts and presses. The deadlifts were pretty easy to begin with, but getting the bar above my head was a challenge, so she had me switch between a heavier bar for the deadlifts and then a lighter one to do the presses. I'm sure my butt, legs and arms will feel it later.

She had me try to do the full-body push-up, and this time, I was able to! I'm not exactly a plank when I do it, and my upper body moves up before the rest of me, but the point is, I didn't feel (as) weak as I did last time. Granted, by the third set of them I was once again barely moving off the ground, but I pushed myself and got it done.

Did several more laps of walking lunges, this time holding 10 pound weights in each hand... a little big tougher than last time. Finished off the day with some more leg work and abs, and my 30 minute session was over before I knew it!

When I'm working out, there are times when I really feel like I won't be able to do that one last rep, but I just take a deep breath, do the rep, and then smile when it's done.

A Note on Diet

Since today is my rest day from working out, I thought I'd write a bit about the diet Amanda has me on. Before working with Amanda, I thought I ate pretty decently... cereal with skim milk in the morning, a couple squares of dark chocolate as a morning pick-me-up, turkey and cheese sandwich and some light yogurt for lunch, and then typically a light dinner-- one of my favorites was a "Greek" salad with tomato, cucumber, chickpeas, feta and some greek vinegarette. During the day I might have a few snacks, typically something sweet like a hot chocolate from the Graduate Programs Office at school, a piece of fruit once I got home, or some type of light frozen treat for dessert at night.

I usually came in around 1200-1500 calories per day, which, according to many magazines I've read in the past, is all women really need. As I mentioned, Amanda noted that the biggest red flag in my diet was my sweets and carbs. I told her I was a chocoholic with a sweet-tooth, but that I would love to hear her suggestions to help me get over my sweets obsession. So she told me to just cut them out completely for two weeks. The first few days were rough, but as the days pass, I haven't really felt many cravings for my chocolate and desserts. Yay!

She also told me to change my breakfast habits. Even though my cereal choices weren't terrible (usually Honey Bunches of Oats or Honey Nut Cheerios), she said they really had too much sugar and not enough nutrients. Skim milk is also very high in sugar compared to soy milk, so now my breakfasts consist of Special K Protein Plus or Kashi Go Lean Original cereal with light soy milk. The cereals aren't as sweet as those that I normally eat and they take a bit of getting used to, but they don't taste bad at all. They're also a bit more expensive, but I also find that I'm not snacking on cereal the way I used to with the more sugary cereals, so I'm going through a box a lot less quickly.

My lunches haven't changed much-- still having a turkey and cheese sandwich, but I just use one piece of bread and cut it in half. If I bought light bread or Sandwich Thins I could have two slices for the same number of calories as one slice of regular bread, but since I already had a whole loaf of the regular stuff, I decided to just finish it first. I also add a veggie like peeled carrots to my lunch just to get something extra.

Amanda told me I should be eating every three hours, so I've been having a cup of Kroger Carbmaster yogurt or a protein shake as a morning snaack, and then another type of veggie with some hommus as an afternoon snack. I don't get nearly as hungry as I used to, and my snacks are much better for me.

My dinners have included a lot more protein, either with chicken, ground turkey, fish or eggs. Favorite meals include grilled chicken and veggies; an egg-white omelette with green peppers, onions and tomatoes; or a taco salad with romaine lettuce, some extra lean ground turkey cooked up with taco seasoning, green peppers, onions and tomatoes and a sprinkle of mild cheddar. Still trying to figure out more fish recipes to add to the mix.

I've been tracking everything I eat on livestrong.com's "MyDailyPlate" application, and it's really helping to hold me accountable and think about my food. I have to send my food journal to Amanda every few days, and she'll send me her critique and suggestions for improving my diet even further.

I learned this past week that I'm allowed one "cheat meal" each week, which I haven't been taking advantage of yet, but if the occasion presents itself, I'll probably have a burger or a slice of pizza. The only thing I can't cheat with is dessert... figures. :)

Finally, my friends and I decided we're not going to drink alcohol for a month. There are quite a few social events in the MBA program that involve going out to various bars, but I've just been having water and enjoying my classmates' company. Hasn't been a big deal at all.

While I haven't necessarily been able to eat the foods I really love (Sweets and carbs in particular), I'm glad I at least have a better idea of what kinds of food I should be eating to help keep me healthy and fit!

I'm weak...

...and my entire body aches!!

How's that for an intro to a blog? I had my second session with my personal trainer today, and the last part of the workout was a full-body push-up. Or at least that's what it was supposed to be. Starting with my entire body on the ground, she wanted me to push myself up. I couldn't. Not even close... not even an inch off the ground.

I told her I was weak, and she said "No no, that's good. You're going to look back on this day and say to yourself "Remember when I couldn't even do one full-body push-up? I've come such a long way from that."

So I decided that I should keep track of my progress in a blog, just so I can look back and be even more proud of what I've accomplished.

I'm training with Amanda Kenyon. She is a certified personal trainer, as well as a figure competitor. She is incredible. I learned about her through my friend Leslie, who trained with her last year before she took a trip to Mexico with her boyfriend. I saw Leslie's results in photos from her vacation, and that's all it took to convince me that Amanda would be able to whip me into shape too.

I first met with her about two weeks ago to discuss goals and our training plan. I'm going to be training with her for 30 minute sessions 4 times per week for the next 8 weeks. So that's 16 hours of hard-core workouts over the next two months. Yikes!

Before I actually started my training sessions, she wanted to work on improving my diet. I told her my biggest weakness was sweets, and particularly chocolate. She asked me to cut out sweets completely for two weeks, just to prove to myself that I really don't need them and to help stop my cravings. It's only been a week, and I'm doing fine without them. I get to drink chocolate protein shakes, and they seem to do the trick (not to mention, they actually taste really good). She also noticed that my carb intake was really high, so she asked me to cut my carbs to less than 140 grams per day. Add in some extra protein and a lot more veggies, and I'm already feeling lighter :)

My first workout session with Amanda was on Thursday. It was an intense 30 minutes of dead-lifts, lunges, ab work, arms and shoulders. It didn't feel too bad at the time, and there were only a couple times when I really couldn't move my body the way I needed to for the exercise. What I like about Amanda is that she recognizes when I've exhausted a particular muscle and then moves onto another one instead. She's encouraging, but not pushy, and definitely not the drill-sergeant type. I don't think I could handle that.

Friday I was incredibly sore in my shoulders, butt and the back of my legs. I just kinda felt like Jell-O. I woke up today feeling quite a bit better. Then I met with Amanda for another session at 9 a.m. We did a lot of arm work, more abs and some other leg exercises. There was one ab exercise that involved hanging from some arm rings and trying to pull my legs up and out in front of me, and I couldn't even move my legs up an inch. My abs are already that burnt out from the last couple of days. She also had me do "death drops" on one of the arm machines, and as she promised at the time, my arms are pretty much dead now.

Even though I'm incredibly sore (and probably will be for the next couple of days), I'm so glad that I'm pushing myself to do this. I'm eventually going to be in great shape, and will be proud to be able to call myself a Strong Blonde.