As the weeks continue to fly by during this challenge, I keep trying to challenge myself and make sure that I get the results I want. Week 9 was another week of dedication and commitment, and I was able to benefit from that in terms of my weight loss. Here's the recap!
Physical Activity:
-3/30/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 3
-4/1/13: 30 Day Shred level 3
-4/2/13: BODYATTACK
-4/3/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 3
-4/4/13: swam laps freestyle for 30 minutes, 900 meters total
I'm finally done with the 30 Day Shred DVD goal that I set for myself, which was to do each level 6 times, or 3x per week. Now I can focus on getting more cardio in, but I still may pop the DVD in every once in a while to mix things up. Overall I can say that DVD definitely kicked my butt, but in a good way. Jillian Michaels is so motivating, so I might try one of her other DVDs at some point. Also, I'm up to running 2.5 miles at a time on the treadmill, which I'm super
proud of! It's so helpful to see tangible progress throughout this
challenge to keep myself motivated to continue. I'd like to get the point where I can run at least 3 miles without stopping and then sign up for a 5K!
Food:
Last weekend my mom was in town visiting, and it was Easter. My mom and I went out to eat Saturday night at Fogo de Chao, which is a Brazilian steak house. For anyone who doesn't know, that means the servers come around to your table with skewers of different kinds and cuts of meat and slice off whatever you request onto your plate. Basically it's meat overload, and there's also a pretty extensive salad bar for non-meat lovers. I did try to stick with the fresh veggies on the salad bar, which were delicious, but I couldn't resist trying the many varieties of meats the restaurant had the offer. The saving grace was that all the meat seemed to be just drenched in salt, which meant I didn't end up eating a whole lot of it. On Sunday we went to my cousin's house for Easter dinner, which was wonderful. I love spending time with my extended family since I don't get to see them very often. Dinner was wonderful and I made sure to keep my portion sizes in check, and was still able to enjoy a glass of wine or two! When weekends like this arise where I know I won't have as much control over my food options, I make sure to at least try and stick to normal portions and I definitely make sure to get plenty of exercise in so that I don't end up feeling guilty. I also kept my calorie counts in check for the rest of the week to make up for any splurging I had done.
Cooking:
My cooking experiments continued in week 9, and I tried out a skinny recipe for Chicken Florentine. It was a delicious casserole with chicken, spinach, and pasta. Two of the most voracious eaters in my friend group helped taste test this for me, and one of them wanted seconds, which I know is a good sign! I think I'm becoming more comfortable in the kitchen, but I'm still a beginner, so I don't want to toot my own horn too much. I'll post the recipe later this week, since this is one that everyone should try!
Weigh-In:
I'm happy to report that my weight loss continues, and this week I lost...
1 POUND!!!
I'm steadily working my way toward my goal, and I'm now down 11 pounds in 9 weeks. Taking this challenge 1 pound at a time has made it so much easier, because my goal is reasonable and I've been able to see progress pretty steadily throughout the last 9 weeks. I'm so close to the end I can taste it, but I know there's a lot more work to be done. Here's to week 10 being just as much of a success!
Showing posts with label 30 day shred. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 30 day shred. Show all posts
Monday, April 8, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Week 8 Update
I'm 2 months into my weight loss challenge and I continue to work hard and see results. Here's the week 8 recap!
Physical Activity:
-3/23/13: ran on the treadmill for 40 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 3
-3/25/13: 30 Day Shred level 3
-3/26/13: BODYATTACK
-3/27/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 3
-3/29/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes
I finally made it to level 3 of my 30 Day Shred DVD and I was SO not prepared for it!!! These workouts kick my butt so hard every single time I do it. You would think that it would get a little easier as you continue, but it doesn't. It's always difficult, but I stuck with it and I'm almost done so I can be proud of that!
Food:
Despite going to the La Boum brunch at L'Enfant Cafe last weekend (if you've never been or don't live in DC, you can find out what La Boum is here), I still managed to do pretty well with my food intake. I let myself indulge a little more with alcohol (because when the champagne bottles come out with sparklers attached, how can you NOT order multiples?!), but since I had been really good about that over the previous 2 weeks, I thought that was okay.
Cooking:
I had been making a lot of dinner/main dish recipes lately, so this week I decided to try something different: breakfast bars! I followed a recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal bars and they were awesome. They were very light and fluffy, almost a cake-like consistency, but they were very satisfying. I had them for breakfast throughout the week and it was almost like having a granola bar, but better! Recipe to follow later this week.
Weigh-In:
This week I reached another major milestone with my weight. I stepped on the scale Saturday morning and saw that I had lost
1 POUND!!!
This means that over the last 8 weeks I have lost TEN POUNDS! I'm 2/3 of the way to my weight loss goal and I still have 7 weeks left to lose the remaining 5 pounds. I couldn't be happier about this progress and I feel really great that I've made it this far. Onward and upward!
Physical Activity:
-3/23/13: ran on the treadmill for 40 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 3
-3/25/13: 30 Day Shred level 3
-3/26/13: BODYATTACK
-3/27/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 3
-3/29/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes
I finally made it to level 3 of my 30 Day Shred DVD and I was SO not prepared for it!!! These workouts kick my butt so hard every single time I do it. You would think that it would get a little easier as you continue, but it doesn't. It's always difficult, but I stuck with it and I'm almost done so I can be proud of that!
Food:
Despite going to the La Boum brunch at L'Enfant Cafe last weekend (if you've never been or don't live in DC, you can find out what La Boum is here), I still managed to do pretty well with my food intake. I let myself indulge a little more with alcohol (because when the champagne bottles come out with sparklers attached, how can you NOT order multiples?!), but since I had been really good about that over the previous 2 weeks, I thought that was okay.
Cooking:
I had been making a lot of dinner/main dish recipes lately, so this week I decided to try something different: breakfast bars! I followed a recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal bars and they were awesome. They were very light and fluffy, almost a cake-like consistency, but they were very satisfying. I had them for breakfast throughout the week and it was almost like having a granola bar, but better! Recipe to follow later this week.
Weigh-In:
This week I reached another major milestone with my weight. I stepped on the scale Saturday morning and saw that I had lost
1 POUND!!!
This means that over the last 8 weeks I have lost TEN POUNDS! I'm 2/3 of the way to my weight loss goal and I still have 7 weeks left to lose the remaining 5 pounds. I couldn't be happier about this progress and I feel really great that I've made it this far. Onward and upward!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Week 7 Update
Week 7 was my idea of the perfect week. I stuck to my guns in terms of food and alcohol all week, kept up with my workouts, ate well, and saw awesome results. Ideally, every week of this challenge would go that way, but we can't have everything. Or can we?
Physical Activity:
-3/16/13: ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes
-3/17/13: 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/18/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/19/13: BODYATTACK
-3/20/13: 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/21/13: swam laps freestyle for 30 minutes, 800 meters total
I'm still sticking to the 30 Day Shred 3 times per week plan, which is working out really well. Incorporating that DVD for the month of March has meant that I've been working out 6 days per week most weeks, which seems like a lot but since the DVD workouts are only 25 minutes it's completely manageable. I also reached another running milestone; I can now run 2 miles on the treadmill without stopping! Since I have more time and energy on Saturday mornings as opposed to week nights after working all day, that's the day when I spend a little more time on the treadmill, usually about 45 minutes. When I first started I would tend to run for a few minutes, then walk for a few minutes, then run again etc. Now that I've worked my way up to running longer distances at a time, I can run 2 miles on the treadmill, then walk for a few minutes, and then run another mile before cooling down. I know my progress is somewhat slow, but it's still progress!
Food:
Week 7 kicked off with St. Patrick's Day last weekend, which I somehow managed to survive in a completely sober fashion. I stuck to my 3 drink maximum at a St. Patrick's Day party with my friends. I was able to have fun and enjoy myself while still respecting the guidelines I had set for myself ahead of time, so I was very proud of myself for that. I also fell in love with a new snack last week: mixing greek yogurt, berries, and granola. I know this is not a new concept for a lot of people, but I'm just getting on the parfait train now and I'm loving it. Altogether it's under 300 calories, so it's a great way to satisfy my sweet tooth without putting my calorie count in danger.
Cooking:
Last weekend I cooked St. Patrick's Day dinner for the first time ever! Growing up in a half Irish household, I was raised on corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, but this was the first time I've ever made it. I did it in the crock pot, and it came out amazing! At a table of 7 people, the corned beef literally disappeared before our eyes. I had made A LOT of veggies, so there were leftovers of those for me to have throughout the week. Yum!
Weigh-In:
I'm always a happy girl when I can see positive results in number form on the scale at the end of every week. I also get nervous the night before about not making my 1 pound per week goal, but week 7 was a very successful week in my eyes. Thanks to my hard work, I lost not 1, but...
2 POUNDS!!!
This brings my total weight loss to 9 pounds in 7 weeks, and I still have 8 weeks to go to lose the remaining 6 pounds. I was ecstatic about this progress and can only hope that it continues in the coming weeks. With dedication and hard work, I'm confident that I can keep seeing results like this.
Physical Activity:
-3/16/13: ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes
-3/17/13: 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/18/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/19/13: BODYATTACK
-3/20/13: 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/21/13: swam laps freestyle for 30 minutes, 800 meters total
I'm still sticking to the 30 Day Shred 3 times per week plan, which is working out really well. Incorporating that DVD for the month of March has meant that I've been working out 6 days per week most weeks, which seems like a lot but since the DVD workouts are only 25 minutes it's completely manageable. I also reached another running milestone; I can now run 2 miles on the treadmill without stopping! Since I have more time and energy on Saturday mornings as opposed to week nights after working all day, that's the day when I spend a little more time on the treadmill, usually about 45 minutes. When I first started I would tend to run for a few minutes, then walk for a few minutes, then run again etc. Now that I've worked my way up to running longer distances at a time, I can run 2 miles on the treadmill, then walk for a few minutes, and then run another mile before cooling down. I know my progress is somewhat slow, but it's still progress!
Food:
Week 7 kicked off with St. Patrick's Day last weekend, which I somehow managed to survive in a completely sober fashion. I stuck to my 3 drink maximum at a St. Patrick's Day party with my friends. I was able to have fun and enjoy myself while still respecting the guidelines I had set for myself ahead of time, so I was very proud of myself for that. I also fell in love with a new snack last week: mixing greek yogurt, berries, and granola. I know this is not a new concept for a lot of people, but I'm just getting on the parfait train now and I'm loving it. Altogether it's under 300 calories, so it's a great way to satisfy my sweet tooth without putting my calorie count in danger.
Cooking:
Last weekend I cooked St. Patrick's Day dinner for the first time ever! Growing up in a half Irish household, I was raised on corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, but this was the first time I've ever made it. I did it in the crock pot, and it came out amazing! At a table of 7 people, the corned beef literally disappeared before our eyes. I had made A LOT of veggies, so there were leftovers of those for me to have throughout the week. Yum!
Weigh-In:
I'm always a happy girl when I can see positive results in number form on the scale at the end of every week. I also get nervous the night before about not making my 1 pound per week goal, but week 7 was a very successful week in my eyes. Thanks to my hard work, I lost not 1, but...
2 POUNDS!!!
This brings my total weight loss to 9 pounds in 7 weeks, and I still have 8 weeks to go to lose the remaining 6 pounds. I was ecstatic about this progress and can only hope that it continues in the coming weeks. With dedication and hard work, I'm confident that I can keep seeing results like this.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Week 6 Update
Wow, hard to believe it's already been 6 weeks since I started this! I feel like it's all still so new and I'm still learning so much. I think under normal circumstances, most people get bored and give up on their resolutions after about a month, so I'm proud that I've stuck with it this far and will keep pushing myself until I reach my goal. This blog really helps me stay on track, so thank you for reading!
Physical Activity:
-3/9/13: ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes
-3/10/13: ran outside for 30 minutes (I went 2.5 miles total and ran for about 1.75 miles of that)
-3/11/13: used the elliptical for 30 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/13/13: 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/14/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes
-3/15/13: 30 Day Shred level 2
I'm now doing the 30 Day Shred workout 3 times a week, which is so much easier to handle! This week I moved up to level 2, which is SO MUCH HARDER than level 1! I was expecting it to be a little more challenging, but wow. Jillian Michaels really knows what she's doing. I can only imagine what level 3 will bring, but thankfully I don't have to worry about that for another week. Also this week I finally got a chance to run outside! Spring weather is really making an effort to break through this long winter we're having in DC so last Sunday I took the opportunity to change things up and take my workout outside. Running outside is completely different than running on the treadmill, and more challenging in many ways, including trying to keep a steady pace, but it's much more enjoyable and the change of scenery made me not hate my run so much that day. Also I'm still working on being able to run for longer distances at a time, and worked my way up to 1.75 miles without stopping. I know that doesn't sound like much, but considering that a) I hate running, and b) I'm still a beginner, I think 1.75 is pretty darn good.
One day on the treadmill I tried out a pyramid-style interval workout that I had found online (this is the one I did). Interval training is great because by constantly changing your intensity you prevent your body from getting used to any one speed, which increases fat burning and prevents plateaus. The workout I tried was only 30 minutes, but it seriously kicked my butt. The sprints really take the wind out of you! I'm definitely going to incorporate more interval training into my workout, especially since I'm 6 weeks into my challenge now and I don't want to get into a slump with my workout routine.
Food:
I did very well with food during week 6, but what I really wanted to focus on was my alcohol intake since I had been struggling with that in prior weeks. I decided to challenge myself to something new that week: to not drink a single alcoholic beverage all weekend. I stopped consuming alcohol during the week when I started this challenge, so bye-bye went the occasional glass of wine after work or with dinner. On the weekends though, I found I was having trouble sticking to my 3 drink maximum so I wanted to take a break. I also think alcohol was a contributing factor to why I gained a pound after week 5, which is why I decided to do a detox for week 6 and see what would happen. I must admit my social life seriously declined last weekend, since in order to avoid drinking I ended up staying in Friday and Saturday night, but in the end I completed my challenge and I managed to not drink all weekend. For anyone who knows me or my friends, you understand what a feat that is!
Cooking:
Thanks to the nice weather in DC last weekend my friends and I were able to have a cookout for family dinner on Sunday. My contribution was a Chicken Orzo Salad that I had been wanting to try. It's a fresh, light salad that turned out to the perfect addition to a grill session. Recipe coming soon.
Weigh-In:
I had really been stressing out about my weight last week since I gained a pound in week 5. I know that I'm trying very hard and I'm making a lot of positive changes in my life, and I understand that weight loss is a process and my weight will fluctuate a lot and I won't always lose pounds, but it's still hard to not feel discouraged when you don't see the results you want on the scale. I managed to use that as motivation in week 6 and it paid off. Last week I lost:
1 POUND!!!
I'm finally back on track after wavering a little last week and I'm very excited, I just need to stay focused. All together I'm 7 pounds down and I still have 9 weeks to go. I can do this!
Physical Activity:
-3/9/13: ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes
-3/10/13: ran outside for 30 minutes (I went 2.5 miles total and ran for about 1.75 miles of that)
-3/11/13: used the elliptical for 30 minutes, then did 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/13/13: 30 Day Shred level 2
-3/14/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes
-3/15/13: 30 Day Shred level 2
I'm now doing the 30 Day Shred workout 3 times a week, which is so much easier to handle! This week I moved up to level 2, which is SO MUCH HARDER than level 1! I was expecting it to be a little more challenging, but wow. Jillian Michaels really knows what she's doing. I can only imagine what level 3 will bring, but thankfully I don't have to worry about that for another week. Also this week I finally got a chance to run outside! Spring weather is really making an effort to break through this long winter we're having in DC so last Sunday I took the opportunity to change things up and take my workout outside. Running outside is completely different than running on the treadmill, and more challenging in many ways, including trying to keep a steady pace, but it's much more enjoyable and the change of scenery made me not hate my run so much that day. Also I'm still working on being able to run for longer distances at a time, and worked my way up to 1.75 miles without stopping. I know that doesn't sound like much, but considering that a) I hate running, and b) I'm still a beginner, I think 1.75 is pretty darn good.
One day on the treadmill I tried out a pyramid-style interval workout that I had found online (this is the one I did). Interval training is great because by constantly changing your intensity you prevent your body from getting used to any one speed, which increases fat burning and prevents plateaus. The workout I tried was only 30 minutes, but it seriously kicked my butt. The sprints really take the wind out of you! I'm definitely going to incorporate more interval training into my workout, especially since I'm 6 weeks into my challenge now and I don't want to get into a slump with my workout routine.
Food:
I did very well with food during week 6, but what I really wanted to focus on was my alcohol intake since I had been struggling with that in prior weeks. I decided to challenge myself to something new that week: to not drink a single alcoholic beverage all weekend. I stopped consuming alcohol during the week when I started this challenge, so bye-bye went the occasional glass of wine after work or with dinner. On the weekends though, I found I was having trouble sticking to my 3 drink maximum so I wanted to take a break. I also think alcohol was a contributing factor to why I gained a pound after week 5, which is why I decided to do a detox for week 6 and see what would happen. I must admit my social life seriously declined last weekend, since in order to avoid drinking I ended up staying in Friday and Saturday night, but in the end I completed my challenge and I managed to not drink all weekend. For anyone who knows me or my friends, you understand what a feat that is!
Cooking:
Thanks to the nice weather in DC last weekend my friends and I were able to have a cookout for family dinner on Sunday. My contribution was a Chicken Orzo Salad that I had been wanting to try. It's a fresh, light salad that turned out to the perfect addition to a grill session. Recipe coming soon.
Weigh-In:
I had really been stressing out about my weight last week since I gained a pound in week 5. I know that I'm trying very hard and I'm making a lot of positive changes in my life, and I understand that weight loss is a process and my weight will fluctuate a lot and I won't always lose pounds, but it's still hard to not feel discouraged when you don't see the results you want on the scale. I managed to use that as motivation in week 6 and it paid off. Last week I lost:
1 POUND!!!
I'm finally back on track after wavering a little last week and I'm very excited, I just need to stay focused. All together I'm 7 pounds down and I still have 9 weeks to go. I can do this!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Week 5 Update
Week 5 was a very interesting week, so let's just get right into it shall we?
Physical Activity:
-3/2/13: ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes, then 30 Day Shred level 1
-3/3/13: 30 Day Shred level 1
-3/4/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, then 30 Day Shred level 1
-3/5/13: BODYATTACK
-3/6/13: 30 Day Shred level 1
-3/7/13: swam laps freestyle for 30 minutes, 800 meters total
-3/8/13: 30 Day Shred level 1
In honor of March Madness I wanted to kick up my workouts, so I had decided that in addition to the exercise I was already getting, I would start a workout DVD that my friend let me borrow: the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. The DVD focuses on very fast, intense workouts (about 25 minutes including warm up and cool down) consisting of a mix of strength training, cardio, and ab-specific exercises. My plan was to do the DVD every day for the month of March, and I was going to do each level for 10 days (there are 3 levels), but about 6 days in I found out that you're not actually supposed to do the DVD every single day, you're supposed to include rest days to allow your muscles to rest and repair, which was such a blessing because that DVD was seriously kicking my butt! So now I'm going to do the DVD 3 days a week and see if that changes anything. Also, working out every single day for 7 days was so exhausting, and definitely not a maintainable routine, and in the end it wasn't as effective anyway (see weight loss results below), so I'm going to have to tone things down again. So much for March Madness...
Food:
Food and alcohol both became an issue last week, since it was one of my bff's birthdays and the festivities included a nice dinner out, followed by a night of drinking and dancing, as well as a Drag Brunch Buffet the next morning, and then a pasta dinner complete with red velvet cake for dessert that night (If you've never done a drag brunch, you need to! This is the one we went to). Needless to say, I was faced with a lot of temptation, and I may not have made the smartest choices. I broke my 3 drink maximum rule for going out, and I also couldn't resist some of the less healthy food options on the brunch buffet. My self-control definitely slipped, and unfortunately it had an impact on my results for the week. I tried to make really healthy choices throughout the rest of the week, but in the end I don't think it balanced out.
Cooking:
This week I decided to break in my new crock pot, and the recipe I made was for Pesto Ranch Chicken that I found, of course, on Pinterest. It was a bit high in calories and sodium due to the large portions of chicken and the sauce that I used, but it was delicious and I only ended up eating half a serving so it wasn't too bad. The chicken literally fell apart and was super moist thanks to the long, slow heat of the crock pot. Recipe to be posted separately later this week.
Weigh-In:
So here it is, the moment of truth. The results of my weigh-in for week 5 are:
I gained 1 lb!!!
As bad as it made me feel to actually gain weight instead of losing or at least staying the same, I realize that there are a few different factors that went into this. The first, and the one that I'd really like to think is the biggest, is the fact that I was doing the 30 Day Shred DVD almost every day last week, and that is a very strength-training intensive program. That means that I was probably building muscle by doing those workouts, which would lead me to gain weight instead of losing. The trainer that I met with at the gym a few weeks ago recommended 75% cardio and 25% strength in order to lose weight, so I'd like to keep that in mind as the weeks continue. Another factor might be that I had more drinks than is usually recommended for weight loss when I was out last weekend (Jillian Michaels advises no more than 2 drinks per WEEK when you're trying to lose weight!), and the fact that I ate out a few times and let myself have more of a cheat weekend than just a cheat meal or cheat day. I'm trying not to get too discouraged, though, and I plan on going back to focusing more on the cardio aspect of things in order to drop the weight I want to.
All in all, I'm now at a total loss of 6 pounds in 5 weeks and 1/3 of the way through my program with 10 weeks to go and 9 more pounds to lose. I'm still slightly ahead of the game in terms of my original plan for 1 pound per week, and I am positive that I can get back on track and still reach the goals I originally set for myself. Now I need to get to work!
Physical Activity:
-3/2/13: ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes, then 30 Day Shred level 1
-3/3/13: 30 Day Shred level 1
-3/4/13: ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes, then 30 Day Shred level 1
-3/5/13: BODYATTACK
-3/6/13: 30 Day Shred level 1
-3/7/13: swam laps freestyle for 30 minutes, 800 meters total
-3/8/13: 30 Day Shred level 1
In honor of March Madness I wanted to kick up my workouts, so I had decided that in addition to the exercise I was already getting, I would start a workout DVD that my friend let me borrow: the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. The DVD focuses on very fast, intense workouts (about 25 minutes including warm up and cool down) consisting of a mix of strength training, cardio, and ab-specific exercises. My plan was to do the DVD every day for the month of March, and I was going to do each level for 10 days (there are 3 levels), but about 6 days in I found out that you're not actually supposed to do the DVD every single day, you're supposed to include rest days to allow your muscles to rest and repair, which was such a blessing because that DVD was seriously kicking my butt! So now I'm going to do the DVD 3 days a week and see if that changes anything. Also, working out every single day for 7 days was so exhausting, and definitely not a maintainable routine, and in the end it wasn't as effective anyway (see weight loss results below), so I'm going to have to tone things down again. So much for March Madness...
Food:
Food and alcohol both became an issue last week, since it was one of my bff's birthdays and the festivities included a nice dinner out, followed by a night of drinking and dancing, as well as a Drag Brunch Buffet the next morning, and then a pasta dinner complete with red velvet cake for dessert that night (If you've never done a drag brunch, you need to! This is the one we went to). Needless to say, I was faced with a lot of temptation, and I may not have made the smartest choices. I broke my 3 drink maximum rule for going out, and I also couldn't resist some of the less healthy food options on the brunch buffet. My self-control definitely slipped, and unfortunately it had an impact on my results for the week. I tried to make really healthy choices throughout the rest of the week, but in the end I don't think it balanced out.
Cooking:
This week I decided to break in my new crock pot, and the recipe I made was for Pesto Ranch Chicken that I found, of course, on Pinterest. It was a bit high in calories and sodium due to the large portions of chicken and the sauce that I used, but it was delicious and I only ended up eating half a serving so it wasn't too bad. The chicken literally fell apart and was super moist thanks to the long, slow heat of the crock pot. Recipe to be posted separately later this week.
 |
| Raw chicken, yum! |
So here it is, the moment of truth. The results of my weigh-in for week 5 are:
I gained 1 lb!!!
As bad as it made me feel to actually gain weight instead of losing or at least staying the same, I realize that there are a few different factors that went into this. The first, and the one that I'd really like to think is the biggest, is the fact that I was doing the 30 Day Shred DVD almost every day last week, and that is a very strength-training intensive program. That means that I was probably building muscle by doing those workouts, which would lead me to gain weight instead of losing. The trainer that I met with at the gym a few weeks ago recommended 75% cardio and 25% strength in order to lose weight, so I'd like to keep that in mind as the weeks continue. Another factor might be that I had more drinks than is usually recommended for weight loss when I was out last weekend (Jillian Michaels advises no more than 2 drinks per WEEK when you're trying to lose weight!), and the fact that I ate out a few times and let myself have more of a cheat weekend than just a cheat meal or cheat day. I'm trying not to get too discouraged, though, and I plan on going back to focusing more on the cardio aspect of things in order to drop the weight I want to.
All in all, I'm now at a total loss of 6 pounds in 5 weeks and 1/3 of the way through my program with 10 weeks to go and 9 more pounds to lose. I'm still slightly ahead of the game in terms of my original plan for 1 pound per week, and I am positive that I can get back on track and still reach the goals I originally set for myself. Now I need to get to work!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Week 4 Update
Yes, you're reading that correctly, I burned 643 CALORIES in an hour!!! That's thanks to the super intense BODYATTACK class I take on Tuesdays at my gym. Speaking of the gym...
Physical Activity:
-2/23/13: ran on the treadmill for 45 minutes
-2/25/13: swam laps freestyle for 30 minutes, 700 meters total
-2/26/13: BODYATTACK
-2/27/13: walked 2.8 miles in 45 minutes (from work to the gym), then walked on the treadmill at a steep incline for 20 minutes
-3/1/13: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD, level 1
I used my new heart rate monitor during all those activities, and it's so helpful since it tells me exactly how many calories I burn, what my average heart rate was, what my max heart rate was, and how long I had my heart rate in the right zone for maximum effectiveness. This is one of the best purchases I could have made, especially for calorie tracking purposes.
I also had a free fitness assessment at my gym on the 27th. I met with a trainer and we went over my weight loss goals (which she said are totally doable, yay!), she weighed and measured me, and then we had a short personal training session. She gave me a lot of useful information and now I can do a lot of the exercises she showed me on my own. Out of all her measurements, one was my body fat percentage (yikes). I remember having this done when I was in college and worked at a gym, and when I was 20 years old my body fat percentage was around 22%. Unfortunately, that number has increased since then, and now I'm at 28%!!! Apparently a healthy range is between 15-20%. Because of that, I now have another goal to add to my challenge: decrease my body fat back down to 22% by the time this challenge is over (there are 11 weeks left). That means I have to undo 5 years of carelessness in 11 weeks. I can do this!
Food:
I don't believe food was really an issue during week 4, but my roommate and I decided to throw a party last weekend, which meant that I had to pay attention to my alcohol intake. During the first few weeks I have been really good about keeping my alcohol consumption to a minimum, since drinking too much is one of the WORST things you can do when trying to lose weight. It's such a huge factor! However, I was actually very well behaved at the party. I let myself indulge with my friends, but I didn't go overboard and kept good track of how many drinks I had.
Cooking:
My new recipe for Week 4 was a Turkey Chili recipe that one of my best friends sent me. It was such an easy thing to make, it was super healthy, and I had plenty of leftovers to take to work for lunch throughout the week.
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| Here it is, burbling away! |
Another of my recent purchases is a Crock Pot, which is another super simple way to cook, so I'm excited to start experimenting with some Crock Pot recipes in the coming weeks. Stay on the lookout for those!
Weigh-In:
I am pleased to report that my good results have not stopped coming, and after week 4 I lost
1 POUND!!!
That means I've lost 7 pounds so far, and I still have 11 weeks left in my challenge. Who knows...at this rate maybe I'll lose more than 15 pounds!
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