HOLDONHOPE's SparkPeople Blog

New Lifting Plan!

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:39:40 EST

Following the advice of the wonderful Rachel Mac and her workout posted on her Quest Blog, I'm definitely upping my strength training while continuing workouts on Turbo Fire for cardio. I thought I'd share my revised plan! (I don't have access to a gym and some of her moves required machines, so I've revised it for home use.)

Mondays -Back and Biceps
• Dumbbell Rows 3 Sets
• Bent Over Dumbbell Rows 3 sets
• Pull-ups with Bands 3 Sets
• Supermans hold 30 sec for...

Progress Photos after Turbo Fire week 1!

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:02:07 EST

So these progress photos are probably some of the best I've seen since I've begun my journey, they were taken from the start of Turbo Fire's Inferno program, to about a week later... If you're a reader of my blog, you'll remember that I couldn't complete the Inferno program. I was STARVING all the time, and I was raiding the cupboards all nigh long to fill my poor stomach up :(

Because of this, I suppose I felt as though I failed the program somewhat, but I didn't let that stop me...

Inferno Abandoned ... ):

Mon, 6 Jun 2011 08:31:51 EST

Well, unfortunately as the title reads, after 3 days of following the Inferno Program I've had to stop. I thought I could do the 5 days but it has you eating only 1200 calories a day which i haven't done in SO long that I've been absolutely ravenous. I'm going ahead and starting the Hybrid between P90X and Turbo Fire today, and I did the schedule myself. I've subbed the cardio workouts and HIIT workouts from P90X into where CardioX, PlyoX, KenpoX and YogaX would have been in the classic sched...

Day 2 of Turbo Fire's INFERNO plan!

Sat, 4 Jun 2011 08:11:04 EST

Well, I made it through the first day of the intense Turbo Fire Inferno plan, which has you eating approximately 1200 calories a day and working up a sweat with various HIIT workouts for 5 days before you start back up with your normal caloric requirements daily. The meal plan has been wonderful so far and for me, someone who struggles to eat veggies, I ate so much of the wonderful stuff yesterday! Here's the meal plan for day 1: (This is not the exact meal plan, I did edit a few choice thing...

Sugar Free in June - Day 1

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 18:24:52 EST

So far so good! I spent the entire day at work clearing plates with succulent looking brownies, pastries, there were two trays of delicious chef made cake donuts, and lots of other high fat, high sugar items that I usually scarf down a MINIMUM of 3 of each day while I'm at work.....

I DIDN'T EVEN TOUCH THEM! :D I'm actually very proud of myself :)
Tomorrow marks the first day that I'm starting Turbo Fire (I'm completing the 5 day Inferno Plan before starting the Hybrid progra...

I am a food sneaker.

Wed, 1 Jun 2011 14:13:24 EST

Following a recent message board thread on the boards titled "food sneaker", it really got me to thinking.... all these people sound like me. They're posting the same feelings, the same thoughts that go through my head when I sabotage my diet by eating donuts, pastries, sweets, and junk foods that are at my disposal for free at my workplace. Since moving in with my boyfriend, I've gone from using 1% milk in my coffee to the same amount in coffee cream, adding extra calories because it's what'...

So busy, plus the results of the Biggest Loser Spring challenge!

Fri, 27 May 2011 11:16:05 EST

I've been so incredibly busy these last few weeks, but even though I saw no weight loss myself, my wonderful Purple Team pulled off FIRST PLACE! We were the biggest losers with close to 2.75% of our original weight lost! Yes I was a little bit discouraged of course that I didn't lose any weight but I lost nearly 3 inches since the beginning of the challenge and am stronger and more confident than I've ever been, so that's enough for me.

But it really got me to thinking... I've got...

Phase 1 Results for P90X

Mon, 23 May 2011 10:27:59 EST

So it's been a full month since I restarted P90X from the beginning with the classic rotation and I'm feeling wonderful. I haven't been concentrating so much on the ab routines because I've been searching for a better workout than Ab Ripper (I cramp up doing ab ripper pretty badly.) But I can feel a distinct difference in my quads and thighs, as well as strong muscle definition in my arms and shoulders. I've gone from lifting 8 lbs to 15 lbs on my arm routines as well which is pretty big for ...

New Challenges

Mon, 9 May 2011 08:08:50 EST

So I've been somewhat MIA from Spark in the past couple of weeks, simply because I took a wonderful vacation to Puerto Plata and came home and jumped right into my new Co-op work term (for those of you who don't know what coop is, it's like a paid internship.) I'll be working there from May - October and I'm absolutely loving it so far but it's presented some new challenges in my journey to weight loss. I've had to get adjusted to some really early mornings, getting up at 4 am for work and no...

Starting Fresh

Sat, 30 Apr 2011 12:47:12 EST

It's been a pretty hard road, and the past month I've had a lot of slip-ups. I haven't been dedicated, and I've been really indulging, especially with my vacation to Puerto Plata in the DR.

That's why I've opted to start back at Phase 1 of P90X instead of finishing the doubles, and follow the nutrition plan as well. Of course, there will be some tweaks as I don't eat seafood and a lot of the meal plans involve halibut and salmon and other fish, but I'm hoping that by implementing ...

Quick Progress Blog + Photos

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:55:26 EST

So I've been pretty busy these days, not making it onto Spark as often as I'd like. I've got 5 more official days until I'm half done school and my first year is over! As much of a woohoo moment THAT is, I've still got 4 major projects to complete and hand in before those 5 days are over, then I'll be jumping on a plane and heading to beautiful Puerto Plata for a week of sun and fun :)

I just entered my 6th week of P90X. It feels like I should be further along than that but I slack...

It's time like these that make you realize how far you've come.

Mon, 4 Apr 2011 15:52:11 EST

As per the blog title, it's been a while. No, not a while since I've worked out (although after an excruciating 9 days off, I'm jumping back into P90X after having the horrible flu going around) or done anything else since I've been sick... but it's been a really long time since I've had a mental breakdown of any sort relating to my life. Over the weekend I had a really fantastic time with my boyfriend in the city and we were starting to prepare for my move coming up in a few weeks (I'm movin...

P90X Phase 2 Begun!

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 09:01:06 EST

I've decided to switch from Lean rotation to doubles... I'm not seeing the results I'd like in terms of weight loss (I've come to the conclusion that it's from not doing enough cardio, doubles fixes this up). I've only lost 1 lb in the past month even though I've been eating inside my ranges and working out consistently, although I am feeling differences in my body.

I hope to continue on with doubles, but we'll see how my body holds up. Yesterday was my first day of Phase 2 which m...

P90X Phase 1 Complete! + Progress Photos

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 16:37:39 EST

Wow. I mean, just WOW. Only a month ago or so I started P90X and I've only lost 1 lb total (started with a 5 lb gain, from muscle I'm sure, then now down 1 lb from my starting weight) but after comparing photos of my start date to the end of phase 1, I can actually see some considerable progress! I haven't been eating as well as I should have been, but I'm starting to dedicate myself more to cooking the right foods and eating cleaner, so hopefully I'll continue seeing some great results.
...

Today, I turned heads.

Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:53:34 EST

I have never felt as though I've had a toned body, and especially in the case of my legs. I never liked my legs. EVER. They have no muscle tone and are where I carry the majority of my weight.

HOWEVER. Since starting P90X, I have noticed a bit of a difference. I can see some muscles building in my calves, and my thighs are a little tighter than before. I attend school where I have to wear business dress for my program, and I was wearing a pencil skirt with a cute blouse. I left sch...

P90X Day 16

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:08:34 EST

I'm officially at least 4 weeks into P90X, but with work and other commitments I haven't been doing the workouts as frequently, so this is my official 16th day where I doubled up to compensate for yesterday.

I'm loving doing the workouts each week, because I'm finding I can pound out more exercises than the week before, and increase my weights to become heavier. Yay me! I take my Phase 1 photos in a week and a half, and I'm starting to see results. I'm very excited to compare and s...

Started with good intentions

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:18:03 EST

Well, I started my monday with good intentions to do my Cardio X after classes today.... except this Daylight Savings Time junk absolutely ruined me. I hardly slept last night, and made it through the school day without falling asleep, but the second I got home, I hit my bed and started to daze off ... and woke 2 hours later. It's now 7 pm, I still can't stop yawning and I can't find the motivation to get my butt out of bed.

So much for starting the week off well, if I manage to we...

Stretching is a wonderful thing.

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 11:20:12 EST

So, I never really took care of my body when I first started working out. I would hop on the treadmill and not stretch before or after, I wouldn't cool down or warm up... I'd just go at it.

Since starting P90X, I've been feeling so much more energetic and my muscles feel great, and I'm chalking it up to the stretching. I completed X Stretch yesterday which literally is just an hour of stretching, and boy, did it feel amazing after a week of lifting and cardio, especially since I di...

Horrible food day.

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 12:04:39 EST

Sometimes I REALLY hate being a college student. There's days such as today that I've been far too tired to get up early and pack a healthy, balanced lunch and end up eating whatever's left on the cafeteria line when I get up there... which today consisted of french fries, and I ended up acquiring a pack of mini eggs from a friend who bought them for me because I had a horrible craving for chocolate. So by 1:00, I've already consumed about 1000 calories....

But I'm not going to let...

Awesome Job Prospect

Mon, 7 Mar 2011 20:22:55 EST

Today's Day 12 of P90X. I'm almost half done phase 1!

I got some really excellent good news today! As I'm a student in a Tourism Management program, I have to obtain a co-op work term for the summer up until October, and I found a perfect position for me, a banquet server position, working on a Tall Ship doing weddings, events, and working on a National Site here which was a fortress on the water back in the 1700-1800's.

I got a call back and I'm heading into my second ...

I'll find strength in pain. - P90X Day 11

Sat, 5 Mar 2011 11:10:06 EST

... Which is exactly what I've been doing with P90X. The pain that I've endured in the 11 days since beginning has been unlike any pain I've experienced with working out before... the burn in the muscles, the pushing to get through the plyometric exercises in Cardio X... making my way through 339 abdominal reps in 16 minutes... I feel powerful.

I never expected to start the program and be able to do it... and now I look at myself and I'm working my way through my second week, and w...

30 Day Challenge - Day 3 + Triceps Dent?!?

Fri, 4 Mar 2011 12:47:39 EST

Day 03 - A picture of your inspiration for weight loss

Love her! Strong and powerful, and a rockin' bod. Someday I'll achieve half of what she has with her body!

In other news, I'm definitely starting to develop a triceps dent form P90x! So exciting. I'm also finding myself able to do the workouts that I couldn't last week, so it's getting easier. So exciting :)

30 Day Challenge - Day 2

Wed, 2 Mar 2011 08:57:46 EST

Day 2 - A picture of you with the person you've been closest the longest.

Ancient picture, but whatever.

30 Day Challenge - Day 1

Tue, 1 Mar 2011 19:41:31 EST

Day 01 - Post a recent photo of yourself

Yes. I'm starting to feel pretty good about myself now and then, which is a rare feeling. It's not often in the past that I was able to start a workout program, especially workout dvd's, and stick with it. I'm now on my second week of P90X and I actually find myself craving the workout.

I have been having a difficult time lately with going over my calor...

It feels so good....

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:09:13 EST

If you had have told me months ago I'd be kicking ass in P90X and lifting weights, powering my way through workouts an hour long and wanting to do more..... I would have laughed in your face. There was a time that I couldn't make it through a half hour workout. My cardio ability was horrible. I'd have to take breaks really often. 30 minutes on the treadmill was enough for me.

Then I stepped it up and started doing the Biggest Loser Boot Camp. Once I started to find that easy, I de...

First Blog!

Mon, 28 Feb 2011 11:04:33 EST

And so begins the journey.
I've struggled for years with my weight as a teen and now as a young adult, I've finally figured out the process and started to make sense of it.

I've begun the process of making myself accountable and becoming a more active member of this community. I've joined the community team and started this blog. I started P90X and am entering my second week and feeling AMAZING about it! And I'm a member of the Purple Team of Biggest Loser, Spring into Action ...