Leg day!

As I type this I am sitting down to an amazing diet coke :)  I want to say that I do not claim to be a fitness expert, or a clean eater.  What I can say is that I do try to eat healthy but sometimes I just want pizza, breadsticks and a diet coke :) 

This morning I got up at 4:30 to hit the gym before work so that I could come home and mow the yard before the rain hit.  Now that I have worked out, worked and mowed the grass I am exhausted.  I did 45 minutes on the elliptical and 45 minutes of weights (leg day) this morning and my legs are killing me.  I can't decide if it is the heels I wore or the workout though. 

As I have said, leg days are my favorite days. I love squats, lunges, deadlifts, box jumps, etc.  I normally do around 8-10 exercises on leg day, but I have been known to do more because I feel good and like to do them.  If you do no other leg exercise, squat!  It is a great exercise for the entire lower body.  I do 3-4 different types of squats (sets and reps depend on heavy or light day) every leg day and they can include:  normal squats, hack squats, plie squats, one leg squats, close leg squats, sumo squats.  You may be wondering what some of these squats look like so I have included a random picture below.

A hack squat is a machine at your gym.  Sumo squats are similar to plie squats, but with sumo squats your toes are not pointed outward like a plie.  The smith machine is my favorite piece of equipment for legs. Most gyms have a smith machine so I included a picture of that as well in case you don't know what that is.

You can add weighted plates to each side to do your workout.  Eventually, once you dont care what anyone in the gym thinks of you, I strongly recommend weighted donkey kicks with the smith machine. For this exercise you get on all 4's and kick back one leg, lifting up the bar on the smith machine.  This is hard to explain so I inluded a picture as well.  You have to bring the bar on the smith maching down to about calf/knee height to begin.  This exercise hurts so good!

I also love the cable machine at the gym.  I use that to do kickbacks, and work my thighs!  I have attached some pictures of the workouts I do below.

 

In addition to these exercises above you can also do squats with a bar attached to the smith machine (or handles as in the picture below.)

Deadlifts, calf raises, walking lunges (both with a dumbells to my side and a barbell across my shoulders), box jumps, weighted step ups (shown below) are also a part of my leg day.

I don't do every exercise every time but I always have some sort of lunge or squat in my routine and sometimes...a split squat lunge!  (picture below)

I may not post for a couple of days but I promise to continue postings!  You all have helped me stay healthy!  We had two days at work this week where people brought in treats and I passed both days-a decision I attribute to this blog!

Which reminds me...many of you know I work at Butler near Trip and Blue (Butler mascots).  Well Trip is a daddy's boy and it is beyond sad to watch him watch his dad leave with Blue or for a meeting.  Today he was near the door watching his dad (pops) and Blue leave when I opened the door to come back in-Trip tried to take off, but I was able to hold that 60 pound beast of a puppy in place and wrangle him back inside. I know that it is because I am getting stronger.  Ok, one more picture of the dogs..I love those dogs.

 

Why wait? Pick up the weights!

I want all of you to know that I googled funny phrases about weight lifting and couldn't find one so the title of this post is all mine in its glory (sarcasm).  I also want you to know that I have re-read my blog and I need to work on all the typos.  I have noticed in a lot of areas of my life typos are becoming more frequent.  At work, in email, on this blog...all the time.  Thank goodness email does not have the iphone autocorrect function yet.

I have had a lot of feedback on facebook about strength training.  The first question I want to answer is how I got started and how "heavy" I lifted at first.   I was hands down the weakest person in the world before I got into weight training. My family would make fun of my ridiculous upper body strength. I could not do 1 push up. I had always done some lifting in the gym-you know 10 minutes of something after my 2 hours of cardio. I don't think I got really serious about lifting over cardio until I hired my trainer in Florida. There was just something that clicked at that moment and at 34 I am in better shape now than I was at 24.  

When I say lift heavy,  I mean lift whatever weight is heavy for you.  Pick a weight that you can do between 8-10 reps of with the last few reps being really hard to keep perfect form.  An example of this:  when I first started I was using 7.5 dumbells for bicep curls.  I am now up to 20 pounds.  So, just go with what feels comfortable to you.  Start out just doing this and then start adding in "heavy" days. 

I do mix up my days into heavy days and light/normal days.  On heavy days I do 5 sets of 4-6 reps at a fairly heavy weight.  So for bicep curls for me that is 25 pounds-I die and I hate it at that level.  I then have days where I do 3 sets of 10 reps at the 20 pounds.  I do tend to do more heavy leg days because my legs are like tree trunks and I am naturally stronger in my legs.  I LOVE LEG DAY.  Squats and lunges are my favorite.  I will talk about my leg day in more detail tomorrow.

If you feel more comfortable starting on machines, I would start on machines.  It helps to get a better idea of the weight that you can do on a machine.  I like free weights because I feel like I get a better range of motion and I am pulling in other muscles to do the exercise, where as a machine is isolating certain muscles.

The one thing that I love about weight training more than anything else is the work that it does AFTER I leave the gym.  There is no doubt that I have been able to be a little bit more relaxed on my diet from time to time and not gain weight because of the muscle that I have put on.  Now, it definitely does not allow me to just eat whatever the hell I want.  Trust me, if it did I would eat pizza, frozen yogurt, Mexican and Italian 24/7, but it does allow some leeway.  I have had some time where I have not been as clean on my diet and I step on the scale expecting to see a 5 pound weight gain and it is only 1-2.  I can easily correct that through cleaning up my diet and I do. 

Strength training is probably more important than cardio in my mind (But still do cardio), however a healthy consistent dient trumps both!  Thank you all for reading and keep the questions coming :)

You Can't Out Work A Bad Diet!!

I have exercised for over 15 years. Even at my heaviest, I was still running. I ran a 15K with friends in Florida. My mentality was "hey, I just ran 9 miles I can eat whatever I want".  Definitely not the case. At one point in Florida I would work out twice a day burning over 1,000 calories and the scale would not budge. Wait, it did budge...just up,instead of down. Looking back, I was ruining all my work in one meal. I would go to Panera for breakfast and get their cinnamon/sugar bagel with honey walnut cream cheese and a fruit and yogurt parfait. While it may seem healthy to some people..it's not. Those 2 items were one meal and well over 800 calories.

The biggest thing one can do is really look at what you are eating. I found that what I thought was healthy wasn't. My favorite salad in Florida was from Crisper's and had over 1,000 calories- and it seemed so healthy. It had a balsamic dressing with it! So combine my 800 calorie breakfast and my 1,000 calorie lunch and without snacks or dinner I was already at 1,800. I was also consuming at least 64 ounces of diet coke- but hey it was diet, right? Wrong.

Fast forward to today and here are some of my eating tips and tricks! Please keep in mind that everything I put here is what a perfect day would look like and many of you have been with me on not so perfect days too. The key is to have more good days than bad days. I wake up and IMMEDIATELY start drinking water. I have water bottles everywhere in my house. I try to drink 33 ounces of water before I leave for work and then have around 100 ounces for the day. On good days, I have nothing but water- but I still love my fountain diet cokes. Every day, no matter what- even bad days- I make sure to eat at least these 3 staples: kashi go lean oatmeal. It is in the organic section and a great balance of protein and fiber. An apple. I eat one apple every day. Greek yogurt. I have 2 Greek,yogurts everyday, I love Oikos and Fage, but love the new Chobani Flippers too. The key lime is like dessert and the coconut chocolate almond is amazing after being in the freezer for 10 minutes. On my really good days, those are indulgences. After EVERY workout I have a protein shake, Right now I am hooked on peanut butter cookie dough from Gaspari Nutrition. I have one to two scoops with Chocolate PB2 and water mixed in. If you don't know what PB2 is...I love it. It is powdered peanut butter and I add it to oatmeal, protein shakes...and for a "dessert" fat free cool whip. I love PB2. I truly believe that consuming the protein right after my workout is key to building muscle and warding off that feeling of wanting to stop at McDonalds on the way home. Don't judge: i,would totally go to McDonalds or Taco Bell after my workouts in Florida..remember "I Deserved It"
I stay away from dairy milk and drink almond milk. I also love pop chips!! They are gluten free-if that is important to you- and low calorie. They have a great crunch for when you want something crunchy and salty. I eat a lot of salads with dressing on the side. I also like Subway, but I get a turkey and ham in wheat with all the veggies and mustard. It is filling and good! Another staple is hummus with veggies or pita chips.
Another great treat are these frozen Chocolate Bananas on a stick. They look ridiculous (and inappropriate) but are so good! They have 130 calories and the dark chocolate is good for you. I think they are called Diana's frozen banana's. They are sold in the ice cream novelty section and are in a
Green box.
Another tip is water, water, water. The more water I drink,the leaner I look. I promise just a week of the diet coke binge can make a difference.
Thank you all so much for asking about diet tips. If you are curious about something in particular let me know. Tomorrow I will talk about weight training in general and then begin sharing more details on my journey to lift heavy!

Slow and steady

After posting the pics last night, I realized just how slow of a process this has been. I literally lose about 10 pounds over the course of a year-less than 1 pound a month! Now, I lose in spurts..usually in 3 months and then maintain for a long time before getting motivated again to lose again. Right now, I am not looking to lose weight, but gain muscle. If I get smaller so be it. I currently hold between 130-135 and that is just fine with me.

I admit that I am already struggling with things to talk about. I know that people all over the country (and world) are reading this blog based on the Analytics so if you have a question or topic for me to give an uneducated/real world tested opinion on please leave a comment! I will answer all of them as I want to help, inspire and motivate. I love fitness and the feeling you get from being healthy!

Take pictures!

Back in 2011 I decided to take pictures of my progress.  I saved the picture and did it again in 2012.  Now in 2013 I decided to take the same picture in front of the same mirror with the same pose.  Now, I could not find the bottoms to the bikini I wore in 2011 and 2012 so I am in a different swimsuit but it is a bit skimpier than the other one.

This picture is from 2011

This picture is from 2012

And this picture was taken today, May 27 2013

I understand that there are probably many of you who think that this is egotistical or ridiculous but I am amazed by what strength training can do for your body.  I texted an old trainer of mine from when I lived in Bloomington and asked him why he did not tell me that cardio would not change my body?!? (He totally did tell me but I ignored him-I did not want to get "bulky").

Happy Memorial Day!

I realized today that I have been very blessed in that no one I personally know has been killed in war.  I know that many of my friends can not say the same and recognize how difficult it must be.  So thank you to all who have served and continue to serve this great country of ours.

I love the respect that women show other women who lift.  I think that it is one of the few places wherre women genuinely encourage each other.  Women have been stereotyped as having to compete against other women for so long that it feels good to not feel that in the gym.  Today at the gym a lady approached me about making a simple tweak to an exercise I was doing for my hamstrings.  It involved a squat at the end which in turn worked out most of my lower body (and the butt that I am seriously obsessed with building).  I loved the exercise.  LOVED IT.  It will definitely be added to my routine as a staple. 

At the end of my workout as I was stretching and finishing up core exercises, two women were working out with trainers next to me.  They were holding planks-and did it for 48 seconds which is pretty good!!  They were exhausted and looked to be hating every minute of it.  The trainers were asking them about why they wanted to get back in shape.  Both of these women would be what society considers overweight.  They did not really have any reasons.  I decided to "pay it forward" the gesture from the lady earlier and told these ladies that they could do it.  I have a picture on my phone that from 2010 where I was close to my heaviest.  I showed it to them and said, trust me..it can happen.  The trainer asked me how I did it and I said that it finally hit me that weight training is key over cardio and that you can not outwork a bad diet.  80% of my results come from a diet full of protein, water, fruits, veggies, oatmeal, greek yogurt, etc. 

If you are in the gym and see someone struggling, encourage them and if someone has a suggestion for you, try it!  I got started by watching the really fit girls in my gym and then doing what they do (with lighter weights of course). I now have worked up to heavier weights-though there are always going to be girls that straight out impress me in the gym!

The picture I showed the 2 ladies is below!

Indy 500

Today was a big day for my hometown as the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 happened. Tony Kanan won and I think that he is a deserving winner.
For the first time ever, I went to the gym before going to the race. Normally I would skip the gym but I went and got in a quick 5 miles on the treadmill and some upper body strength training. Since I know of a few people who are following my posts, I will share some of my thoughts on strength training.
First, I am not a bodybuilder or fitness model. I drink diet coke, alcohol, and juice- all in moderation. I also don't break down my strength training into all different days. I strength train 4 days a week. 2 upper body days and 2 lower body days. I do 30-40 minutes of cardio on those days and my strength training lasts anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes. I almost always do some core exercises (not sit-ups) at the end. I am just a normal girl trying to stay healthy while still having a life and have felt better since starting strength training.
Second, lift heavy! I promise you will not get bulky. I do not take drugs and lift heavy and you all can see what I look like. 80% of my workouts are in the free weight area (where the guys are). Sometimes it helps to use a machine but if I feel comfortable with an exercise, I use the free weights- even if I am lifting not so heavy. When I say heavy, I use anywhere from 10-25 pound dumbbells depending on the exercise for upper body and between 40-90 pound for lower body. With the smith machine I am over 100 pounds squatting. I also don't use a trainer and get most of my exercise ideas by reading Oxygen, Muscle and Fitness Hers and googling different things online.
Third, I ALWAYS consume a protein shake immediately after working out. I keep the powder in my car and shake it up with water to drink on my way home. I find that when I do this, I don't come home and have 4 tablespoons of peanut butter and then a full meal.

Finally, I have received many positive comments and feedback for doing this! If you have a question, or a topic you want me to talk about please let me know in the comments. I want this to be a dialogue! If it isn't, I may not post as much bc I think eventually I will share all I do.

Pictures of the recent progress

Picture taken on May 25 2013. Goal is more defined abs. Aka operation 6 pack

Step away from Facebook

In the past year or two I have taken to Facebook to post all about my fitness goals and workouts. I have even gone so far as to post pictures in workout gear and bikinis to track my progress. I realize that 90% of those who I connect with on Facebook don't care about my fitness ambitions and possibly find it annoying. So I am using this blog as an opportunity to track my progress, workouts, answer questions and share with anyone who may be interested without having to post for the world to see.

It's probably best to start at the beginning, long before I thought about working out or even eating health food. Greek yogurt didn't exist growing up. Coke tasted better than diet coke- let alone water! I was always the chubby girl, chubbier sister, and overall bigger than most girls in my school. Until 3rd grade it never bothered me but in 4th grade we moved to an up and coming upper middle class suburban school system and I realized pretty quickly that I wasn't "cool" enough or "cute" enough or "skinny" enough to fit in with the same types of friends I had at my old school. As a result, I would come home from school and eat. Chips, cheese, nachos, any sort of Hostess pastry I could find. Then I would have dinner...and a bedtime snack. Food was always plentiful. In middle school I was easily in the 130's at 5'3". By high school, I never weighed myself but I wore size 15 and while I dated and went to 4 proms was never exactly "popular". The popular girls in my school were the thin cheerleaders that wore cute clothes, drove the nice cars, etc. and while I grew up in one of the nicer neighborhoods-I did not wear cute clothes, drive nice cars, etc.  The underlying issue which is not the point of this blog so will be brief is that I probably wasn't very happy as a teen (My So Called Life anyone?) and so my negativity and rudeness probably created to my not being so popular in high school.
Move on to college and I joined a sorority- on a whim. The houses looked big and I really just wanted to see the inside so I signed up for Rush at a large public school with one of the toughest recruitment processes. I was clueless. I was just going to look at the houses and was going to drop out once my top house cut me- bc really... Me in a sorority? Girls and I didn't exactly get along so I figured to be one of the many who drop out or get cut from all houses. Ha! I. Never. Got. Cut. And with that I joined Alpha Phi. Bid Night I was so excited to go to the house and meet all the new girls. However just like in 4th grade when I went to the new school I realized that I didn't quite fit in. I was one of the chubbier girls- surrounded by beautiful girls- girls whomWERE popular at their high school. During my 2.5 years of living in the house, I lost weight. A lot of weight. I started going to the gym with my sisters and since food wasn't readily available like at my home in high school, it was fairly easy for me to lose weight. At this point all I did was cardio but boy did I do cardio. I would spend 2 hours doing cardio and I know people started to notice. I really noticed when I came back for recruitment my sophomore year. Sisters noticed. In college at 5'5" I would guess I weighed 115. No muscle, just flabby but smaller. During this time I became so obsessed with being small that I sacrificed friendships with my sisters to go to the gym. While I never had an outright eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia, I did have a messed up relationship. I remember one day waiting for a place to park at the SRSC eating Wendy's.... Yes, eating Wendy's before doing 2 hours of cardio...
Fast forward to my 20's and I stayed in the 120's-130's but the closer I got to 30 that number increased to 146, then 150 and the highest I allowed myself to see, 164 at 32. I don't know how high I got while living in Florida, but I was in a horrible relationship with a rather large (300 pounds) man and we would eat often together and then I would eat alone just to numb the pain of a gross relationship.
In June of 2010, I walked up to a trainer at my gym and literally said I am done, I have to lose weight. With that one statement I hired that trainer and he worked my but off for 2 months- and then I moved back to Indiana. In that 2 months I lost 10 pounds and was in the 150's.  From that moment in 2010 to now in 2013 I have lost 30 pounds on the scale and am wearing sizes 4 and 6... Sizes I NEVER wore before.
While this first post was long and boring, I promise the rest will be shorter, more interesting and focus on fitness. However I think that the history is important. Where I am now and where I want to go isn't going to just happen bc of good genes. It will take hard work and clean eating.