Maggie's gym log
 

Hi everyone,I started Body for Life 11 days ago.

Progress so far...

Down 6 lbs on the scale. I did take the before pictures, god help me. Most noticeable difference is much less flab on my waist. Have taken measurements and see that I've lost an inch on my waist, inch from hips, and 1/2 inch on thighs.

I can't believe how committed I am to this program. Often I start things and give up part way through, get bored, have unrealistic expectations, or whatever.

I don't know what's changed, perhaps just gut determination? Maybe I'm just tired of being fat!

This is a major turning point for me. 2 kids in grade 12, I turn 40 this year, I'm heading back to school, a MA in Psychology that I can do part time.

I'm finding body for life quite easy to do, 20 - 30 minutes max for weight workouts. I've added more cardio, after the weights.

I'm doing a modified fat flush diet, with 1- 2 servings of high quality starch, like a sprouted grain bagel, twice a day, unlimited veges, and enough fat to keep me from starving. Still haven't kicked the habit of 2-4 diet cokes a day.

What I like best about the BFF is the free day! I'm already looking forward to Sunday. Last Sunday I pigged out on sushi, went to Boston Pizza for lunch and drank several glasses of wine with dinner. I intend to temper this gluttony this Sunday :)

I find myself really looking forward to the weight workouts, which surprises me, since I never enjoyed lifting before.

Here's my week log so far:

Sunday - Off
Monday - Upper body. 1 hr mountain hike after
Tues - Cardio, eliptical trainer 30 minutes. PM 1/2 hr walk
Wed - Lower body. 1/2 hr eliptical trainer after, PM 1 hr walk
Thurs - Fasting AM cardio - 25 min run on treadmill, followed by 1/2 hr walk
Friday - Upper body, 1/2 hr stationary bike, 1 hr walk

Have a great weekend everyone!

Maggie

hey there thanks for dropping by my log. When I started I too did the body for life program, lost about 18lbs total, then started doing body part splits and more carb cycling dieting to add muscle. So a few years later I am again coming to the end of another bulk cycle again and I should end up around 145-147...then I will diet back down to 120-125....with more muscle than before !!

I too turned 40 this year so I know how you feel, but these are the best years coming up, so keep up the hardwork and don't get put off by stalls or plateaus...dRop by anytime you have any questions.

have a great weekend !!

Thanks Liftinlady!

I bet you look like a million dollars all cut up. Do you compete?

I actually have a lot of muscle (even tho I didn't lift weights before this) from all my activities, kayaking, skiiing, etc, so I look like I've been lifting weights for a while.

I would like to have someone to work out with, my husband always says he will, but never sticks with it:(

I'll stop by your log and say hi again

Thanks!

Maggie

Here's my Fri/Sat gym log update.

I forgot my log when I went to the gym so had to guess what I could lift.

Doing BFL so started out with chest, and man I am so weak in that area.

Did shoulders, dumbell shoulder press 12X10; 10X12; 8X15, and tried 20lbs for my 6 but no way.

Back workout, seated rows, 12X45; 10X 50; 8X 60, 6X 70, couldn't finish last set. Finished up w/lat pulldowns at 60X 12.

Triceps pushdowns, 12X25; 10X 30; 8X35; 6X 40. No set of 12 since my triceps are super develped from skiing.

1/2 hr on stationary bike, 1/2 hr PM walk.

Today, Saturday, I woke up after tossing and turning all night, I was STARVING. Took my AM temp and it was down to 97.3. This is what I was afraid of, I don't know what to do now.

Yesterday I had a sprouted grain wrap after my workout, a sprouted grain piece of toast in AM, and soup for dinner that had some pasta spirals and beans in it, for a total carb count of about 80 gms. Protein about 130gms, lots of fat. I can't believe I have to eat more carbs than that.

Did my 20 min HITT at 8:00 this morning, can't say I had a lot of energy. Did 1/2 hr of yoga after.

Still fiddling with my carbs and need to find a balance. Do not like being so hungry at night that I can't sleep, and finding my AM temp so low means my metobolism is dropping like a rock and I'm not converting my thyroid hormones.

My calories have been consistently around 1800/day. Last night I had a whey shake with cranberries and flax seed, but still didn't keep me from starving all night.

Ketone stik this morning showed small ketosis, all that starving for nothing.

This carb/calorie thing is frustrating and confusing but I guess we all have to find our own level. Last week my AM temps were all about 98, ketone stiks were pink in the morning.

Tomorrow is my 'free day' and I intend to load up on the carbs, about 150gms, then go to 40 on Monday.

Maggie

hey maggie, depletion workouts are basically circuit workouts. There are 3 circuits with about 10 exercises per circuit. The reps range from 8-10 10-12 12-15 ish...you complete each circuit with 30 sec rest after each exercise...or basically enough time to get to your next exercise. Then you take a 2 minute rest between each circuit. You go thorough as many circuits as you can in 30 minutes..this is usually about 2 circuits. These are preceeded by 2 heavy compound exercises for 2 major muscle groups.

I would say for now stick to ytour BFL, this is something you can transition to when you are more seasoned.

I'll make a suggestion regarding hunger - switch to cottage cheese from whey. Whey protein is a very small molecule, and digests FAST - meaning it's out of your system fast, and it can actually glycolyze fairly easlily and produce an insulin response, making you hungry in about an hour. Cottage cheese has casein, a larger molecule that digests more slowly. Might make all the difference - I know it did for me.

thanks built I like cottage cheese, so I'll definately try it. When I have a whey shake, especially after I work out, I'm starving almost immediately, so maybe this is what's happening to me.

Thanks for the advice!

Maggie

Hi liftinlady

This sounds similar to what I used to do when I was training for cross country ski racing years ago. I pushed myself so hard sometimes I had to go into the bathroom and sit on the floor so I wouldn't faint (or throw up!).

What is a compound exercise? Is it an exercise that hits two body parts, like squats?

I may consider doing this my last month of BFL, as I get ready for the ski season.

thanks for explaining this to me!

Maggie

compounds are bench press, squats, deadlifts...yes they are the core essentials that work more than one part at a time. Let me know when you decide to switch and I can help you.

BTW..good suggestion on the cottage cheese Built :)

thanks liftinlady, I definately want to try this as I get ready for the ski season, in "November, just as I finish BFL, or just before I finish. It snows for sking here in early November and I want to be in shape!

Thanks for the help, I will definately take you up on it.

I assume this type of workout is part of your 'cutting routine....'

Maggie

exactly..and it works in conjunction with carb cycling. I will be starting this plan again in November when I start my shed the fat plan...hopefully with a little new muscle to show for my efforts.

Sunday on Body For Life, yeah, my "free day!"

I'm going to do a yoga flexibility video in a minute, walk later, that's about it.

I woke up feel awesome! Took my AM temp and it's back up to 98.3. I slept great. My husband is away and I don't always sleep well without him, just me and the dog now all cuddled up.

Last night I ate a sweet potatoe for dinner, decided to make sure I have 2 starch a day, and one fruit, since I think I just wasn't eating enough carbs to keep my metobolism up. Execeptio will be monday, day after this "free" day, I'll do no starch.

For next week's eating plan I'm going to stay away from whey post workout.

What I've been thinking today is I might experiment with some kind of high protein, high glycemic muffin (I love muffins) that I can scarf down in the car after my weight workouts, as a recovery thing.

I'm thinking of using a flax meal, kamut flour, blueberries, protein powder combination, with sugar, instead of fructose to make it more high glycemic.

My last workout I felt weak, so I think I'm just not recovering, and I'm going to focus this week on getting something right into my system right after a workout. In the past I've always been so PARANOID about eating any starch or anything high glycemic, I go a whey and berry shake which gives me protein, but apparently the fructose goes right into my liver, so it's no help to my muscles.

Hope everyone has a great Sunday. There's snow on the mountains here, but the sun is out, and I CAN EAT WHATEVER I WANT TODAY!! Yes, this is how I got to look like this....!

I'm posting my measurements so I can look back on them:

Weight: 158
Waist: 29"
Hips: 39"
Thighs: 22.75"
Size:10

Goal - absolute DREAM goal by Christmas:

125 lbs
Waist: 25
Hips: 36
Legs: 22
Size 6 :wave:
Will it happen, it's up to me!

P.S - previous measurements at 182 lbs, gasp:
Waist: 33"
Hips: 44"
Thighs: 25"
Size - tight (I mean squeeze) into a 14

Maggie

today I'm starting my third week of Body for Life

I can tell I'm already stronger as I've been upping my weights at the gym

After this week I'm going to change my workout routine and do different exercises for 3 weeks.

I did lower body this morning

Leg extensions:

12X 45
10X 55
8X 66
6X75
12 X45

Leg press:
12X 160 (too easy)

Leg curls:

12X 45
10x50
8X55
6x60
12X45

12 x 35 deadlift (too easy)

Seated calf raise:

3 sets of 12x 45

Abs workout after
30 minutes of eliptical trainer

I had lots of energy today!

Next week I'll change my workout to incorporate lunges and squats now that I have some basic muscle fitness

Maggie

oh oh, I'm exhausted
 

Tues, time for HITT high intensity interval training.

I'm really tired today. Did I jump in too quicky last week? Probably.

I'm going to wait a couple of hours then see how I feel, and if I'm feeling more energetic later I'll do cardio at the gym tonight when I pick up my daughter.

Am I whimping out? I don't know, I just know I feel tired and I want to honour that right now. I have done twice as much cardio as the BFL program advocates, in an effort to loose faster....

Maggie

Maggie you should not start off doing alot of cardio....it should only be added in when you plateau at your weight loss...follow the plan, when you stop losing then add another session of cardio...if you startout doing alot of cardio your body WILL adapt and you will have to do much more down the road to get the results.....more is not better.

Thanks liftinlady

I'm actually doing much less cardio than 'normal' what is different though is the intensity, and the added weights.

I have done all the reading on HITT, but you know I'm not sold on it. I don't know yet. My logic tells me that if my sugar levels are low in the AM, because I'm in a fasted state, plus I'm low carb, AND because it usually takes 20 minutes of burning sugar to get to your fat, that my body will take muscle in the absence of glycogen.

I've read through the debate on the other threads on this. Lots of controversy. I think the bulk of the research has been done on people that are not eating LC.

Thanks for the advice though, I'll take it slower and see when I plateau to add more cardio. This is week 3 for me, and normally this is when I plateau. I haven't lost any weight since I weighed in last Friday. I tend to have to work harder than other people to keep the weight loss up, probably the thyroid problem I have...

Thanks liftinlady, advice appreciated as always.

well the thing with HIIT is it is muscle sparing because it is over so quick and the afterburn effects last far longer than steady state cardio. When I am in losing mode I do 2 HIIT sessions and 2 steady stae sessions a week, starting the steady states at 30 mins anf the HIIT total about 20 (includes w/U and CD)...then if more is needed I increase the time on those by about 5 min each.

so, liftinlady what you're saying is because the HITT is so SHORT there is no choice but to use sugar, further depleting the glycogen we have stored = a good thing...that makes sense

one of the other reasons I'm doing more cardio is because the ski season is coming up and I want to be in shape for it. I usually ski 4-5 times a week for 1- 1.5 hrs. yes, I'm hoping the rest of this fat will melt off within a month or so of snow flying. that's the time I also want to do your 'depletion' workout

interestingly for me, low intensity cardio does not seem to tire me anywhere near as much as HITT

a week ago I managed a fasted HITT in the early AM, followed by a 1/2 walk, and my ketone stik was as purple as I've seen it

I'll try the my next HITT day, Thurs as AM fasted and will post here about it

For tonight, I'll do an easy cardio workout after dinner since it's the only time that I now have left

thanks liftinlady, hopefully soon I'll see the results you've experienced!

Maggie

hey Maggie, if the HIIT is more tiring that is good then you are doing it right !! I dont't like to do HIIT fasted...but that is just me. My trainer usually has me eat half my breakfast before and half after...or I do it inthe afternoon...but if that works for you then go for it. Keep up the good work

liftinlady, thanks so much for the support, you're awesome!


Maggie

Was traveling yesterday, so I did my upper body workout today

Decided to up things a bit to challenge myself

Chest
bench press
12 x 50
10x 60
8 x 70
6 x 75
12x 50

Dumpbell flys
12 x 10

Back

seated cable pulleys

12 x 50
10 x 60
8 x 70
6 x 80
12 x 50

Lateral pulldowns
12 x 60

Shoulder press

12 x 8
10 x 10
8 x 12
6 x 15
12 x 8

Lateral raise
12 x 10

Biceps

12 X 10
10 x 12
8 x 15
6 x 17
12 x 10

Upright barbell curl
12 x 30

Triceps

12 x 30
10 x 35
8 x 40
6 x 50
12 x 30

40 minutes of cardio to follow

Carbs, as usual, 80 gm
Calories, 1800

Maggie

Hi all

Lower body yesterday

12 x 45 leg extension
10 x 55
8 x 65
6 x 75
12 x 45

12 x 180 leg extension (still not hard enough)

Hams

Leg curl

12 x 40
10 x 50
8 x 60
6 x 70
12 x 40

2 sets of 12, stiff legged deadlifts ~ 35 lbs

Calves

3 sets of 12 X 45 seated calf raises. Burn baby burn

Abs workout followed

1/2 hr pm walk

Saturday AM, 20 minute of HITT on treadmill and 10 minute cooldown

I feel VERY tired this week

A very paranoid voice in the back of my head is going uh oh, every morning this week I've feel nausous, my belly is bloated and sore....

No way I say. I have 2 teenagers graduating from grade 12 this year. I got my tubes tied 15 yrs ago.

We just built a camper van for 2, with ONE bed, for just us and the dog.

Like I said, I'm being paranoid.

I'm going back to school next year for an MA in Clinical Psychology, life is looking good for a soon to be empty nester!

Maggie

Maggie,

thanks for your kind words in my gym log.

Soon to be emtpy nester? Oh.... We have three adult kids, 24, 25, 27 years old. (Two grad students, one Marine.) We were 43 years old when our youngest went away to college....

Yes, I remember to have similar "paranoia" for time to time. Usually after dreams having little baby. :D

Eva

Thank you Eva

You are an inspiration to me! I'd love to start running again. Best of luck next weekend!

P.S - Yes I was being paranoid. I figured out what was making me sick- I was drinking black chai tea in the morning, having droped my cream as I started my new diet. I'd forgotten that black tea on an empty stomach always makes me feel sick.

Maggie

Hi all

Changed my excercises today to more free weights after 3 week warmup on BFL.

My husband finally got gym membership! We worked out together. No good when he laughs tho, when I'm struggling with my last shoulder set, then I laugh too and I'm useless!!

Chest:

Free bench press

12x 45
10 x 50
8 x 55
6 x 60
12 x 45

Barbell Flys
12 x 15

Back

Cable rows:

12 x 50 (too easy now)
10 x 60
8 x 70
6 x 80
12 x 50

Lateral pulldowns

12 x 70 (a bit hard, try 65 lbs next time)

Shoulders

12 x 10
10 x 12
8 x 15
6 x 17
12 x 10

Lateral raises

12 X 10

Triceps:

12 x 30
10 x 35
8 x 40
6 x 50
12 x 30 (ouch!)

30 minutes on lifestyle bike

Maggie

good job, nice weights. Glad to hear you got a gym membership looking forward to your progress.

thanks liftinlady!

bye the way, I already had a gym membership, my husband just bought his.

he's um, trying to lose his BEER belly, hee hee!
of course he'll lose twice as much weight as me in half the time, grrrr

Maggie

Hi Maggie:

I guess I should introduce myself since I've been jokin' around in Lift's journal. I noticed that you're doing BFL. How ya likin' it? I completed 1 challenge and was quite happy with my results (until I gained a whole bunch of weight during a really stressful time).

Wanda

Hi Wanda!

I like BFL.

I actually find it quite easy. I particularly like the final set of 12 at the end of each body part exercise, and then the next single set of 12 on another.

I'm trying to stay away from the scale. I build muscle easy! I have a much nicer waist than I did 3 weeks ago that's for sure.

I really let myself get fat this summer, all the way back up to 164, I weighed myself about 10 days ago and I was down to 158. Last week I was not too good with my eating. I ate out quite a bit and on several occasions had wine and cognac. Sooo, this week I'm trying to be much better.

I see you're from Toronto. I'm actually going to be in Toronto next week for a conference. Never been there. Thankfully the hotel has a gym, and I intend to at least continue my workouts.

How much weight did you lose with BFL? What type of routine do you follow now?

After the ski season comes, in late November I likely won't continue with weights, or perhaps will only work out 2 times a week. I'm starting to like it!

Thanks for dropping in, it's nice to have company here :)

I drop by yours to say hi....

Maggie

This is my 4th week of BFL.

I have to say I love the structure it gives me.

I'm a self employed consultant, working out of my house, so getting out of here and to the gym every day really helps me. I tend toward being reclusive, so this is good for me :)

Today I did my HITT (high interval training) this time, not at the gym but on a backcountry road going up a mountain. It was great! I did 30 minutes up, and walked/ran back down 30 minutes. I'm starting to get into shape and that's a nice feeling.

The fall leaves were scattered all over the ground and the air was fresh from rain last night.

I'm going to try and do most of my interval workouts outside now, it's just way more pleasant.

Of course my dog, Maggie (yes that's my adopted forum name) loved it because she gets her workout too.

I noticed in the mirror this morning a nice streamlined waistline happening. The rolls are on their way out. Gotta love that. I don't see much of an improvement in the size of my thighs, but I've probably built some muscle there.

Weigh in on Friday, will post weight and new measurements, (if there are any new measurements :lol:


Hope everyone's having a great day!


Maggie