Long overdue blog and some Spring Goals

Monday, April 02, 2012

Someone pointed out to me about a week ago I was due for a blog. Its been a really long time. Life has just been so crazy busy at work and honestly, I sorta lost my spark for awhile. We have had a pretty mild winter here but it has been cloudy and gloomy for months. I suffer from SAD ( Seasonal Affective Disorder) and my mood really feels it when the sun doesn't shine.
That and a back injury at the beginning of January derailed me for awhile. I did complete the entire regimen on Ripped in 30 and continued to do it for about 3 more weeks. I have been floundering around trying to figure out what I should do since then. And of course because I haven't felt very committed my weight has been slowly creeping up.
Honestly, this is the very first time in about 4 years that I just wasn't feeling like working out. I have had a hard time putting my finger on it. My husband helped me figure it out. I haven't been participating in any class of any kind. I have always participated in some sort of fitness class or group class such as WW. I haven't been very active on Spark lately either.
So I looked into doing Belly Dancing. I have always wanted to give it a try and now seems like as good a time as any.
I also read an article about losing weight. It stated run three times a week and ST two. So I will make a commitment to do that until I can get into a Belly Dance class. The instructor said she would be starting up in the summer. That should give me some time to figure this out and for the SAD to go away.
I think I will also seriously commit to a 5k, which I haven't done in quite awhile.
I miss doing weight lifting but I don't think being a body builder is for me. I recently had an ephifany. Most of those gals doing competitions have a huge food meltdown afterwards because their diets are so stringent. That doesn't seem to be a healthy lifestyle for me. There are a few exceptions to the rule, people who follow it religiously and don't stray but I think they are the exception, not the norm. It is a hard lifestyle to stick to, that is why not everyone does it.
Anyway, thanks for reading. I feel good getting this out there. I needed to put some focus on things and this will give me a few things to work towards. In the past, I have posted Spring Goals. I need to give this more thought but for now my spring Goals are
1. Make a commitment to run 3 times a week
2. sign up for a spring 5k
3. Start ST again
4. Sign up for Belly Dance this summer
5. Start bike riding with my daughter.

Who are you all doing with your efforts?

Keep Sparking,

Paige

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Found a workout routine and I am sticking to it for a month/ JM'S Ripped in 30

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Last Sunday I was in Costco and they had fitness dvd's on sale fo $7.99. I decided I would get a new dvd. I already had JM's 30DS but I wanted to try something else. So I bought Ripped in 30. WTH? It is almost the same thing as the 30DS. I gave it a try anyway. It is 10 mns longer than 30DS It also has a few more moves and workouts. At first I was disappointed but after doing it for 4 days I have decided to give the whole thing my undivided attention for the next 4 weeks and see where I am. I really want to get back into heavy lifting but I need to burn some fat. I am almost done with week 1. Again, it is almost the same as 30DS but with more aggressive moves. The next week looks similar to level 2 of 30DS. I will let you all know how that goes. Wish me luck!

Keep Sparking,
Paige

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It's been awhile

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

I haven't blogged in quite a while so here is a quick update.
I completed the Jamie Eason LiveFit challenge a few weeks ago. It was a great challenge and I am really glad I did it. I really love heavy lifting. I started back into phase 2 again but after two weeks my heart wasn't in it and I started to get bored. I have been working out still but I can't seem to find the same dedication and motivation I had with the LiveFit. Last week I took a breather and most of my exercise consisted of pilates and an exercise I found on the internet. Here is the workout.



It is a killer workout, but I have only been doing it once a week. My hammies and calves hurt afterward. The first time, i couldn't walk without pain for about 4 days. The pilates also worked out muscles I hadn't felt in quite a while. This week I am doing a repeat but I have thrown in some strength training. I found a workout on muscle and fitness hers that was a pretty descent 30 min lower body workout.
www.muscleandfitnesshers.com/trainin
g/legs/lower-body-boot-camp

So I am searching for a new routine, one that is sustainable and workable for me.

I recently had my body fat and RMR done at my local wellness center. It was very interesting.
I am 47 yrs old. My body fat is 26.9%
Now if you look at that from a professional fitness standpoint that is not all that great. But if you are looking at it as an overall estimate of fitness its not too bad. The trainer said it was pretty good.
When I did my RMR ( resting metabolic rate) it was 1430. That is how many calories my body burns without exercise. Not too shabby but now I know why I wasn't loosing any weight on the LiveFit. The trainer said to lose weight I would need to cut out about 200 calories a day. That puts me at 1230 cals, and that was to lose 1.5 lbs a week.
When I say not too shabby please keep in mind my age, and the fact that I have had a hysterectomy, which lowers your metabolism.
So in order to lose any weight at all I have to eat around 1200 calories a day. The trainer who helped me said that he has seen some ladies with RMR's as low as 900 calories, yikes!
If I keep at my normal activity level and aim for 1200 calories I should see the pounds start to drop. I don't think I can go much lower.
I will keep you posted! It was a great experience and I suggest everyone do it if you have the opportunity. I had it done at work, it was around $25, I get the body fat test done for free once a year and after that it is $10.
Oh, and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Keep Sparking,


Paige

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Jamie Eason LiveFit Phase 3 update

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Hi Sparkfriends, I am almost done with week 2 in the LiveFit program. It is really difficult but in a good way. Very challenging. I have read a few fellow sparkers (FIT_WHIT) and STFRENCH who feel the same way.
As Jillian Michael's would say, "This is no joke.". The last two weeks have been a real test of my wherewithall and my ability as an athlete. Each workout is very strenuous. My heartrate is through the roof and I NEED to take those 2 min breaks in between supersets. I haven't been perfect with this plan. I have had to cut out some sets to get it all in within an hour. I have only been able to complete a few of the required cardio session. I know if I had more time to commit to this I would really be seeing some grand results. I haven't measured or weighed this week. I want to get an accurate reading. I weighed last week and was down two lbs. I am hoping it is not a fluke!
Nutrition wise it is very hard to go low carb. We are not talking about skipping a rice or pasta with one or two meals. We are talking about almost completely protein and veggies. I can see why a lot of body builders follow a Paleo plan. It just kind of calls for it. But I really MISS MY CARBS! I was really looking forward to today, a High Carb day, but I really blew it yesterday with lots of carbs so I am going low carb today. Lunch is salmon, yellow squash, and 1/2 a sweet potato. I am not going with the recommended calories that Jamie has lined up, I am trying to go a little lower. I have a very slow metabolism already and want to maximize my fat burn. I am eating between 1300-1500 cals a day. She recommends 1700 ( which seems like a LOT to me).
I made the low carb apple cinnamon protein bars Jamie has on her site and let me tell you, I was a little disappointed. Not the best recipe after all of her hits. I may have to try it again with less protein. I did not have almond meal ( which it calls for) but used oat flour.
I notice that it is more and more difficult to get in the cardio. I just don't have the energy for it after my work day. I got in one 10 min session this last week and I had a 1/2 banana with a little peanut butter right before which helped my energy.
All in all I would say stick it out to the end if you can. If you have the time and the energy and want to see huge results this plan is designed for that. But you have to follow it pretty closely. I think even doing it with modifications you will definately build muscle and lose fat but don't expect to look like a fitness model at the end.
I want to emphasis that the reason I started this was because I was not progressing with my workouts and felt stagnant. I wanted to build up my arms and get them nice and toned and I needed to get rid of some extra weight that had creeped back on.
I can see myself going back to phase 2 and living there for awhile and maybe revisiting phase 3 when I need a good fat burning session to help maintain my weight.
Overall I have really enjoyed this program. I plan to finish it. There is only a little over two weeks left so why not?

Keep Sparking!

Paige

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Update on Jamie Eason LiveFit

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Hi Spark friends, it has been awhile since I have blogged and I need to give you all an update. I have noticed a lot of people fell off of this program starting this week. It really looked intimidating and it IS a very strenuous workout. It seems really difficult to do at home as well.
I am three days into Phase 3. I started out the week with a legs workout which was really killer! It did take a lot of time to complete, about 1 1/2 hrs. Many people have mentioned how these workouts are taking a lot longer ( on Jamie's facebook page).
The workout yesterday took longer than I thought so I ran out of time and I did not get in my HIIT either, bleh!
Today's workout was a push day, all shoulders, chest and abs. Then I have HIIT training tonight. 30 minutes of intervals. I am going to do hill work. That is running up and down the same hill for about 30 mins. I did complete the workout in an hour. It was really tough. I am sweating bullets when I get finished.

Honestly, I think I am going to see the most results from this phase. So far, I have not noticed much change as far as measurements or weight is concerned. I do feel more "solid". Not so soft.
Next week is the start of carb cycling. Not really looking forward to that. I love my carbs! and the calorie requirement is really low. I have to keep my calories low to see any kind of results.
Well, wish me luck! I will keep you all updated on my progress after this week and I will re-evaluate the program at that time.
My initial goals in starting this were to maintain my weight loss and lose about 5 lbs, shape my arms, and lose belly fat. NOT to be a bodybuilder or fitnesss competitor. It is a good program and I think I could do phase 2 indefinately ( until I get bored with it). I have learned that I like heavy lifting.

Keep Sparking,


Paige

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