My 2.5 week Fitness Update
I have been so busy, I don't even know where the time goes anymore. Work, pick up Garett, make dinner, change, go to the gym, pack lunches, lay out clothes, do bath time/or just shower myself, bedtime routine. I do this four nights a week now. It's crazy, but I kind of love it. I am on day 17 of eating only healthy (other than my cheat meal once a week, which will always consist of some bread in one way or another lol), no soft drinks, and gymming as much as possible. I am back to my old self, and very excited to get back to my body goal (or as close as I can get!). I was so stupid, always wanting to be skinnier, even when I was skinny. But there's a difference between skinny and healthy, and I didn't want to just do some bandaid program, or some weird soup diet. I wanted to make a lifestyle overhaul--something I could do forever. And so I did. This is my new life, my new reality, my new routine.
Last night I did my first "lifting" class. It's funny how everyone tells women not to lift weights because you will bulk up. I shared my concerns with my trainer and he said "no" and went on to explain how weight training is actually one of the best things to lose weight and tone up. Yes my cardio heavy rebounding, and my foundations (circuit training) are great too, but nothing tones and sculpts quite like weights. Plus, it's nice to add another dimension to my work outs. When things get changed up a lot, I find I get less bored, and start to even look forward to classes! The lifting class was actually much more relaxed. More precise motions, longer breaks between sets. It was nice to not be gasping for breath. By the end, I had sweat dripping down places I never knew could sweat. And after each trickle, I got giddy. Who is this person?
I am starting to notice a difference in the way my clothes fit, and the scale is even moving a bit (though I know this will take longer with muscle mass growing as well). I know it's too soon for it to be obvious to others, but with time will come great reward. I am optimistic and very excited :)
With this overhaul, comes new recipes. I don't want to eat boring food every night, so I am changing it up. This girl cannot live off of just spinach and kale.
A few recipes I have tried as of late are an Asian style spaghetti squash dish (it was good, Garett did NOT like this, but Tyler loved it--I was on the fence), A Dijon mustard/blend of other stuff rubbed tilapia (with steamed rice and veggies), a "pina colada" chicken- which consists of marinating chicken in coconut milk and hot sauce overnight, then breading with some breadcrumb and a lot of coconut pretty much---tastes really good! And was even better dipped in a little hot sauce (with corn on the cob and salad), I found some delicious premade turkey burgers at the store(I cut mine up on top of salad ), and lots more yummy recipes coming up! We are starting from scratch with our menu/finding regulars to add into the rotation. It's a lot of work, but we always enjoy trying new recipes anyways, so we make it work. Mostly it's just time consuming.
I also notice a shift in my thinking about food. I crave nothing really. If Tyler brings something bad home and I have to smell it, then I get a bit peeved because I know I can't have it lol (he is pretty good to keep the bad eating to my cheat meal, or when he's at work), but other than that, I eat enough and am satisfied enough that I don't turn to chips or cookies. I eat out of necessity now, and I stop when I am full. And even weirder, you start to actually enjoy the taste of healthy food. I always thought people that ate healthy food all the time were lying and depriving themselves, but it's true--you do acquire a taste for it--and combinations I would have thought to be disgusting before are now sounding appealing.
On Sunday when I had weighed myself, I was down 5.5 lbs, and will check again this Sunday morning. I can tell by the way my calves fit into the skinny pants I'm wearing today that I have lost there, and can definitely see more muscle definition in my thighs. The end of our workouts always focus on the midsection, so once I gain a bit more strength there (this is the area that is the MOST sore right now because we work them so hard), I will take the ab attack class. My midsection is the part I would like to focus the most on--and hopefully by losing weight, my chest size goes down quite a bit too, because seriously, jumping jacks, running , etc is not so fun when you have those attached to you.
To anyone else setting out on this journey, I wish you luck. It takes time and patience and dedication and a very strong support system. Find a good trainer, learn self control, try new recipes and don't get bored of anything (your workout, your food, your reason for doing this). I believe in myself, but do you believe in you?
Happy Fitness!
Last night I did my first "lifting" class. It's funny how everyone tells women not to lift weights because you will bulk up. I shared my concerns with my trainer and he said "no" and went on to explain how weight training is actually one of the best things to lose weight and tone up. Yes my cardio heavy rebounding, and my foundations (circuit training) are great too, but nothing tones and sculpts quite like weights. Plus, it's nice to add another dimension to my work outs. When things get changed up a lot, I find I get less bored, and start to even look forward to classes! The lifting class was actually much more relaxed. More precise motions, longer breaks between sets. It was nice to not be gasping for breath. By the end, I had sweat dripping down places I never knew could sweat. And after each trickle, I got giddy. Who is this person?
I am starting to notice a difference in the way my clothes fit, and the scale is even moving a bit (though I know this will take longer with muscle mass growing as well). I know it's too soon for it to be obvious to others, but with time will come great reward. I am optimistic and very excited :)
With this overhaul, comes new recipes. I don't want to eat boring food every night, so I am changing it up. This girl cannot live off of just spinach and kale.
A few recipes I have tried as of late are an Asian style spaghetti squash dish (it was good, Garett did NOT like this, but Tyler loved it--I was on the fence), A Dijon mustard/blend of other stuff rubbed tilapia (with steamed rice and veggies), a "pina colada" chicken- which consists of marinating chicken in coconut milk and hot sauce overnight, then breading with some breadcrumb and a lot of coconut pretty much---tastes really good! And was even better dipped in a little hot sauce (with corn on the cob and salad), I found some delicious premade turkey burgers at the store(I cut mine up on top of salad ), and lots more yummy recipes coming up! We are starting from scratch with our menu/finding regulars to add into the rotation. It's a lot of work, but we always enjoy trying new recipes anyways, so we make it work. Mostly it's just time consuming.
I also notice a shift in my thinking about food. I crave nothing really. If Tyler brings something bad home and I have to smell it, then I get a bit peeved because I know I can't have it lol (he is pretty good to keep the bad eating to my cheat meal, or when he's at work), but other than that, I eat enough and am satisfied enough that I don't turn to chips or cookies. I eat out of necessity now, and I stop when I am full. And even weirder, you start to actually enjoy the taste of healthy food. I always thought people that ate healthy food all the time were lying and depriving themselves, but it's true--you do acquire a taste for it--and combinations I would have thought to be disgusting before are now sounding appealing.
On Sunday when I had weighed myself, I was down 5.5 lbs, and will check again this Sunday morning. I can tell by the way my calves fit into the skinny pants I'm wearing today that I have lost there, and can definitely see more muscle definition in my thighs. The end of our workouts always focus on the midsection, so once I gain a bit more strength there (this is the area that is the MOST sore right now because we work them so hard), I will take the ab attack class. My midsection is the part I would like to focus the most on--and hopefully by losing weight, my chest size goes down quite a bit too, because seriously, jumping jacks, running , etc is not so fun when you have those attached to you.
To anyone else setting out on this journey, I wish you luck. It takes time and patience and dedication and a very strong support system. Find a good trainer, learn self control, try new recipes and don't get bored of anything (your workout, your food, your reason for doing this). I believe in myself, but do you believe in you?
Happy Fitness!
Good job, Amy! Keep it up :) xox
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