So I'm back to having to track my own food again and I'm actually looking forward to it. Taking a month off not having to really worry about what I'm eating was nice, but I actually enjoy cooking. I even enjoy the challenge of tasty healthy cooking.
I'm very lucky as Matt is very open minded about what he eats. Our biggest issue as a couple, eating wise, is volume. Now that Matt has switched from weight loss to being athletic, he simply needs more food. I think he feels very guilty that he gets to eat a lot, while I'm in a strict calorie range.
When my workouts start to burn 1200 calories a pop, I'll get to eat like that too (ha ha... I'm thrilled when I burn 350 calories in a workout!).
Speaking of workouts...I'm thinking that it might be time to upgrade my step bench. When I first started using Yourself!Fitness all those years ago (how long has it been? Well, it came out before Halo 2, that I do know) I didn't think I would want to use a step bench, but after working with Maya for a while, I felt I needed the challenge. However, I wasn't sure that with my bad knee, a step bench was a good idea. So I got a small cheap one. It has only two levels: 2" and 4" and it's not very wide. Now the step workouts are actually my favorite (nothing puts my heartrate up as much as the step workouts). So I'm thinking I might splurge on a better quality, bigger (and quite possibly higher... 6" even?) step bench.
I'm still eagerly anticipating the next gen version (and I'll have to decide which system I'm going to splurge on first... I'm guessing the 360... depends on the release date on the new Ratchet & Clank game. I'm looking a lot more forward to it than Halo 3... then there's that whole cost comparison, etc). Anyway, I'm very interested to see what things are included with the new verion!
Monday, July 02, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Nutrisystem Review
Well, I've got to confess that the Nutrisystem program accomplished what I had hoped: It got me back on track. The weight is slowly (as always) coming off and I'm sticking to my workout.
While I don't think anyone can consider this the best solution (you don't learn how you need to cook and eat for yourself), it's a great jump start. The focus on lots of veggies is great (and since you do have to do that yourself, it's something that translates over to a regular eating plan).
I will say I'm glad I was already on a higher fiber diet. This would've caused a great deal of discomfort if I hadn't already been used to it.
So I'm gonna review what I liked and didn't like about the program.
First, there is no fish (yes, I had two meals with tuna, but both were really bad. The Tuna Noodle Casserole was the one I actually threw away). I am not a vegetarian, but I don't like eating meat for every meal. There are several really good vegetarian meals (and the minestrone soup was an absolute favorite), but I enjoy having fish at least one (or twice) a week.
Some of the food is absolutely deliscious (see minestrone soup above) and some was gagginly awful. I would expect that. However, you can custom order your food selections and so after the first month, it would be easy to pick and choose what suits your taste.
Since the meals are almost all MRE, there can be a texture problem. All the pasta was a little over done for my taste. However, the "add hot water" meals were preferable. While I know that the idea behind this program is that it's a heat and serve, I would've preferred to do a little more cooking (like the pasta) to get a more satisfactory result.
While the program, is very easy for the most part, you are still responsible for some decision making on what you eat. You need to add your own dairy, some protein and your fruits and veggies. Guidelines are provided to help make your choices (and portions). Again, I think these can easily translate to anyone's own meal plan when they are done with Nutrisytem.
So there's a huge convience, which is good. Some of the food was tasty, which is good. The food is proportioned and controlled, which is good. However, some of the food was awful, there's no "education" to help you learn how to eat properly when you are done with the program. It's a high fiber diet, which some might find uncomfortable in the beginning. It's a little on the pricey side.
So overall, I think it was a good idea for me. I had been rebelling again using a "program" like this, as I'm cocky enough to think that I should be able to do it on my own. Well, after 3 years of a plateau, followed by complete frustration, it's what I needed to get myself kick started again. My weight is down, and I'll probably make my 4 lbs loss goal by the end of the month.
I will translate some things from the program to my everyday lifestyle. One of the things I got into the habit of doing is making a huge salad, eating it, then making dinner. I wasn't starving while I was cooking and I found I enjoyed my food more. I'm also going to make sure that I keep to the higher protein and higher fiber. I can also review all the lables from the packaged to see how they break down their caloris/fat/carbs/fiber and protein. I can then use a similar formula for my own cooking.
So while I'm pretty much done with my one month of being on the system, I feel it was worth it for me. If for nothing other than just to get my focus back and get back into the habit of being aware of what/how much I'm eating.
I also wanted to thank blakbyrd797 for the super explaination as to why triceps are the last worked in an upper body workout! Thanks!!! (and for anyone else who wants to know, just check the last entry's comments!!!)
While I don't think anyone can consider this the best solution (you don't learn how you need to cook and eat for yourself), it's a great jump start. The focus on lots of veggies is great (and since you do have to do that yourself, it's something that translates over to a regular eating plan).
I will say I'm glad I was already on a higher fiber diet. This would've caused a great deal of discomfort if I hadn't already been used to it.
So I'm gonna review what I liked and didn't like about the program.
First, there is no fish (yes, I had two meals with tuna, but both were really bad. The Tuna Noodle Casserole was the one I actually threw away). I am not a vegetarian, but I don't like eating meat for every meal. There are several really good vegetarian meals (and the minestrone soup was an absolute favorite), but I enjoy having fish at least one (or twice) a week.
Some of the food is absolutely deliscious (see minestrone soup above) and some was gagginly awful. I would expect that. However, you can custom order your food selections and so after the first month, it would be easy to pick and choose what suits your taste.
Since the meals are almost all MRE, there can be a texture problem. All the pasta was a little over done for my taste. However, the "add hot water" meals were preferable. While I know that the idea behind this program is that it's a heat and serve, I would've preferred to do a little more cooking (like the pasta) to get a more satisfactory result.
While the program, is very easy for the most part, you are still responsible for some decision making on what you eat. You need to add your own dairy, some protein and your fruits and veggies. Guidelines are provided to help make your choices (and portions). Again, I think these can easily translate to anyone's own meal plan when they are done with Nutrisytem.
So there's a huge convience, which is good. Some of the food was tasty, which is good. The food is proportioned and controlled, which is good. However, some of the food was awful, there's no "education" to help you learn how to eat properly when you are done with the program. It's a high fiber diet, which some might find uncomfortable in the beginning. It's a little on the pricey side.
So overall, I think it was a good idea for me. I had been rebelling again using a "program" like this, as I'm cocky enough to think that I should be able to do it on my own. Well, after 3 years of a plateau, followed by complete frustration, it's what I needed to get myself kick started again. My weight is down, and I'll probably make my 4 lbs loss goal by the end of the month.
I will translate some things from the program to my everyday lifestyle. One of the things I got into the habit of doing is making a huge salad, eating it, then making dinner. I wasn't starving while I was cooking and I found I enjoyed my food more. I'm also going to make sure that I keep to the higher protein and higher fiber. I can also review all the lables from the packaged to see how they break down their caloris/fat/carbs/fiber and protein. I can then use a similar formula for my own cooking.
So while I'm pretty much done with my one month of being on the system, I feel it was worth it for me. If for nothing other than just to get my focus back and get back into the habit of being aware of what/how much I'm eating.
I also wanted to thank blakbyrd797 for the super explaination as to why triceps are the last worked in an upper body workout! Thanks!!! (and for anyone else who wants to know, just check the last entry's comments!!!)
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Saving the triceps for last?
I've been back working with Maya for a month or so now, and yikes she makes a difference. While my arms are still one of my many problem areas, there's a huge improvement on their shape. Doing Yourself!Fitness compared to the treadmill simply gives my upper body a better workout.
I've been cycling thru 3 of Y!F workouts: the weight loss (or cardio... there's not much difference. The weight loss is a steadier heart rate zone workout compared to the cardio that takes up to your max, then back down then back up again, etc), the upper body and the flexibility.
I simply don't bother with the core or lower body. All of the workouts includes a core workout in it and I simply don't like the lower body... too many lunges (which I can't do anyway). Yes, all the workouts include some kind of lunge, but I just use a different leg/quad exercise in place of it.
I just finished the upper body workout this morning, and she always saves the triceps as the last weight exercise (before the core that she sneaks in at the end). This seems to be fairly typical of upper body workouts. I know that my previous routines always had the tricep workout last too... yet they are by far the hardest to do, and I'm always fatigued by the time I get to them. I wish I could reverse the order of the workouts with Maya (starting with the triceps and ending with the chess presses). I think I would get a better workout by changing the order occassionally.
Something to research perhaps? Why are triceps saved for last???
I've been cycling thru 3 of Y!F workouts: the weight loss (or cardio... there's not much difference. The weight loss is a steadier heart rate zone workout compared to the cardio that takes up to your max, then back down then back up again, etc), the upper body and the flexibility.
I simply don't bother with the core or lower body. All of the workouts includes a core workout in it and I simply don't like the lower body... too many lunges (which I can't do anyway). Yes, all the workouts include some kind of lunge, but I just use a different leg/quad exercise in place of it.
I just finished the upper body workout this morning, and she always saves the triceps as the last weight exercise (before the core that she sneaks in at the end). This seems to be fairly typical of upper body workouts. I know that my previous routines always had the tricep workout last too... yet they are by far the hardest to do, and I'm always fatigued by the time I get to them. I wish I could reverse the order of the workouts with Maya (starting with the triceps and ending with the chess presses). I think I would get a better workout by changing the order occassionally.
Something to research perhaps? Why are triceps saved for last???
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Trying not to get discouraged
Well, I've been strictly following (well, almost strictly) the Nutrisystem plan since June 1. I ate lunch out one day and had one or two things "off menu". Which really isn't much.
Haven't seen much impact on any weight loss. I'm working out more again. Back to almost daily workouts and by my math the Nutrisystem plan is about 1200 calories.
There just hasn't been much change on my weight.
Now, I'm the first to admit that I'm extremely impatient, and it's kinda hard to know what I actually weight (it can flucuate 3-4 lbs on a daily bases... which is why I don't like to weight myself very often). I was hoping to be below 160 lbs by the end of the month, but that's not going to happen (that would've been a 4 lb weight loss over the month- a realistic goal).
I think one of the reasons I didn't see the "big drop" with the weight is that I wasn't far off of a 1200/calorie a day diet (and I don't care what they say... this being "low carb" makes no difference. Yes, I'm eating a lot more veggies which is much healthier, but I don't think this low carb diet is really better for weight loss. I still put that on the calorie in vs. calorie out... and I think I'm proof of that).
Again, I think I'm back to the "low hanging fruit" options being already gone. The high calorie snacks, the portion control has already been changed... and that's how I lost the first 60 lbs. Smarter choices, portions control and adding physical activity to my diet. Now that they are part of my lifestyle, I don't have the easy changes to make... and the rate of lose is much much slower.
I think this plan was a great idea for me (and some of the food was awful... I did throw out one meal) but some of it has actually been very good... and things I would add to my regular meal plan. It also emphasises, that no matter what I do, I can not lose weight any faster than a half pound a week.
I just wish I could remember that it DOES come off... and that this lifestyle is all worth it in the long run.
Haven't seen much impact on any weight loss. I'm working out more again. Back to almost daily workouts and by my math the Nutrisystem plan is about 1200 calories.
There just hasn't been much change on my weight.
Now, I'm the first to admit that I'm extremely impatient, and it's kinda hard to know what I actually weight (it can flucuate 3-4 lbs on a daily bases... which is why I don't like to weight myself very often). I was hoping to be below 160 lbs by the end of the month, but that's not going to happen (that would've been a 4 lb weight loss over the month- a realistic goal).
I think one of the reasons I didn't see the "big drop" with the weight is that I wasn't far off of a 1200/calorie a day diet (and I don't care what they say... this being "low carb" makes no difference. Yes, I'm eating a lot more veggies which is much healthier, but I don't think this low carb diet is really better for weight loss. I still put that on the calorie in vs. calorie out... and I think I'm proof of that).
Again, I think I'm back to the "low hanging fruit" options being already gone. The high calorie snacks, the portion control has already been changed... and that's how I lost the first 60 lbs. Smarter choices, portions control and adding physical activity to my diet. Now that they are part of my lifestyle, I don't have the easy changes to make... and the rate of lose is much much slower.
I think this plan was a great idea for me (and some of the food was awful... I did throw out one meal) but some of it has actually been very good... and things I would add to my regular meal plan. It also emphasises, that no matter what I do, I can not lose weight any faster than a half pound a week.
I just wish I could remember that it DOES come off... and that this lifestyle is all worth it in the long run.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Thanks Maya!
After my last physical challenge with Yourself!Fitness, Maya decided to up the difficulty on my workouts.
I've been at this level before, and I struggle a bit with the new exercises. Several I simply can't do due to my knee, so I have to modify them a bit. However, I'm feeling the extra work.
One of the things I'm noticing lately is that I can't break thru the warmup fatigue. You know when you first start working out and your muscles scream in pain, but as you warm up, you can break thru that and move on with your workout. I'm not ever getting past that initial fatigue. I'm sore and tired from start to finish. I'm not sure this is good, meaning that I'm working hard or if it's an indication that I'm working too hard or if there's some sort of other problem...
Either way, I'm still pounding away and hopefully my body will adjust to the increased difficulty.
I've been at this level before, and I struggle a bit with the new exercises. Several I simply can't do due to my knee, so I have to modify them a bit. However, I'm feeling the extra work.
One of the things I'm noticing lately is that I can't break thru the warmup fatigue. You know when you first start working out and your muscles scream in pain, but as you warm up, you can break thru that and move on with your workout. I'm not ever getting past that initial fatigue. I'm sore and tired from start to finish. I'm not sure this is good, meaning that I'm working hard or if it's an indication that I'm working too hard or if there's some sort of other problem...
Either way, I'm still pounding away and hopefully my body will adjust to the increased difficulty.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
We Be Body Movin'
We need body rockin' not perfection...
I have to give kudos to people that are consistant with a daily workout (say, like Matt). I'm sooo bad at doing a workout if I'm thrown off schedule for the day, then I get out of schedule. The workouts were non existant over the weekend. However, I've learned a long time ago that you can't beat yourself up over the past... you can only control the future. So I'm back to work.
The problem that I've been having for the last several years is the "low hanging fruit" fixes have been done. The eating habits have been pretty consistant, I've removed most of the junk from my diet, my portions are well in control and are very much a habit now. Removing the easy stuff (high calorie snacks and soda) helps a lot in the beginning, but when it's no longer a part of your lifestyle, there just aren't many easy changes to make.
That means working out. I can't go below 1200 calories a day for food, so I need to get that deficit somewhere else... I have to shoot for 500 calories burned a day in workouts. That's hard for me (and for most people) as I haven't found that "thing" that I'm passionate about like Matt has.
So I'll trudge along with Maya waiting excitedly for the new Yourself!Fitness and realize that we need body rockin' not perfection!
I have to give kudos to people that are consistant with a daily workout (say, like Matt). I'm sooo bad at doing a workout if I'm thrown off schedule for the day, then I get out of schedule. The workouts were non existant over the weekend. However, I've learned a long time ago that you can't beat yourself up over the past... you can only control the future. So I'm back to work.
The problem that I've been having for the last several years is the "low hanging fruit" fixes have been done. The eating habits have been pretty consistant, I've removed most of the junk from my diet, my portions are well in control and are very much a habit now. Removing the easy stuff (high calorie snacks and soda) helps a lot in the beginning, but when it's no longer a part of your lifestyle, there just aren't many easy changes to make.
That means working out. I can't go below 1200 calories a day for food, so I need to get that deficit somewhere else... I have to shoot for 500 calories burned a day in workouts. That's hard for me (and for most people) as I haven't found that "thing" that I'm passionate about like Matt has.
So I'll trudge along with Maya waiting excitedly for the new Yourself!Fitness and realize that we need body rockin' not perfection!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Stupid Knee!
I ended up taking yesterday off... thanks to my knee. I'm not sure if it was the hard workout the day before. I sure do love the upper body workout with Yourself!Fitness... all those lunges are so beneficial for my upper body... Actually, I do love the upper body, as I do think it's a "complete" workout, doing all areas with the weight training. I just won't do the lunges, instead I switch the lower body section to my old post knee surgery rehab exercises.
I think that it made my knee a little fatigued and I had some "plant and twist" issues yesterday. Today was fine, and Maya and I did our regular cardio workout (step bench and all).
Matt has a big race tomorrow (Mt. Penn in Reading) and it's one I like to go to... it's so hard, that the field gets stretched out, so it's fairly interesting to watch. Plus he's a climber and loves the heat... so I'm hoping he has a good day. However, I can't go due to a class.
It also mean that today is a light day for him workout wise (meaning just a 30 minute spin on the trainer). So I got on my bike and did it with him... so I snuck in an extra 30 minute work out today.
Which is good... tomorrow is going to be a busy day and getting my workout in is going to be hard.
I think that it made my knee a little fatigued and I had some "plant and twist" issues yesterday. Today was fine, and Maya and I did our regular cardio workout (step bench and all).
Matt has a big race tomorrow (Mt. Penn in Reading) and it's one I like to go to... it's so hard, that the field gets stretched out, so it's fairly interesting to watch. Plus he's a climber and loves the heat... so I'm hoping he has a good day. However, I can't go due to a class.
It also mean that today is a light day for him workout wise (meaning just a 30 minute spin on the trainer). So I got on my bike and did it with him... so I snuck in an extra 30 minute work out today.
Which is good... tomorrow is going to be a busy day and getting my workout in is going to be hard.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Ya, remember how I said it wasn't about the weight?
Well, I did weigh myself this morning. And it's bad... very bad. While I'm trying to focus on just being more active and getting back into the routine of daily workouts, the weight is high enough to be a concern.
It's not a "vanity" thing, but I know that extra weight has an impact on some of my health concerns, and I'm officially concerned. I know that my cholesterol is probably not good again and that does not make me happy... especially as I know that my hormones are changing. My health risks will sky rocket post menopause and I need to keep that cholesterol with in a healthy range.
I'm only working with Yourself!Fitness for 30 minutes a day, and I'm still struggling a bit keeping up for that length of time. I, however, need more cardio than 30 minutes a day... so I'm going to have to do 2 a days... at least a couple of times a week.
I'm also going to cheat by using a packaged diet meal plan. Part of me is completely rebelling against it... as I'm egotistic enough to want to do it on my own, but right now, I want to get rid of 5 lbs ASAP. So I'll give this a try. I need some positive reinforcement with this whole process... as I haven't been very sucessful lately.
So hopefully a packaged meal plan and regular workouts will jumpstart me back to where I need to be... and that's ultimately the goal. Getting back on track!
It's not a "vanity" thing, but I know that extra weight has an impact on some of my health concerns, and I'm officially concerned. I know that my cholesterol is probably not good again and that does not make me happy... especially as I know that my hormones are changing. My health risks will sky rocket post menopause and I need to keep that cholesterol with in a healthy range.
I'm only working with Yourself!Fitness for 30 minutes a day, and I'm still struggling a bit keeping up for that length of time. I, however, need more cardio than 30 minutes a day... so I'm going to have to do 2 a days... at least a couple of times a week.
I'm also going to cheat by using a packaged diet meal plan. Part of me is completely rebelling against it... as I'm egotistic enough to want to do it on my own, but right now, I want to get rid of 5 lbs ASAP. So I'll give this a try. I need some positive reinforcement with this whole process... as I haven't been very sucessful lately.
So hopefully a packaged meal plan and regular workouts will jumpstart me back to where I need to be... and that's ultimately the goal. Getting back on track!
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Almost 2 Weeks Later
So I've been back working with Yourself!Fitness and Maya has been kicking my butt.
And dammit, I feel better. My mood is better, I feel more engergized (even tho', in fact I'm not... I'm actually quite physically tired).
The thing that amazed me was how quickly I got over the New Soreness.. you know that really painful stiffness and soreness you get when you first start working out? Well, I had that, but only for the first two days and now I'm back to the general soreness that you get from regular workouts. The body remembers how to do this... even if you try to block all memory of it!
Right now I'm not worrying about any weight loss at all. I've got to get past the "ideal weight goal" and remember why I'm doing this. My motivation Can Not Be Weight Loss only. I doom myself to failure, as I will hit an other plateau and get annoyed.
I need to remember that being active is the goal. Eating healthy is the goal and I'm not even weighing myself. I'm setting up goals of "I'll workout this long this many times this week" and that's it.
Right now it's enough, but I've got to start thinking about what I can do to keep myself on a schedule... working out on a regular basis... even when I get bored, tired or frustrated... that's always the problem.
And dammit, I feel better. My mood is better, I feel more engergized (even tho', in fact I'm not... I'm actually quite physically tired).
The thing that amazed me was how quickly I got over the New Soreness.. you know that really painful stiffness and soreness you get when you first start working out? Well, I had that, but only for the first two days and now I'm back to the general soreness that you get from regular workouts. The body remembers how to do this... even if you try to block all memory of it!
Right now I'm not worrying about any weight loss at all. I've got to get past the "ideal weight goal" and remember why I'm doing this. My motivation Can Not Be Weight Loss only. I doom myself to failure, as I will hit an other plateau and get annoyed.
I need to remember that being active is the goal. Eating healthy is the goal and I'm not even weighing myself. I'm setting up goals of "I'll workout this long this many times this week" and that's it.
Right now it's enough, but I've got to start thinking about what I can do to keep myself on a schedule... working out on a regular basis... even when I get bored, tired or frustrated... that's always the problem.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
What I've Been Up To
So nothing since March, eh? That doesn't bode well does it.
I have to say that the plateau finally beat me. I gave up. It was frustating me, putting me in a constant bad mood and I just couldn't keep myself motivated. Even as I knew weight was creeping back on, that I was back to a 10 lb gain and the "firmness" was disappearing, I just couldn't shake the feelings of uselessness at all the sacrifice.
Then something odd happened... I didn't have my Xbox for a couple of weeks. We loaned it to a friend and I didn't think it was that big a deal. I was using my PS2 more for gaming and doing the occassional walk on the treadmill. All of a sudden, not having Maya available made me miss her...
So my Xbox is back, and Maya and I have spent the week together. I continue to try to find an other workout that I can consistantly workout to, and it's always back with Maya. I do think I need a break from her occassionally, but as an overall workout that keeps me motivated, I just haven't found anything else.
I also found out that a new Yourself!Fitness is expected for the next gen consoles for the upcoming holiday season. As is HALO 3... hmmm, maybe I will need to invest in a 360?
Hopefully I'll be a little better at keeping this blog updated. While I do this blog for me (and keeping a diary of all my ups and downs has been very beneficial to me) it's still very encouraging to know other people are out there going thru the same thing!
I have to say that the plateau finally beat me. I gave up. It was frustating me, putting me in a constant bad mood and I just couldn't keep myself motivated. Even as I knew weight was creeping back on, that I was back to a 10 lb gain and the "firmness" was disappearing, I just couldn't shake the feelings of uselessness at all the sacrifice.
Then something odd happened... I didn't have my Xbox for a couple of weeks. We loaned it to a friend and I didn't think it was that big a deal. I was using my PS2 more for gaming and doing the occassional walk on the treadmill. All of a sudden, not having Maya available made me miss her...
So my Xbox is back, and Maya and I have spent the week together. I continue to try to find an other workout that I can consistantly workout to, and it's always back with Maya. I do think I need a break from her occassionally, but as an overall workout that keeps me motivated, I just haven't found anything else.
I also found out that a new Yourself!Fitness is expected for the next gen consoles for the upcoming holiday season. As is HALO 3... hmmm, maybe I will need to invest in a 360?
Hopefully I'll be a little better at keeping this blog updated. While I do this blog for me (and keeping a diary of all my ups and downs has been very beneficial to me) it's still very encouraging to know other people are out there going thru the same thing!
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