New Chapter, New Blog

As I've entered into a new chapter in my life within the last year, I've moved to a new blog address. Please feel free to follow me there at http://amandafitness.blogspot.com. Thanks!

Mental Progress

Getting back into the groove proved a little more challenging for my mind than I'd thought.  After going back and forth without any real consistency, I finally decided that it had to start with my meal plan first.  One Saturday became my meal prep day and at the end of the day I had enough meals prepared to last me three weeks.  True, some of the chicken was a little overcooked for microwaving later.  But somehow the rubbery chicken was tolerable and perhaps the longer chewing times provided more burned calories?

Out with the Old, in with the New

After a week of pretty good consistency with my meal plan, I felt better all around.  A coworker and I went and checked out a very reasonably priced gym in the area during lunch one day and I fell in love.  The gym has a lot of incredibly neat equipment in the weight room that I've never seen before, and several machines that target my weak areas in new ways (glutes, hamstrings, etc.).  I joined the gym on the spot.  (Hey, with a free kid's club for up to three children, a free guest each time and 2/3 the price of 24 Hr Fitness, it's a no brainer!)

Since joining this gym, I've fallen even more in love with it.  With my routine and diet, I sweat like a fat man running into a donut shop at closing time every time I'm in there, and each routine has left me with muscle soreness the following day or two.  I absolutely love the muscle soreness because it lets me know I'm making progress!

Confidence Returns

At first, I was a little intimidated with all the sweaty guys in the weight area.  I know, it's ridiculous because I'm comfortable there, but it's true.  So I cranked up my headphones and never made any direct eye contact with any of them, and my workouts were a success. 

Wouldn't you know it, I have only been approached twice now.  The first was a trainer at the gym asking me where I train my clients (haha) and the second was a guy who was trying to get his friend to do skullcrushers the way I do them.

So was there any reason for me to be so nervous?  No.  But it happens to all of us at different times.  Overcoming this comes down to asking yourself how badly you want the results you're after.  If it's bad enough, you'll suck it up and then laugh at your prior fears when it's over.

=) Amanda

The Roadmap, Defined

As promised, I've compiled my diet and routine.  There's no point in diminishing my excitement; I feel as though the fog is gone and my goals are clear and attainable.  I am certainly not a professional, nor do I claim to be any form of expert on diet or nutrition.  But for now, here is what I have come up with:

Meal Plan

Meal 1: Protein shake w/egg whites and wheat toast / brown rice cake
Snack: Handful of almonds and brewed coffee w/Nectresse and sugar free creamer
Meal 2: Turkey or chicken, green veggies and brown rice
Snack: Nutra cookie
Meal 3: Chicken or fish, green veggies and occasional green salad w/avocado
Late Snack: Protein shake (if hungry)

Gym Routine

Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Upper
Wednesday: Cardio
Thursday: Legs
Friday: Upper
Saturday: Cardio
Sunday: rest

After each weightlifting routine, I am making it a goal to do at least 12 minutes of cardio.  There will be cheat days in my meal plan of course, but they will be very limited.  Hey, this is a lifestyle so it has to be something I can live with.

Trying not to get sidetracked...

As I'm typing this, I am fighting a massive craving for some Skittles.  M&M's would even suffice.  Or perhaps the peanut M&M's?  It's literally all I can think about.  Probably because I shouldn't have it. 

I can't give in.  One bag leads to another, which leads to another, and then it quickly becomes a habit that's hard to break.  After all, that's one of the big things that has contributed to my current unhappiness with my shape, and my motive to get my rear moving.  I'd rather start improving from where I am now, than what I could be in time without any changes.

Healthy Cheats & Staying on Track

So how do you stay sane while trying to live a healthy lifestyle in a world full of sugar, fats and greasy cheeseburgers made with horse meat?  Or with a kiddo who loves pizza, french fries, cheeseburgers (sans the horse meat), etc?  Or while going to dinner with friends or on a date?  Planning ahead and ordering healthy.

Each weekend, I am going to prepare my meals for the week and freeze them.  And when my mind starts drifting off to thoughts of lining my hips with Skittles and M&M's, I'm going to start chugging water. 

Vi Nutra Cookie

Someone very close to me introduced me to coco covered almonds recently.  They were incredibly delicious and it totally felt like I was doing a bad thing by inhaling them; but I wasn't.  Quaker also makes flavored gluten free brown rice cakes that are simply amazing.  For that fruity craving, the sugar free, low calorie water flavor packets will go a long way.  If you just want to chew mindlessly, Trident makes a sugar free gum with Xylitol that's pretty yummy.  Of course over-indulging in these isn't good but in moderation, they are great for satisfying those bad cravings.

Then there are the amazing Vi Nutra Cookies.  I think my absolute favorite, being a chocolate lover, is the chocolate chip.  It gives you 9g of protein, 19g of carbs (6g of fiber so net carbs are 12g) and is quite the yummy little snack.  But I'm not going to lie, it's gone in under 30 seconds with the way I'd learned to eat on my previous bulking diet.

So that's it.  My complete plan to return to the healthier me, defined.  It won't be easy.  I will probably whine and throw mini temper tantrums inside my head when I pass a Starbucks or bakery.  But I've already started reaching for my goals, so I'm not giving up.  Having the support of those close to me really helps, too.  (Hey, my boss did come to my desk and hold my empty box of Thin Mints upside down and with a shocked face exclaimed, "You're going to have to buy new clothes if you keep this up!"  True story.)

Give me a month to feel great.  Two months to feel like I've reached my goal.  Three months to feel like I could shout it from the rooftops (okay, maybe less).  I'm excited in a completely non-nerdy, perfectly normal kind of way!

=)

Amanda

What's a Girl To Do?

I've been asked a few times in the last several months to pick this blog back up again.  I've wanted to, but so many things in my life have been changing lately that I've been trying to focus on the things most important to me. 

I use to get up at 4:30 am each morning and get my daily workouts out of the way.  It was incredible; I felt amazing each day and ready to take on the day with a clear head.  Not to mention, I didn't have to wait for the beasty, sweaty mirror hogs to let go of any weights.  Things are different now though, and instead I spend these mornings alone helping my little mini-me prepare for her day at school.  By the end of my work day, I pick up my kiddo and am exhausted and drained from the day.  The last thing I want to do is go to a gym full of 400 pair of stale, sweaty socks.

I've also had to limit my time with my amazing personal trainer, Natasha.  There are other cuts I had to make, including going from two gym memberships to one, and not being able to afford $150/week in groceries just for me.  My body is showing signs of being affected by this already.

Just a few weeks ago it seems, I had some incredible tone and definition, and was pretty lean (some pics in my previous post).  Now when I walk, it feels like something is smacking my rear each time and I need a wheelbarrow for my belly jelly. 

I'm embarrassed and uncomfortable with my shape.  No, it doesn't really look like I've lived in a McDonald's parking lot for the last year but I certainly look nothing like I had just a month ago. 

There's something to be said of this common phrase of making fitness and healthy eating a lifestyle choice. 

I was in the best shape of my life.  I felt amazing, and loved every minute of not being sick, lethargic, slow, etc.  I was healthy.  But now, here I am figuring out how to wade through my new set of options and to be honest, there are times when I have felt like throwing in the towel. 

Let's say I do that.  I mean that's a choice, right?  No one is going to judge me for getting a backup beeper and learning how to suck in for photos.  After all, I am 31 years old, have had a child and people will just assume the years have taken their toll.  But that's not me.  It's not who I am. 

Health and fitness really is an incredible way of life.  God gave me this body; no amount of lame excuses should keep me from taking care of it.  Plus, what better defense is there against Obamacare?

I'm not going to lie; it was embarrassing going to the gym last night and doing legs.  I was nervous because it's a bright gym and it was sure to be full of people.  To top it off, I saw people I knew; friends and even girls I had trained with.  Oh it gets better... my trainer, Natasha, was even there and spoke with me.  Talk about feeling like flab next to her fab!

Somehow though, I survived.  I sweated a lot.  And I pushed some decent weight on legs. Tonight, I'm going to sit down and figure out what my schedule and meal plan is going to be.  And yes, it is going to include Vi!  I'm excited, because this sick and tired feeling that I feel right now as I write this... well that feeling is about to be a thing of the past.  Here's to moving forward and into a healthier me!

=)
Amanda

Can't. Stop. Eating.

Maybe it's hormones?  Maybe it's just that I'm getting more use to my diet?  Or perhaps, it's because I'm now trying to eat the first of my seven daily meals before I wake my daughter up in the mornings to get her to school.

Regardless of the reason, my appetite is definitely up.  Yesterday afternoon, I'd already eaten 5 of my 7 meals for the day by 4:00pm, and I was starving for my next one.  Crazy, right?

I couldn't get enough food.  No matter how much I ate, I wanted more.

Crazy thing though.... I performed better during my workout.  Natasha heard my usual "I can't" and gasps for air, unstoppable coughing while I tried to drink water, etc.  And each time she came back at me with, "You can."  Guess what.... I did.

It was one of the hardest shoulder workouts I've ever done.  I'm not use to fast-paced workouts like hers; I learned to lift weights at a set/rep: rest pace, and there is rarely any rest with Natasha. 

I have been pretty amazed at the things she has been able to do with my body through diet and training.  Here are a few photos that she's taken over the last few weeks.


Me and Natasha, my trainer, posing in her gym



If you notice my nervous smile, it's because I don't know how to flex

Back, 2 wks into new workout/diet

Me and Natasha, my trainer

Now, this may scare some of you.  I do look a little masculine when flexing, I know.  But as I stated in a previous post, that's not how I look normally.  I still love my high heels, cute outfits and everything girly. 

It's quite incredible though how building muscle gives you a beautiful, toned shape that looks very feminine (and non-jiggly) on a female.  We shouldn't be afraid to lift weights.  Unless you're taking steroids, there's no reason to be afraid of looking like a man.

It's 10:30am now and time for my third meal.  I'm heading to the microwave with my chicken, brown rice and asparagus.  Gotta put that away soon because my belly is growling!

=) Amanda

My Fitness Girl in the Making

Let me start off by warning you that this is a little more personal post.  I've taken a step back to reassess some things so I've been a little MIA here.  This doesn't mean I'm giving up on fitness by any means; I'm still in the game and will be back posting more later I'm certain. 

My daughter has been coming with me to my personal training sessions and she goes with her daddy to his more hardcore, no a/c gym.  She is so very competitive and doesn't see herself as a little person; in her mind, she can lift as much weight as any adult can.

On track nights, my trainer has us do these things on bleachers that Celeste is doing in this video here.  She just decided to do them randomly while I was sitting with her at lunch.  Totally cute!



Kids.  They see everything we do and want to be just like us.  It's an incredible responsibility to be a parent.

I kind of love that she's learning about health at her young age.  If we can teach her the proper lifestyle now, she won't have to be re-taught when she is older. 

=)
Amanda

Food Poisoning Hurdles

It's been quite a while since I've been sick.  This past Sunday before church, we met with some very sweet friends at Barnes & Nobles.  After we were done, I grabbed a Turkey & Swiss sandwich from Starbucks because it was past time for me to eat and we had to hurry.  I ate in the car and about 30 minutes to an hour later, I was doubled over, cringing and holding my stomach.  It's expiration date was that day, so I should have been fine.  But something in it wasn't good any longer and wreaked havoc on my body for the next few days. 

It was pretty awful.  I'd love to paint a pretty picture of what my body went through but I can't.  There was nothing I could hold down.  On Monday, all I could stomach was some Pedialyte and a few wheat saltine crackers.

I kept telling myself that 24 hours after it started, I should be fine.  Makes sense, right?  So on Tuesday morning, I got up early and got dressed for the gym.  I ate my oats and berries and texted Natasha.  I didn't know what I was going to do at the gym, but I felt like I could conquer the world.  But when I got there, I was weak and 10 minutes at a slow walk on the treadmill had me shaking.  Yuck.  I hadn't realized how bad I looked until my boss made a comment at work about how it looked like I'd lost 5-10 pounds over night, practically.  He's probably right, I'm sure I did in water weight alone.  My watch was easily twisting completely around on my wrist.

What About the Challenge?

So obviously, being sick like this has set me back a bit.  I haven't been able to really work out yet and as of today, Wednesday, it seems like my normal appetite is coming back.  It stinks that this happened, but I'm not stopping.  I want that better me.  I want it for myself, so I'm desperately ready to give it everything I've got and get back in the game.

I'm not stopping yet!

=) Amanda