feeling good!

Still no time to exercise, but still feeling good! Not sure why... I was very "sickly" this morning and I had a rough start to the day. I could barely swallow the egg whites and veggies this morning. I read that the overload of veggies could be the reason I'm feeling cramped in the stomach are during the day. I've also been feeling a really strong pulse in my abdominals at certain times of the day. Could it be increased blood flow because of more ab workouts or higher blood pressure in that area to fuel the stomach, breaking down so much protein? It might the latter, I haven't been exercising enough to even feel sore.

I am proud that I at least do some squats and crunches during TV time and I did a small (15 minute... very small) workout this morning after waking up, only because it is a late day for classes. 

Next week I will be having 6 new appointments for tutoring, so my idea to go workout at the gym during my long breaks between classes seems unrealistic. As a commuter, with a big backpack and no place to sit down and eat, I feel kind of like a floating plankton in the sea that is Kent State. I'm not sure how to go about working out between classes. I don't have a dorm to run to and change before Physic class, and there is no room in my backpack to keep some extra shorts and deodorant (yes, I actually take that much with me each day-- with a 20 credit hour course-load and big breaks, my backpack is FULL). 

Ah well. We're getting home at eight tonight, and no lab tomorrow so I can hit it hard tomorrow, maybe run or do some HIIT. Definitely some Pilates.

And homework, of course!

OH. And I lost another pound. :)

Down 10..

  Sometimes it's just not easy to diet. Work schedule gets hectic, college classes pick up again, relationships on the rocks. I told myself these things a million times. But something about this time made me quit making excuses and get down to business.

  But nobody is a superhero, and I needed some help. Cassey Ho at Blogilates.com was a big inspiration for me. I've been on the 8 week Bikini-Body meal plan for a couple of weeks so far, and while it's been hard, it's been working. And that helps me stick to it. Her workouts are also fantastic and she often shares amazing, clean recipes. She is absolutely making this weight loss journey survivable! I tried the 17 Day Diet from Dr. Moreno (which I've talked about before) and I've sworn by it-- because it works. And in essence, it's really not so different from what I'm doing right now. It's just-- I don't know-- hard to keep up. There are time constraints on that diet that weren't working for my schedule changes.

   As far as exercise goes, I've stalled this week because I visited New Jersey with my boyfriend of three years this week, and helped my family with a garage sale. So Pilates and running has been on hold. I'm feeling very guilty about it, I love doing Pilates, and while I love running less than Pilates, I always feel great. But with college starting again this week, I'm not 100% sure how much more working out I'll get done. But I'm hoping to do high intensity intervals whenever I can squeeze them in each day and perhaps a few Pilates videos from Cassey every other day.  

  I'm down about 10 pounds and I feel GREAT. I try to log my meals on LoseIt.com (add me, I'm Juliet from Youngstown) which has been an excellent tool in calculating calorie intake and burning, I highly recommend it. I don't log meals religiously, however I do use it a lot to check calories/nutrition facts of certain foods and the calorie burn of specific exercises. It's free to sign up and there is a free iPod app.

  My mother actually made multiple comments yesterday about how thin my legs looked. MY LEGS. THIN. Something I never thought I would hear her say, but it was a great feeling. It made me so happy, especially because I have always had (and will probably always have) issues about my thighs and my legs overall. Admittedly, I'm still not happy with my legs but I'm making progress. I feel better about my body overall and I think that's progress.

  I'm closer to my goal, I'd ideally like to lose 10 more, putting me at 120lbs, but I'm not sure that's a realistic goal with a build like mine, so I'm shooting for around 125-127. We'll see where I plateau. The loss has been pretty steady and I have yet to plateau so I'm expecting it soon. In the past I have reached 129 and stopped dead there. We'll see. I'm feeling fierce, so... I might pass it!

back on the saddle

It's been a while.

I had to jump off of Dr. Moreno's 17 day diet (which I still love). Sadface! I have low blood pressure and I've been having some fainting spells and nauseating headaches. I'm not sure if it's related to my low BP but everyone seems to think so. With the fainting and all I needed a little sugar/carbs to feel better. It just seemed like too much at the time, and i'm a little disappointed I didn't stick with it! I only lost a couple pounds, but I've managed to keep them off so I can't complain.

The headaches are getting better so I'm planning some other meal plans that are more doable for me right now. And even though the heat here is terrible, I've been running 3 times a week. So I'm trying!

I booked a hotel in August in Jersey for a weekend with the boyfriend. I want to be fit for the beach! Wish me luck! :)

somewhat satisfied

Day one of Dr. Moreno's plan went fairly well-- I can't complain, I did better than I have been doing! I had 3 servings of fruit (instead of 2), sneaked one pretzel (not so bad) and had my chicken over a whole grain tortilla instead of salad. So three mess-ups, but I'm human! And tomorrow is a new day. We will see if I can do better. However, I completed all of the water, protein, and pro-biotic requirements, so that makes me happy! I had a pang of heartburn earlier, but I think it was because of the hot coffee. Not sure, though.

And I'd like to correct my last entry-- you are not allowed to cheat after 17 days for one day. That must have been an adjustment my sister and I made to the diet last time around. But that was completely inaccurate. However, if I may, I'd like to suggest those of us who are goal-oriented or weak-willed to take one day off after each cycle. You don't have to go crazy. That might be a risk though; some of use might go crazy if we get a little taste of sweetness. So maybe, instead of cheating for the whole day, have one cheat item/meal? That sounds like a good compromise. I need to have a "reward" or certain intervals I can look forward to.

Walked about 3 miles today! I'm happy about that. The weather was nice and my sister joined me so it wasn't lonely or boring. 

Fun workout fact: if you're going on a run or doing cardio/aerobic exercise that normally tires you out, have a cup of coffee before you start. The caffeine inhibits an enzyme that in turn deactivates another enzyme that is in charge of breaking down glycogen stores into readily usable glucose molecules. This way, the glycogen-breaking enzyme is allowed to work for longer than it normally would during your exercise. I'm not sure whether or not this allows more fat-burning, but I do know that it allows to keep energy levels higher for longer, and not just because you're hyped up-- because your body is actually supplying you with energy molecules!

Happy Coffee-Consuming! :)

back to 17Day diet...

With all of my crazy real life circumstances, working out has grinded pretty much to a halt. I am extremely unhappy about this! Working out makes me feel happier, more confident, and more energized. But we are having our basement totally redone. We've had flooding issues for fives years--since we moved in-- and this major construction is badly needed. But the problem is that my mini gym is down in the basement with my elliptical, yoga equipment, step workouts, bike, ab-lounge and SPACE! So with that all moved out to the shed for the construction guys to tear it up down there for more than 2 months, my workouts have been at a standstill. And honestly, they weren't great before that either, since we have been so busy moving stuff around.

And my eating habits... have been less than great. I eat way too many times a day. I've just been feeling really sad... my acne is flaring up and I'm hating my new haircut so when I feel sad about my apprearance I run to have a sandwich, or milk and cookies. I'm not trying to be pitiful or anything like that. I have to come to terms with what is bothering me so that I can face my real issues. I'd like to feel seriously confident and have higher self-esteem again. I'm not necessarily trying to change my body/face, but I'd like to change the way I feel. 

So I'm retrying Dr. Moreno's 17 Day Diet regimen (which is reviewed by WebMD here).For anyone interested in a quick weight loss that is completely attainable by picky, bored, or hungry dieters, I would recommend this one. It is the only diet I have been able to stick to longer than a month, which for me is a great feat. Each cycle is 17 days long, with one-two days off at the end of each cycle (which for me was INCREDIBLE; it's something to look forward to!). You drink lots of water and tea during the first cycle which is sort of like a cleanse. Here's one problem: no bread/wheat products for the first 17 days. Now, this might sound like a horrific obstacle but I promise, if I can avoid breads for 17 days, anyone can. You can basically have as much lean protein and salad that you can stand and you are supposed to consume 64 ounces of water every day. This sounds hard, too, for someone like me that is constantly chugging energy drinks or soda but it's actually great. You feel so clean after three days (for -ahem- a couple of reasons). And the first cycle, though mostly water weight, is effective. The first time I did the diet I lost more than 10lbs the first 17 days. I was disappointed with the second cycle (during which I only lost between 2 and 3 lbs), but the diet was effective and it wasn't a plateau. I was actually under my height's avg. weight after the first cycle so I shouldn't have been disappointed. But now that I've gained every pound back (plus a couple...) I'm going back to what works. WebMD recommends walking as the primary exercise during the first cycle, since the calorie intake is lowered significantly. I see that as doable... I can't use my heavier, more cardio equipment so that will work. As far as my goal, I'd like to lose about 13 lbs. I will keep updating how my progress is doing. I've accumulated some bulge around my midsection that I've noticed for the past couple of weeks. My first goal is to eliminate that, and work on my arms. But MOSTLY I'd like to trim up my thighs and buttocks. I'll keep you updating and happy dieting! :)