Support And Motivation for Weight Loss

Today I finished the first week of Shawna K's Pull Up Challenge Workout. I've been trying to think of a shortened name, but PUC isn't working for me. :)

Workout 2 on Tuesday was similar to Workout 1 in structure - 13 exercises done in straight sets. Workout 3 was a little different; it was straight sets with a few supersets thrown in - 16 exercises total! Which sounds like a lot, but many of them were only 2 sets with short rest periods. I finished in about 35 minutes. No workout on Friday and Saturday, then I start Week 2 on Sunday.

In other local news, I joined a weight loss challenge at work. Not because I need to lose weight, but mostly to support my friends who have joined, and for motivation. And if I happen to lose a few pounds, then it will help the team! :)

And speaking of motivation and support, Friday, January 13 is the last day to join the 13th TT Transformation Contest! If your lucky number is 13, then this is your lucky day! :)


Social support is one of the keys to successful weight loss. So tomorrow morning, get up, put on some workout wear or a bathing suit, grab your local newspaper, and take a picture or two. You don't have to get your support from the TT Forums like I do, you can have a buddy take their Before pictures as well! Read the rules for the contest here: TT Contest Rules

Then, all you have left is to choose which TT workout to use. Complete the first workout, see how it feels. After a couple workouts, you may start thinking, "Hmmm, if I tweaked my diet, I would have better results." And before you know it, the 12 weeks are done and you are taking your After pictures. For inspiration, check out recent winners: TT Contest Winners

Have a great day and Good Luck!

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Beginning the Pull Up Challenge

I thought I was recovering from my cold, and then it took a turn for the worst. I ended up missing 2 workouts last week. I thought about doing 1 of them on Saturday, but just decided to take that last day of rest before I began my new program on Sunday.

So on Sunday I began Shawna K's Pull Up Challenge Workout. The first thing on the list is to measure how many pull ups you can do from a full hang. My score? Zero, none, zilch. When I reach up to the pull up bar, from floor to bar, I am at full extension, so I tried to do a pull up beginning with my toes only touching the floor, but no pushing off. My score? 1/4 of a pull up. :) I repeated this for chin ups (just for my own curiosity) and got a score of zero at a full hang, and a score of 1 full chin up with just my toes starting on the ground. Hmm....I've got a lot of work to do.

The workout was straight sets of DB rows, incline presses, push ups, squats, etc - 11 exercises in all. It's been a while since I have done straight sets so this is a change of pace for me. The workout went pretty fast - it took me about 35 minutes. Today I'm pretty sore in my triceps, lats and chest. Tomorrow is workout 2. There are 3 workouts per week, and from what I can tell after looking ahead a bit, it looks like Phase 1 has 12 unique workouts. It will be kind of cool to do a different workout every time I go to the gym!

Have a great day!

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Goals For 2012

Now that I have had some time to reflect (and to recover from the cold/plague that my children so generously shared with me), I have thought about my goals for 2012. But first, I wanted to recap my 2011 Goals:

2011 Goals

1. Post on blog more often. Hmmm, not so successful on this one.
2. Run a marathon. Check.
3. Be more personable. I think I accomplished this, more so in the latter part of the year.
4. Spend more time with my family. Double check. (Also more so in the latter part of the year.)


Here are my goals for 2012. I came up with a few more this year....


2012 Goals

1. Eat a healthy, balanced diet. I recently read Craig Ballantyne's 14-Day Fast Fat Loss Guide where he gives a complete 14-day Fast-Track guide to fat loss using the exact plan he gave to a college buddy who had gained 25 pounds since the birth of his baby. Lots of great advice in that article. This would be a great kick-start for 2012, even for me. I gained a couple pounds over the holidays and would like to quickly lose them (see Goal #2).

2. Maintain my weight. After losing those couple "holiday pounds", I'd like to maintain my weight. At the end of TT Contest #12, I felt like I was at a good weight. I'd like to stay around 145 lbs.

3. Be present and focused in every workout. No more listening to October Project during my workouts. I need more girl-power, butt-kicking music. :)

4. Increase number of pull ups I can do. I am beginning Shawna Kaminski's Pull Up Challenge Workout next week and I would like to increase the number of pull ups I can do in a row to 10. Mini goal: 5 pull ups after 4 weeks of the program. I haven't been able to do that many in a row for a while now. I am looking forward to working toward this goal.

5. Get my chin ups count back to over 10. I used to be able to do that many, then I stopped working on it.

6. Hug my children more often. :)

7. Post on my blog 2-3 times a week. I plan to post my progress with my workouts, and am hoping to start posting recipes again.

8. Keep up with the housecleaning. I am a horrible housewife. ;)


That's about it. Hope everyone is having a great New Year!


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Happity Holidays

Happy Holidays Everyone! :)

Hope your holiday season has been going well. A very big Thank You to everyone who voted for me for the 12th Turbulence Training Contest - I got Second Place! There is a new rule now that once you place, you are ineligible to win again, so no more TT Contest finals for me. But I still may join a contest in the future, just for the accountability and camaraderie.

If you are thinking about getting into shape in the new year, I do recommend a contest to increase accountability and motivation. The 13th TT Contest has recently begun - you can read the rules here: TT Contest Rules

I typically like to start on a Sunday or Monday so that I finish on a weekend. This Sunday (tomorrow!) is January 1st - what a perfect day to start! If you start on January 1, the end of the 12 weeks (Day 84) would then be Saturday, March 24.

If you interested in checking out Turbulence Training without joining the contest, you can do so here: Turbulence Training Trial

It's amazing to see how different people look in their Before and After pictures. For a little inspiration, here are some of the past winners: TT Contest Winners

Don't forget you can win up to $1000! But the real prize is the Platinum TT Membership.

It seems like it wasn't that long ago that I was debating about joining the 1st TT Contest, but it was 4 whole years ago! That has turned out to be one great decision. I have remained a member of the TT forums and have access to tons of different TT workouts. In addition, the Forums provide answers to questions and a place to "meet" with other like-minded TT lovers. And with a new workout coming out every month, it's like the gift that keeps on giving. :)

This year has been up and down for me (or should I say down and then up?) and I am looking forward to hippity hopping into the new year.

Happy New Year and here's to a Happy New You! :)


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TT Voting And New Pull Up Goals

Hello! Seems like so many things have been going on that I don't know where to begin! I'll start with an update on the current TT Contest (#12). Finalists have been announced for the 12-week contest and you can vote here: TT Contest #12 Voting

Thank you to everyone who voted for me during the 6 week mini-contest. It was super exciting to win First Place! The next TT Contest will start December 26. You can read all the rules here: TT Contest Rules

Currently I am using the TT Metabolic Resistance Training Finishers workout. I like the first 2 workouts, but am a bit ambivalent about the 3rd. It's a good workout, but the exercises are by time instead of reps. I typically don't like doing workouts by time. I'm usually not standing near a clock with a second hand, and looking at my watch mid-exercise is annoying. So I counted the number of reps I did in the allotted time, and will just count reps in future workouts.

In a few weeks, after I finish that workout, I am going to start a new Pull Up Challenge Workout that I just bought. I was drawn to it 1) because it is a female trainer 2) with a program to improve pull ups. Her name is Shawna Kaminski and she can do more than 25 pull ups and 100 pushups straight. I am pretty impressed by that! So I am excited to start this workout in early January. Currently, I can do a couple pull ups in a row with a jumping start, but I would love to be able to do a lot more from a full hang. New Goal = 5 perfect pull ups after the first 4 weeks.

I typically don't buy other programs because historically, they haven't worked as well for me. TT always seems to work the best so I am hesitant to start something new. But, I feel like I am in a good place physically and mentally. I don't plan on entering TT Contest #13 because I don't think I have big changes to make. So this seems like a good time to embark on a new 4-week Pull Up Adventure. If it goes well, I'll move on to Phase 2 of the Challenge Workout; if not, I'll be back with a good TT Workout. I'll keep you updated!

Now go vote!! TT Contest #12 Voting

:)

Have a great day and Happy Holidays!!


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End of Week 8 and Mini Contest Voting

Weeelllllll, I meant to post more often!

I just finished Week 8 and am feeling pretty good, although my nutrition has begun to wander and I need to reign it back in a bit. I just began a new workout - TT for Buff Guys and Hot Gals. :) I used TT for Buff Dudes and Hot Chicks a few years ago and really liked it so I think I will like this newer workout. I've done 2 of the 4 days so far - Day 1 left me pretty exhausted and Day 2 really worked my arms.

Also, the finalists have just been announced for the 6-Week TT Mini Contest! Congratulations to all the finalists!

If you would like to vote, here's where to go: TT Mini Contest Voting

Here's my 6-Week Mini Contest Photos and Essay:

After gaining a lot of weight during my depression this past year, I knew I needed to do something to get back into shape. I finally decided to join TTC12, and for the last 6 weeks, I have felt fantastic! I love the 2 workouts I have used: TT Metabolic Resistance Training and TT for Hard Core Fat Loss. My nutrition has been pretty straightforward: eat well 85-90% of the time.

One of the best benefits is that my energy has skyrocketed! I've finally gotten to projects that have been sitting around for months. And I'm a better mom and wife. Unfortunately, my family had been on the receiving end of my grouchy side for quite some time, but now I feel like a better person. I nearly cried when my daughter gave me a picture she drew with the words "I love you very much" written on it. Then, I really felt like I was "back".

During the past 6 weeks I lost 10.2 lbs and a total of 11.5", including 3" off of my abdomen. My bodyfat dropped 2.3% and I just FEEL better physically, mentally and emotionally. I lost more weight in the past 6 weeks than I did while I was training to run a marathon!

I knew joining this contest would be good for me, but it really has exceeded my expectations. Thank you to all my TT friends for your support! I look forward to the next 6 weeks and seeing everyone's continued success!


Have a great day!!

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End of Week 2 Update

Week 2 is in the books!

This week has gone well. I've really been liking my workout, TT Metabolic Resistance Training. I'm down 5 lbs and about 1% bodyfat since Day 1 of the contest. Whoo-hoo!!

The best part is that I feel like I've been eating "real food". What I mean by that is I've been eating yummy, healthy food (a lot of recipes from Clean Eating magazine), and not, for example, carrot sticks wrapped in a lettuce leaf. Because that would make me cranky. :)

Here's my workout week in a nutshell:

Sunday: TT Metabolic Resistance Training, Workout A (about 30 minutes)
Monday: 25 minutes Warrior Yoga
Tuesday: OFF
Wednesday: TT Metabolic Resistance Training, Workout B (about 20 minutes)
Thursday: OFF
Friday: TT Metabolic Resistance Training, Workout C (about 35 minutes)
Saturday: TT Metabolic Resistance Training, Workout D (about 20 minutes)


Have a great day!

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New TT Contest and Jedi Mind Tricks

Well, I did it. I signed up for TT Transformation Contest #12. My start date was Sunday, September 11 and my son took my Before pictures. As a photographer, he's as good as (if not better than) his father! Haha. :)

I meant to post this earlier because the last day to enter for a full 12 week transformation was September 17. You can still enter, but you won't get the full 12 weeks because you have to submit your final pictures and essay by Saturday, December 10.

The first week went pretty well for me. One of my first tasks was to remove alcohol from my diet. For the past several months I've been through a bit of a depression and I became best friends with a certain boozy pirate. This contest has been a great way for me to "get my act together". Being back on the forums and seeing old friends really has given me a boost.

The workout that I chose to start with is TT Metabolic Resistance Training. It's 4 days a week, but I really needed something that was going to help me get back on track. This workout has been perfect for me. There are 2 days that are strength training in supersets and 2 days that are more of a circuit. So it's been a nice variety.

Yesterday my daughter attempted to use her Jedi Mind Tricks on me. Instead of asking for a yellow straw for her glass of milk, she said to me, "You will give me a yellow straw." Maybe she's the one who finally made me commit to the TT Contest, "You will join the TT Contest." ;) Now I just need to get my mindset focused - Get into shape, we will!!

Have a great day!

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Summer Vacation

That's what I've been up to! After the spring marathon, I took some time off, caught some fish


and then trained for a half marathon. Did OK - finished 4 minutes slower than last year. But I will confess to not training as hard as I should have.



I chose that picture to show off my husband's amazing picture-taking skills. :)

You may notice that I have a poncho tucked into the back of my belt. Because I had to run another race in the rain! For the first 3 or so miles of the half marathon it was pouring rain. Then the sun came out and it was beautiful for the rest of the race.

There's a 5K race coming up that I want to run, and then another half marathon around Halloween, but I'm going to hold off on signing up until I am absolutely sure that I want to commit to the training.

I should be posting more often later this summer or early fall. Hope you are enjoying your summer!

I Am A Marathon Runner

A slow marathon runner, but I finished! And it was a PR! ;)

The first 15 miles went great. This picture was taken just after the 15 mile mark. Still smiling! I was right on pace, averaging a little over 12:00 per mile.

Then it started to rain. And it rained for the next couple hours, during which I finished the remaining 11 miles. I'm not going to lie, I was feeling pretty miserable. I would run a bit, then walk. And when I would walk, my left knee would pop with each step, so I would run. Repeat.

And then it started to lightening and thunder. I had about a mile to go when a woman walked by and said, "You better hurry, they are thinking about closing the course."

Hurry?!?

Well, I decided I wasn't going to get that near to the finish and have the course close on me! I gave that last mile everything that I had left (uphill!)

I felt so proud crossing the finish line, even though my time was 5:43:22. (Thanks to everyone who stood in the rain to cheer for me!!)

A co-worker (who is a marathon runner) hinted to me that since I am a beginner, the next marathon I run will undoubtedly be faster.

NEXT MARATHON?!?!