'Gateway Grizzlies Baseball's Best Burger!'

...egads I had no idea it had been so long since my last blog! I'm horrified!

But not to worry, blogging shall recommence now! As you may know, I got married on Saturday and have since mainly done three things in rotation with my new husband: eat, sleep and watch movies. I have eaten all the things I have denied myself for years - not because of the wedding, but because of my fear of getting fat. So this week I have had a full Chinese banquet, chips, KFC, pizza (with low fat cheese though), puddings, wedding cake, and now tonight, the final night of  my 'week off', Rich and I are embarking on a feast we saw on Man VS Food. Krispy Kreme burger. Oh yeah.

 

All I can say is thank God for Omeprazole and Gaviscon.

And tomorrow, let the Christmas detox begin!

 

sweaty person at the gym...

That's me. The sweaty thing dripping all over the treadmill.

I normally wear my sweat with pride. I earn my sweat and weirdly, I feel at my most confident when I'm soaked. I think it's probably the endorphins making me delusional, but I love that feeling, it's sort of raw and primal. Yesterday, however, and the day before, took it to a whole new level after a rather vigorous interval training session. My vest was literally fit to be wrung out - suddenly it occurred to me, I'm that grim overly sweaty person who sweats all over the machines so no one else wants to use them. For shame. I had a crop top underneath, but to be honest it would probably cause more offence to mince around exposing my pale tum than just keep the vest on.

Note to self, take a spare BLACK top for next interval training session.

Anyway, had a grand session this morning before work. Very much enjoying training before work, it feels as though getting out of bed has a purpose beyond getting up for work. Vinnie is trying to teach me to clean. It's not working out well. I think he may turn blue in the face before I get it right, I've got about as much explosive power as a duff party popper. I have strength and agility but speed and explosiveness I just can't get the hang of. Apparently I'm not bringing my elbows up high enough, which means I'm not generating enough power from my legs in the first part of the lift. I think I might be starting to understand where I'm going wrong, at least with 30kg - I started to sort of push up from my heels instead of my thighs where I had been starting. Then Vinnie bumped the weight to 35kg and my technique went to pot in the effort to even lift the weight in that way. The jerk was out of the question. I get so mad at myself when I can't do something properly, especially when I know that I'll probably never get it right. But. No wallowing, let's move on.

After work today I went home in the rain and thought I'd go for a run. I am delighted that summer is nearly becoming autumn. I know that sounds miserable, but my cardio just deteriorates in summer because I can't stand the humidity. Now the air feels fresher, which my lungs appreciate. It was really nice, apart from the inevitable nipple prominence - which never fails to attract the wrong sort of attention, especially when running. My MP3 player also crashed halfway round the route, and I don't run without music, ever. Normally I use my earring to reset it, but didn't have any in so I got really inventive and used a thorn. An actual thorn. I love nature.

I'm beginning to question the purpose of this post. Other than trying to learn to clean properly, I guess nothing has changed. I am going to try an MMA class in Moreton in the forthcoming weeks - I need some more controlled violence in my life, so I guess the blog might take a turn into an itinerary of my injuries, which are bound to be plentiful. Still, nothing ventured and all that.

Total Warrior training...

Tonight I have done a nice little upper body session. I was quietly pleased because I've been able to do isolated but unassisted wide grip pull ups. I only did 3, then into 20 push ups, 10 suspension pull ups, and then 10 suspension tuck-push ups. I switched to 10 bungee assisted wide grip pull ups for the next two sets. I went onto bench presses with 14kg dumbbells, 10 reps then straight on to 8kg dumbbells for 20 reps. I did that twice. I then did a little ab work out, 3 sets of 50 sit ups supersetted with 30 6kg dumbbell raises with my legs half raised, kind of like a reverse plank but without having your arms and legs to fall back on when your abs get tired. Then I half heartedly did 3 sets of 10 reps converging shoulder presses with 14kg. And finally, I finished it off with 15 minutes on the cross trainer.

Yesterday I ran around Delamere Forest for 60 minutes. Last week I did hill sprints in Delamere in just one spot, so it was quite nice to run around the forest. I did two rounds of the route, I've no idea how long it was but it was hard running and that's enough for me. Except that if it wasn't at least 4 miles I'm in big trouble for Total Warrior. Shameless plugging, but if you're reading this, maybe you might consider sponsoring me for this little slice of Hell I'm putting myself through....http://www.justgiving.com/Tilly-Mint

Anyway.

I have been monitoring my carbs a lot over the last few weeks. Vinnie wanted me to keep below 50g, but that wasn't ever going to happen - my All Bran is 25g! I've cut down my fruit though, and sweets are pretty much a no-go. So I've been consuming around 150g carbs, which includes rather a lot of veggies, salad and the best thing is, I've been able to eat nuts! I love nuts but I've deprived myself for years because I've always focussed on calorie counting and nuts are through the roof in terms of calories. I've been measuring my portions though, so I don't get carried away. Got a smart new digital scale - everyone who watches their weight should own one...for their food, not for them. Mine has a 5kg limit so that might not work. I have noticed a distinct difference, my weight has stabilised - I'm still around 11 stone, but I really don't think that's likely to change unless I took my diet to the next level, that is, down to sub 50g carbs, less calories, blah blah blah. But I have a day job which involves talking to the public so I can't afford to be like a bear with a sore arse. So an extreme diet is out of the question. I'm starting to feel more defined and feel more secure though, and my training is right on track.

Perhaps a happy medium has been achieved?

Protein for summer! And a bit of a rant.

I did a nice run in Royden Park today, felt proper good to just splash through the mud after yesterday's (and the day before, and the day before that...) rain. I did some hill sprints as well, found a nice incline in the woods. I'm desperately trying to add loads of inclines and intervals into my training for this Total Warrior 10k. I might not even be doing it because no one else is actually running it with me, and it has to be a team event. But, I'm looking into alternatives and am going to train as if I am actually going to do it.

I'm not losing weight yet, which is still driving me to distraction, in fact I'm still gaining, then losing, gaining, then losing. I can't figure out what more to do. I keep looking at old photos of myself, on holiday in the States last year and mourning the body I used to have. But when I was in the States last year, guess what I thought? 'FAT FAT FAT'. The mind is a hideous beast, it really is. So here I go, headlong into egg white omelettes and greens, cutting out all the crap. If I can do that and the scales still read that I've gained weight, I won't beat myself up too much because it must be muscle mass, as I mentioned in my previous post. There are some interesting thoughts on fitness sites (http://blog.shareitfitness.com/2012/why-scale-doesnt-matter/), whereby the reading on the scales doesn't actually matter at all. There are some good case studies of women who, according to the scales haven't lost any weight at all, but look three hundred times better than they did before they started. I'll be completely honest with you. Before I started training at all, I was over 13 stone. I can't remember the exact figure, but it wasn't 13 stone 1lb, for example. It was a definite 'over' 13 stone. Then I started to diet and train, but not very hard, so my weight went down and plateaued at between 11 stone and 11 stone 4. Then I hit the cardio hard and went down to 10 stone 10 (fully clothed - I'm not one to mince around the gym changing rooms wearing nothing but a smile). That weight didn't last long because then I started doing some pretty hardcore strength training for a powerlifting competition that I never actually entered. My weight went up to over 11 stone again, but then I stopped strength training (to a degree - I still lift weights, but not as heavy), and started looking slimmer because my muscles had chilled out a bit. However, now I'm in a weird phase where I've got some muscle tone, some curves, a fairly low fat percentage but a fluctuating weight on the scales, between 11 stone and 11.5! I'm just a bit lost. I don't want to be in denial about weight gain, because that's how I ended up being 13 stone. So where to go from there?
Measurements are:
waist - 30.5ins (and I do mean around my belly button, not further up where most people measure their waists)
hips - 37ins
thighs (thickest part) - 22ins
upper arms - 11.5ins
bust - 39ins
Anyway, I came on here to document a wonderful little concoction I just made and enjoyed. It's hardly anything Heston Blumenthal would do...but I thought I'd tell you anyway. I always get really jealous of people who can enjoy ice cream and frappucinos without guilt or weight gain, so I'm always looking for an alternative that I can have. I used a scoop of strawberry cream 90% protein powder, 200-300ml almond milk, 4 big spoons of natural yogurt, lots of ice cubes, whizzed up in a blender. Serious yum. That actually made 2 and a half large glasses worth, which is just under 300 calories for the whole lot, and 36g protein. Winning!

Fat Attack, episode 1

I'm back! I've had a few people ask me if I've stopped my blog, and the answer is absolutely not! My laptop caught a trojan horse virus and has been out of action for a little while. Hence, no blogs!

Anyway, where was I? I was musing over the program. It's gone. Done. Finished. I called it quits 3 weeks earlier than scheduled partly due to having a few bad weeks health wise, when I couldn't train as regularly as I needed to and partly because I just couldn't do it anymore. I wasn't feeling the benefits and it was taking up all my time, but boring me to death. So, I believe I mentioned I've recruited Vinnie at Klick, and am undergoing a few weeks of fat attack. I'm training with him in the morning when I can get in before work which is supposed to be good for fat burning, or the evening if not, two sessions a week. On top of that I'm doing my own workouts, lots of cardio and weights. I've been advised to stop eating as much fruit, which is a real bummer because I have a sweet tooth. Instead I'm crunching on celery with very low fat cheese spread and chugging protein shakes like they're going out of style. For my evening meal I'm having brocoli with some form of protein, be it fish or meat. I'm also drinking a large glass of water before each meal, and am experimenting with a lemon and mint infusion, which is surprisingly palatable! All in all, the diet's unexciting but I'm hoping the outcome might be the opposite.

So, my stats are pretty unaltered, except that my fat percentage did decrease by 1%, but apparently fat percentage on scales is very unreliable. You have to eat and drink exactly the same to have any real way of measuring it accurately. I've been told to go by my weight and how my clothes feel, which is really not ideal because I'm desperately unhappy with my weight, and the only thing that makes me feel better about it is the fact that my body fat percentage is so low. I'm sure you understand my situation! But, let's see how it goes. I will post progress photos if, in fact, I see any progress.

Oh, calories today 1829.

Week 1 of part 3

I dragged my backside to the gym a few times last week and played around with these workouts but the commitment wasn't quite there due to one thing or another. I did do a fantastic session on Wallasey beach on Sunday, which involved a hellish number of sprints up a sand dune, and jumps onto a picnic bench, supersetted with dips and squats.

I have hit it properly this week. Monday I did the following: (2100 calories in case you're interested)

• 3 x 8 Lat pulldowns (80kg)/3 x 12 burpees/45 second rest
• 4 x 10 reverse pushups/4 x 20 mountain climbers/30 second rest
• 3 x 8 barbell curls (15kg)/3 x 15 side squat jumps (squat, jump as far as you can to one side, repeat)/45 seconds rest
• 4 x 8 bentover barbell rows (20kg)/4 x 30 twist jumps (squat, jump and do a 180 degree twist, repeat)/45 second rest
• 3 x 10 close grip rows (20kg)/3 x 20 box jumps/30 second rest
• 3 x 25 crunches, 3 x 25 bicycle crunches, 3 x 25 dumbbell crunches (hold dumbbell over head with straight arms and crunch up). What a grueller that one is.

Tuesday (2250 calories)

• 3 x 10 bench press (14kg DBs)/3 x 30 flutter kicks/45 second rest
• 4 x 8 barbell skullcrushers (10kg)/4 x 50 jumping jacks/30 second rest
• 3 x 10 dumbbell military press (8kg)/3 x 30 med ball (7kg) woodchoppers (15 to each side)/45 second rest
• 4 x 15 bench dips/4 x 15 dumbbell bench step ups (15 each leg)/30 second rest
• 3 x 10 barbell clean and press (20kg - some turned into push presses though!)/3 x 10 burpees/60 seconds rest
• 4 x 10 incline bench press (8kg DBs)/4 x 30 mountain climbers/45 second rest

I've also put that pesky 4lb back on. I think it might be a 'cyclical' thing so I have no doubt they'll disappear again. Not that this means they're welcome. I intend to permanently lose at least 6lb before I get married in November so that I can be confident that any fluctuations won't affect my mindset. I want to feel the best I can and I can't do that with an extra 4lbs sitting around my waist line. With this in mind I've recruited Vinnie at Klick to help me out a bit, I'm going to do two sessions a week with him and see if I can get fat burned off. I don't expect miracles, but maybe a swift kick up the backside will do the trick.

Gina is a poorly Ribena berry...

This week's program has been much more stimulating than the last 4 weeks. I did a coastal run in Barrow on Saturday morning which was hideous. Just awful. The heat was great, don't get me wrong, and the sun beaming down, beautiful views to take in...but also quite a breeze which consequently caused quite a sand storm. I've had road rash, grass rash, rain rash and now I've had sand rash as well. I'd say sand rash was the worst, especially when it's combined with heat and sweat. My face was nearly purple by the time I'd finished. Not a good look.

I have only been able to complete Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday's workout this week though due to ill health, and I am trying to get back on track with it but have not had the energy. I am hoping to do Friday's workout tomorrow, which is Sunday, but if not then I may have to take a hiatus. I will continue the blog though, but will commence training for the Total Warrior instead of finishing the program. I'm hoping to ultimately finish the program, but we'll have to see if I can actually make the commitment - health dependent. My last post disclosed my weight gain, but for the record, those 4 pesky pounds have vanished again, as quick as they came. And hopefully they've taken the hint that they're not welcome on this busy body of mine!
So this week has gone down as so...

Monday

• 3 x 8 Lat pulldowns (36kg) /3 x 12 burpees/45 second rest
• 4 x 10 reverse pushups/4 x 20 mountain climbers/30 second rest
• 3 x 8 barbell curls (10kg then 15kg)/3 x 15 side squat jumps (squat, jump as far as you can to one side, repeat)/45 seconds rest

What a wonderful little workout this was! I really enjoyed the dynamic movements, and felt I was actually accomplishing something too.

• 4 x 8 bentover barbell rows (first two sets 20kg, then last two sets 25kg)/4 x 30 twist jumps (squat, jump and do a 180 degree twist, repeat)/45 second rest
• 3 x 10 close grip rows (15 kg)/3 x 20 box jumps/30 second rest
• 3 x 25 crunches, 3 x 25 bicycle crunches, 3 x 25 dumbbell crunches (hold dumbbell over head with straight arms and crunch up). This was a brilliant ab workout, I actually felt my abs the following day which was most unusual.

Tuesday

• 3 x 10 bench press (16kg DB, 12kg DB then back to 16kg, nearly killed me)/3 x 30 flutter kicks/45 second rest
• 4 x 8 barbell skullcrushers (10kg, then up to 12.5, then back down to 10kg)/4 x 50 jumping jacks/30 second rest
• 3 x 10 dumbbell military press (10kg - although on 2nd set only got to 8 reps then complete failure until the next set)/3 x 30 med ball woodchoppers (15 to each side) (6kg)/45 second rest
• 4 x 15 bench dips/4 x 15 dumbbell bench step ups (10kg)/30 second rest
• 3 x 10 barbell clean and press (15kg, this was quite easy but any heavier and I'd have had to push press) /3 x 10 burpees/60 seconds rest
• 4 x 10 incline bench press (10kg)/4 x 30 mountain climbers/45 second rest

Wednesday

• 3 x 10 barbell or smith machine squats(30kg)/3 x 45 second jump rope/45 second rest
• 4 x 10 deadlifts (50kg)/4 x 20 horizontal jacks (In plank position, jump your feet off the ground and spread feet wide, jump feet off the body and bring your feet together so you’ve returned to plank position, repeat)/60 second rest
• 3 x 10 dumbbell lunges (8kg)/3 x 25 lunge jumps (lunge, jump up, and switch legs in mid-air and land on other foot forward)/45 second rest
• 4 x 10 reverse dumbbell lunges (8kg)/4 x 45 second jump rope/45 second rest
• 3 x 12 box or bench jumps/30 second jump rope/3 x 20 mountain climbers/30 second plank/60 second rest

Most of you who know me will remember that I have severe OCD, and in particular a fear of...well, for want of a better word...poo. There's been some blocked drains at the gym and indeed an overflow of sewage which has struck cold fear into my heart, and after spending a number of hours sanitising my entire gym kit, following that up with two showers, I am reluctant to return. With this in mind, I am going to do the best with what I've got, which might include interval training with hill sprints, or working out with our limited equipment at home. Either way, this week could prove challenging on many fronts.