Moving to a New Location

While it’s been fun having the blog on wordpress.com, I’ve decided that I’m taking this blog and several others that I maintain and merge them into one Big Blog at www.dontbeapicklebump.com.

The great thing is that I’m still using WordPress but will also have added flexibilty and control over the presentation of my writing and pictures.  So come visit me and check out the new digs. There’s still some construction going on, but it’s all good!

Getting Back on the Wagon Baby Step 1

I have to admit, I’ve been struggling with staying on the wagon. I know what to do, but I just can’t quite get fully there. So I’m taking babysteps to get back up on the exercise and diet wagon.

The first step is getting out of the fast food habit I developed over the course of the hurricane and it’s aftermath. So I’m focusing on making sure I prep my own food. While I’m not counting every single calorie that goes into my mouth (babysteps remember!), I am making sure that  I focus on the following things every day when I prep my food:

• Eating 2-3 servings of whole grain/legumes/dried beans. Seriously you get lots of fiber and can add some protein to your diet by doing this. Not to mention that it fills you up and keeps things moving from all the fiber.
• Eating 5 servings of fruit. This one was eaiser to achieve than I thought. A banana added to my oatmeal; berries in my plain yogurt; an apple, orange or tangerine here and there to help curb my hunger. The sugar from the fruit definitely helps curb my sweet tooth.
• Eating 5 Servings of veggies – and I’m not talking about huge bowls of salad (there’s only so much salad a girl can take!). I’m talking sweet potatoes, corn, turnips, beets, peas, green beans and broccoli just to name a few. I try and eat at least two servings of veggies with my main meals. Although I am finding that a small salad before I fix my main dinner is a good way to stop me from gnoshing while I cook.

The best thing is that by eating this way I can eat more volume without packing in a ton of calories and I feel fuller longer.

Back at It

I’m back at it after basically a month of resting – no exercising except for helping with yard work, eating pretty much whatever I decided I wanted within reason, trying to sleep. I say trying because my sleep has been pretty messed thanks to the hurricane business. I’ve been using Tylenol PM to help me sleep through the night.

This week has found me in the mood to do something physical beyond yard work. So I did yoga one night and last night I did the first lifting routine in TNT.  I feel better and for the first time in a while, I was able to sleep through the night and go to sleep quickly. Sleep is good.

This is just cool!!!

I love watching strong women do stuff like this!!!

Month One Update

I’ve completed my first month of working with Leigh again. All I can say is she totally rocks and knows her stuff when it comes to fat loss. I’ve lost 13.6 pounds and 17.75 inches. I’m freaking stoked at this point.

Things I’ve learned in the last month:

• There are healthier alternatives to most of the foods we like – see my Clean Eats Site
• Busting your ass in the gym is not necessarily the best option for losing weight. You have to eat for your level of activity and if you’re throwing around a lot of weights due to strength training, you’re going to have to eat more which will slow down your fat loss process. I remember how frustrated I’d get last spring when I was definitely shrinking, but the scale wasn’t moving. Now I’ve got both scale movement and shrinking going on.
• Stretching/Mobility exercises and foam rolling are essential to the overall program. You need to do these things to keep your body in good working order.
•  If there isn’t a healthy alternative, I can work the foods I crave into my daily plan but I have to stay within my calorie count.

Still Alive and Kicking – June Goals

Work has been hectic these past few weeks and on the advice of Leigh Peele, rather than try and workout on the road and try and manage my diet, I’m going to focus on my diet this month. Calories are 1400-1800 per day with no training.

Goals for this Month

1. Read both Fat Loss Troubleshoot and Metabolic Repair by Leigh.
2. Focus on gentle activity throughout the month of June. Walking, a bike ride, and yoga are in the cards until the end of the month. Work in 30 minutes a day of activity.
3. Track my food. Planning on on 50% Lean protein, 25% fat and 25% carbs.

The Made Up Workout

I’ve been travelling this week and y’all know that you never know what you are going to end up with in terms of equipment in the Hotel Fitness room.

Workout was okay…. Not stellar because I kind of pieced it together.

Overhead db press
1×8x15s
2×8x25s

SS w/ Incline DB Press
1×8x25s
2×8x15s

DB Lunges
2×8x10s
1×8x15s

SS w/ DB Bicep Curls
3×8x15s

DB Rows
2×8x20
1×8x25

Tricep Extensions
3×8x15s

Workouts for the last week

My workouts for the last week have focused mostly on getting outside and walking.

I’ve been chained to my desk for the majority of the last week and it just feels good to get outside and move after being stuck at a desk all day.

I tend to grab my camera to take with me so photographs are an added benefit to my walking.

Last Night’s Walk garnered some Armadillo Pictures

While out at the company picnic on Saturday, I got the opportunity to walk around the edge of a lake that had a Heron and Egret rookery in the midde of it.

I also caught this handsome fella at a nearby park

The only way to go is up right?

Drills may have to be something i do in the morning. This evening didn’t go so hot

Drills – 1:45 (supposed to be done for 20:00 – only way to go is up right )

I was supposed to be 15 minutes on the elliptical only made it 10. Not as good as I wanted but I think it was more of a timing issue than anything.

I didn’t get home until almost 7:30 after getting caught at work until almost 6 without food. I had yogurt and PP mixed together, but I don’t think that was enough/the right mix for aerobic. I’m thinking morning might work better for these since I could have a shake before I leave the house and by the time I got to gym at work it would be in my system. We’ll find out on Friday I guess.

Back to HELL I go

I did this program last fall and had good results and it was tailored to fix some of the structural issues I seem to have going on so I decided to go back there. Maybe if I get brave enough, I’ll post tonight’s before pictures. I have a long long way to go after the last 6 months of screwing around. I’m almost back to the weight I started this whole mess at, but I am still leaner than when I started this almost a year and half ago.

Mag Mob Warm Up
Yoga Twists
Side Twists
Bent knee Twists
Side Lying Trunk Twist
Fire Hydrant
Supine Bridge.

Front DB Squats
3×15×17.5s

(I could really feel these in my ass)

SS/w Lat Pullovers (subbed for Lat Pulldowns since I don’t have a lat machine at home
3×15×15

Lat Raises
3×15×7.5s

SS/w Good Mornings
3×15×45

Incline DB Flyes
3×15×7.5s

SS/w Swiss Ball Crunches
3×20xbw

Side Planks
Left and right X3
15/15
15/15
8/8

Elliptical 15 minutes level 5