Thursday, August 08, 2013
Bike rides
I've decided after my fun bike ride (attempt mostly) last Friday, that a "moderate" rating on a bike trail really means "only-attempt-if-you're-MODERATELY-fit", no fat people allowed. "Moderate" hills are bitch! That being said, the 20 mile trip we'd planned turned into 6 miles of pure torture. Doesn't help that my bike wasn't wanting to shift gears very well. Good news is, I probably got just as much, if not more of a workout from the 6 miles of hills versus the 20 miles of flat. That being said, I think our next ride will focus on the flat surface 20 mile-r and work our way up to the "moderate" hills. I've slacked BIG TIME on getting started back into a reliable routine. It's like some vicious cycle... I get off track, lose all desire and energy to get started again. But once I get going, I HAVE the energy for it. Heaven forbid I take a break. I like to use money as an excuse to not get started as well. I am a procrastinator and avoider at heart. I'm working on that. ;) Until next time.
Thursday, August 01, 2013
Hmmm... less chaos anyone?
I decidedly got carried away on my previous post discussing all manner of irrelevant things. I digress. I have 40 pounds down, 40 pounds to lose. That means I started out at (roughly) 200lbs, currently at 160, goal is to make it down to 120. No time limit, just get it done when I get it done. The plan, as such, is for a basic 1200-1300ish calorie intake... 115g protein, 50g fat. I naturally follow an intermittent fasting diet which means all food is consumed in a window from 4-8pm (more on that topic later.) Trading off between plyometrics and straight-up heavy lifting every other day, 6 days per week. A tall order. :)
The Beginning and Some Honesty
Welcome! To myself, to others. As the title of this blog suggests, I am undertaking a massive change of self. It's not as if I haven't been working on this for some time already. I have just not completed the transformation in its entirety. What we're mostly talking about here is of the physical variety. That's right; the age-old weight loss struggle.
Boring, I know. And it really is, hence the reason it is such a monumental task for so many. You consume boring, tasteful food. Work out at the boring, tasteless gym. I am totally one of the people that finds this whole process a yawn fest. Give me a book over a workout routine any day. Luckily, the food dilemma has gotten better. I've found some great ways to cook healthy, YUMMY food. I'm gluten free (no foods with wheat, rye, barley, etc) and honestly love it. I follow a mostly Paleo diet with a few exceptions like potatoes. I still love me some sugar though. The biggest issue with that being that I can't stop with a *little* sugar. We're talking entire large bags of candy in one sitting type of issue. And that, ladies and gentleman, is the first time I have admitted that shit publicly. Oh, the dirty little secrets you will encounter here. Alas, self control is the name of the game. I do very good for some time and then derail myself with a little "treat" here and there, which turns into a full blown sugar-until-I-puke-athon. It's my own personal little addiction. Like cigarettes, it feels damn near impossible to kick. I've decided to try a different approach to my weight loss success this 1 millionth go around. It includes ignoring my naturally lazy (another bombshell admission) tendencies and really becoming more involved with the planning and execution of these delicious healthy meals I referred to a paragraph ago. The other part of my plan; ditch the ideas of running 10 miles a day into the sunset and refocus my workout energy on something more productive. Let's be honest, I'm five foot nothin' and built like the quintessential German Bertha character; short, stocky, huge boobs, but generally strong as hell. I will NEVER have the lithe grace and height of a prima ballerina. So why keep forcing myself to try to conform to the unrealistic image that is portrayed as "classic beauty" by society?
Playing to my strengths is the key to this stupid struggle. With that, I LOVE lifting. Oh yea, sweat inducing, balls-to-the-wall, manly-as-hell, heavy free weight lifting. Something most women avoid like the plague. Why, you ask? Simple. I'm naturally a muscular lady. Muscle consumes much more resting energy than the tubs of fat I got hanging out all over. Which means by accentuating muscle mass, by default more energy is consumed. Add the lifting to a regimen of plyometrics in place of endless, repetitive cardio and you have a workout I would actually enjoy. Enjoyment=motivation.
The last trick up my sleeve is tossing out that damn scale. I become an obsessive weigher. That only leads to frustration and derailment when I see little to no change during plateau times. I'm impatient; I want results NOW... not the several months down the road this type of change actually takes. In the end, my goal is health. And I really actually have that MENTALITY this time around, which changes the game entirely. Until next time.
Boring, I know. And it really is, hence the reason it is such a monumental task for so many. You consume boring, tasteful food. Work out at the boring, tasteless gym. I am totally one of the people that finds this whole process a yawn fest. Give me a book over a workout routine any day. Luckily, the food dilemma has gotten better. I've found some great ways to cook healthy, YUMMY food. I'm gluten free (no foods with wheat, rye, barley, etc) and honestly love it. I follow a mostly Paleo diet with a few exceptions like potatoes. I still love me some sugar though. The biggest issue with that being that I can't stop with a *little* sugar. We're talking entire large bags of candy in one sitting type of issue. And that, ladies and gentleman, is the first time I have admitted that shit publicly. Oh, the dirty little secrets you will encounter here. Alas, self control is the name of the game. I do very good for some time and then derail myself with a little "treat" here and there, which turns into a full blown sugar-until-I-puke-athon. It's my own personal little addiction. Like cigarettes, it feels damn near impossible to kick. I've decided to try a different approach to my weight loss success this 1 millionth go around. It includes ignoring my naturally lazy (another bombshell admission) tendencies and really becoming more involved with the planning and execution of these delicious healthy meals I referred to a paragraph ago. The other part of my plan; ditch the ideas of running 10 miles a day into the sunset and refocus my workout energy on something more productive. Let's be honest, I'm five foot nothin' and built like the quintessential German Bertha character; short, stocky, huge boobs, but generally strong as hell. I will NEVER have the lithe grace and height of a prima ballerina. So why keep forcing myself to try to conform to the unrealistic image that is portrayed as "classic beauty" by society?
Playing to my strengths is the key to this stupid struggle. With that, I LOVE lifting. Oh yea, sweat inducing, balls-to-the-wall, manly-as-hell, heavy free weight lifting. Something most women avoid like the plague. Why, you ask? Simple. I'm naturally a muscular lady. Muscle consumes much more resting energy than the tubs of fat I got hanging out all over. Which means by accentuating muscle mass, by default more energy is consumed. Add the lifting to a regimen of plyometrics in place of endless, repetitive cardio and you have a workout I would actually enjoy. Enjoyment=motivation.
The last trick up my sleeve is tossing out that damn scale. I become an obsessive weigher. That only leads to frustration and derailment when I see little to no change during plateau times. I'm impatient; I want results NOW... not the several months down the road this type of change actually takes. In the end, my goal is health. And I really actually have that MENTALITY this time around, which changes the game entirely. Until next time.
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