The Superhero Workout - Day 3-7
For the record, I'm going to try and make sure that I update/cover each day in the workout program (as best I can) even if that means, like today covering more than one day in an update (or doing an update where I don't have too much to cover at all).
I am really loving Sparkpeople now that I am actively using the site. It's SO helpful in keeping track of everything that I want, or need to keep track of, including places to add notes, which I have been using in order to help myself when it comes time to write up these updates! I've read a handful of the articles there and so far they have all been really good and helpful. I've joined a number of teams there as well and although I've not really done much in the way of participting yet, I think I will be doing that in the near future.
If you're not a member there yet and are already working toward, or have plans to work toward any kind of fitness goal, I HIGHLY recommend that you take the time to sign up and look around at all the tools and tips avilable to you there! Best of all, it's completely FREE! If you do, please let them know that WICCANSLYR sent you, I get bonus Sparkpoints for that! ;-)
Changes:
I decided to use the nutrition tracker, something that I didn't think I would do originally, because, as I said, my eating habits really have never been too bad. However, it turns out that keeping track, marking everything down, and being able to really SEE what I've eaten is a good modivator for me to make better food desicions, like eating a banana, pb&j sandwhich or a yogurt as a snack instead of Cheetos, snack cakes or candybars. I mean the healthier snacks are much more filling and sustaining than the other stuff anyway, but it's nice to have a visual reinforcement to help bolster my willpower (My Lantern is red, not green).
Knowing that I could have nearly THREE of my favorite yogurts for the calorie cost of ONE CAN of Pepsi is also helpful in my battle against the soda.
Other than trying to exchange good snacks for bad, I haven't really changed anything about my eating habits, I've been eating like I usually do, which is to say, if my body tells me it wants food, I give it food and I stop when it says it's done. I've been eating my normal kinds of food, again other than the snack switching, and the normal portions that I uasually eat as well.
Current excirses are:
Cardio: 15-16 minutes straight speed walking on the treadmill at variously inclines up to 10% and not below 2.5% and speeds ranging from 2.5 to 5. After a brief break for water I go into 2 minutes of heavy jogging/slow running at 6.5 and/or 2 minutes of walking on a 15% incline at 2.5, with longer, slower strides that work the muscle in my bum and thighs really well. If the machine is available when I'm done with the treadmill I will also hop on the elliptical trainer for 2-4 minutes. Total cardio time around 20 minutes each day.
Strength Training; Crunches, Hip flexor, Boxer, dumbell hammer curls, Squats, Bridges, Stretch After Strength Training.
The only thing that I have really changed about my eating habits is to try and replace my usual snacks of candy and chips, with better snacks like fruit and yogurt. As well as the never ending battle with limiting in the hopes of eliminated my soda intake (but it's just soooo goooooooood!).
Day 3
Most of the day I had a slight pain in my right buttock, which was cool because it meant something was working that doesn't usually get worked. This day I upped the treadmilling from 15 to 16 minutes (straight stretch)When it came time for strength training I made the decision (after giving them one more try) to switch out the forward lunges with bridges. They work the same muscle groups and my knees, my left knee in particular just wasn't going to be able to take the impact level of the lunges.
My Fitness Tracker looked like this for Day 3:
My Nutrition Tracker for Day 3:
Day 4
I started to feel the "soreness" or tightness in my butt and leg muscles that are generally thought of as good signs that your working lazy muscle groups so that was exciting.
My Fitness Tracker looked like this for Day 4:
My Nutrition Tracker for Day 4:
Day 5
Today was really hard to push through on the treadmill, even though I didn't vary the speed and incline as much as usual. So I switched out the 2-3 minutes of slow running I usually do after the 15-16 minute fast walking, with the 4 minutes on the elliptical trainer. Uncertain if that's a good thing or not. I still got my 20 minutes in though so that's good.
For my strength training session I can say that I am really glad that I made the switch from the lunges to the bridges, and so are my knees. My left knee especially just wasn't going to be able to take those lunges and the bridges actually feel "good", as in I can feel them working in the places that they should.
My Fitness Tracker looked like this for Day 5:
My Nutrition Tracker for Day 5:
Day 6
It's been really hard not to jump on the scale the last day or so, but I want to stay on schedule so no scale until Monday! I know that focusing too much on the numbers on the scale can be discouraging as well, so that's another good reason to keep on track with that.
Couldn't get into the gym today because the building was all locked up due to some private pool party bullshit. So I had to walk off my rage outside in the gross humidity and thus was unable to get what I feel was a good workout in because I didn't want to die. Rage wasn't really walked off all that much.
Had a bit of RAGE eating today, but I don't think it was too bad. I also think that PMS eating started today, as I tend to be WAY more hungry during that time than what I normally am and I tend to feed my body whenever it informs me that it's hungry.
My Fitness Tracker looked like this for Day 6:
My Nutrition Tracker for Day 6:
Day 7
Sunday's are rest days, time to let me body cool off from the previous 6 days and heal a little, as well as a day to allow myself to be lazy so that I don't burn out. I am, however, still tracking food.
My Nutrition Tracker for Day 6:
I am really loving Sparkpeople now that I am actively using the site. It's SO helpful in keeping track of everything that I want, or need to keep track of, including places to add notes, which I have been using in order to help myself when it comes time to write up these updates! I've read a handful of the articles there and so far they have all been really good and helpful. I've joined a number of teams there as well and although I've not really done much in the way of participting yet, I think I will be doing that in the near future.
If you're not a member there yet and are already working toward, or have plans to work toward any kind of fitness goal, I HIGHLY recommend that you take the time to sign up and look around at all the tools and tips avilable to you there! Best of all, it's completely FREE! If you do, please let them know that WICCANSLYR sent you, I get bonus Sparkpoints for that! ;-)
Changes:
I decided to use the nutrition tracker, something that I didn't think I would do originally, because, as I said, my eating habits really have never been too bad. However, it turns out that keeping track, marking everything down, and being able to really SEE what I've eaten is a good modivator for me to make better food desicions, like eating a banana, pb&j sandwhich or a yogurt as a snack instead of Cheetos, snack cakes or candybars. I mean the healthier snacks are much more filling and sustaining than the other stuff anyway, but it's nice to have a visual reinforcement to help bolster my willpower (My Lantern is red, not green).
Knowing that I could have nearly THREE of my favorite yogurts for the calorie cost of ONE CAN of Pepsi is also helpful in my battle against the soda.
Other than trying to exchange good snacks for bad, I haven't really changed anything about my eating habits, I've been eating like I usually do, which is to say, if my body tells me it wants food, I give it food and I stop when it says it's done. I've been eating my normal kinds of food, again other than the snack switching, and the normal portions that I uasually eat as well.
Current excirses are:
Cardio: 15-16 minutes straight speed walking on the treadmill at variously inclines up to 10% and not below 2.5% and speeds ranging from 2.5 to 5. After a brief break for water I go into 2 minutes of heavy jogging/slow running at 6.5 and/or 2 minutes of walking on a 15% incline at 2.5, with longer, slower strides that work the muscle in my bum and thighs really well. If the machine is available when I'm done with the treadmill I will also hop on the elliptical trainer for 2-4 minutes. Total cardio time around 20 minutes each day.
Strength Training; Crunches, Hip flexor, Boxer, dumbell hammer curls, Squats, Bridges, Stretch After Strength Training.
The only thing that I have really changed about my eating habits is to try and replace my usual snacks of candy and chips, with better snacks like fruit and yogurt. As well as the never ending battle with limiting in the hopes of eliminated my soda intake (but it's just soooo goooooooood!).
Day 3
Most of the day I had a slight pain in my right buttock, which was cool because it meant something was working that doesn't usually get worked. This day I upped the treadmilling from 15 to 16 minutes (straight stretch)When it came time for strength training I made the decision (after giving them one more try) to switch out the forward lunges with bridges. They work the same muscle groups and my knees, my left knee in particular just wasn't going to be able to take the impact level of the lunges.
My Fitness Tracker looked like this for Day 3:
My Nutrition Tracker for Day 3:
Day 4
I started to feel the "soreness" or tightness in my butt and leg muscles that are generally thought of as good signs that your working lazy muscle groups so that was exciting.
My Fitness Tracker looked like this for Day 4:
My Nutrition Tracker for Day 4:
Day 5
Today was really hard to push through on the treadmill, even though I didn't vary the speed and incline as much as usual. So I switched out the 2-3 minutes of slow running I usually do after the 15-16 minute fast walking, with the 4 minutes on the elliptical trainer. Uncertain if that's a good thing or not. I still got my 20 minutes in though so that's good.
For my strength training session I can say that I am really glad that I made the switch from the lunges to the bridges, and so are my knees. My left knee especially just wasn't going to be able to take those lunges and the bridges actually feel "good", as in I can feel them working in the places that they should.
My Fitness Tracker looked like this for Day 5:
My Nutrition Tracker for Day 5:
Day 6
It's been really hard not to jump on the scale the last day or so, but I want to stay on schedule so no scale until Monday! I know that focusing too much on the numbers on the scale can be discouraging as well, so that's another good reason to keep on track with that.
Couldn't get into the gym today because the building was all locked up due to some private pool party bullshit. So I had to walk off my rage outside in the gross humidity and thus was unable to get what I feel was a good workout in because I didn't want to die. Rage wasn't really walked off all that much.
Had a bit of RAGE eating today, but I don't think it was too bad. I also think that PMS eating started today, as I tend to be WAY more hungry during that time than what I normally am and I tend to feed my body whenever it informs me that it's hungry.
My Fitness Tracker looked like this for Day 6:
My Nutrition Tracker for Day 6:
Day 7
Sunday's are rest days, time to let me body cool off from the previous 6 days and heal a little, as well as a day to allow myself to be lazy so that I don't burn out. I am, however, still tracking food.
My Nutrition Tracker for Day 6: