April Goals

Monday, April 05, 2010

As I'm sitting here, in near food coma after three days straight of eating ourselves silly, the reasons why I'm on this site - why I'm trying to change my life - become all too apparent.

I have no control over my eating. Someone places a plate of yummy food in front of me and I will eat until there is nothing left, or I am physically incapable of ingesting another bite; whichever comes first.

My training is going well, sort of, but the eating... Oy vey.

Cookies, cakes, steaks, potatoes, gravy, chocolate, wine... it all goes down indiscriminately. I just say yum yum, and yes, please, I'd like some more.

This month my main goal is to really focus on the food. Not just to stay within my calorie range, which I do on most days, but to eat the right stuff, to eat less fat, less carbs and more protein. My current diet isn't working for me, as I have been on a plateau since November, despite working out 5 times a week. I still have about 20 pounds to lose and this month I WILL have a loss.

Also I am starting a new training program (Chalean Extreme) on Wednesday and my goal is to stick with the schedule.

To put my goals in a clear, plain way, I'll list them:

1. I intend to follow the Chalean program according to the schedule, starting April 7th.

2. I will run 2-3 times a week.

3. I will continue with the 100 pushups challenge 3 times a week, Mo - We - Fri.

4. I will stay within a 1450-1750 calorie range, with no more than 20 % of the calories from fat, and no more than 40 % from carbs.

Wishing everyone a good month!

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A new challenge - 100 pushups

Friday, March 19, 2010

So, I stumbled upon a blog today, written by Sandiegojohn www.sparkpeople.com/mypage_public_jo
urnal_individual.asp?blog_id=3020137 and I was instantly inspired to try this out. Right then and there I got down on the floor and did as many pushups as I could. The fact that it's 11:30 pm, that I am tired, that my shoulder hurts a bit - well, they were inconsequential.

Maybe it shouldn't have surprised me that I only managed to do a measly 17 pushups, considering that I have pitiful upper body strength. But it did. I took for granted I would manage at least 20. Well, that was a piece of humble pie for me!! LOL!

Onwards and upwards!

Here's the site for the challenge. Go take a peek and then join me in working towards a 100 pushups in 6 weeks. hundredpushups.com/index.html

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I did it! I did it! Finished with Insanity! Here's the last Fit Test.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Fit test #5

Oct 15/Nov 17/Jan 7/Feb 7/March 10

Switch kicks 80/100/120/124/120 ~ (+40)
Power jacks 40/45/54/57/61 ~ (+21)
Power knees 75/85/96/108/109 ~ (+34)
Power jumps 26/30/38/42/45 ~ (+19)
Globe jumps 9/10/12/12/13 ~ (+4)
Suicide jumps 13/16/18/20/21 ~ (+8)
Push-up jacks 18/22/24/24/29 ~ (+11)
Low plank obliques 34/43/60/59/70 (+36)

So that concludes this round of Insanity. It's taken me a long time, what with all the running I did in the beginning, the injury I had in my hip in December/January, but I am so proud that I finished it, and I think the improvements I have made are pretty decent! :)

Now I just need to get hubby to take some pics and hopefully there will be some visible proof of the changes I can feel, you know? I haven't lost a pound throughout these months, but I've lost a clothes' size.

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Insanity Fit Test #4

Sunday, February 07, 2010

It's taken me a month to get through two weeks worth of workouts, but I have have finally reached week 7 of the Insanity program and that means doing the Fit Test for the fourth time.

Not entirely pleased with the results. My hip is still bothering me a little and the tendonitis in the shoulder just won't go away, both of which could explain the lack-lustre numbers. I increased (slightly) on five moves, stayed the same on two and reduced on one.

Oct 15/Nov 17/Jan 7/Feb 7

Switch kicks 80/100/120/124 +4

Power jacks 40/45/54/57 +3

Power knees 75/85/96/108 +12

Power jumps 26/30/38/42 +4

Globe jumps 9/10/12/12 +/- 0

Suicide jumps 13/16/18/20 +2

Push-up jacks 18/22/24/24 +/- 0

Low plank obliques 34/43/60/59 -1

The shoulder was killing me during the push-up jacks. Yikes, they were hard! I followed the fit test with a max interval circuit workout and by the time I was done, I was barely standing. Good times.

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Light at the end of the tunnel

Thursday, February 04, 2010

I've been whining about my hip for forever, haven't I? Well, since November at least, because that's when this misery started. I was doing so well with my running and then one fine day - WHAMMO! - I just couldn't run one single step further for the pain in my hip. Excruciating, blinding, breath-taking pain.

So I rested. It got better, I tried again with the same results and ended up resting for two weeks. I figured it was an inflammation in the tendons in the hip and rest should cure it. Except it didn't.

After awhile I realized I could do any other exercise I wanted, with no pain, no discomfort - but just not run. If you know how much I love running then you can surely guess the level of misery I was feeling.

I realized I need to see someone about this. So today I had my appointment at a clinic that specializes in sports injuries. My doctor is not only an orthopedic doctor but also a naprapath, bless his soul (I am a big believer in naprapathy) AND he has finished the Hawaiian IronMan competition. How cool is that? This dude knows about extreme sports and sports injuries!

Yesterday I went for a run to trigger the inflammation, because I didn't want to go there and have no pain to show him, you know? Obviously karma was laughing in my face because we had our umpteenth snowstorm for this winter raging outside, visibility was limited and the snow was piling on the streets at an alarming rate. It's actually quite empowering to overcome bad weather, to keep at it for a whole hour (my goal was to run until I felt pain, but the damn pain never came), to smile at people who look at you like you've lost your marbles and JUST DO IT.

But no pain. Damn it. I figured I needed to head out again during lunch today, but luckily I woke up to a super sore hip and realized I won't be doing much exercising for next 3 or so days.

So the doctor/naprapath had me running on a treadmill in my undies (yes, it's just as humiliating as it sounds) to see that my posture is good, that I don't do any weird stuff with my feet and so on. Everything looked fine. Then he was bending my leg this way and that way, probing my hip area and just generally causing me discomfort.

Apparently my problem is due to the severe sciatica I suffered from during my two pregnancies and for almost a year afterwards. One of the glute muscles and the tendons attaching it to the hip are much weakened by the sciatica and the strain from running too much, too soon is causing the infammation. I have been put on a running ban for the next two weeks (but can do any other exercise provided it doesn't cause pain), then I have another appointment to re-evaluate. If there is any residual pain I will get cortisone treatments, otherwise he will put me on a gradual running program, starting with ten minutes, and increasing it slowly, while keeping the cortisone option on stand-by.

He also said that running the marathon in June is not an option, but I could go for a half-marathon at the end of summer. He thinks that in about 4-6 weeks' time I should be able to run for up to an hour without pain.

A bit disappointed about the marathon, but all in all it's the best news I've had in ages.

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