Week seven weigh in March 3, 2010

I am majorly dissapointed in myself.

Thats all I have to say.

(see the side bar or the page up above for stats)

Oh how those pesky little self-destructive tendencies annoy me February 24, 2010

You know how they (experts, and really smart people) tell you that in order to attain your goals you need to keep yourself accountable?

yeah, weeeeell…..take a look over there ———————————————>

I should have listened.

So, in order to humiliate be honest with myself (and you, dear readers!),  here’s my top five things you shouldn’t do if you’re trying to lose weight:

1. skip the gym

2. eat sweet confections of badness.

3. eat out a bunch

4.  eat because your bored

5. eat because your feeling depressed because you haven’t lost any weight in two weeks (this did help my plight, however, just not in the right direction!!!)

So now that I’ve embarrassed motivated myself, next week should be a piece of cake (I mean…umm…fruit!)

Until then–here’s to getting back on the band wagon.

Weigh-In week two February 4, 2010

S.U.C.K.E.D

Seriously. majorly. unequivocally awful.

I. DID. NOT. LOSE. A. POUND.

Now, granted it was probably (okay! okay!) totally my own fault because I succumbed to the temptation of chocolate cake, brownies and chocolate chip cookies this weekend.

But I killed myself the rest of the week (It’s too bad there’s that whole calories in–calories out clause in the fine print)!

So obviously my percentage for this week is ZERO (I suck. You can say it with me: Jess–you suck).

Want to know what is so stinkin’ hilarious that I almost pee in my pants every time I think about it?

This morning I skipped the gym (depression hurts) and I decided to hop on the scale to make sure yesterday wasn’t a fluke and I hadn’t gained 10 pounds overnight (from all that delicious wonderful seductive awful chocolate cake) and I LOST 2 POUNDS.

Seriously?

I mean, seriously?

As the Hunk reminded me: next weeks weigh in will be awesome because I have a super head start.

The leader board has yet to be posted but hopefully I’m not in last place (is it awful of me to wish the others had actually gained weight? Yes, probably but we’ve already established that I suck, so whatever).

If I have time I’ll come back later to update ya’ll on where I stand on the leader board.

Hopefully next week I’ll have better news.

Until then,

If you’re just joining us: click here and here.

how to kick the crap out of yourself or Working out 101 February 3, 2010

If you’re like me you don’t have money for a personal trainer. And if you’re like me you have a hard time figuring out what to do at the gym. I hear people at the gym all the time saying, “ugh, I didn’t want to come today” or some other such variation of the phrase. I never have a problem with getting myself to the gym. The problem for me is knowing what the heck to do with myself at the gym so that:

A. I don’t get bored
B.  I kick the crap out of myself
C.  I don’t hurt myself
D.  I don’t look too much like an idiot (this one is optional, however, because I’m quite sure I do indeed look like an idiot the majority of the time, at least at the gym)

I hope I’m not the only one who is at a loss for what to do at the gym. I’ve found that there isn’t very much information available that I’ve found helpful. I either find websites that require you to pay for to get advice on workout plans, or the sites are for hardcore people who have been working out for years (which is definitely not me!), or they’re stupid magazine crap that is just plain awful.

The very slim amount of good info I’ve found I’ve been putting to use in my workouts.

So, I thought I would publish some of my workouts so that others who are in the same shoes as me could maybe look at it and get some good ideas.

(disclaimer: I am not a health care professional, or a personal trainer. Take all advice with a grain of salt. All exercises are to be done at your own risk.)

I tend to focus more on cardio for 3 days a week and focus on strength training for 2 days (I don’t go to the gym on weekends because of the Hunks work schedule and the limited time the gym is open on those days). Except on Tuesdays. Because of the Challenge I am in I have been going to the gym twice on Tuesdays so I get sort of a last chance workout in (a la The Biggest Loser). In the mornings I focus on Cardio and in the evening I focus more on strength training.

Now I need to note that I do cardio everyday. I always spend at least 15-30 minutes of cardio on strength training days. On cardio days I spend the majority of my time at the gym on cardio.

I also utilize the sauna at our gym. I love sitting in there after my workout. I get all sweaty and warm and relaxed after working so hard–I love it, but I don’t do it every day because of time constraints.

Okay so here are a couple workouts I’ve done in the past week or so.

Monday (cardio day!)

• 5-10 minutes of stretching
• 30 minutes on eliptical, level 2, keeping my rate above 5.7-6 mph.
• 15 minutes on recumbent bike, level 12, keeping my rate around 68 rpms.
• 10 minutes on the rowing machine, level 2, keeping my rate around 68 rpms.
• 60 walking lunges, using 5 or 8 lbs weights (usually depends on what’s available, if I had my choice I’d always use the 8 lb weights), with a 30 second break halfway (it takes 30 lunges to traverse the length of my gym)
• 3 sets of 10 regular squats, using 20 lb weights.
• 3 sets of 10 wide squats, using no weights (the last set I usually do small pulses)
• 15 push-ups (I have not worked my way up to “real” ones–I keep my knees on the ground with my ankles crossed)
• 20 bicycles
• 50 regular crunches
• 30 obliques (or side crunches, whatever you want to call them)
• 20 bridges (where you lay on the ground knees bent and together, then lift your hips and butt up off the ground)
• 15 minutes of stretching

Time spent working out: 1 hour 40 minutes (give or take a few minutes and not taking into account the time it takes to clean and start another machine).

Thursday (muscle making day!)

• 5-10 minutes stretching
• 10 minutes on bike, level 12, keeping rate around 68 rpms
• 10 minutes on eliptical, level 2, keeping rate above 6mph
• 2 sets of 15 push-ups (knee style)
• Shoulder presses with 20 lb weights, 3 sets of 8 on each side. (I don’t know if that’s the right name. I hold the weight in one hand with my arm bent with elbow parallel to shoulder, then I push the weight up over my head and back down so I’m back where I started.)
• Tricep pull with 20 lb weights, 3 sets of 10 each side. (I stand on the side of a weight bench, then rest my knee on it. I let the opposite arm hang down towards the floor then pull it up to my side–it’s kind of like starting a lawnmower.)
• curls, 3 sets of 8 with 10 lb weights.
• Tricep extentions, 3 sets of 8 with 10 lb weights (stand with feet shoulder width apart, bend forward with a straight back. Pull arms up to right next to your chest. Extend arms straight back and return.)
• shoulder lifts, 3 sets of 8 with 10 lb weights (stand with feet shoulder width apart, arms at sides. Lift arms straight out (pretend you’re playing airplane) until arms are parallel with the floor, return)
• Using the lumbar thing (I know, I’m so technical!). I do 3 sets of 10.
• I then turn so that my hip is resting on it and do it sideways to work the obliques, 3 sets of 10 each side.
• I then will do this. 2 sets of 5 is all I can handle (yes I’m a wimp).

Now it’s time to move to the mat!

Ab work:

• 50 regular crunches
• 50 obliques (so 30 each side)
• 40 bicycles
• 50 more crunches!!
• 2 sets of 5 leg raises (lay flat on your back legs extended, squeeze legs together and pull them up til your feet point towards the ceiling, keeping legs straight and together, ow)

Leg work:

• lay on side legs bent at almost a 90 degree angle, lift top let keeping the bent shape (you will feel it in your butt) 30 times.
• now raise foot, but keep knees together, keep this shape and raise leg (you will feel it in a different part of your butt) 30 times
• return to the first position, this time keep feet together and lift knee (like a clam) 30 times
• straighten bottom leg, pull top foot up and over so it is resting in front of you (right in front of your tummy), foot flat on the ground, knee bent and in the air, flex bottom foot and lift with your inner thigh 45 times
• switch to the other side.

(I got that from a pilates video I have, it works really great on your butt and thighs)

• now in case you thought you were done, go ride the bike for another 5 minutes, level 12 keeping it around 68 rpms
• stretch for 15 minutes (don’t skip or you’ll be sorry)
• I usually go sit in the sauna for 20 minutes on these days.

I think that’s enough for today. I will try to keep posting the different workouts I do. I hope they help someone!

So tell me what do you do to workout?

almost a week late–but better than never February 1, 2010

right?

So sorry for not letting ya’ll in on the weigh-in scoop.

The scale-y verdict?

2 pounds down. 28 to go.

Total percentage for this week–6.66%

Pretty good huh? I thought so too, until I looked at the leader board.

6.66% put me tied for 6th place. Boo.

This week isn’t going to be good. We spent the weekend in Muskegon with the Hunks family.

And I ate chocolate cake.

And I didn’t go to the gym this morning. The Red-haired girl made that impossible (not that I’m knocking extra snuggle time with my baby girl, but it doesn’t burn very many calories).

I’ll let ya’ll know on Wednesday (for real this week!).