By the time I finished my last workout program, I was ready to try something new. One of my friends on Facebook was friends with The Get in Shape Girl, and I admit--I did a little Facebook creeping to find out what she was all about. I perused her website, which is an excellent resource for exercise tutorials and clean recipes. I read her personal story, and how she struggled with her weight until she eventually did something about it. She became a personal trainer, and a bikini competitior. I was totally inspired by her story and was excited to discover that she offered virtual training. I had always wanted to work with a trainer, but couldn't justify the expense. I had no idea how much it would cost, so I decided not to entertain the idea at all.
One day, the GISG (as she will now and evermore be deemed as I do not feel like typing the whole name out) advertised a special on virtual training--just $30 a month, plus a free copy of her Bikini Competitors' Cookbook. How could I resist such a deal? I signed up that very same day. She asked me questions about my workouts and diet, and checks in with me regularly. I often feel like she is right here with me. The workouts are challenging without consuming too much time, and I can do them at home or at the gym at work. She even customized my routine so that I can train for the Warrior Dash (which is next weekend---eek!). She's an awesome motivator, and I'm so glad I made the investment. I have the accountability I need to keep me straight. I'm eating cleaner and better than I ever have, and I'm confident that I will reach my goal. Like, this year, finally.
In the past month, I've lost about 5 pounds. I've gained much better eating habits. I'm excited about working out again. I'm ready to challenge myself, pushing to my limits. In fact, the GISG just released a bikini workout plan that [I'm definitely going to grab, and] I'm sure will pair well with her cookbook.
Speaking of recipes, I'm working on some new stuff so stay tuned... :)
Showing posts with label bikini. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bikini. Show all posts
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
FBB: 4-week Results!
So, I just finished the Base Phase of the Female Body Breakthrough. Annnnd here are my results from the first 4 weeks:
Weight lost: 6 pounds
Chest: -1 inch
Waist: -0.5 inches
Hips: nada (buildin up the booty, y'all)
Arms: 0
Thighs: + 1 inch??
Oh, and though I'm too shy to post progress pics just yet, I swear my tummy is much flatter. I've got baby biceps trying to bust through my arm fat. And, *drum roll please*......... I am now an early morning exerciser, y'all! Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Those are 3 words I would have NEVER used to describe myself four weeks ago. I'm pretty freakin proud of myself! I feel like I got a great start. I cleaned up my eating tremendously, although I still allow for a "splurge meal" once or twice a week. Don't worry, I imagine I will post my bikini progress at some point. ;)
I am happy to have cardio back in my life--although, truth be told, the strength workouts provide plenty of cardio, as moving from circuit to circuit is great for getting that heart rate up. I am now working out 4 times a week, which is totally manageable. I do my strength workouts at the gym at work on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. On Saturday, I do my HIIT workout at home. I am already excited to add in another HIIT workout at Week 9, but I'm only at Week 5 so I guess I need to slow my roll... How bout, lemme figure out how to do some chin ups? I was supposed to do like, 6 of them in today's workout. But I got shy (as I was not alone in the gym) and wimped out by doing some lat pull-downs instead. Ha!
I haven't had my body fat professionally tested yet, which is something I really, REALLY need to do. I don't go to a regular gym and I ain't gots a trainer, so I'll have to figure out how to get that done.
So, I started the next four-week phase, which means I'll be doing more intense exercises and lifting heavier for fewer reps in order to define my newfound muscles. And it means learning how to do a motherlovin chin-up. My focus will be on eating even cleaner, timing my carbs around my workouts, and eating just 2 servings of fruit per day (as opposed to 3 or 4). The nutrition aspect is always the hardest for me, since I luurrrrve food, like forreal. Like, food is my BOO, y'all. Deprivation is no bueno, and variety is key. For instance, I had steak tacos for dinner on Friday. I grilled some marinated sirloin. Added some of my favorite veggies. Instead of wrapping all that up in a low-carb tortilla (or 2), I cut the tortillas into quadrants, sprayed them, and baked them. I topped the whole deal with cheese and... healthy NACHOS. Twoulda been bangin, but apparently whole wheat low-carb tortillas get pretty chewy when baked. Oh well--at least the flavors were still there *mwah*. That reminds me, I am hoping to post some of the recipes I've tried along the way. I've come across some good ones! Except for this one...
This is a homemade chocolate peanut butter protein bar, believe it or not. It definitely tasted much better than it looks...
So yeah, stay tuned. ;)
Weight lost: 6 pounds
Chest: -1 inch
Waist: -0.5 inches
Hips: nada (buildin up the booty, y'all)
Arms: 0
Thighs: + 1 inch??
Oh, and though I'm too shy to post progress pics just yet, I swear my tummy is much flatter. I've got baby biceps trying to bust through my arm fat. And, *drum roll please*......... I am now an early morning exerciser, y'all! Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Those are 3 words I would have NEVER used to describe myself four weeks ago. I'm pretty freakin proud of myself! I feel like I got a great start. I cleaned up my eating tremendously, although I still allow for a "splurge meal" once or twice a week. Don't worry, I imagine I will post my bikini progress at some point. ;)
I am happy to have cardio back in my life--although, truth be told, the strength workouts provide plenty of cardio, as moving from circuit to circuit is great for getting that heart rate up. I am now working out 4 times a week, which is totally manageable. I do my strength workouts at the gym at work on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. On Saturday, I do my HIIT workout at home. I am already excited to add in another HIIT workout at Week 9, but I'm only at Week 5 so I guess I need to slow my roll... How bout, lemme figure out how to do some chin ups? I was supposed to do like, 6 of them in today's workout. But I got shy (as I was not alone in the gym) and wimped out by doing some lat pull-downs instead. Ha!
I haven't had my body fat professionally tested yet, which is something I really, REALLY need to do. I don't go to a regular gym and I ain't gots a trainer, so I'll have to figure out how to get that done.
So, I started the next four-week phase, which means I'll be doing more intense exercises and lifting heavier for fewer reps in order to define my newfound muscles. And it means learning how to do a motherlovin chin-up. My focus will be on eating even cleaner, timing my carbs around my workouts, and eating just 2 servings of fruit per day (as opposed to 3 or 4). The nutrition aspect is always the hardest for me, since I luurrrrve food, like forreal. Like, food is my BOO, y'all. Deprivation is no bueno, and variety is key. For instance, I had steak tacos for dinner on Friday. I grilled some marinated sirloin. Added some of my favorite veggies. Instead of wrapping all that up in a low-carb tortilla (or 2), I cut the tortillas into quadrants, sprayed them, and baked them. I topped the whole deal with cheese and... healthy NACHOS. Twoulda been bangin, but apparently whole wheat low-carb tortillas get pretty chewy when baked. Oh well--at least the flavors were still there *mwah*. That reminds me, I am hoping to post some of the recipes I've tried along the way. I've come across some good ones! Except for this one...
So yeah, stay tuned. ;)
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Bikini or Bust
Numero seis on my bucket list is "Wear a bikini." How's that going, you ask? Welp...
Two weeks ago, I embarked on a journey called The Female Body Breakthrough, a workout plan designed by Rachel Cosgrove, a renowned fitness guru and owner of a gym called Results Fitness somewhere out in California. The FBB is a 16-week strength training program in which I will bebusting tightening my hind parts. I am banking on killing two birds with one stone on this program---getting into a bikini and training for the Warrior Dash (number 4 on The List).
Many women do tons of cardio to slim down. I've been there and done that. Even after losing dang near 60 pounds over a year and a half, my body never looked better than when I started weight training last summer. This was me before I even started working out:
I've changed my diet quite a bit since starting the FBB. Since your body needs protein to feed the muscle (and burn the fat), I've been focusing on getting more protein. I've also been eating a lot more fruits and veggies... sometimes in juice form. Several months ago, my husband told me about a documentary he'd watched about some dude who did a bajillion-day juice fast. He was motivated to start juicing for health benefits... so I bought a juicer. Fast forward a few months, and here I am just starting to use the thing.
This weekend I made a recipe from this book:
Four carrots, one apple, and half a pineapple later...
...I had a frothy orange potion of detoxifying deliciousness.
I wonder how many more carrot drinks I can have before I start to look like this:
Two weeks ago, I embarked on a journey called The Female Body Breakthrough, a workout plan designed by Rachel Cosgrove, a renowned fitness guru and owner of a gym called Results Fitness somewhere out in California. The FBB is a 16-week strength training program in which I will be
Many women do tons of cardio to slim down. I've been there and done that. Even after losing dang near 60 pounds over a year and a half, my body never looked better than when I started weight training last summer. This was me before I even started working out:
And this was me last March, when I started P90X:
I've changed my diet quite a bit since starting the FBB. Since your body needs protein to feed the muscle (and burn the fat), I've been focusing on getting more protein. I've also been eating a lot more fruits and veggies... sometimes in juice form. Several months ago, my husband told me about a documentary he'd watched about some dude who did a bajillion-day juice fast. He was motivated to start juicing for health benefits... so I bought a juicer. Fast forward a few months, and here I am just starting to use the thing.
This weekend I made a recipe from this book:
Four carrots, one apple, and half a pineapple later...
...I had a frothy orange potion of detoxifying deliciousness.
I wonder how many more carrot drinks I can have before I start to look like this:
 |
Friday, January 6, 2012
10 Things to Do Before I'm 30
I've jotted several mini-bucket lists in my day. 1,299,102,472 things to do before I hit puberty. 23,382,190 things to do before I finish high school. 289,192,018 things to do before the Apocalypse... I'm a list-makin son of a gun, folks. I love to start projects. But I lose interest pretty quickly, especially when there's a glitch in my plans. And then, it's on to the next, leaving fragments of unfinished projects all over the place. My life is a
Without further ado *toot that horn*:
1) Create--and regularly update--a blog. I've blogged a bit before, through LiveJournal and Yahoo Geocities. I pretty much used my blogs as an online diary, venting my woes to my closest friends and perfect strangers. *blink* This blog is perfect for my commitment phobia. It's only relevant until I turn 30. After my birthday, I can drop it like a hot potato. Hasta la vista sucka.
2) Be more social. This should really say "Be less socially awkward" but you are what you eat, so...
3) Paint more often. Ever since I was a tiny tot, I have loved art. I love drawing, painting, sculpting... the whole shabang. I took a painting class in college and made a whole lot of crappy paintings, so I'm going to devote the next several months to pretending that never happened, and I am actually an artistic prodigy.
4) Do the Warrior Dash. In case you didn't know, the Warrior Dash is a 3-mile obstacle course chock full of rope climbin', tire hoppin', fire dodgin' adventures. That's right. I'm a fire dodgin' son of a gun. Training is already under way for the race, which takes place in my home state in May 2012.
5) Train for and complete a 10K. Notice I did not add "race." I randomly decided to start running (like, for the first time in my life) in June 2010. I did the Couch to 5K program to work up to running 3 miles. I never actually did a race. Just kidding--I did a 5K at work before I started running, but I walked most of it. Anyhoo, I am perfectly happy not running with tons of other people. I will settle for running all by myself, 6.2 miles straight without dying. My life will not be a lie.
6) Wear a bikini. In a public place, you may ask? Ha HA! *twirls mustache* Maybe. Maybe not. I haven't worn a bikini since I was 6 years old. It was black with multicolored stars. (Just kidding--I wore a bikini to the beach last summer, but quickly destroyed the evidence.) Why is this a big deal? I am conquering my weight and body image issues once and for all. Plus a healthy life is a happy life, cleanliness is next to Godliness, a penny saved is a penny earned...yada yada blah blah splat.
7) Design and construct a wearable garment from scratch. When I was 5, I wanted to be a doctor. When I was 8, I wanted to be a lawyer, and then a teacher. As I got older, I fell in love with fashion. I sketched constantly. I watched my mother sew and became totally inspired. I made my own bell bottom pants, a couple of dresses, a pair of PJs, and doll clothes galore. The one thing I haven't done yet, is to see one of my own designs come to life. I'm totally gonna do it.
8) Sell stuff on Etsy. Okay, I have to admit--this one makes my stomach hurt. I wouldn't know what to sell... can I sell my car? I wish I could sell on Regretsy, because I would totally sell the humidifiers I bought that sound like a freaking airplane engine. Whatever that sounds like... they're loud, dangit.
9) Grow my biggest fro ever. I've been growing my hair out, naturally, sans chemicals, for over a year now. I have no frame of reference for my biggest fro to date, as it's been a jolly good 17 years or so since I last wore my hair un-chemically treated. If my fro ever made the Guinness Book of World Records, I'd want my pic to be captioned: "Fro-growin son of a gun."
10) Take a birthday trip. I've narrowed it down to two places. The question is... Vegas or NYC?
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