Why You're Not Losing Weight

I just wanted to post about this new Precision Nutrition article about Clean Eating Gone Wrong because I am sooooooo guilty. Here is the link to the article: This Meal Plan Could Make You Fat

The article discusses how even though your meal plan looks great on paper, it's all of the little extras throughout the day that we "forget about" that make a difference. I am totally guilty of this.

I often finish my kids' leftovers.
I am guilty of eating things while standing in front of the pantry/kitchen cupboard.
I am guilty of eating ice cream from the carton in front of the refrigerator.
I've been better about hitting the office candy bowl. (Record 33 days so far!)

The article hits on exactly what I am trying to achieve:
"avoiding self-imposed eating restrictions, meal plan rules, and cheat foods"
and
"eating a reasonable amount of quality food each day, forever"

It's a great article to read if you, too, have these same issues. I still like to make a meal plan, because it helps me shop for the week, but I've become much more flexible on what I put on the meal plan. For example, I'll put "fruit" instead of "6oz watermelon". Then I have freedom to choose what fruits look good at the farmer's market. I don't think meal plans are inherently bad, I think being so strict you fall off the wagon is bad. But I really need to curb the extras. Since I am not counting calories now, all those little extras can add up, and if they go unchecked, then I know I won't make any progress. So keep an eye on all your "little extras" (I'll keep an eye on mine) and we'll all be that much closer to our goals! :)

What Is Ideal?

Today I want to point to an excellent post I read about the "Ideal" female body by Leigh Peele. Click HERE to read it. In her post, she discusses a survey she gave to women, who all looked at a photo of a muscular woman and answered a few questions about it, and also answered questions about ideal celebrity bodies. What amazed me was the overwhelming percent of women who thought it was "very easy" or "easy" to achieve the bodybuilder's look. Ladies! You will not get "bulky" just by lifting weights! You would have to be a genetic freak to get that muscular that "easy". When I lift weights, I lift hard and as heavy as I can while maintaining good form for the number of reps I'm aiming for, and I certainly wouldn't say I was bulky. (On the contrary, I would like to gain more muscle.) More muscle burns more calories, and that, in turn, will help your body lose more fat. One of my favorite quotes (and I'm paraphrasing here because I don't remember the exact quote, nor do I remember who said it) is that before you get to 12 inch biceps, you have to get to 11 inch biceps. Meaning, you won't get "bulky" overnight. It's not going to sneak up on you. It takes months, years even, to gain that kind of muscle. So Today's Tip: please, please, don't be afraid to lift heavy!! OK, I'm stepping off my soapbox now. :)

Yoda and the Squat Rack

Today I had planned to sleep in (all the way to 7:00 am!) but was woken up at about 6:00 by my cat jumping on me. Since I usually get up at 5:00, I couldn't get back to sleep, so I just got up.

By 6:15 I was leaving for the gym to do a hodgepodge of workouts from a recent issue of Oxygen magazine. I've been trying to work on my shoulders a little more.

Superset #1
DB shoulder press (20lbs) 3x8
BB upright row (45lbs) 3x12

Superset #2
Lateral raise (10lbs) 3x10
Rear delt raise (10lbs) 3x10

Giant set #3 (Ab circuit)
Lifting side plank 3x15 ea side
V-sit 3x10
Single leg lift 3x15 ea leg
Toe touch (holding 10lb DB) 3x15

When I was done, I remembered that I had wanted to work on squats. I had planned to start at 75 lbs and do 3 sets, ending at 105 lbs. For whatever reason, I decided to start at 100lbs. I did 6 reps, and then decided to go for 110 lbs (6 reps), then 125 lbs (6 reps). After that, I normally would have stopped, but I suddenly had the urge to see if I could squat more than my bodyweight. I thought about it a minute, and that famous Yoda quote popped into to my head: Do or Do Not, There is No Try. So I went for it --- and had no trouble with 6 reps at 135 lbs. So I loaded up 140 lbs and squatted 6 reps there too. Definitely a Personal Best. Don't know why I didn't think I could squat that much - I've been holding out on myself!

After squats, I decided to walk on the treadmill for just a couple minutes. After 3 minutes, I got the crazy idea to practice my endurance and see how long I could run at 5 mph. The last time I tried this was on August 2, 2008, and on that day I made it to 19:30 before I had a really bad stitch in my side and had to stop. Today I went for 22:00! And the best part is, I could have gone longer, but I really had to pee! :)

Two personal bests today that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't decided to "Just do it". So get out there today and GO FOR IT!!

Weekend Challenge

Here is the challenge that I proposed this week. I called it the "Lucky 7". I used 10lb DBs for sets #1 and #3, and used a 20lb EZ bar for set #5. I think I could have used a heavier weight, but I wasn't sure how difficult this was going to be and I wanted to be conservative. My goal was to finish in less than 30 minutes. The amount of time it took me for each particular set is in parentheses.

Superset #1 (2:33)
DB bicep curl 5x5
Lying tricep extension 5x5

Superset #2 (3:56)
Plank 2x20 seconds
Bird Dog 2x5 reps per side
Mountain Climber 2x5 reps per side
Side Plank 2x10 seconds per side
Elevated Pushup 2x5 reps per side

Superset #3 (1:59)
Alternating hammer curls 2x8 per side
DB overhead 1-arm tricep extension 2x8 per side

Superset #4 (4:38)
Mountain Climber 3x10 reps per side
Side Plank 3x20 seconds per side
Elevated Plank 3x20 second hold

Superset #5 (2:54)
EZ bar bicep curl 4x6
EZ bar lying tricep extension 4x6

Superset #6 (4:10)
Hanging Knee Raise 3x10 reps
Spiderman Climb 3x12 reps per side
Plank with Arms on Ball 3x30 second hold

Superset #7 (1:26)
chin ups - max reps (8)
close grip push ups - max reps (31)

I didn't take set rest breaks, but just took a short rest when I felt like I needed it. Total time, with rest breaks, was 24 minutes, 56 seconds.

Also wanted to post the link this week's TT Coaching Call: TT Coaching Call
Good stuff this week about the TT 2K4 workouts, losing body fat, accountability, and good salad making (?!).

Only one more week to enter the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest for the full 12 weeks!

And finally, for Today's Tip, something I just read. A recent study showed that chocoholics who took a brisk 15 minute walk were less likely to want their favorite sweet, even when handed an unwrapped bar. So if a craving strikes, take a quick walk and see if that helps!

Happy New Year Everyone!

OK, you got your goals ready? Now, how about your plan? Exactly HOW are you going to achieve your goals? You need to plan how you are going to reach your goals or you will not achieve them. If nutrition is your biggest problem, keep a food journal (on paper or online, like at fitday.com). If motivation to work out is your problem, plan to commit to a program for 30 days. If you don't like it, pick something else. You won't stick with it if you don't like it. (In fact, Turbulence Training has a 21 day trial you can try with a money back guarantee if you don't like the program.) Plan to cut out sugar (Dr. Scott Olson, author of Sugarettes, has even announced that January 2009 is International Sugar Free Month). Plan to eat more fruits and veggies. Make your menu for the week and stick to your shopping list. Plan your workouts like appointments on your calendar that you cannot miss. Break up large goals into smaller, more manageable goals. Instead of "I'm going to lose 20 lbs" say "I'm going to lose 5 lbs in January".

I don't have a recipe today for New Years Eve, but if you are going out tonight, stay away from the sugary mixers; maybe just have a rum and diet cola (my personal choice, for the once a year I have a drink). If you are staying in, there are many sugar free cocktails you could make; or you could go completely non-alcoholic and mix two 2-liter bottles of diet Sprite with a 2-liter bottle of club soda and a large bottle of cranberry juice (no sugar/Splenda sweetened if you can find it). Tonight, I will be curled up at home nursing my cold with a warm mug of sugar free hot cocoa. I probably won't even make it to midnight ...zzzz....zzzz....zzzzz.... Sleep is very important too. ;)

(Photo: Countdown Entertainment, LLC)

The Flash Diet

A new study from the University of Wisconsin....Sing! Varsity.....Varsity....U-RAH-RAH Wisconsin...ahem, as I was saying, a new study now has shown that those who take photographs of their meals stick to their diet better than others.

Keeping a visible record may help to curb calories and/or increase the quality of your diet by allowing you to see and think more about what you are putting into your mouth. You can read more about the study by clicking HERE.

And on that note, here is a back log of photos I have on my camera! ;)

Tonight's Dinner



Turkey mignon (a little too well done), barley risotto from Gourmet Nutrition, grapes and an apple (not pictured)


Last Night's Dinner



Baked stuffing-coated pork chop, stuffing, cauliflower, applesauce


Tuesday Night's Dinner


Fancy Fish Sticks from Making the Cut, quinoa, broccoli

Today tip: go forth and photograph everything you eat! :)

Go Carts, Dilated Pupils, and Bye Bye Tattoo!

Been very busy the last 2 days. Got my TT workout in yesterday morning, and then Hubby and I visited a nearby amusement park with roller coasters, waterslides and go carts. We started at one of the go cart tracks. We were first in line when it was our turn to pick out our cars. I picked a sexy little blue car at the front of the line and man could she fly! I had that baby floored the entire time and the nearest car (Hubby) was waaaaay behind. I was hugging the corners, cruising along with the wind in my hair, zipping up the hills, zooming down the hills...ahem, I mean, no officer, I have no idea how fast I was going. {halo pings}

We hit the 3 biggest roller coasters (one of which actually travels under the parking lot), and a couple more go cart tracks, and then headed over to the waterpark. It was a little cool when the sun went behind a cloud, but overall it was a beautiful day. I had to be careful and not get sunburn as today I got one of my arm tattoos lasered off. I forgot to take a "before" picture today, but I have lots of pictures of my arm already. It didn't hurt nearly as much as I was expecting! I can't take off the bandage until tomorrow.

After that appointment, I had an appointment with the eye doctor. I arrived with an ice pack on my arm, and left with blurry vision. I had my eyes dilated so I had to drive with 1 eye closed and the other eye squinted. I was driving on a 3-lane highway, but managed to make it with only a couple of white knuckle moments.

Today's Tip: Don't schedule an eye appointment after tattoo removal as it is difficult to hold the ice pack on your arm while driving. At least I didn't have the eye appointment first. Then I would have been blind while holding the ice pack on my arm while driving on a 3-lane highway. And as we already established, I can be a bit of a lead foot.

Last night, on the way home, we stopped at a rest area and there were 2 semi trucks with huge oversized loads parked there. I made Hubby go and stand near one so I could take a picture. I was playing with the night flash settings on my camera and Hubby was being funny and moving his arms, and this picture was the result!

This Dinner Brought To You By The Color Blah

Variety is the spice of life but I read somewhere (and I apologize that I can't remember where at the moment) that if you are dieting, you should make your meals fairly uniform in color. Supposedly, when you have a variety of colors on your plate, it makes it more visually appealing and you eat more. So this was dinner the other night:

Dark meat chicken (2.75oz) with 1/4 cup quinoa (measured before cooking), 1 cup cauliflower and 1/2 cup applesauce. Very tasty. And I was very full afterwards. So Today's Tip would be: eat a variety of colors of food - just not in the same meal. Not sure if it really works, but as long as you are eating a variety of colors, and not the same color at every single meal all day long, it couldn't hurt to give it a try for a couple meals a day. I imagine it would be hard to make every meal uniform in color. I would have to give up my beloved oatmeal with fresh blueberries! Not gonna happen.

Inspirational Garbage

During my TT workout this morning, for my last set of reverse lunges, I was debating on using 25 or 30lb dumbbells, when all the sudden I heard Shirley Manson in my headphones singing, "Don't believe in fear, Don't believe in pain, Don't believe in anyone, that you can't tame".

I went with the 30lbs.


For those of who can't quite put your finger on what song that is, it's "Stupid Girl" by Garbage. I love that CD! I definitely work harder when I'm listening to good music. I guess that would be Today's Tip. Get yourself listening to some good music while working out! What's everyone else listening to these days?

Hormones, Drugs and Tattoos, Oh My!

So on Saturday, after doing those 10 chin ups, I read an article in Women's Health that said women can absorb some of the testosterone in semen, and well, the night before, hubby was home and...you know. In any case, I attempted chin ups again this morning and still got 10, even though I didn't get any extra testosterone last night. LOL

I went and got a filling today at the dentist and got 2 shots of Novacaine. For teeth that are more in the back, my dentist always gives one shot, then waits and gives one more. I learned today that whatever Novacaine-type anesthetic my dentist uses contains some form of noroepinephrine, which is why it makes my heart race, my head buzz and makes me a little anxious. Weird. I always wondered about that. Anyone else experience that?

Also, I went and had my consultation for a tattoo removal today! I am really excited to get this particular tattoo removed. Here's a little advice: don't let the guy at the tattoo parlor talk you into anything! I was young and naive. I've had this one for 10 years and I still don't like it.

And lastly, for Today's Tip, I just read this article on Yahoo! about how keeping a food journal helps people lose weight. The study involving 1,685 middle-aged men and women over six months found those who kept such a diary just about every day lost about twice as much weight as those who did not. You can read the whole article HERE. I use fitday.com to journal what I eat and recommend it!

Today's Tip: Make a List

I give you...my cookbook cupboard. They actually all fit in here at the moment since I lent a couple to a friend. There's a nice variety - good old Better Homes and Gardens, Gourmet Nutrition, Eating for Life, Extreme Lo Carb Cuisine, Cake Doctor Cookbook {record scratches} Wait, back that up, Cake Doctor Cookbook? That can't be right. {Sounds of shuffling, books falling, scissors cutting, tape dispenser...uh.. dispensing}

There! That's more like it!

Seriously, though, Today's Tip is go to the grocery store with a plan! Plan your meals for the week and bring a list. There are so many temptations at the grocery store. (Yeah, I'm looking at you Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries.) Ooh, a funny side note about Captain Crunch. When I was in high school, I threw up after eating Captain Crunch for breakfast. It comes out shockingly bright pink. And since I had eaten it less than an hour before, it still tasted like good old Captain Crunch. I know most of you just said, "ewww" but I see a couple of you nodding your head. Wait, you're not nodding your head? You're watching dogs on pogo sticks? Huh. Well, I suppose that would be fun to watch.