Work Out and weigh-In

I'm down another 3.8 pounds!  Yeah, Baby!

Today's Work-Out:

WARM UP  -  Chest Flies, Band Rows, TRX Squats

KB Upright Row - 15/20, 20/20, 15/20

Rope Seated Row - 30/2, 70/20, 60/20

Bench Squats -- 15, 15, 20

Side Bends with 25 # Plate  - 25,20, 20

Monday Work Out and Lingering Week-End Injury

Friday night I slammed my foot into a heavy table leg and bruised the shit out of it.  Saturday morning I tried to run, in the pouring rain no less, and that was a huge mistake!  Things went downhill from there and I spent the rest of the day limping around and trying not to feel like crap
inside and out.

Sunday was so sunny!  I came to my senses, took a day off from exercise and laid on the beach for three hours.

 

I'm finally starting to get some color!

 

 

Today's Work Out

 

Foot still hurts so I did not go out for early morning cardio

 

 

With Trainer:

 



Seated O H DB Shoulder Press  -   10/20, 15/15, 15/15

 

1-Arm TRX Rows -- 3 sets 15 each arm

 

DB Flies  --  5/15,   8/20,  10/15

 

Standing DB Curls --   10/15, 12/15,  15/15

 

Triceps Rope Extension  --  30/20, 40/20, 60/20

 

SB Wall Squats  2 sets 15

 

TRX Squats  2 sets 20

 

Core Plank  --   60 seconds X 3

 

 

 

 

 

Friday's Workout

Today's workout:

Inverted Chest Press B/15, B/15, B/15

Rows w/resistance band  20, 20, 20

Step-ups, 12" box,  15/15, 15/15, 15/15

Planks 30s, 30s, 30s

Sit-ups



Feelin' groovy!

Weigh-in and Awesome C25K Progress

 

 

 

I knew that today would be a good day almost from the minute I got up.  I turned my favorite playlist on shuffle and Radar Love by Golden Earring came on!  Oh, hell yeah!  A sure sign of a good day is starting it off with Radar Love!

As I got dressed and prepared for my weigh-in, I noticed my favorite yoga pants were feeling quite loose.  I knew that I'd have a good loss this week but the 4.6 pounds that I dropped was more than I'd hoped for!  Yiippppppppeeeee!!!

I started the Couch to 5K this week.  When I started running today I felt like I could run longer than the 1 minute at a time suggested for the first week.  For the hell of it I decided to just keep running and shocked myself when I completed an entire mile.  Yes, I was slow!  It was barely a trot.  But I did it and I'm so psyched!

 

A yummy dinner that I made tonight.  Baked, wild caught cod!   I started intermittent fasting as an experiment and we'll see how it goes.

Wednesday Workout and Adventures with Grandkds

Today's Work Out:

10-Minute warm-up


Incline DB Press --- 12/20, 20/15, 25/10, 10/10, 25/10  (needed help w/form with heavier weight)

1-Arm Bent over DB Row  -- 20/15, 30/12, 40/12, 30/15 (tough but felt good)

Step-ups on 12" Box  - B 12/12, B 12/12, B 12/12

Core Twist with SB and cable   12/12, 12/12, 12/12

The core twists are something new he's having me do.  They largely work the obliques. I hold onto the SB, brace myself and use the cables to twist.  Seems easy but it's not.  I love it though.

For the step-ups he just upgraded the height of the box by a few inches and it freaking killed me.  I don't know what hurts more  --these or the squats!  One thing's for sure, down the road I'd better have the best ass in the state of Connecticut for my age group.

 

 

 

I kept my two four-year old grandkids overnight last night and had to entertain them until dinner time today.  If I could bottle their energy I'd be a millionaire.

 

I wanted to take them swimming  at the YALE OEC today but thunderstorms were predicted so I took them to the Peabody Museum instead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our museum trip, we grabbed lunch and then I took them to Trader Joe's to pick out something good to cook for dinner.  They like the children's carts that Trader Joe's has.  Since these kids eat well they don't beg for junk foods when we're shopping and they pretty much behave in public too.

 

 

 

I also took them to the track where I do my cardio.  They wore me out.  I passed out in my chair after dinner!

 

I'm feeling great though!

 

Onward!

  

 

 

 

  

Progress Report and Setting New Goals!

 

 

 

Tomorrow it will be exactly four months since my first work out with my trainer and just over five months since I began eating clean.

 

To date I've lost 114 pounds.  My resting heart rate is 62 BPM, down from 86 BPM. My cholesterol is down to 160 and my fasting blood sugar stays at the low end of normal  -- down from a pre-diabetic state.  

 

I'm slowly regaining my strength and flexibility.  My aerobic conditioning is lagging behind my strength.  I went on a hike to Sleeping Giant Park a few days ago.  That used to be an easy hike for me.  I got about half-way up before I admitted to myself that pushing myself any farther would not be wise.  That experience has had me thinking that it's time to put more effort into my aerobic conditioning.

 

When I started this journey I set a bunch of health and fitness goals that I wanted to achieve by July.  I have completed these so it's time to set new weight loss and performance goals, refine my mission, try new things but also return to things that worked for me in the past.

 

WEIGHT LOSS GOALS

My youngest son's wedding anniversary is on September 8th.  I'd like to put on the dress I wore that day and see how many of my granddaughters I can fit into the dress with me.  I'll have photos taken and post them here.

 

I'd like to be at my preliminary goal weight by Christmas. This is doable if my rate of weight loss remains the same, which it hopefully will if I continue to work hard and challenge myself.   

 

FITNESS GOALS

RUN AGAIN:  I actually started the Couch to 5k program today and was delighted when I was able to run for longer periods than the program prescribes.  I should be able to run 3 miles within nine weeks without a problem. 

 

YOGA:  I've been stretching, but not consistently.  My goal is to be more consistent going forward and restore the flexibility I once had by Christmas.

 

CORE:  The abs are my problem area and I should be working them more than three times a week.  My goal going forward is to do work my core at least 5 times a week.    

 

STRENGTH: Right now I do wall squats, bench squats and TRX squats.  I have not squatted with a bar. I would like to be able to squat with a bar, improve my bench press and maybe start to deadlift.

 

NUTRITION GOALS

I'm already eating clean and in moderation.  But I'd like to expand on that by exploring things like intermittent fasting,  SAF (Stress Activated Food), fasted training, etc.

 

TRY SOMETHING NEW:

 

I may try something new  -- such as DDP Yoga or one of the beach body programs!

 

Onward!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday...Back to the Gym

Winston and Adam

 

How can I fail to progress with these two guiding me?

 

 

Today's Workout

 

Warm-up with resistance bands:  3 sets

 

Chest Flies

Back Rows

Sissy Squats

Power Walk

 

Incline DB Press  --  10/20, 15/20, 15/20

 

Reverse Grip Seated High Row -- 90/20, 110/20.  130/20

 

Lateral Shuffle X 3 

 

Core-- Sit ups, bridges, SB w/twist  X 2

 

Cardio Step-ups

 

SB Wall Squats X 1

 

Today was an extremely busy day.  I did have a killer work out and managed to fit in a power walk after dinner.  Feel like I might be ready to start the couch to 5K program soon. 

 

Dinner

 

 

 



 

 





Super Saturday - Sun, Surf and Party. Party, Party!

 

 

 

 



 



I started the day with a walk at Savin Rock.  It was so beautiful and sunny that I decided to return in the afternoon to catch some rays.  It was great to get some color.  

 

 

 

Then off to an anniversary party at a friend's.  It was a very lovely outdoor party.  The weather was perfect and everyone was grateful for that as a lot of planning and expense went into the event. 

 

 

 

 

I spotted this butterfly in the garden there -- an unexpected guest 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Fitness Friday -- Workout and Hike

 

Today's Work Out

TRX Rows - b/20, b/20. b/20

Inverted Chest Press-  B/15, B/15, B/15

TRX Squats - B/115, B/15, B/20

Incline DB Chest Press  - 12/20. 15/20, 20/15

Rope High Rows - 70/20, 80/20, 90/20

Leg Extensions - 30/15, 40/ 20, 50/12

Core Plank 30- 30 -30

Active Rest:  Walk 3 min X 3


AFTERNOON HIKE AT SLEEPING GIANT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Work out and weigh-in and walking, oh my!

 

 

 



Today's Work Out:

Incline Press:  27/20, 37/20, 47/15
Seated Row:  110/20, 140/20, 140/20
TRX Squats:  B/20, B/20, B/20
Plank (modified with bench) 45 seconds X 3
Treadmill - 60 seconds active rest X3
Wall Curls - 45/20, 45/20
Overhead Extensions 20/50, 20/50

NOTES:  With anything involving the back I feel super strong but with presses I feel weak. Definitely want to work on that,   Doing wall curls for my biceps with a bar makes me feel like such a badass!    LOL!!    I LOVE the burn.


Weigh-In:

Down 4.2 his week for a total weight loss of 114.6.   Yeah, baby!

Walk:  Went for an after dinner power walk at the track and kept up a good pace in spite of being tired.

Monday Work Out -- Oh, hell yes!

 

 

 

 

Did some drop sets today!

 

Incline DB Chest Press - 10/20, 12/20, 25/8, 11/10, 10/10

Rev Grip, Seated Cable Row -- 100/20, 140/20, 200/12, 140/12, 120/12

SB Wall Squats   B/15, B/20, B/20

Power Walk with lateral shuffles X3

also did :

Lat Pull Downs

Seated Cable Flies

Leg Extensions

Core Plank

 

My back is getting ridiculously strong.  With the seated cable row, I pulled the whole stack today!  I left the gym feeling like such a bad ass! 

 

Onward!

 

 

 



Thinness Does Not Necessarily Equal Fitness

Assumptions about body styles

 



I noticed a cute little gal at the fitness trail where I do my cardio 3 times a week.  She appears to be in her 30's and does not have a look that most pretty young girls would envy.  She is very pear shaped and has a body style that gives me the impression that she is destined to look thick no matter what she eats or how she exercises.  

But, that gal sure is fit!  She's a perfect example of why it's not thinness that I aspire to, but fitness and health.  Trotting behind her on the trail I'm amazed by the muscles I can see in her legs, arms and back.  Under the layer of fat that she'll perhaps never get rid of is a thick layer of muscle that, no doubt, represents years of putting her time in at the gym and the running trails.

She doesn't stay in my sight very long  --   she's a fast runner.  She's faster than I used to be and I was a distance runner for many years.  A nine-minute mile was my pace unless I was going for a sprint.  This little gal is faster than that!

Bounding down the trail, she passes younger, thinner women with a quick, practiced rhythm. She makes it look effortless, but I know better!  I used to run like that (and hopefully will again) so I am fully aware of how many pairs of running shoes she destroyed on her way to her present level of fitness.

I admire her so much!  She inspires my thoughts as I trot along.

Although I still have a good 50 or more pounds to lose, my cholesterol is down to 160 and my blood sugar is at the low end of normal.  My resting heart rate averages 64 BPM, blood pressure is down, etc.  I can now lift weights at the gym that a lot of men would have trouble handling and my stamina increases every day.

But like the gal at the trail, I don't LOOK like someone who is in better shape than her thinner friends.  I have slender friends who could not do planks, could not make it through a 3 mile walk, and who don't eat right or take care of themselves at all.

We get so caught up in what we think we see!  We can be so distracted by how things appear that we fail to appreciate the way things actually are.  I have plenty of days (Ok, MOST days) where I feel fat, old and unattractive because that's how it can seem when I look in the mirror.

I'm trying to retrain myself to let my body tell me how I'm doing.  What the mirror shows and what other people think they see when they look at me have nothing to do with the strength and personal fortitude it's taken to get me this far.   The best parts of us cannot be measured that way.

Here's to hoping that the "fat" and "unattractive" days get few and fewer,  And that I learn to listen to what my body says, to believe it, and to fully own what I've been working for.

The Little Monkeys

Fitness Friday

Kneeling (on bench) DB Overhead Press:  8/20, 10/20, 10/20
1-Arm Front Cable Pull-down, Reverse Grip  -- 30/20, 50/20.50/20
TRX Squats   20, 20, 20
Core Plank X2
Knee ups/Power walk  X 3

Wednesday Work Out and Weigh In

 

 

 

Today's Work Out

 

 

Chest Flies  -  10/0, 20/20, 20/30

DB Row -- 15/20, 20/20, 20/20

Bicep Curls 45/12, 14/12. 45/12

Tricep V-Bar  -- 70/20, 90/20, 100/20

Cardio Step Ups  3min, 3 min, 3 min



I'm down another 3.8 pounds.  Yeah baby!