So here's a chronicle of my vacation as I navigate the perils of having fun and still staying reasonably healthy. I'm going to list food choices and workouts for each day. That way I can see how well or poorly I did. Should be fun? Also started with a weight of 236. Let's see where I'm at after vacation.
Saturday is the first day of the vacation. I skipped workout with Lorinda as I was playing with the game group the nite before. We were up until midnite and I really didn't feel too excited about then getting out of bed by six in the morning. I had a commitment at 10am, I gave myself a pass. After my commitment though it was lunch time and lunch was Mexican. I was good and only ate half of the burrito I ordered but did add a soda (Mt Dew) and chips and salsa. Later in the day I finished off the rest of lunch. I mixed it up with some spinach and eggs for a giant scramble. Throw in a couple of donuts and pastry along with some adult beverages and there you have the first day of vacation. Not too bad but probably shouldn't have had the soda and donuts. Still for the first day I'm okay with it.
Sunday started with a 45 min bike ride. Starting to get out and ride some, felt good. Today was also a game day but that is later. So after the bike ride I had a double meat roast beef sandwich with the last of the pastry from the day before and some snap peas. At the game I had three granola bars and two rice crispy treats. After the game I came home and had a small nachos. Also some pistachios and the last of the pastry. Also a couple of adult beverages.
Monday I think I went off the deep end. Fortunately I did a full body workout with a 30min cardio thrown in for good measure. But I started the day with a egg/roast beef/cheese bagel. Lunch was a chicken and rice dish for a local restaurant and a soda. It was another game day but I didn't have anything until I got home (which was a mistake). I should have taken a couple of granola bars to tide me over. I was extremely hungry and my food decisions reflected that. I started with nachos along with guacamole, that was followed by a sandwich on rye bread with egg/roast beef/cheese. I finished it off with some almonds and an adult beverage. This was not good but I enjoyed the extreme meal choice. Again it just goes to show that depriving yourself really makes things worse.
Tuesday I slept in until almost 11am ( reaction to my late nite overindulgence?). I had another egg and this time pastrami cheese sandwich along with some chips. A mid afternoon lunch was a roast beef, pastrami, cheese, tomato sandwich on rye. Followed by some chips and almonds. I then hit the gym for my Tues kettlebell class. After the gym I was hungry again so I did a broccoli, cauliflower, shredded carrot, and chicken stir-fry. With some egg added for more protein.
I'll post the rest of the week in a second entry. Wish me luck.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Sunday, April 12, 2015
The Workout Feeling
So still rocking 236lbs. Ready for another pound or two to come off but willing to put in the work to make it happen.
Speaking of the work, I've been thinking of how my workouts happen. At least in terms of the mechanics of motivation.
I start my day with a very short session of exercise. I do this because it just seems like the thing to do and it's very short, like 10 minutes long. So not really a workout but just a bit of motivation. Honestly I used to get out of bed thirty minutes early and do a 20min routine. Of course I burned out and so far (over three years) I've been unable to get back on that schedule.
The 10min session is a compromise. It satisfies my guilty conscious but I know it's not really a workout, but at least I'm moving.
Then for the rest of the day at work, I struggle to convince myself that after work I need to go to the gym. As I walk out heading to my car there's always an inner pep talk to point the car towards the gym. It never hurts to remind myself that I really enjoy the kettle bell class that I'm heading to or that I'm only going to be there for an hour at the most.
As I pull into the parking lot of the gym I start to feel better about working out. Once I walk thru the door of the gym, it's like I always wanted to be there to improve my body and thus my goal of living forever.
Then it gets really weird as the class starts. Part way thru I'm gasping and groaning and then the class is over and I'm already thinking about doing it again. I chuckle at the pool of sweat I've created and head home.
Tomorrow it starts all over again.
Here's a workout I like:
Okay this consists of six different exercises. Do the first five as a super set (one set each exercise until the five have been completed), then repeat three to four times total. Then follow up with the sixth one as a single set of three to four times.
(1)Chest press 10reps I use a 25lb weight for this one. Laying on your back on a flat bench. Press straight up over your shoulders
(2)Squat press 10reps I use a 15lb weight This is a squat with the weights at shoulder height and then when you come up from the squat press the weight over head. Palms facing each other.
(3)Tricep/partial pullover 10reps 15lb weight This one is a bit tricky at first. Laying on your back on a flat bench press the weights straight overhead,then bend at the elbows (like a skull crusher) and then press them out like you were standing up and doing a shoulder press. Now keeping your arms completely straight behind your head bring them back to the starting position and repeat. As I said this one is a bit tricky but it's a great version of the skull crusher or overhead triceps move.
(4)Leg balance with kettle bell row 10reps 20lb kettle bell This one is tricky because you are balancing on one leg. So standing on one leg, bend at the waist with a kettle bell in the same hand as the leg you are balancing on. Extend the other leg behind you straight out ( or as much as you can while maintaining your balance). Now row the kettle bell to your side. Do all the reps for one leg then repeat with the other leg. This one is about balance as much as the strength part of the exercise.
(5)Step up w/biceps curl and overhead press 10reps 15lbs Move to a bench or box that's 12"-15" tall and place one foot on it like you were going to step up on to it. In this position curl the weights and then at the top of the curl press them overhead. Repeat with the other leg.
(6)Hamstring curls on an exercise ball 10reps Repeat 3 or 4 times So laying on your back put your heels on an exercise ball and form a bridge (lift your butt off the floor) and pull your heels in towards your butt causing the ball to roll towards you and then push back out. That's one rep so do nine more. If you don't have access to an exercise ball then you can do this by laying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and close together. Now bridge and first straighten one leg out then the other and complete the reps (20 total)x 3or4 sets
The nice thing about this workout is that you could just do one run thru if you're short on time. Otherwise it's a great full body workout.
Speaking of the work, I've been thinking of how my workouts happen. At least in terms of the mechanics of motivation.
I start my day with a very short session of exercise. I do this because it just seems like the thing to do and it's very short, like 10 minutes long. So not really a workout but just a bit of motivation. Honestly I used to get out of bed thirty minutes early and do a 20min routine. Of course I burned out and so far (over three years) I've been unable to get back on that schedule.
The 10min session is a compromise. It satisfies my guilty conscious but I know it's not really a workout, but at least I'm moving.
Then for the rest of the day at work, I struggle to convince myself that after work I need to go to the gym. As I walk out heading to my car there's always an inner pep talk to point the car towards the gym. It never hurts to remind myself that I really enjoy the kettle bell class that I'm heading to or that I'm only going to be there for an hour at the most.
As I pull into the parking lot of the gym I start to feel better about working out. Once I walk thru the door of the gym, it's like I always wanted to be there to improve my body and thus my goal of living forever.
Then it gets really weird as the class starts. Part way thru I'm gasping and groaning and then the class is over and I'm already thinking about doing it again. I chuckle at the pool of sweat I've created and head home.
Tomorrow it starts all over again.
Here's a workout I like:
Okay this consists of six different exercises. Do the first five as a super set (one set each exercise until the five have been completed), then repeat three to four times total. Then follow up with the sixth one as a single set of three to four times.
(1)Chest press 10reps I use a 25lb weight for this one. Laying on your back on a flat bench. Press straight up over your shoulders
(2)Squat press 10reps I use a 15lb weight This is a squat with the weights at shoulder height and then when you come up from the squat press the weight over head. Palms facing each other.
(3)Tricep/partial pullover 10reps 15lb weight This one is a bit tricky at first. Laying on your back on a flat bench press the weights straight overhead,then bend at the elbows (like a skull crusher) and then press them out like you were standing up and doing a shoulder press. Now keeping your arms completely straight behind your head bring them back to the starting position and repeat. As I said this one is a bit tricky but it's a great version of the skull crusher or overhead triceps move.
(4)Leg balance with kettle bell row 10reps 20lb kettle bell This one is tricky because you are balancing on one leg. So standing on one leg, bend at the waist with a kettle bell in the same hand as the leg you are balancing on. Extend the other leg behind you straight out ( or as much as you can while maintaining your balance). Now row the kettle bell to your side. Do all the reps for one leg then repeat with the other leg. This one is about balance as much as the strength part of the exercise.
(5)Step up w/biceps curl and overhead press 10reps 15lbs Move to a bench or box that's 12"-15" tall and place one foot on it like you were going to step up on to it. In this position curl the weights and then at the top of the curl press them overhead. Repeat with the other leg.
(6)Hamstring curls on an exercise ball 10reps Repeat 3 or 4 times So laying on your back put your heels on an exercise ball and form a bridge (lift your butt off the floor) and pull your heels in towards your butt causing the ball to roll towards you and then push back out. That's one rep so do nine more. If you don't have access to an exercise ball then you can do this by laying on your back with your feet flat on the floor and close together. Now bridge and first straighten one leg out then the other and complete the reps (20 total)x 3or4 sets
The nice thing about this workout is that you could just do one run thru if you're short on time. Otherwise it's a great full body workout.
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