A Little Info

It feels really good to say that I am back to my fit self again. Of course everyone can improve always but it's so nice to feel like I can move and work with more ease. It's nice to feel lighter on my feet and to have more energy. It's nice to fit my clothes and to not have to suck in all the time. I like looking in the full-length mirror, naked and clothed :) I plateaued physically for a long time-almost a year! I just couldn't quite find my groove. Well now I've discovered that sweet spot, it's taken a bit more work and commitment, but oooooohhh is it ever worth it! I mean, I don't know about the rest of you, but if I'm not at my best I worry about and think about being at my best all the time. That's the best part of being here is now, I just have to worry about maintaining and improving and it takes soooo much less energy and it's soooo much less depressing. For a while I didn't notice any difference but I kept going anyway. I've only lost 3 or 4 pounds...but I'm also more toned. It was like one day I woke up and went wait, is that my abs I see? One day I woke up and went, I feel stronger, I can work a little bit harder, do a little bit more. Anyways, I'll tell you what I did do just in case you are wondering. I feel really vulnerable talking about this so try not to make fun of me behind my back if you are tempted....I'm just being really honest here!

The Workouts:

I work out 4-5 times a week. Sometimes 3 if I'm tired and/or busy, and sometimes 6

P90X: I'd do the weights 1-2 times per week without fail (including the ab-ripper, or what I could get through on ab-ripper) and I would always do the plyometrics because it kills and makes me want to die and that is how I know it's awesome. Sometimes I do the Kenpo-X, if running or going to a class don't work out. This has been a HUGE part of breaking out of my plateau, mainly because it was something different; BUT- I don't think it's the only thing out there! It provides intensity and weight-lifting-both of which are essential to get really fit.

Something I love: I would go to the Talisman Centre gym once in a while to do step aerobics because I find it fun, and it's a really good workout.

Running: Because it's the thing everyone can do and you don't need a pass, money, or coordination to do it. "The road is always open" as they say. I would only do this once in a week if all the stars aligned.


The Diet:

I don't really have a diet plan, but I eat healthy most of the time. And as much as I hate to say it, I have started paying attention to calories. Not that I count calories, but I think it's important to be informed so you can make smart choices. I use the "loseit" application on the iphone if I'm not sure and there's tons of websites that do things like that.

I'll give you a few examples of what I ate last week. You'll notice I always have something sweet :)

DAY 1:

Breakfast: 1.5 cups cheerios with 1/2 cup fresh blueberries and 1 1/2 cups skim milk

Snack: Orange and 1/2 cup milk

Lunch: BIG salad with olives (YUM! Salty and so good) and a bit of low-fat cheese and 2 Tablespoons creamy cucumber dressing, a slice of homemade bread with butter.

Snack: a whole bunch of smarties. He he-like, 1/2 cup I'd say? This was 400 calories of my day :)

Dinner: Cream of Broccoli soup with a whole bunch of whole wheat crackers (12, probably) and a bit of cheese

Snack: One and a half oatmeal cookies and a couple more slices of homemade bread

This worked out to 2327 calories-but I worked out hard and burned 381, for a net of 1946 calories.

DAY 2:

Breakfast: Big bowl of hot oatmeal with 1.5 cups skim milk and 2 tablespoons of brown sugar

Snack: A few nacho chips, and lost of gumdrops-like, 1/3 cup!

Lunch: 3 ounces of steamed snapper (if you spice it right fish is yum), a big slice of cheese and a large smoothie with berries, banana, spinach, yogurt, a bit of apple juice and water. Mmmm....

Dinner: Cream of Broccoli soup with a big egg salad sandwich (using 1/2 the fat mayo) on pita bread

This worked out to 2132 calories-but I worked out hard and burned 300 calories for a total of 1832 calories.

DAY 3:

Breakfast: Hot oatmeal with 2 TBSP brown sugar and 1.3 cups skim milk

Snack: Cupcake with frosting

Lunch: Whole wheat english muffin with a bit of peanut butter, an apple, a slice of cheese and yes, an entire bag of microwave popcorn. Sometimes you just get the munchies.

Dinner: Meatloaf with ketchup and a big salad with olives and 1 TBSP dressing

Snack: a few gumdrops and some chocolate kisses

This worked out to 2200 calories-but I did 1/2 hour of plyometrics plus played squash with my friend that night so the total was only 1668.

DAY 4:

Breakfast: 1/2 cup yogurt with 1/2 cup homemade granola

Snack: 2 cheese strings

Lunch: Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, etc. roasted, on top of a bed of arugula, with a cheesy dressing and some toasted pine nuts sprinkled on top.

Snack: 1/2 cup more homemade granola with milk

Dinner: chicken fingers (I prepare them with egg whites and cornflakes, then bake), and a big pile of steamed veggies-yum, they are sooo buttery when they are steamed!

This worked out to 1356 calories and with my workout 1139.

The Mentality: Flexibility is really important to me because I can't work out at the same time every day and I don't feel like doing the same thing every day. Sometimes my knee will hurt or something, but that doesn't mean I make an excuse not to exercise. I'll do something else. I change things up often. Also, I just show up. The hardest part for me is putting on my clothes and shoes, putting in the workout and starting. Mentally it's torture some days. But I do it. And if I'm tired, I do what I can. I don't push myself every day. Also I notice I go through a 3 week cycle. The first week I feel strong, the second week I feel unmotivated and the third week I'm tired. Sometimes I feel tired for weeks. But it takes mental power to push through, and the more you do it, the more you'll do it, and the less torturous it becomes. Another tip, the best workouts are the ones I do with Brad. It makes it so much more fun.

So there you go.