Gym Milestones
Last October, I was up to 177 lbs.
I weighed myself last week and am down to 159. Yay!
I did this through eating regular meals and not skipping any meals, lots more raw or slightly cooked vegetables, lean meats, fruits, superfoods like quinoa (I don't know if it really qualifies as a superfood but it sure seems that way to me), whole grains and cutting back on beer and soda. The real secret weapon though was portion control. I don't eat anywhere near as much as I used to, and if we eat out in a restaurant I go already planning to eat half my order (and I don't eat salads too much, it's too easy to say 'Oh, I'm eating a salad, I can have a bit more dressing and then the salad's purpose as low-calorie is negated) and take the rest home. You'd be amazed how little your body needs after a while, especially if they are macro-nutrients and dense with vitamins instead of a pound of fries. I avoid trans fats and processed foods, and try to make everything with fresh organic ingredients.
We still do junk food: Hungry Howie's Wacky Wednesday, Five Guys burgers and fries, Chipotle burritos, the occasional run to Taco Bell, and restaurants on the weekends. I sometimes use DietFacts.org to look up a menu item before I eat it, but I don't do this every single time I leave the house. I still drink beer. I also try to find lots of interesting new things to eat so I don't get bored eating the same thing over and over.
I lift weights at the gym regularly, and we bike and run and do yoga and kettlebells to keep things interesting. I don't do aerobics or any kind of spin classes, not for any reason other than 'I haven't tried that yet.' I can't go to the gym and chat with people, because I feel like if I have enough breath to talk, then I'm not working hard enough.
To clarify: My goals no longer have anything to do with how I look. They are all about the building of lean muscle, strong cardio and keeping myself in good health. I haven't had my cholesterol checked in a while, but once my health insurance kicks in I'll be getting a checkup for that and other things. This has nothing to do with fitting into a bikini or getting into single-digit clothing sizes. I accepted not too long ago that I didn't have to be a certain size ordained by someone else in order to be happy. I just had to be the best me I could be.
I realize 17 lbs isn't a huge change compared to some people, especially since a person's weight can fluctuate up to 10 lbs a week with water weight. But I'm still proud.
Stats:
Height - 5'2
Weight - 159
Goblet/Dumbbell Squat - 70lbs
Deadlift - 125 lbs
Squat - 125 lbs
Leg Press - 365 lbs
Clean and Press - 70
One armed Row- 45 lbs
Bench - 90 lbs
Which reminds me, I need to start taking vitamins for my joints. Just in case.
I weighed myself last week and am down to 159. Yay!
I did this through eating regular meals and not skipping any meals, lots more raw or slightly cooked vegetables, lean meats, fruits, superfoods like quinoa (I don't know if it really qualifies as a superfood but it sure seems that way to me), whole grains and cutting back on beer and soda. The real secret weapon though was portion control. I don't eat anywhere near as much as I used to, and if we eat out in a restaurant I go already planning to eat half my order (and I don't eat salads too much, it's too easy to say 'Oh, I'm eating a salad, I can have a bit more dressing and then the salad's purpose as low-calorie is negated) and take the rest home. You'd be amazed how little your body needs after a while, especially if they are macro-nutrients and dense with vitamins instead of a pound of fries. I avoid trans fats and processed foods, and try to make everything with fresh organic ingredients.
We still do junk food: Hungry Howie's Wacky Wednesday, Five Guys burgers and fries, Chipotle burritos, the occasional run to Taco Bell, and restaurants on the weekends. I sometimes use DietFacts.org to look up a menu item before I eat it, but I don't do this every single time I leave the house. I still drink beer. I also try to find lots of interesting new things to eat so I don't get bored eating the same thing over and over.
I lift weights at the gym regularly, and we bike and run and do yoga and kettlebells to keep things interesting. I don't do aerobics or any kind of spin classes, not for any reason other than 'I haven't tried that yet.' I can't go to the gym and chat with people, because I feel like if I have enough breath to talk, then I'm not working hard enough.
To clarify: My goals no longer have anything to do with how I look. They are all about the building of lean muscle, strong cardio and keeping myself in good health. I haven't had my cholesterol checked in a while, but once my health insurance kicks in I'll be getting a checkup for that and other things. This has nothing to do with fitting into a bikini or getting into single-digit clothing sizes. I accepted not too long ago that I didn't have to be a certain size ordained by someone else in order to be happy. I just had to be the best me I could be.
I realize 17 lbs isn't a huge change compared to some people, especially since a person's weight can fluctuate up to 10 lbs a week with water weight. But I'm still proud.
Stats:
Height - 5'2
Weight - 159
Goblet/Dumbbell Squat - 70lbs
Deadlift - 125 lbs
Squat - 125 lbs
Leg Press - 365 lbs
Clean and Press - 70
One armed Row- 45 lbs
Bench - 90 lbs
Which reminds me, I need to start taking vitamins for my joints. Just in case.