Tonight's Workout (August 29, 2011)

Here is tonight's workout, yes it was leg night because I was with Tobe!

- Body squats - 30 second intervals.

- Cross over step ups - 30 second intervals - one leg at a time and then switch legs

- Hip abduction - 30 second intervals

- One are dead weight squats - 15 pound weight in one hand - 30 second intervals then switch to other hand

- Vertical Jumps - 1 minute intervals

Repeat each for 3 sets, Jumping Jacks between sets.

Not feeling it....

So, I know that I have not blogged an quite sometime, but there are reasons for this.  The main reason is because, even though I have been going to the gym and seeing my trainer, work has had me really busy this past month and it hasn't left me much time to keep up with my blog.  That being said, it has not been a very good month for me.  I have to be honest with myself so here it goes.  I have been doing my cardio regimen, but I have not been pounding it as hard as I should.  I have to put my mind set back into what it was BEFORE fracturing my ankle and do my cardio every morning and every evening.  I was losing weight SO much faster when I was doing that.  However, I know that I'm a stress eater, and I have been under a lot of stress lately, especially with work.  The cardio is for sure what I need right now!

I think some of this has to do with the fact that Braxton was MIA for the month as well.  Yes, Tobe pushes me and kicks my ass each session, but Braxton makes me do laps, and I think that really helps me.  I also ran into to my very first trainer that I worked with, Billy, and he said that I looked good. Yes, this is the same Billy that fractured my ankle.  So, I am feeling pretty good about my journey, but I'm also feeling that I need to push it to the next level.  This is where I'm just not feeling it anymore.  I guess you could also call it boredom.  Yes, I have ADD when it comes to this stuff, because I get bored very easily!  It is for sure time to change things up!!! Tobe and Braxton will now need to help and push me to do that! Especially, since I only have them until Feb. or March of next year.

Even though I am down only 5 pounds in the last month, this has put my weight-loss to a total of 78 pounds since my journey began a year and half ago.  This does make me very happy!  I have an exuberance of confidence that I have not had in such a long time and that makes me feel pretty damn proud of myself!  I have not taken my measurements in awhile, but I can tell in my clothes that I have lost a few more inches as my size 14's are starting to feel loose.  It also feels great when people that you have not seen in quite sometime tell you, that they barley recognized you because you lost a "shit load" of weight! That feels pretty damn good!

For those that are in the same position, struggling day by day at this very LONG journey we call weight-loss. I understand, we all fall back into old patterns that got us here in the first place, we get discouraged when things aren't going the way or as fast as we want them, and we feel like giving up.  All I can say, is keep at it!  I know that we get there eventually.  I can't wait for the Biggest Loser to start again, because I need that motivation! That show always seems to keep me motivated! (This is me trying to get my self psyched back-up and start "feeling" it again)!

With all this being said, tomorrow is a new day!  It is time to get back into that mind set and go after what I want!  I'm doing a 10K in a couple of weeks and right now, my only goal is to finish it!  I want to finish it in about 1.5 hours, I think that I can do that! Actually, I KNOW that I can do that!

Tonight's Workout (July 25, 2011)

Ok, here is tonight's workout... Legs are gonna hurt tomorrow!!!!

Body squats - 30 second intervals for 3 sets

Lunges - These are little different - take one leg and place it behind you on the steppers, then lunge down as far as you can and hold for 3 seconds - then take hop as your coming back up, then repeat - 30 second intervals for 3 sets.

Don't know what to call these ones, but stand on the stepper (at first Tobe handed me a 50 pound weight, but that was too heavy for me for this) holding the weight in front of you bend down while lowering the weight to the floor and then come back up into standing position.  I had to use a 25 pound weight for this. - 30 second intervals for 3 sets.

Hamstring curls - 30 second intervals for 3 sets

Sumo Squats - wide base, feet pointed out, squat as low as you can, but don't come all the way up stop once your knees are starting to be almost straight, squat back down. Repeat. 30 second intervals for 3 sets.

Yeah, my legs were dead!  They are SO gonna hurt in the morning!  Feel the burn people! Feel the burn!

Something I kind of already knew...

Before last night's workout, I was talking to the trainer that I have been using for the last couple of weeks.  Yes, Braxton is still MIA.  Anyway, I was telling him that I have been at a stand still once again.  I really hate being at a stand still because it is SO frustrating, as I just want this weight off!! Anyhoo, while speaking with him, he asked me two basic questions:

1.) How much protein I eat per day.

2.) How many calories I am eating per day.

I told him that I am only eating about 25-30 grams of protein and about 1100 calories a day.  Then he asked how much I weighed.  When I told him, he said that he wanted to slap me. I gave him a strange look.

He said first of all, for your weight, you need to be eating about 25-30 grams of protein per meal.  Secondly, I see you in the gym almost everyday and you workout with us 3 or 4 times a week.  You are not eating enough.  So, he wants me to give him what I eat for a week so we can figure out where to make changes.  He said, by me eating so little amount of protein, I'm going to be destroying the muscle I have built instead of burning fat.

I really hope this will work and I can boost my weight-loss again!  I really wish I was not allergic to all the foods that I am because that would certainly help me out in getting the nutrients that I need! 

Tonight's Workout (July 18, 2011)

Here is tonight's workout:

- Body Squats - 30 second intervals for 3 sets

- One arm Dead Weight Squats - use a 25 pound dumbell, placing it in one hand, do a squat until the dumbell touches the floor - 30 second interval and then switch hands.  Repeat for 3 sets.

- One leg back lifts - here you are stabilizing yourself on a bench, bending your knee and lifting upward without extending your legs.  This works your glutes and hips - 30 second interval, switch legs and repeat for 3 sets

- Squats again - this time, you have a wide base, point toes outward, hold a 25 pound weight and squat as low as you can.  30 second intervals, and repeat for 3 sets.

Since it was with Tobe - Jumping Jacks between sets

Tonight's Workout (July 13, 2011) - Another Ass Kicking

Here is Tonight's Workout:

- Get into a squat position - holding a 25 pound dumbbell at one end with both hands  swing the dumbbell into a front lateral raise as your coming up - set of 20 for 2 sets

- Free weight chest press - 2o reps for 3 sets

- Free weight shoulder press - 20 reps for 3 sets

- Lat. Pull Down - 20 reps for 3 sets @ 65 pounds

- Chest rows - 20 reps for 2 sets

- Sit-ups for 20 reps

- Lay flat on the ground and come up into a standing position (I'm pretty fast at this one now!!) - set of 10 for 2 sets

- Take Medicine Ball (6 lb. ball) - do a motion where you are gathering a pail of water from a creek and throwing over the opposite shoulder.  So 15 reps on each side.

- Take the same Medicine Ball and throw the ball as hard as you can at the ground.  It has to be hard enough to where it bounces off the floor and then hitting the wall and comes back to you.  This is a good one to get out some aggression for sure! I think I must have done like 30 or 40 throws because he counted to 10 like 1, 1 and 1/10th... etc..

It was a great workout!  Tobe also thought being with a different trainer while Braxton is MIA, will shock my body and help boost my metabolism again.  I will be with Mr. Mark McCain again on Friday for another ass kicking!

Over Coming Fears....

I am beginning to realize that weight-loss is just not about becoming stronger, healthier, or smaller, but it is also about over coming and conquering your fears.  This realization came while I was in my training session with Tobe last night.  When he showed me the exercise in which I was to hold a bar, kneel on a bench, flatten my back out and go down as low as I could and use my hamstrings to pull myself back up, I looked at him in horror!

Tobe saw the look on my face and told me that I could do this. I told him that the bar I was using for stability was going to slip and I would fall flat on my face while doing this.  He tried to give me encouragement, by telling me that it wouldn't move.   I was SO terrified that I was shaking the entire first set.  My face was probably as white as a ghost while performing this exercise too!  

After the first set, my heart was pounding so fast and I was shaking, but then a funny thing happened.  I was all of the sudden over come with an emotion of accomplishment and satisfaction.  It was strange that these emotions all of the sudden just over came me.  The next two sets were such a walk in a park after the first one. 

Tobe was very pleased and told me that the reason he had me do that type of exercise was to push me out of my comfort zone.  Then he said, when I realized it was one that was going to terrify you, I wanted you to do it even more because it gave you an opportunity to over come a fear.

After giving this some thought, I realize that over coming a small fear like this, builds on your inner strength.  All the small things that I have done during this last year and half, have made me realize that not only am I becoming stronger physically but, I'm also becoming stronger mentally.  Throughout my entire life, I never knew that I had this inner strength.