Sorridere's Journey

S

sorridere

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I finally decided to start a journal to help keep myself more accountable and because you guys have a lot of knowledge and I need help!

A little bit of background....I was active in hs with track, band, and vb, but I slowly gained weight b/c everyone in my family is extremely competitive. So even how much you could eat became a competiton. I went to a trade school for my 1st year of college and had a job where I was on my feet for 9 hrs. Then I got a desk job and went to a diff school where I was sitting down all the time so of course I gained more weight. I was about 155lbs at 5'6", doesn't sound too heavy but I was a size 13! So I tried the Special K diet (back when they didn't have any of the bars or drinks) you were supposed do eat 1 bowl of cereal for breakfast and lunch and eat your reg dinner. I was eating about 1100 cals a day and not losing weight, so I joined the local Y and lifted weights 3 x a week and did cardio for at least 30 min 4 days a week, still eating the 1100 cals and gained 5 lbs! After 4 months I gave up on that and quit the gym b/c it was too expensive and too many annoying people:D. After a couple of months of trying to exercise on my own and diet, I managed to gain another 5 lbs! I was up to 165 now and overwieght according to the height/weight scale. I joined Curves and really loved it. They took my body fat % and measurements every month and since it was women's only and you had to switch machines every 30 sec it was not intimidating at all. I got my mom going to it about a month after I started, so it was great having that accountibility. After about 6 months, I had lost about 5 lbs and a couple of inches here and there, my clothes were fitting better, they had their 6 wk challenge. We decided to try it. I lost 10lbs on it and finally learned how to eat properly. I went there for a year and then discovered I was losing muscle. I walked around Target carring 2 5lb dumbells and they were heavy! I have never used 5lb dumbells ever in my life! My parents had an old weight machine and treadmil in the basement of their old house, so I used those until April when they moved the treadmil to their house and the weight machine to my house.

Sorry about all the rambling on. Here is my current stats: 5'6" 139 lbs I don't have a body fat tester, but I know it has gone down b/c I can finally see muscle definition.:) Which I love, I'm not one of those puny girls that think they have to be skinny and no muscles. I want to look like a fitness model. I was searching the web the other day to find photos of women that I would like to look like and came across Ms. Fitness website. I would love to be in that good of shape someday.

Here is my current workout:
Mon: 3 mile walk/jog outside on the gravel road :( I am currently up to running 7 min walking 5 min
Tues: Lift
Wed: 3 mile walk/jog
Thurs: Lift
Friday: 3 mile walk/jog
Sat: Lift
Sun: Rest!

My lifting is: (please tell me if any of these names are wrong I got most of them off the poster that came with the machine)
Sqats with 2-10lb dumbells
Walking lunges with 2-10lb dumbells
Curls with 2-10lb dumbells

Using Parabody 400 weight machine:
Bench press machine plus 50lbs
Prone leg curl 50lbs (laying on stomache bring feet to butt with weight on anchles)
Lat pull down 60lbs
Seated leg extension 60lbs
Pec Dec Fly 60lbs
Leg Adduction for inner & outer thigh on right leg 20lbs
Shoulder Press 30lbs
Leg Adduction for inner & outer thigh on left leg 20lbs
Tricept push down with lat bar 40lbs

Using free weights again:
Side raises with 2-5lb dumbells
Tricept extension with 2-10lb dumbells
Shrugs with 1-5lb and 1-10lb dumbells
One arm bent over row with 1-5lb and 1-10lb dumbells

Please let me know if I am not working some mucles enough. I am slowing starting to learn which exercise works which muscles. I picked up a copy of Oxygen magazine the other day and it is awesome! It is all about women gaining muscles and working out, a lot of the women featured are fitness models, so I am excited to try some of the exercises in there!

I wanted to put some pics on here so you could see what I look like, but I don't know how to.

Goals: I am running a 5k July 4th. Someday I want to compete in a fitness competition and run a marathon, but mostly I want to be fit for the rest of my life!

I almost forgot about diet:
Breakfast: 8 am 2 eggs and 1oz cheese
Snack: 11 am Yogert or fruit
Lunch: 12:30 pm Sandwich: Whole Wheat bread, turkey, cheese, & lettuce
Snack: 2:30 pm fruit or vege
Snack: 4 pm Cottage cheese and a slice of Whole Wheat bread
Dinner: 7:30 pm During the summer it's usually hamburgers on the grill and corn and in the winter chicken breast and rice or potato
I take a multi and I drink at least 3/4 of a gallon of water a day. In the summer I usually drink more than a gallon.

Thanks for reading through this. I know it's pretty long but I wanted to get as much info to you guys as possible so you could let me know what I need to do better.
 
Well, I just got done lifting and realized I forgot a few things.lol! I do the lifts 3 times through, with 10 reps each. The first set I do 5-10lbs lighter to warm up. I also do about 10 min of streching after every workout and at least 100 cruches.

I just bought some protein powder the other day. I haven't found a way to make it taste good yet. It's ON Cookies and Cream. Any suggestions? Also I got some flaxseed and I'm trying to incorporate that into my diet as well. Is it true you have to grind it up for it to work?

Today's Food:
Breakfast: 1 egg with 1/2 tbsp ground flaxseed and 1/2 oz cheese 1 slice homemade Banana Nut Bread

Snack: While working out I drank about 6 oz of protien shake and now I'm eating 6 oz yogert : 80cals, 15 carb, 8 sugar, 7 protien. oh and I had 4 raspberries.

Lunch: Will be sandwich 45 cal wwb turkey cheese and lettuce

Not sure what dinner will be, my grandma turned 85 this past week and wants to go to a casino to celebrate this afternoon! :D
 
Creating this journal I want you to remember something young lady:


From here on out, set your mind that your going to make progress---and lock your brain on it.

Adapt. Overcome. Improvise.

and when you do you will always:



ROCK ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!​


Best wishes and the best of luck with your journal,


Chillen
 
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Good luck with the journal. I would say you need some more back work in your program. How long is it taking you and what are the sets and reps.
 
Congrats on starting a journal. You might want to consider dropping the machines in favor of all free weight exercises as you'll get more of a workout for your stabilizing muscles and a fuller range of motion. If you want a good primer on weightlifting (with some difficult programs) you might want to pick up The New Rules of Lifting for Women, by Lou Schuler (book's text), Alwyn Cosgrove (workouts) and Cassandra Forsythe (nutrition). It should give you an idea of what to do, and how and when to do it. Good luck.
 
Thanks everyone for reading, I'll try not to make it too boring :D

Weekend didn't go so well food wise....I was in charge of making desserts for Father's Day dinner. I did go golfing though Sunday morning we had carts but I made sure I walked some, I hadn't golfed in about 5 years so it was fun! :)

I need to get back on track with food, I've been slacking too much in that dept.

Today:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 1oz cheese, 2oz turkey cubes
Snack: 1 cup lettuce, 2oz turkey cubes, 1oz cheese, 1tbsp ranch dressing
Lunch: Sandwich on wwb, turkey, cheese, and lettuce
Snack: 2 cups fruit: Watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, red & green grapes
Snack: 3/4 cup cottage cheese, low fat
Dinner: 1 hamburger on ww bun with 1tsp bbq sauce and 3/4 cup corn
Snack: 1 banana & 12 baby carrots and 2 Tbsp dip - I was hungry after mowing the yard, but I ate good food!

Workout: Run tonight 3 miles: Run 7.5 min walk 5 min Right now I'm running at about a 9-10 min mile pace. Then I have to mow the yard, part of it has to be done with a push mower.

NBS:What do you suggest for a back workout? I am doing the routine 3 times through with 10 reps and about 30 sec of rest in between.

Stingo: Sorry, I'm not gonna get rid of the machine anytime soon, but I would be interested in incorporating some free weight lifts into my routine.

I have been thinking about switching my lifting into mon/wed upper body and tues/thurs lower body. It takes me about an hour to do my whole lifting routine now and I would like to add more lifts to it but I can only last about an hour. I thought may be I could do a circit or something on Friday and Saturday. What do you guys think? I know a lot of people on here recommend an upper/lower body split.
 
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I hope all the flooding has not inundated your training. it looks pretty bad in your state.

Keep up the good work
 
It's really bad! Luckly I don't live in the flooded areas but 15 miles north and south of my house roads were closed for the floods. The only problem I've had is not being able to get outside to run. I don't mind running in the rain, but everytime it rains we have tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings, so I don't want to take a chance of dying just to get my run in for the day!
 
Well... I didn't do the run that I was supposed to last night. I keep hearing about HITT so I did my version of it for the 1st mile: jog 1 min, sprint on my toes for 30 sec, jog slowly 1 min, walk 1.5 min, repeated 3 times. For the 2nd & 3rd mile I slowly jogged 1/2 mile for 5 min then walked 5 min then jogged 8 min which was at a 9 min/mile pace, I got almost to 3/4 of the end of the 3rd mile. But I was happy that I was able to jog 8 min :) expecially since the sprinting killed my legs. We'll see if it helped at all when I run tommorrow!

If someone would tell me how to put photos on here I wiould be willing to put up progress pics each month. Unless you don't want to see a 21 yr old in a bikini :D
 
You're doing great, try to push yourself a bit more with your running, it will make all the difference. Start with 15min jog-5 min walk x 2, (3 times for a week), increase to 20 min jog - 5 min walk x 2, (3 times a week, for 2 weeks), and then go for 3.1 miles (5k) without stopping 3 times a week for 3 weeks. It sounds hard but your body will adapt, promise. Go slower if you have to, but push yourself; find someone who can run more than you and go together.
 
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OK, I have been watching too, and a 9 mm pace is running.

you can now graduate to saying you "run"

and any "runner" can handle what 76 has suggested.

you can dooooooooooooooooooooo it!

Welcome to the club,

sweat daily
FF
 
flyinfree said:
OK, I have been watching too, and a 9 mm pace is running.

you can now graduate to saying you "run"

and any "runner" can handle what 76 has suggested.

you can dooooooooooooooooooooo it!

Welcome to the club,

sweat daily
FF
Click to expand...

Thanks FF! I really needed the encouragement! For me running is really a mind game. I think I would do pretty good at it once I get it through my head that I can run. I will give Fit4Life's suggestion a try tommorrow. I wasn't going to until you posted this. Thank you.

Today:
Lifted - Whole body workout: 3 times through with 10 reps each
Dumbells:
Squats 20lbs
Curls 20lbs
Walking lunges 20lbs

Parabody 400 machine:
Bench Press 50lbs
Prone Leg Curl 50lbs
Lat pull down 60lbs
Seated leg extension 60lbs
Pec Dec Fly 60lbs
Right leg abduction inner & outer 20lbs
Shoulder press 30lbs
Left leg abduction inner & outer 20lbs
Tricept push down 40lbs
Seated row 30lbs

Dumbells:
Side raises 5lb per hand
Front arm raises 5lb per hand
Tricept extension 20lbs
Shrugs 15lbs
1 arm bent over row 15lbs

I definitely think I am going to switch this to upper body on Mon and Wed and lower body on Tues and Thurs starting next week. Any suggestions on if I need to add something or if I am overdoing anything?

I weeded my garden today, it's huge and the ground was pretty hard so it was two hours of hard work. My back is killing me now!

Food today:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 2oz turkey cubes, 1oz cheese, 1 slice banana nut bread
Snack: Drank Protein shake while working out: 1 cup soy milk, 4 strawberries, 1 scoop Protein
Lunch: Sandwich on wwb, turkey, cheese, lettuce and 1 serving Tortilla Scoops chips with 6 tbsp salsa
Snack: 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese and 3/4 cup watermellon
Dinner: Grilled chicken, cheese, salsa and baked sweet potato fries
1 gallon of water
 
I did it!!!! I actually ran 15 min walked 5 and repeated 3 times! I was so shocked by the time I got done with the 1st 15 min. I told myself all day long that I could do it and I had to tell myself that about 200 times while I was running. I went a total of 4.2 miles = 10.7 min/mile, I'm pretty happy with that. I felt like I was barely going faster than a walk, so I'm looking forward to improving it. Since I am running on a busy gravel road, I can't listen to music, I know it would really help but it is nice to listen to the birds and other bugs. Except when they hit me in the face! I had 2 gnats go in my left eye while I was running tonight! lol

Today's food: I was starving until dinner, I must not have had enough calories. I try for 1600-1800
Breakfast: 1 whole egg, 1 1/2 egg yolks(I ran out of eggs), 1oz cheese, 1oz turkey cubes
Snack:1 cup lettuce, 2oz turkey cubes, 1oz cheese, 1tbsp ranch dressing
Lunch: Leftover 6oz chicken with 1 slice cheese and sweet potato fries
Snack: 2 cups fruit: Strawberries, raspberries, red and green grapes
Dinner: 2 tortillas with lettuce, sour cream, beans, rice, onions, and green peppers
After I ran I had what I call a dessert yogurt with 1tsp ground flaxseed
Dessert yogurt - Apple with granola: 290 cals, 10protien, 3 fat, 53 carb, 41 sugar! I don't have these very often.

Dinner was at a local mexican restraunt that is run by mexicans so they serve real mexican food, which I find to be nasty, I like American-Mexican food. But my parents have been going there every Wed night for the past 6 years and they order the same thing every time: Shrimp Fajitas. I wouldn't go since I don't care for the food, but it's usually our only family time each week. I enjoy catching up on their lives and touching base each week.
 
Today:
Lifted - Whole body workout: 3 times through with 10 reps each
Dumbells:
Squats 20lbs
Curls 20lbs
Walking lunges 20lbs

Parabody 400 machine:
Bench Press 50lbs
Prone Leg Curl 50lbs
Lat pull down 60lbs
Seated leg extension 60lbs
Pec Dec Fly 60lbs
Right leg abduction inner & outer 20lbs
Shoulder press 30lbs
Left leg abduction inner & outer 20lbs
Tricept push down 40lbs
Seated row 40lbs

Dumbells:
Side raises 5lb per hand
Front arm raises 5lb per hand
Tricept extension 20lbs
Shrugs 15lbs
1 arm bent over row 15lbs

Food:
Breakfast: Yogurt and 2 pieces of wwb toast w/ homemade rhubarb strawberry jam (Still don't have eggs)
Snack: Protien shake while working out
Lunch: Sandwich on wwb, turkey, cheese, and lettuce and 1 serving tostitos scoops with 6 tbsp salsa
Snack: 2 celery stalks w/ natural pb and raisins
Dinner: I'm grilling a huge ham steak right now(I'll be able to make 3 meals out if it!) with pineapple slices and 1 cup long grain brown & wild rice
 
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Yesterday:
I skipped my workout. My period started so I felt like crap so I went out for dinner with friends and had fun. We hadn't done that for about 2 months b/c everyone around here is so busy getting the crops in.
Food:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 oz turkey cubes, 1 oz cheese
Snack: Lowfat yogert
Lunch: Was catered at work I had a pulled pork sandwich
Snack: 1 cup mixed fruit, 1 banana, 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
Snack: 1 cup long grain brown & wild rice (this was about 6:00 when I decided not to run, I knew we wouldn't eat for about another 2 hrs so I needed something to hold me over till dinner)
Dinner: Applebee's-Fiesta Lime Chicken, it had too much cheese, but it tasted good!
Also had 3 Bud Lights I'm such a lightweight :D

Today:
Run didn't go so well. I know I didn't give myself proper nutrition this morning. I was wanting pancakes so I made ww ones and ate cottage cheese, but the pancakes always make me bloated and feeling like crap so I thought a run would help me feel better but it didn't.
I was going to run 15 min walk 5 and repeat 3 times like I did the other night. I ran the 1st 15 min pretty good. I ran 1.6 miles so a 9.38 min/mile. Then I walked 5 min then ran 2.5 min and stopped for a drink at home. Then the wind hit me HARD! I went about another 1.5 min and my quads and my knees were hurting b/c I was going so slow. So I walked a min then ran another 2.5 min and had to stop again! I was feeling like crap by this point so I decided to go a total of 3 miles then I could stop. And I did, all that jogging and walking was half a mile so I turned around and ran the last half mile back home with the wind at my back without stopping, so that made me feel a little better knowing that if the wind hadn't been so strong I could have done it.

Food:
Breakfast: 2 ww pancakes with 1 tbsp sugar free syrup per cake
Snack: 1/4 cup lowfat cottage cheese
Lunch: Leftover ham steak with 2 pineapple slices

I'm starting to be able to see the muscle definition in my legs all the time now so I know my body fat is going down. I'd love to get some of those calipers to measure it. My hubby actually commented that my legs were getting sexier the other day so I'm exicted to keep seeing progress!

Hopefully tonight we'll go to a Lonestar concert. They're playing at a county fair around here. It'll depend on what kind of a mood my hubby is in when he gets home, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
 
Yesterday:
I did good on my run! I ran 1.7 miles, it took me 16.5 min then I walked 5 min then ran 1.5 min(about .15 mi) to my house to get a drink of water then ran 15 min - 1.45 miles, walked 5 min then ran 15 min again slower - 1.3 miles so total run time of 48 min for 4.61 miles = 10.41 min/mile. The 1st 2 miles are the hardest. The 1st 1/2 mile is a downhill at a very slight angle then the next 1/2 mile is a steep hill then I turn around and go back. The rest is all flat. At end of 2 miles my achilies tendon was hurting pretty bad, but once I ran on the flats it was fine. I didn't feel as good running as I did the other day, but I made it through it. I realized half way through that my race is in less than 2 weeks! :eek: I'm not in as good of shape as I had hoped but we'll see, I still have 10 days.

After I ran, I lifted upper body 3 sets 10 reps: I NEED HELP ON NAMES!
Machine:
Bench Press: 50lbs
Lat pull down: 60lbs
Pec Dec Fly: 60lbs
Shoulder Press: 30lbs
I found a cable on the machine when I'm sitting is at chest height, I attached the rope to it and pulled, bring my hands to shoulders with elbows straight out. What is this called? 30lbs
Tricept push down: 40lbs
Seated row: 40lbs

Dumbells:
Curls: 10lbs per arm
Tricept extension: 10lbs per arm
Front arm raise: 5lbs per arm
Tricept ? I put my arm straight in the air then bend at elbow (not moving upper arm) bringing weight left or right to 90* behind head. What is this called? 5lbs per arm
Side arm raises: 5lbs per arm
Shrugs: 20lbs per arm
Bent over 1 arm row: 20lbs per arm

I will try to do this before my run on Wednesday. I did it after yesterday b/c I wanted to get home as quick as possible.

Food:
Breakfast: 8am 2eggs, 2oz turkey cubes, 1oz cheese
Snack: 11:30am 2 cups fruit: strawberries and red and green grapes
Lunch: 1pm Sandwich on wwb: turkey, cheese, lettuce
Snack: 2pm salad: 1 cup lettuce, 2oz turkey cubes, 1oz cheese, 1 tbsp ranch dressing
Snack: 3:30pm 12 baby carrots with 1tbsp sour cream & onion dip
Snack: 4:45pm 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
Snack: 5:45 banana
Ran from 6-7
Dinner: 7:50 Hamburger on ww bun
Lifted
Snack: 8:45 banana & 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
Drank 1.25 gallons water
 
sorridere said:
I found a cable on the machine when I'm sitting is at chest height, I attached the rope to it and pulled, bring my hands to shoulders with elbows straight out. What is this called?
Click to expand...

On this one, I'm keeping my arms paralell to the ground at shoulder height the entire time.

I always called a tricept extension when you hold a weight overhead and not moving the upper arms lower the weight backwards behind your head. The other move I was doing, instead of being straight overhead, I had my arm straight up in the air, and bent my arm to the left or right to behind my head.

Does any of this make sense?
 
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