Today was almost exactly the same as yesterday. I ate exactly the same breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I did something I almost never do: go to the gym after dinner. As I've said, I always head to the gym on the way home. The protein you're supposed to eat following a workout then follows naturally as dinner. Today, I went for a celebratory beer (and by that I mean 2/3 pint of Strongbow) with my co-workers and was home by 5. I didn't want to go to the gym a) with the better part of a pint of cider in me and b) on a completely empty stomach, so I ate my dinner and went around 6:30 instead. It was nice. Much quieter and after I got home it was kind of nice not to have to prepare dinner. To satisfy the post-workout protein requirement, I ate a serving of low-fat chicken meatballs that I have as an emergency/leftovers in the freezer. One serving is 6 meatballs and they are tiny.
Workout today was 20 minutes spin + 1/2 legs + abs.
I shortened my workout to this "light" version of legs because prior to starting this project, I had been going to the gym almost every day since the new year and frankly it was time to lay off a bit. My legs were absolute mush today, and I know that they tire easily during this leg routine so I took it a bit easier on the spin. I did a half workout in that I only did one exercise from each muscle group instead of two. Still, I was at the gym for the better part of an hour and I feel great about it.
Tomorrow is my first grocery trip since starting this and I'll be picking up a new items I've never tried before. Stay tuned...
Friday, February 22, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
67 days to go...
First day is complete! I feel awesome today!
Started my day with my morning crunches, plank and pushups. One thing I want to incorporate but forgot this morning is to start the day with lemon water (large 8 oz glass + 2 tbsp lemon juice).
Breakfast: apple, orange juice, whole grain toast with peanut butter, green tea
Lunch: spinach salad with mushrooms and salmon, strawberries and blueberries, low-fat yogurt with cinnamon and cracked wheat
Snack: sugar snap peas and baby carrots, green tea
Dinner: leftover butter chicken with basmati rice, thai fish cake, bok choy with garlic (all with hot sauce), small piece of low-fat old cheddar, raspberries and a few oatmeal cookies
Workout: 30 minutes of spin, chest/back, abs, total time ~ 1 hr
I think it's important to keep some things in mind when starting a new regime like this. I wish I had the cash flow to be able to throw out everything in my apartment that don't fit the dietary requirements. Obviously being in grad school and not being one to just throw perfectly good food out, this isn't going to happen. The period of time between when you start a diet and when you get into it is around 2 weeks. That's how long it takes the body and the mind to get used to new habits. It's also the amount of time it takes to transition your fridge and pantry into one that doesn't contain pre-bootcamp leftovers and food that isn't healthy. My butter chicken leftovers are almost through, and I still have a bit of cheese and those cookies leftover. Also, I know that my dinner is the most random combination of items imaginable, but again, leftovers and new batches of food (fish cakes - delicious!) overlapping = I eat weird stuff.
Those of you close to me might also have noticed the distinct lack of coffee. Yes, I'm trying to cut coffee. My boyfriend and I love our morning ritual of sleepyhead coffee and The Office. I might try out some tea the next time we do this, but I admit that I enjoy the taste of coffee so I may indulge in a few cups with him. Why cut coffee? Well, the answer is 3-fold: 1) tea is healthier, 2) I usually add sweetener or sugar to my coffee and I want to cut both of those items from my diet in general, and 3) I hate the feeling of being strung out due to a lack of coffee (and yes, admittedly the idea of being hooked on coffee isn't appealing), so a green tea now and then will be a good alternative. Maybe slowly I'll start cutting caffeine sources, but not for now.
Biggest struggle of the day? Control. Starting a new diet plan that involves smaller servings and stopping to eat a few hours before bed (I've now hit that point as I write this) means that the old habits of "I'm still hungry" stop now. My discomfort made me realize that I nibble when I'm bored. The idea of eating to experience new foods and tastes and give my taste buds a kick out of their boredom is a bad habit. I also recently joined Pinterest and I'm dying to cook some really salty, fatty, carb-laden foods. Bad life choice haha.
Also today I did something I haven't done in AGES: weighed myself. I weigh 143 lbs. I wanted to see what I weighed at the beginning of this not because I want to see the pounds come off, but I want to see IF the pounds come off. The workouts I do are going to help me build muscle (I can feel it already), but with that comes weight gain, not weight loss. My scientific brain is asking me: will the weight loss that comes from diet and cardio outweigh the weight gain that comes with building muscle? Hmmm...to be continued.
Here I am on day 67. 143 lbs. I feel pretty fit, to be honest. I think this is an unflattering picture of me, but the areas I really want to focus on are my arms, chest, belly, thighs and bum. I know I have a strong back so I'm not worried about that.
One last thing I want to point out, and maybe I should start a little subsection for this, but I realized something as I headed from work to the gym: having a dedicated diet and workout plan is like having a second job. You have to commit to it, be enthused, you have to focus and exercise willpower. The same types of mental patterns arise in both my job and my workout/diet : I really don't feel like working (out). I deserve a break. Ok, 5 more minutes. No, I shouldn't do that. I'll show them. Interesting...
Started my day with my morning crunches, plank and pushups. One thing I want to incorporate but forgot this morning is to start the day with lemon water (large 8 oz glass + 2 tbsp lemon juice).
Breakfast: apple, orange juice, whole grain toast with peanut butter, green tea
Lunch: spinach salad with mushrooms and salmon, strawberries and blueberries, low-fat yogurt with cinnamon and cracked wheat
Snack: sugar snap peas and baby carrots, green tea
Dinner: leftover butter chicken with basmati rice, thai fish cake, bok choy with garlic (all with hot sauce), small piece of low-fat old cheddar, raspberries and a few oatmeal cookies
Workout: 30 minutes of spin, chest/back, abs, total time ~ 1 hr
I think it's important to keep some things in mind when starting a new regime like this. I wish I had the cash flow to be able to throw out everything in my apartment that don't fit the dietary requirements. Obviously being in grad school and not being one to just throw perfectly good food out, this isn't going to happen. The period of time between when you start a diet and when you get into it is around 2 weeks. That's how long it takes the body and the mind to get used to new habits. It's also the amount of time it takes to transition your fridge and pantry into one that doesn't contain pre-bootcamp leftovers and food that isn't healthy. My butter chicken leftovers are almost through, and I still have a bit of cheese and those cookies leftover. Also, I know that my dinner is the most random combination of items imaginable, but again, leftovers and new batches of food (fish cakes - delicious!) overlapping = I eat weird stuff.
Those of you close to me might also have noticed the distinct lack of coffee. Yes, I'm trying to cut coffee. My boyfriend and I love our morning ritual of sleepyhead coffee and The Office. I might try out some tea the next time we do this, but I admit that I enjoy the taste of coffee so I may indulge in a few cups with him. Why cut coffee? Well, the answer is 3-fold: 1) tea is healthier, 2) I usually add sweetener or sugar to my coffee and I want to cut both of those items from my diet in general, and 3) I hate the feeling of being strung out due to a lack of coffee (and yes, admittedly the idea of being hooked on coffee isn't appealing), so a green tea now and then will be a good alternative. Maybe slowly I'll start cutting caffeine sources, but not for now.
Biggest struggle of the day? Control. Starting a new diet plan that involves smaller servings and stopping to eat a few hours before bed (I've now hit that point as I write this) means that the old habits of "I'm still hungry" stop now. My discomfort made me realize that I nibble when I'm bored. The idea of eating to experience new foods and tastes and give my taste buds a kick out of their boredom is a bad habit. I also recently joined Pinterest and I'm dying to cook some really salty, fatty, carb-laden foods. Bad life choice haha.
Also today I did something I haven't done in AGES: weighed myself. I weigh 143 lbs. I wanted to see what I weighed at the beginning of this not because I want to see the pounds come off, but I want to see IF the pounds come off. The workouts I do are going to help me build muscle (I can feel it already), but with that comes weight gain, not weight loss. My scientific brain is asking me: will the weight loss that comes from diet and cardio outweigh the weight gain that comes with building muscle? Hmmm...to be continued.
Here I am on day 67. 143 lbs. I feel pretty fit, to be honest. I think this is an unflattering picture of me, but the areas I really want to focus on are my arms, chest, belly, thighs and bum. I know I have a strong back so I'm not worried about that.
One last thing I want to point out, and maybe I should start a little subsection for this, but I realized something as I headed from work to the gym: having a dedicated diet and workout plan is like having a second job. You have to commit to it, be enthused, you have to focus and exercise willpower. The same types of mental patterns arise in both my job and my workout/diet : I really don't feel like working (out). I deserve a break. Ok, 5 more minutes. No, I shouldn't do that. I'll show them. Interesting...
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
The Rules
Normally I hate diets and plans. In fact, I prefer the definition of the word "diet" to mean the general term for the composition of foods you eat on a daily basis, rather than a strict set of rules and restrictions to follow in times of desired weight loss. I don't find them sustainable and the stigma of a forced perception of beauty bothers me. I have made significant lifestyle changes since taking on a regular yoga practice, and was vegetarian for a year (dating my boyfriend meant the end of that). I believe in moderation, balance, whole foods and giving yourself a freakin break.
I've also starting working out on a steadier basis after my boyfriend showed me his arms, legs, chest/back and abdominal workouts. He goes to the gym every day and I'm in awe of how dedicated he is. In order not to be completely psychotic, he eats what a 195lb guy in his early 20s eats. He's what I'd call balanced :)
The point I'm trying to get at here is simply that I'm going to try to follow this regime as closely as I can, but without becoming psycho about it. I'm not trying to become a size 2 or lose 7 lbs in 7 days or any of those crazy things. I'm just a 26 year old PhD student trying to look happy and healthy and feel good about herself. My hope is that I see results and that this routine becomes just that, routine.
Ok here goes:
What's off limits?
- candy, baked goods, ice cream...basically anything laden with sugar
- pop and flavoured drinks, anything with artificial flavourings/colours
- processed grains, like white bread and white rice
- no eating 2 hours before bed
Breakfast
- 1 serving of carbs, like whole wheat toast
- 1 serving of fruit
- 1 serving of protein, like a tbsp of peanut butter
- 1 serving of dairy, like low-fat yogurt or milk
Lunch
- 2-3 servings of veggies, in salads or raw with hummus
- 1 serving of protein, like chick peas or chicken
- 1 serving of dairy, like low-fat yogurt
Dinner
- 2 servings of veggies, usually steamed
- 1 serving of carbs, like wild/brown rice blend or quinoa
- 1 serving of protein, like chicken or fish
Snacks
- fruit or raw veggies
- almonds
- low-fat yogurt
This diet is pretty straight-forward, and doesn't really involve anything groundbreaking. I followed something like this last year for a formal, and I was successful. A few tips I've learned along the way are as follows:
1. Cheese, pasta and salt are not your friends. Flavour with spices instead and always drink lots of water.
2. Not eating before bed works. Aside from the yucky feeling of being so bloated you can't sleep, I find that I feel more disciplined this way and this gives me confidence to follow my plan the next day. Warm chamomile tea is great for a bit of flavour before bed if you want.
3. PORTION CONROL. Honestly, I think this whole must-lose-weight shebang would be completely irrelevant in 99% of peoples' lives if we just practiced portion control as set out by the Canadian Food Guide. Read the labels on your food and pay attention to how much you eat. In general, we WAY over do it on portions. When you pour yourself a bowl of cereal, you usually eyeball it, and the bowl is pretty full. Match that with a few cups of milk and you've overshot your calorie count bigtime. This wouldn't be such a huge deal if we didn't do this with everything else we eat all day. A portion of cereal is usually around 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup milk. It's small. You'll live.
The Workouts
I alternate days between the following, with usually 1 day off a week:
- 60-75 minutes hot yoga, like a power or flow class
- 30 minutes cardio + arms/legs/chest & back + abs
Cardio: almost always spin. I find that this tones my legs more than an elliptical ever will, and my knees don't do running so that's out.
Arms: 3x 12 reps each of 2 tricep exercises, 2 bicep exercises and 2 shoulder exercises
Legs: 3x 12 reps each of 2 quad exercises, 2 hamstring exercises and 1 calf exercise and 1 glute exercise. Squats are a must.
Chest & Back : 3x 12 reps each of 2 back exercises and 2 chest exercises
Abs: 1 minute plank, 1 minute bicycle crunches, 2 minutes boat pose (1 minute hold and lengthen, 1 minute hold and move arms left and right of legs)
Every morning and every night: 50 crunches, 1 minute plank, 20 pushups
I know the workouts seem like a lot. They are at first. I try to make going to the gym or going to yoga as a form of therapy and stress relief. I always go right after work on my way home. After a few days, I start to look forward to it, and it makes for a nice transition between work and home. On other days, I can't lie, I really want to skip it.
There you have it! I start this whole thing tomorrow, and I'll try to keep a log of what I eat and how the workouts go, as well as some pictures if I remember.
To the Maldives!
I've also starting working out on a steadier basis after my boyfriend showed me his arms, legs, chest/back and abdominal workouts. He goes to the gym every day and I'm in awe of how dedicated he is. In order not to be completely psychotic, he eats what a 195lb guy in his early 20s eats. He's what I'd call balanced :)
The point I'm trying to get at here is simply that I'm going to try to follow this regime as closely as I can, but without becoming psycho about it. I'm not trying to become a size 2 or lose 7 lbs in 7 days or any of those crazy things. I'm just a 26 year old PhD student trying to look happy and healthy and feel good about herself. My hope is that I see results and that this routine becomes just that, routine.
Ok here goes:
What's off limits?
- candy, baked goods, ice cream...basically anything laden with sugar
- pop and flavoured drinks, anything with artificial flavourings/colours
- processed grains, like white bread and white rice
- no eating 2 hours before bed
Breakfast
- 1 serving of carbs, like whole wheat toast
- 1 serving of fruit
- 1 serving of protein, like a tbsp of peanut butter
- 1 serving of dairy, like low-fat yogurt or milk
Lunch
- 2-3 servings of veggies, in salads or raw with hummus
- 1 serving of protein, like chick peas or chicken
- 1 serving of dairy, like low-fat yogurt
Dinner
- 2 servings of veggies, usually steamed
- 1 serving of carbs, like wild/brown rice blend or quinoa
- 1 serving of protein, like chicken or fish
Snacks
- fruit or raw veggies
- almonds
- low-fat yogurt
This diet is pretty straight-forward, and doesn't really involve anything groundbreaking. I followed something like this last year for a formal, and I was successful. A few tips I've learned along the way are as follows:
1. Cheese, pasta and salt are not your friends. Flavour with spices instead and always drink lots of water.
2. Not eating before bed works. Aside from the yucky feeling of being so bloated you can't sleep, I find that I feel more disciplined this way and this gives me confidence to follow my plan the next day. Warm chamomile tea is great for a bit of flavour before bed if you want.
3. PORTION CONROL. Honestly, I think this whole must-lose-weight shebang would be completely irrelevant in 99% of peoples' lives if we just practiced portion control as set out by the Canadian Food Guide. Read the labels on your food and pay attention to how much you eat. In general, we WAY over do it on portions. When you pour yourself a bowl of cereal, you usually eyeball it, and the bowl is pretty full. Match that with a few cups of milk and you've overshot your calorie count bigtime. This wouldn't be such a huge deal if we didn't do this with everything else we eat all day. A portion of cereal is usually around 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup milk. It's small. You'll live.
The Workouts
I alternate days between the following, with usually 1 day off a week:
- 60-75 minutes hot yoga, like a power or flow class
- 30 minutes cardio + arms/legs/chest & back + abs
Cardio: almost always spin. I find that this tones my legs more than an elliptical ever will, and my knees don't do running so that's out.
Arms: 3x 12 reps each of 2 tricep exercises, 2 bicep exercises and 2 shoulder exercises
Legs: 3x 12 reps each of 2 quad exercises, 2 hamstring exercises and 1 calf exercise and 1 glute exercise. Squats are a must.
Chest & Back : 3x 12 reps each of 2 back exercises and 2 chest exercises
Abs: 1 minute plank, 1 minute bicycle crunches, 2 minutes boat pose (1 minute hold and lengthen, 1 minute hold and move arms left and right of legs)
Every morning and every night: 50 crunches, 1 minute plank, 20 pushups
I know the workouts seem like a lot. They are at first. I try to make going to the gym or going to yoga as a form of therapy and stress relief. I always go right after work on my way home. After a few days, I start to look forward to it, and it makes for a nice transition between work and home. On other days, I can't lie, I really want to skip it.
There you have it! I start this whole thing tomorrow, and I'll try to keep a log of what I eat and how the workouts go, as well as some pictures if I remember.
To the Maldives!
My Personal Challenge
Sometimes you need a blog to keep things interesting. I'm particularly horrible at motivating myself. I've kept journals, and stopped having time to complete entries or lost touch with the results of writing every day. I've had friends to push me, but I always find ways to convince myself that their opinions don't reflect what's really going on inside and that my opinion of what I can accomplish is all that matters.
Lightbulb. That's the key.
I've become an avid yogi in the last three years, and have quickly learned that nobody really cares about the progress you make in any life endeavour quite as much as you do. You can tell people about it all you want but unless YOU believe it, nobody pays attention all that much. This is why I've decided to start a new blog to chronicle my latest personal challenge.
My boyfriend's father is a small aircraft pilot in the Maldives. The first time I heard 'Maldives' I had to Google where it was. Turns out, the Maldives are an island nation in the Indian Ocean on the southwestern tip of India. His dad has been living in the capital city of Male for around 5 years and has graciously invited his three sons, my boyfriend being the eldest, to visit. The middle brother, being on exchange in Australia, was lucky enough to visit last year, and now it's time for the other two to go...and for me to tag along as the willing girlfriend. I should say that I've never been a) on a vacation with a boyfriend before, at least not one involving flying anywhere, or b) on that side of the world. This is an amazing opportunity that I'm going to grab by the balls and take major advantage of. We've been promised our scuba certification, flying over the islands, major beach time, and generally a chance to explore what might be the coolest, most beautiful, romantic place on the planet.
The realization that it was time to kick myself into gear came when my boyfriend and I were discussing the potential of losing our luggage. "What do you care? You're going to be in a bikini the whole time anyway!" ... And this brings us here. I'm a pretty healthy person. I go to the gym and yoga almost every day. I give myself the occasional day off if I have too much work or if I'm too sore/tired from a previous workout or strenuous day of work. A good yogi knows that days off are important to recharge and not obsess. I also eat rather well, although being an avid foodie and sharing this hobby with my man means that I indulge in my share of yummy treats perhaps a little too often. I have good willpower and I'm rather disciplined, but I haven't quite gotten the hang of starting a workout/diet regime and sticking to it for longer than 3 weeks or so.
I leave for the Maldives on May 1. That's 68 days from now, or roughly 9 weeks. This blog is my project to get bikini ready in time to spend 3 weeks in a bathing suit and not look back on the photos knowing I could have looked and felt better in my skin. The goal is that this blog will force me to write every day and track changes in my body.
68 days start now.
Lightbulb. That's the key.
I've become an avid yogi in the last three years, and have quickly learned that nobody really cares about the progress you make in any life endeavour quite as much as you do. You can tell people about it all you want but unless YOU believe it, nobody pays attention all that much. This is why I've decided to start a new blog to chronicle my latest personal challenge.
My boyfriend's father is a small aircraft pilot in the Maldives. The first time I heard 'Maldives' I had to Google where it was. Turns out, the Maldives are an island nation in the Indian Ocean on the southwestern tip of India. His dad has been living in the capital city of Male for around 5 years and has graciously invited his three sons, my boyfriend being the eldest, to visit. The middle brother, being on exchange in Australia, was lucky enough to visit last year, and now it's time for the other two to go...and for me to tag along as the willing girlfriend. I should say that I've never been a) on a vacation with a boyfriend before, at least not one involving flying anywhere, or b) on that side of the world. This is an amazing opportunity that I'm going to grab by the balls and take major advantage of. We've been promised our scuba certification, flying over the islands, major beach time, and generally a chance to explore what might be the coolest, most beautiful, romantic place on the planet.
The realization that it was time to kick myself into gear came when my boyfriend and I were discussing the potential of losing our luggage. "What do you care? You're going to be in a bikini the whole time anyway!" ... And this brings us here. I'm a pretty healthy person. I go to the gym and yoga almost every day. I give myself the occasional day off if I have too much work or if I'm too sore/tired from a previous workout or strenuous day of work. A good yogi knows that days off are important to recharge and not obsess. I also eat rather well, although being an avid foodie and sharing this hobby with my man means that I indulge in my share of yummy treats perhaps a little too often. I have good willpower and I'm rather disciplined, but I haven't quite gotten the hang of starting a workout/diet regime and sticking to it for longer than 3 weeks or so.
I leave for the Maldives on May 1. That's 68 days from now, or roughly 9 weeks. This blog is my project to get bikini ready in time to spend 3 weeks in a bathing suit and not look back on the photos knowing I could have looked and felt better in my skin. The goal is that this blog will force me to write every day and track changes in my body.
68 days start now.
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