Fitness

Self-eval after 8 weeks

Today I’ve completed 8 weeks of Peak Body Transformation with 2 more weeks to go. Looking back over the past 2 months I’m somewhat disappointed that my overall progress has been snail-slow. While I admit some (half) inches have been lost on this journey, the scales haven’t moved terribly much…I guess I was expecting earth-shattering results. After all, I’ve been working out consistently 6-7 days a week and to be rewarded with a 6 lb deficit…well it’s anti-climactic.

To be sure, I’ve observed very noticeable gains in fitness. Holding a plank as long as a minute or two was something I would never have accomplished back in October when I started my very first bootcamp. I was also slacking off during that first bootcamp–going at my own pace, so to speak–but nowadays I’m able to reasonably keep up with sustained exercise over 45-50 minutes long. 

I’m dragging my arse out of bed every morning at 5:30am…something I would NEVER have done before my journey to fitness. Back in those days, I’d hit snooze on the alarm and sleep until I was about 30-60 mins late to work. (Of  course, I’m late 1-2 hours to work nowadays, but at least I have a more compelling reason than just oversleeping.)

Bands training at PBT has progressed to green, though I’m still using the newbie yellow bands now and then when some stubborn muscle groups are getting a workout. Today, I was informed that we should be trying those red bands for squats, but with the squat-and-lunge heavy workout, I was just glad I could keep near-perfect form on those green bands.

Just this week we’ve been doing some crazy ab twists and bicycle crunches in class that have caused me some dire back pain…I thought these things were supposed to exercise my abs, but for whatever reason my lower back was screaming in pain. Normally, I can do regular ab crunches without setting off any alarms, but lately, the lower back has been bothering me…to the point that it aches when I sleep at night. Trainer indicated it may take another 3 months before those muscles stop complaining.

But I’m still getting that morning jog in there…well, I call it interval jogging. After the first 2-3 minutes, I try to sustain a heart rate in the 150s. I wish I could push my limits and sustain the 160s, but at that point, I’m wheezing and my limbs stop cooperating with me. Jog, walk, jog, walk…I try jogging to my next reasonable landmark whenever I can, even going as far as downloading an interval timer app to my phone. One of these days I’ll jog 10-15 minutes non-stop. But I see that in the far future. I was never a big runner to begin with.

So now we come to the topic that I have to be a little grumpy about: diet. Lately, I’ve been getting annoyed reading about folks who are complaining they can’t make their calorie requirement, that they’re finding it challenging just to get to 1200. Really? I just canNOT empathize with these people. I’m still a foodie at heart, and I don’t see myself losing interest in food to the point of losing all sense of taste and flavor. So I don’t get it–I don’t get how these peeps can rant about not being able to eat. Are they too busy to make time for food? Are they just eating some terrible food? Are they on drugs? Are they sick, too stressed? Have they lost their marbles?

I don’t think I’ll ever ditch my hearty appetite for good food. Which is probably why this journey will be a long one. 

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Ye Olde Garden

Don’t sneeze–tiny seeds ahead

On Monday, I got around to sowing some seeds in Jiffy 7 pellets. It was just my luck that I started with the super-tiny seeds while I had a cold from the morning jog. It took all my resolve not to sneeze while I was planting these near-microscopic seeds: Angelonia  Serena Blue, Snapdragon Bronze Dragon, Snapdragon Montego Sunset, Wizard Mix Coleus and last year’s Origami Red & White Columbine.

Some time last week, I also took some cuttings of the Chocolate Chip ajuga which have been merrily putting out new growth in their temporary pots; as well as cuttings of lime thyme and variegated lemon thyme. The original parent lime thyme was especially vigorous and overflowing in its cinderblock space. Amazing fragrance this little herb has. I was using it to give the pups a lime thyme herb brushing.

This morning I planted 3 leek roots (from this weekend’s Spring Soup recipe that called for spinach, asparagus, and leeks) in the herb garden. Even while it was sitting in the fridge all weekend long, new roots began to appear. From what I read, leeks are vigorous perennials, so I am looking forward to watching them grow.

No pictures today; the red and white pansies are blooming, as well as the purple loropetalum and the various dianthus in the lily and blue beds. The Valentine dianthuses are especially pretty now that they’ve had a full year to grow into their new spots. The remaining three Valentines sitting in the blue bed will have to be moved, perhaps in the front yard bed to complement the coreopsis. I do need to find out if I can divide those winter coreopsis.

Flax and marigold seeds to be popping up here and there (blue bed and tree ring). I have yet to see if the viola I sowed last month are coming up–so far no evidence of them doing so. I’ve got three Sorbet viola seed packets that I’m still deciding on–most likely I will attempt to sow them indoors. The sweet alyssum Pastel Carpet will be sown outdoors–another attempt at trying this–while it’s still cool which will hopefully give them a better start.

Still have zinnias, gomphrenas, and eggplant to plant. I will wait on planting them mid-March since they are typically warm weather plants. However I should get around to planting the Chinese broccoli and baby bok choy as soon as our new veggie bed is laid out. Problem is: when? Two tree stumps are undermining our efforts to prep a new bed.

Wishlist plant of the day: variegated azalea Girard’s Variegated Gem and Silver Sword. More reading on variegated azaleas.

Fitness

The fight to fit–armed with a new HRM

This new HRM is great. It’s giving me more incentive to squeeze out those additional calories out of each workout. Since I bought it “new” from the eBay dealer, I suspect I can get warranty service for the sound issues. Otherwise, it seems to be functioning as I suspected.

As I expected, my kickboxing workout this morning did not yield as many calories burned as MFP’s database had me believing. I’m about 150 shy of their standard entry, which means I’m burning about  42 cals every 9 minutes for the 45-min class. I’m kinda bummed about this revelation, given that I can burn 100 cals in a 10-12 min run. Now I know it’s not all about the calorie burn since I’m improving strength, endurance and overall fitness in that 45 minute class. But as with many people, the mindset is to achieve the most you can squeeze into as little time as possible.

Granted, there are some perks to extending exercise, like bonding with your pups on a good long walk and enjoying the scenery (though in my case, I get to see the daffodils blooming around the neighborhood this time of year).

Still, there is that wish that the pace can be accelerated–though I have to be mindful that I gained 20 lbs over a span of 2 years, I can’t always expect to lose that weight in a fraction of that time. Or can I?

I’d love to take up weight lifting next to see if I can achieve better results…but how do I start? I’m not confident that today’s generic gyms will give me the guidance to get to my goals. 

PS: This is the first morning the scale reported my weight at 144. Of course that’s not gonna last long…but since I haven’t seen that number in more than a year, it’s actually quite gratifying. Losing weight slowly a pound at a time…as long as I keep it off. 

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Fitness

Extra tired, getting fitness tools, and more ab exercises

Wow! Today I was just all sapped of energy. I think adding in that mile run in the morning and evening strength/core sets this week have worn me out. I dragged myself into work and found myself nodding off to sleep a few times. Despite that I really had no appetite, I did cram some food down…too bad I had to have all that vinegary fat for dinner.

I thought one of my personal friends and MFP bud was going to launch full force into the newest 30-day Bodyrock.tv challenge. But I haven’t heard a peep from him since the first day. I did notice that day 2 involved a sandbag–I shopped around looking for a kettlebell with soft handles, but I guess those things really don’t exist. I prolly will have to invest in one of those Atlus Athletics med ball/kettle combos.

So the folks at PBT this morning bluffed their way through the strength exercises this morning. The trainer declared it was an all-body workout day…but I felt it was more focused on upper body and triceps. We had several push-up pyramid super sets, but heck…I still can’t get half-way through those.

Anyway, I was feeling that lower ab burn this evening, doing those knee raises. I hope I get closer to that flat stomach…coz right now my bikini bod still looks scary.  More bodyweight ab exercises at: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/exercises/lying-floor-knee-raise.html

Won a Polar FT40 last night on eBay–it’s LIME GREEN and it looks pretty!

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