TexasFire

KEVIN - Good for you on the running! And WELCOME! Here is the link to the spreadsheet again: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pdgDInAagx9z-xy8VoCZ8Bw&hl=en Next week I will be cleaning up the spreadsheet of those who have dropped off. I'm not going to do it yet because I've been so slack on it in the last two weeks. PM me your info if you need updating (or wish to be added), as I have entered all info I have received to date. I'm still going to the gym every day for 1.5 to 2 hours for weight lifting. Going to the cardio room three days a week, also, to ride the recumbent bike for 25 minutes each time. Got on my trainer this morning, though, for about an hour...which felt GREAT! :eek: If it is nice this Saturday, I'm taking my bike out to the park and out to Arlington. I need to get in a good, long training ride of about 60 miles. The MS150 will be here before I know it and I need to be in shape if I'm going to make 150 miles in two days!

I still have a lot of fat on my tummy, and my port already sticks way out. It is very easy to see when I just stand normally. It's really gonna look weird by the time I get to my goal weight! I don't care...small price to pay, huh?

I just now found this thread, so had a lot of catching up to do! Also, will have spreadsheet updated this evening...sorry to be such a slacker in that department. Life is a little nuts right now, but will get back to posting and keeping up with the spreadsheet faithfully. My workouts are still consistent, and the cardio is picked back up. Not only am I lifting an hour and a half to two hours a day Monday thru Friday, but now I'm getting back on the recumbent bike at the gym, too. I didn't realize how much I missed that! So I do that for 25 minutes a day on the days when I don't ride my real bike. By the end of this week, I plan on being back here full force again guys! I miss it terribly! Take care everyone!

What...no chickens? <tee hee>

Got a link?

I will try to get updated pics by the end of next week. I think my partner would be good at taking pics and showing off my progress, so I will have him take them in the gym. Mind you that I am no where near looking like a body builder yet. I just started and don't expect to see any real results untill at least the end of summer. My body fat % is too high right now to do my muscles any justice. Right now I have a loose, two-fold goal: train harder and harder, and eat a clean as possible to strip the fat off the muscle tissue. My cycling will help this aspect tremendously and can't wait for the wind to die down some. I don't mind riding in the cold, but the wind with the cold is completely different and that relegates me to the trainer.

Oh and I'm fond of saying "effed up" and "effing". So I guess I'm not quite Mary Poppins yet! :party:

I think quitting swearing is harder than quitting smoking! I've completely given up smoking for three months now, and the swearing part is pretty good unless I get caught off guard and pissed off...might drop a few bombs then. But otherwise pretty well cleaned up. Stress is my profanity barometer and it's pretty darn accurate! (So I guess that means I don't have control when it really counts, huh? Well, damn it!)

I hear you and appreciate it...I really do! In a manner of speaking, yes. While I haven't fully formed my goals yet, I strive to become a bodybuilder. Not the freakish, manly types on steroids...I have too many natural feminine curves for that, thank goodness. More towards the fitness model look. I don't have the legs to actually work it that way, but that is the goal versus the stereotypical female gorillas so often associated with bodybuilding. I need to update my pics. I have tremendously transformed my shape since the latest pics from November. 14" biceps aint bad for a chica just starting out! :party: Now if I could figure out how to strip the fat so you could really see that muscle well, I'd be a happy girl! Yes, I'm addicted. (NEWSFLASH! :thumbup:) Yes, I try to constantly monitor myself physically to avoid overtraining. Yes, I'm probably more than a little nuts. (Again, NEWSFLASH! LOL :thumbup:) P.S. Though I did read your post tonight because I woke up stiff and sore. Hmmm. It's a "good" sore, though.

Okay, there was a change after all. I rode my trainer for about 45 minutes this morning. Then this afternoon I was bored, so I went to the gym early and did crunches and calf raises until my partner got there. So I was at the gym for two hours and forty five minutes. I am so wiped out! I did 300 crunches on the roman chair holding a 25 pound weight plate to my chest and six sets of 15 calf raises with 200 pounds. Then when my partner got there, we started our back workout, and it really kicked my butt. I'm going so much heavier, the lifting hooks are coming out of my bag a lot more often. I'm utterly exhausted, going to get a shower and be in bed before eight. That NEVER happens!

Boy, oh boy...I'm so behind again. Homeschooling is really taking a lot of my time. But I am really enjoying doing it, I must say. I am not missing my workouts, though. Monday was biceps/triceps again, Tuesday was chest and today was legs. I've been in the gym about six hours so far, so doing well there. Tomorrow is back day, and will be there a full two hours again, so I'm logging ahead of time and will post if something changes, but I doubt it will. Friday will be shoulders. I'm looking forward to both workouts...they are "pet" parts for me right now. I've also ridden my bike about four hours so far this week, and done interval training with the dog by running a block, power walking two and doing that ten times before dragging the dog back home. I've done that twice so far....really liking it! It's fun! At first, I was trying to make things all hard, trying to figure out how to time everything perfectly with my chronograph, but to heck with that! I just do it by blocks! I've got enough on my plate lately to be sweating exact timing for interval training! LOL :tt1: I hope everyone is doing AWESOME this week!

Just one peon's opinion, but I would count interval training as cardio. (I'm going to!) To my mind, the goal is identical...just more efficient! If you have a problem with being "by the book" like I do, I will be posting mine as "R" for resistance and "C/I" for cardio/interval. So feel free to book your interval minutes the same way if you are comfortable with that.

Karey - Here is an article I just happened across today about interval training. Makes a lot of sense, and makes me think I have conditioned my body to go into "save mode". I going to give this a shot! Me and my lab are going for a walk/run this evening! He will love it! Your Body Can Burn Fat on Its Own Posted Mon, Jan 28, 2008, 2:43 am PST 92% of users found this article helpful. Post a CommentView All 1203 Comments Wouldn’t you just love it if your body decided to burn fat and calories on its own? It can: 1. Exercise in short, intense bursts (interval training) for effective fat burning after exercise. 2. Increase the amount of resistance/strength/weight training you do, to build more lean muscle. Muscle is ‘metabolically active’ and burns more calories than other body tissue even when you’re not moving. And of course, for best results: 3. Chill on the amount of food you are eating. Technically: 1. Our bodies are built to survive, so when you exercise for long periods of time (often and consistently) your body thinks it needs to hold on to fat for energy. Doing short (12-15 minute), intense exercise sessions builds strength and burns calories, but not fat, so it “feels safe” using fat stores for energy after exercise. 2. Resistance training (using extra weight) helps build lean muscle mass (and strong bones), and muscle burns more calories than fat. 3. If you are obsessing over things like fat grams and not eating a nutritious diet, your body will reserve energy (store fat) to survive. Realistically: 1. Varying your exercise is the most effective and efficient way to stay lean and healthy. You must do some longer exercise to build cardiovascular endurance, burn lots of calories, and yes, even burn fat during exercise - your body will not click in to “save” mode unless you exercise for long periods of time, regularly and often. 2. You must do resistance training in order to build muscle and strong bones. 3. Nobody wants to exercise more - and we don’t want to train our bodies to need more exercise to stay fit. So exercise efficiently – two short, very intense (relative to your level of fitness) training sessions weekly, like a 15-minute fast run/walk or fast cycling sprint intervals, and two moderately long, moderately intense sessions (30-45 minutes) of strong walking, cycling, or yoga, with one long day (60-90 minutes) of a moderately paced walk/hike. That’s a great five-day/week training schedule. 4. Instead of adding more days to your workout schedule, add a weighted vest to your training. I have said this before, but this is the most efficient way that I know of to build muscle while burning calories. For more information, go to http://www.walkvest.com/. 5. Eat moderately - stop counting fat grams and calories and look at how much food is on your plate! And eat more nutritiously by eating foods that are natural and unprocessed.

J - How exciting! You will be in ONE-derland before you know it!

I'm here, too! And I'm confused again...what's different? Was it two Y's before in the thread name? And who is Alex? The aforementioned jerk that started this thread? I have GOT to get more cardio in...I'm feeling so fat lately. Where the hell did my motivation go?!?!? ARGH...I'll be glad when this school stuff settles down.

J - My time is taken up quite a bit during the day with my son and homeschool now. I peek in when I can, but don't have time to post near as much. The curriculum he is doing is pretty autonomous, but I need to make sure he knows the drill before I turn him loose. Hopefully I will have more time in a couple weeks...I miss it here!

Yes, you ARE hot! What a difference in your face, girlfriend! But you were beautiful "before", too.

WHOS and SUZE - (Hey, that rhymes!) Thanx for the kind words! If y'all only knew what a MAJOR goofball nerd I am! Actually, I bet at least Suze knows this, as we tend to recognize our "own kind". LOL How about you, WHOS? You a goofball, too? :hurray: Yesterday's workout was killer...biceps and triceps. I swear I'm such a mess from working out this week...chest hurts, arms hurt, and my legs hurt so much that it's excruciating to even get in and out of the car! But it's a "good hurt", and I know it just means that I will be able to work out that much harder next week after recuperating this weekend. Woo-Hoo! :frown:

Two hours at the gym today for our back workout. Started getting used to using lifting hooks...the increased weight hurts my wrists, so the hooks really help, but I need to get used to them. Got up to full sets with the 30 pound dumbbells on todays' workout! This is the only workout I can use dumbbells that heavy...I guess I have a strong back. I have to say this...it is so funny when some of the guys at the gym see me working out and just have to come see how much I'm lifting! Kind of like your "nod" at the YMCA, WHOS...its a very cool and motivating thing!

Oh, DiBaby! I am so sorry about the loss y'all are experiencing. I can't even begin to imagine, but y'all are in my prayers. Keep your chin up and holler at us if you need a shoulder.

Just to catch up and get back to posting every day... Monday was shoulders...really tough workout. Did "Arnold Presses" for the first time...wow...kicked my butt...still sore from that one. Before the gym I was on my bike trainer for an hour. Tuesday was chest. A lot of dumbbell work. Chest flyes are up to 25 pounds still, but able to do them slower now, which really burns! Morning bike trainer for 45 minutes. Today was legs...oh yes, my favorite <cough>...did nine sets on the leg press...got up to 360 pounds again. I don't think I'll be pushing past that for a LONG time. And that was just where we started the workout! I'm so tired and so sore from this week. I'm also working out some at home, too...mostly concentration curls while watching a movie...LOL! Morning bike trainer for an hour. Tomorrow is my back workout. Will post on how that goes! I hope everyone is having a great week!

Thanx for the support, as always, guys! Even though I think she earned it, I was feeling a little bitchy for saying what I did and ultimately walking out on the class. I think thats true that the class is all about the instructor and their ability to run their class. (Or not, as the case may be.) I'm glad y'all have good instructors. For me, the trainer will still be burning it up at home!

I think Steffie has a short fuse lately...what do you think? LOL

I can't believe I forgot to tell y'all about my spin class last week! About 45 minutes into the class time slot, I walked out and dropped both spin classes. It was an absolute joke. The instructor was late as hell, apparently everyone in there had been taking these classes for a while and all knew each other and it was one big clique chattering away about stupid shit and they wouldn't shut up (which meant they weren't seriously working the class or they wouldn't be able to talk that much), and the instructor seemed scatter-brained and disorganized at best. Also, it was "Spin & Core" and when I came back with a black resistance band, the instructor told me to get an easier one because she couldnt do the black one, so therefore I really couldn't. I assured her I was fine with it and she persisted, which was a little embarrassing in front of the class. When she wouldn't give it up, I told her I could bench press more than she weighed and that I didn't think the little rubber tubing could out-do that...she shut up then! I was so pissed, and the longer I sat there, the madder I got, so I dropped it. Plus the actual spinning part was kind of lame, and I can do that at home.

WHOS - That is so cool that you and MM are making such positive statement out there with y'alls success! And y'all are so cute, to boot! How fun for you...I'm such a camera hound now, I'd be eating it up! LOL SUZZZIE - I finally had it with the principal. My son was attending the largest high school in Texas, if you can imagine, and I am on a first-name basis with the principal. Not a good thing. He is a waste of flesh. He has gotten away with intimidating parents for so long, he couldn't stand it when I wouldn't just roll over and play ball. And the arrogant S.O.B. was taking his dislike for me out on my son. He effed with the wrong chica. He'll be lucky to remain employed when I get through with him. JESS - Yes, curriculum was a HUGE obstacle! I hooked up with the homeschool network at my church and found out that Texas Tech has an ISD for K-12, which is AWESOME! So my son will graduate high school from Texas Tech! Can you imagine?!?!? I had no idea such a thing existed! KAREY - Allow myself to be imperfect...hah! It's very easy for me to admit to everyone else that I'm imperfect, but actually giving myself permission to be imperfect is another thing all together. I'm not good at that! I'm sure I'll be beating myself up pretty good for a while for slacking on the cardio and eating like crap for the first stint since surgery. I've had a slip-up here and there, but not consecutive days ever, much less consecutive WEEKS of bad eating. I did get back on track today, though...so there's progress! I feel like an addict who fell off the wagon after a long time being clean! Terrible, huh?