Create Change

Finding Motivation & Commitment

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:28:00 +0000

My priorities are certainly being tested! I am a few days into my summer nutrition program and I am finding it very difficult. I'm still in a place where I am trying to figure out how I will adjust and acclimate and determine strategies that will make all this more convenient. It is NOT difficult for me for the reasons that pretty much everyone else would be challenged by this! I don't care that much about what I eat. Sure I have cravings and I will have a tough time working through them but that is not the issue here.

I AM SICK OF EATING!!! I am having to eat every three hours. I am eating simple, basic food; all the same stuff all day. A lot of people would be going crazy already. Protein drinks, poached eggs, lettuce, brown rice. Greatly relieved after some experimentation to have found a way to prepare chicken breasts so that I can get it down as they are a staple of this form of super high protein/very low fat strategy for eating.

I have to do this clear until the end of August. I've made the commitment; I'm corresponding with a high-level nutritionist who created the eating plan for me. I've paid for this! I've put myself into a place where I can't back out now. No going back, no refunds. I HAVE TO DO THIS.

I'm hating it and I'm loving it! It's an adjustment. I'll find my way to deal with it. I'll get through it. But I love that I have found a very serious, high-end program to do with a real person who can help me and keep me on track. I REALLY REALLY REALLY want the results that are possible. Everything costs something and if you want it, you have to pay! To extend that metaphor, what I want is pretty expensive. I WILL PAY IT! It's that valuable to me.

Finding a strategy for yourself and maintaining it will make you feel great, physically and psychologically. We all have had that experience of starting something and not sticking with it, you know that makes you feel like a big failure! A lot of people get caught in that shame cycle, nothing they do ever seems to bring any actual change.

I think there is a very tough Catch-22 operating here. GETTING RESULTS will solidify your motivation and commitment BUT you have to work really hard to achieve results and get them going! Sticking it out through that "start up" period is the real challenge. Achieving results can make you want to hold on to them and achieve more but you have to get there first!

I am in a very challenging start up period right now! I don't know how this will work out. It's taking a HUGE effort to give it a good college try! But I have learned that IT IS POSSIBLE to make real changes and even to manipulate my body and my physical state. I won't give up on it. I am working to determine what all the obstacles might be and I will find ways to get past them.

When you try something new and you let it go, you're not giving up on the latest diet or workout program, you're giving up on yourself. Shortchanging yourself. You have to give yourself the best try you can to see what you can realistically accomplish! If you try your best and it doesn't work out, try something else until you find the right solution.

Don't ever give up.

Dagny's Summer Boot Camp

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 02:53:00 +0000

I did a lot of shopping this evening to get ready for launching the X-TREME nutrition and exercise program. Yes, that's X-TREME with a capital X-TREME. It's much more intense than ordinary extreme. That's because the e is for extra wuss-ass.

I bought a tiny little crockpot for cooking chicken which I will be consuming so much I'm likely to start clucking IF slow cooking it will allow me to keep it down! I have some issues with chicken so we'll see! I bought organic peanut butter and raw almonds, various supplements and this really high-tech custom-blended protein stuff. An egg poacher and a carton of egg whites. Food scale. Organic oatmeal. Fish oil. Veggies and fruit for carb days I will shop for each day. I'm ready and psyched. I decided I will ask to work from home on Friday and make that my first day so that I can feel organized and focused. It's going to take some planning and acclimation. You know, like the gettin' up at 4:30am every day to climb the stairs for a half hour. Oh yeah. Here comes my summer of BIG FUN!

Doing the Really Hard Work

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 03:09:00 +0000

I've always been generally opposed to the idea of "Fat Acceptance." I see it as embracing surrender and complacency. I also see it as an admission of failure. It seems like people turn to it when they believe that attempting to lose weight and get fit is too difficult for them and actually does more harm than good, in their experience. I honestly feel those people are SIMPLY DOING IT WRONG.

A correct diet should meet your nutritional needs and make you HEALTHIER THAN BEFORE. An exercise regimen should bring you a multitude of benefits that you should be able to start feeling even if you are not seeing physical change.

Depriving yourself of crap you shouldn't eat anyway isn't "deprivation"!! Under a correct diet, you shouldn't feel hungry and miserable all the time. If your body's needs are being met, what you are actually dealing with is psychological hunger. Please go back and read this post for a discussion of this very critical subject.

I have been asked how do I maintain my attitude and motivation. Staying consistent for the length of time it takes to see real changes in weight and physical ability is VERY DIFFICULT!!! Being very disciplined about what you eat, being willing to work yourself into a shaky sweaty state of intense exhaustion---not many people can keep this up! There are mental tools you can use but you have to consider your priorities first to be willing to use them!

I often help myself to make proper choices by thinking through the concepts laid down in the list of psychological hunger indicators. I have learned that there are MANY other ways besides eating to cope with life's stressors and decisions. But it is my life priorities that are at the foundation of all my choices.

This may sound trite and simplistic, but it really is the basis and foundation for being successful: HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT IT? You have to ask yourself that question and answer it ALL THE TIME. When you don't want to get out of bed early to do a workout, you have to ask yourself if you want the results you are working toward more than laying in bed for another half hour. When you are choosing between having a big slab of pizza for lunch or a lean protein with a leafy salad, you have to ask yourself---Do you want that pizza more than you want to see your tricep start to show in your upper arm??

I find that exercising a lot has a self-perpetuating effect for me. The harder I work, the more I want to be sure I am not undermining my physical efforts with bad food choices.

I've also said many times that I think you have to CHANGE what you're doing if it isn't working. My weight has been frustratingly stable for a long time now. I've tried a few different approaches for my eating plan but nothing has been working so I decided I need to call in a professional. I am starting a 12-week program with Troponin Nutrition. They work with competition bodybuilders but they have programs for regular folks too! I got my eating plan tonight and it's going to take some figuring out and planning to do it correctly. I'm going to take tomorrow to go over it all, get my questions together for the consultant, and determine what I have to do. I might start a separate blog just for simple record-keeping and tracking for the consultant. I will probably go ahead and make it public.

It's a very intense and extreme program for three months. I've paid my money and set things up with the consultant--There's no turning back now! This is my priority, I'm willing to do it. I'll update you how I do.

New Exercise: Reverse Crunches

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Sat, 23 May 2009 23:35:00 +0000

Need to kick up your core work? This WILL humble you! Learn how to do Reverse Crunches on the Refine & Advance page.

Trainer vs. Trainer

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:56:00 +0000

I have a digital display for my BodyBugg that allows me to reset it for a time period. So on Thursday I decided to see how many calories I'd burn in an hour working with Saran. She guessed 250; I hit 251. Of course if this were "The Price is Right" she'd lose the Showcase by being over! Pitted her against Zak today. He worked me to 257 for the hour! Saran is going to have to see how much harder she can push me next week! Given that trainers are naturally competitive and achievement-oriented people, this could get painful....

Does that number surprise you? Would you think it would be more? For the full hour with both trainers, I work myself up to a pretty good sweat and I have to stop for breaths quite often. But while the work IS hard, what burns more calories per minute are the weight-bearing compound movements and not everything I'm doing is like that. I burned about as many calories for the two hours after my workout that I spent walking around downtown.

If Pain Makes You Beautiful I Will Be Gorgeous

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Sat, 16 May 2009 16:52:00 +0000

He has PAIN tattooed on his arm. I took that as a warning. Zak worked my chest and shoulders so hard this morning that I felt it right away. Leaving my first powerlifting training session I felt pretty wiped. Still, I wanted to walk awhile in the cool downtown weather. I walked about a mile and a half to a stop for a bus that would drop me at my door. Good thing because once I stopped moving it really set in! I felt deeply, deeply tired!

A lot of the workout today focused on my shoulders.
OH
MY
GOD

Zak does a straightforward, circuit-style approach: Three rounds of three exercises, MAYBE 60-90 seconds rest in between triple sets. I was up for everything he threw at me. I really liked pushing myself that hard. I know there's a chance this first day was partly for him to see where my ability levels are so he'll know how much harder he can push me next time. HEY BRING IT ON!

I got home and I laid down and fell asleep!! Appropriately enough, with "Man Vs. Food" on my TV. Now hours later, I can still feel the subtle afteraffects in my shoulders, across my back, in my quads and hams and it is definitely still there in my chest when I take a deep breath.

I am disappointed if I work very hard and I am not sore. I don't think I'll be disappointed at all tomorrow.

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:51:00 +0000

Dang peeps Saran worked me so hard!! Reverse crunches till I actually hit muscle failure in my abs!! Amazing!! Did some new stuff--Kettlebell swing into a squat which involved flipping the KB in the air to do it as one fluid move. I felt shaky when I left. Love that. It is a beautiful day so I walked to a far bus stop and now I write from the 147 on Lake Shore Drive.

I have been having a tough time but I am much better. I have been dealing with symptoms of serious stress. I have wanted to believe I was impervious that I could handle anything but alas I am a mere mortal! my projects at work are coming together. Having a private office has been a wonderful improvement. I am working out intensely and consistently and doing well with my eating plan. I saw a orthopaedist yesterday for this neck problem and he said it is mostly stress-related. He gave me an anti-inflammatory that is already helping. I want to have a work-free weekend. We'll see if I last!

so long from the bus!

Go Where the Change Is

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:03:00 +0000

I love working out on Tuesday nights watching Biggest Loser. And I REALLY love feeling myself improve. I do abs work all the time. I've been doing 60 Russian Twists in three sets of 20, first with 15lbs then I progressed to 20lbs. Tonight I decided to go for 25lbs. I felt very balanced and I just kept going. And going and going. NINTY Russian Twists. I held my balance so well and I felt like I could just keep going! I had to reach that point where I feel like I have a strap super tight around my middle and it took more work to get there!

Not a lot you can do for your calves but calf raises. I stand on the base of my weight bench and I do calf raises until I feel like my leg is going to cramp up. Seriously, I push myself until I just about FALL OFF that base and have to limp away. I can remember when it took 15 reps with 15lbs to reach that point and the third set just about crippled me. Now I do 35 reps with 40lbs to get to where I just can't do even one more. I have seen my lower legs change. They will alway be disproportionately large; I have my grandmother's legs. But they ARE different.

Change happens in those reps that take the most effort. The ones that hurt the worst. I love that feeling of blowing past a point I've been. I don't mind having to work even harder and longer, it's a THRILL to feel myself performing at a level I knew I couldn't reach before.

The Price is Right

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Tue, 12 May 2009 01:42:00 +0000

I want to tell you about a mind game I play with myself. I only play it because I can't seem to stop.

You know I love to work out. Sure I do! Then why do I try to talk myself out of it? ALL THE TIME?? Yes, I swear I do! Maybe when I tell you about it you will understand things you find yourself thinking of. Here's what happens.

I didn't work out this morning. I had some trouble falling asleep last night so when my alarm went off at 4:30 I hit the nap function and slept another hour. I thought several times during my day that I would definitely work out this evening. I had a pretty intense day. I got a lot of things done. And I stuck to my eating plan for the day as well. I took a mid-afternoon walk around the block and found myself thinking of food cheats that I knew I didn't need. I wasn't hungry; I wasn't stressed. I was actually kind of restless! I simply needed to give myself a bit of a diversionary break and the walk around the block would accomplish that. I wanted to go off my eating plan but I thought it through, talked myself out of it better than I had been talking myself into it and I kept right on walking.

I ended up working on a lot of stuff and I didn't get home until 7pm. On the bus home I felt pretty tired but I thought if I did a good basic workout I'd feel better, mentally and physically. And sleep better tonight too. Still, I kept having these thoughts creep into my mind telling me it wouldn't be so bad if I skipped tonight. NO IT WOULDN'T!!! OK, get home. Change clothes. Get to it right away before I have time to distract myself. Alright I'm outsmarting myself AGAIN. Good job. But good grief, I LOVE WORKING OUT why do I have to talk myself into it? Oh shut up and start swinging that kettlebell already!

Three rounds of a minute of swings and a minute of sumo squats. I am DYING by the end of the second round. OH! Two rounds is fine, you're tired don't do the third. NO SHUT UP AND DO THE THIRD ROUND! I bitch myself out. I do it. Thank you Sybil for that kick in the ass. OK now throw the heavy ball and alternate with Bulgarian Squats. Damn my glutes and hams have been hurting all day. All of this hurts! How do I make it better? By working all my muscles again. SHUT UP AND DO IT.

OK get on the floor. Ten Getup Situps and twenty Russian twists with 20lbs. OH GOD THAT HURTS. No, ten twists are not enough. I can do 20. Take a couple of breaths and KEEP GOING. Three rounds. Hit the timer. One minute rest. Ten military push ups, ten knee push ups. What? Shoulders hurt so bad by that third round you don't think you can finish? OH YOU'RE GONNA FINISH ALRIGHT. Fuck yeah. Finishing will be the reward. You're so close. JUST FINISH. Push past the pain until you reach that last rep and GET IT FINISHED.

I do not know why I have come this far and I STILL have to talk myself into doing the things I know I want to do. But I also wanted the cookies or chips I thought of today while I was walking. And I also wanted to stop breathing really hard and I wanted to stop pushing my muscles hard enough to make my arms shake and my legs sore and my sides burn.

Change does not come with those first few easy reps. It comes with those last few that really REALLY hurt. It comes with that third set you have to fight through. With the correct lunch you have and the cheat snack that you don't.

There's a place across the street from my office that has the best oatmeal cookies I've ever had. I'll think about them tomorrow as I often do. And I hope when I stand up from my chair my glutes and hams will twinge again like they did all day today, reminding me of what I did tonight and what I don't want to negate.

I have changed a lot about myself and I want to go farther. I want to see and feel my body and my abilities continue to develop and change. I know what it costs. I know I have to pay for it. I'll pay.

My Workouts Now

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Sun, 10 May 2009 16:25:00 +0000

This website outlines a daily workout I put together awhile ago. Of course I like to switch things up! Your body needs that to be able to continue to adapt and change.

Currently my training regimen is weight training for about an hour or more three times a week, one training session with a trainer, and as many days a week as I can manage it, I do a kettlebell workout consisting of swings, squats, Turkish getups, getup situps, Russian twists, and clean, snatch, and press. I might also throw in a little weighted ball work and pushups.

Starting next weekend I will do a weekly Powerlifting session with a trainer and will cut back my own weight workouts to twice a week.

Persistence + Consistency = Progress!

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:36:00 +0000

I did TEN Turkish Getups today!! With 10lbs. Even on my left side which has been lagging to my right, owing to my sense of physical coordination which requires patience to develop with each new exercise I learn.

I am also really pleased with the awesome buzzing in my shoulders and upper back right now. My new 10lb weighted ball is a welcome addition to my equipment. I did three minutes of simply pushing it straight up into the air and three minutes of bouncing it against a wall, each interval-style of course.

I am also progressing in my leg work, now able to do Bulgarian Split Squats with more power and less shakiness. Here is an EXCELLENT demonstration of the Bulgarian Split Squat. I am doing them with 25lbs in each hand.

Be Nonbinary

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Sat, 09 May 2009 18:12:00 +0000

Working very hard to take my own advice and KEEP AT IT!! I always try to eliminate any obstacles that I discover are keeping me back from something I want. Currently, I have found that the CTA Bus Tracker system is helping me get over a damn-near OCD-level attitude I had about getting to work stupid early!

I am working A LOT these days and of course I realize I need to do more than just work! Especially since I GIVE MYSELF ALL MY OWN ASSIGNMENTS so I am just CRAZY! I want to start my day with a brief but effective workout routine but I need to get sufficient sleep. When I work too long, get home late, and collapse into bed, I can't be waking up less than six hours later. I have to get a decent night's sleep. That has to come first. Two things I have to do: Work a reasonable number of hours and reduce my anxiety about getting to work in the morning.

I will pull up the bus tracker in the morning and see when a bus will be arriving around 7am. I will always see an earlier bus but I talk myself out of running around to get on it. Knowing when a bus will arrive allows me to be relaxed about my morning departure. I am working toward getting in a morning workout as often as I can.

Several years ago I was introduced to the concept of being "Nonbinary." Not being specifically one thing or another, not black or white. Sometimes we can hold ourselves back when we insist on "all or nothing," black or white. That perspective can put you into a procrastination/excuse cycle. Strip away the conditions and bargaining you put on your fitness and nutrition goals. Keep doing the best you can and strive to improve. Take a serious and honest look at what's getting in your way and CHANGE IT. If you persist, over time you will improve and be logging more positive days than setback days.

I was going to start taking a weekly session in Powerlifting on Tuesdays but I have switched it to 7am on Saturdays, starting next week. I think it will be an excellent way to direct me to do other things on Saturday besides working by kickstarting me out of the house right away. I don't mind showering and changing at a gym if I'm just in casual clothes so I will try to plan things to do after my session.

I am not working out five weekday mornings every week but I would like to. I would like to be home from work early enough every day to spend a relaxed evening and get sufficient sleep. I want my schedule to accommodate waking up early enough to exercise and prepare for my day in a relaxed, unhurried, less stressful manner. I am taking note of what's happening when I don't accomplish this and working toward making appropriate revisions. I will keep working at it!

Keeping at It

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Sun, 03 May 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Through a referral link to my blog, I found another blog that addressed the idea of taking very small steps to progress. I honestly believe that CONSISTENCY and PERSISTENCE are the most critical elements to achieving fitness goals.

Let me tell you just how small some of my Baby Steps have been! I have arthritis in my knees. I have felt it since I was a teenager. It's not severe and I have not had a full-blown flareup in a long, long time now. I have not taken arthritis medication since 2005. To strengthen my leg muscles and protect my knee joints I was going to have to take it SLOW!

Squats are an essential exercise! I started out by simply squatting the best I could, no weight, holding on to a chair back. I could barely get down at all! My knees cracked and felt weak but I kept at it. I tried holding on less and less. At one point I even just touched the chair with one finger! It becomes a mental thing; you're afraid to "let go" even though you're not really holding on. I did that until I could squat with correct form without holding on at all.

A good strategy for achieving proper form is to have a weight bench behind you and just tap it with your butt. Also, you'll have that sense that there is something behind you if you are afraid you're going to fall.

When I started squatting with weight, I used just 5lbs in each hand and I held it any way I could. Just to have something in my hands as I squatted down was a new challenge. I progressed to holding the very light weight up at shoulder height before I moved on to holding more weight.

By that point, I could just keep going! Now I can squat with correct form with a 50lb bar on my shoulders. I have a clear sense of what is proper form and I strive to always achieve it. It's been probably about TWO YEARS since I first started trying to perform proper squats. Is that too long? There's no such thing as "too long"!! It doesn't matter!! If that's what it takes, then that's what it takes.

Baby Steps!

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:40:00 +0000

Thanks to the bus tracker system I can see that my bus won't be here for at least another 15 minutes. I will probably switch to another bus strategy I use that involves making a transfer downtown.

I have added the Turkish Getup to my morning routine. I am only able to do a couple of them. I am more coordinated on my right side than my left! Like anything else, I just need to keep practicing! Initially, I couldn't do the Turkish Getup at all! I progressed doing it with my arm in the air, then with light weight and now with 10lbs. If the only progress you can make is baby steps---then take them!

New Exercises

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 09:48:00 +0000

I have added some information about weighted balls to the Refine & Advance page. Go check it out!

I also bought a new piece of equipment that I really like. You know I don't believe in expensive stuff! And I especially don't want to spend a lot of money on anything that has just one function but I really like the Bicep Bomber from Fitness Factory. I am very committed to developing my arms to the best they can be and that takes an extremely high degree of work for a woman so I need all the help I can get! The Bicep Bomber holds your arms and shoulders in the exact correct position to do the most effective bicep curl. It has a neck strap on it but you do not really need it. The strap is attached with a screw and easily removed. The device is easily held in place as you use it.

A Strategy for Change

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:47:00 +0000

As the season is changing, though quite slowly here in Chicago, I got to thinking about how I got to this point of being a CRAZY WORKOUT FREAK. I started with long walks that got progressively longer.

I know it can be very difficult to develop a consistent training plan and even more difficult to reach that level of intensity that is going to get you results. I think SO MANY people train too inconsistently and at too low intensity. Something I've heard Jillian Michaels talk about is how people are conditioned to believe that they cannot do this hard work, that they cannot train intensely. I know what happens when you are able to muster the determination to push yourself through that tough period of getting started. It's SO difficult that people give up too quickly. What can you do?

First of all, we need to stop thinking "No Pain No Gain" is a myth. It's not. It's taken too literally by too many people, even trainers! It's not about the pain of injury. The reality is

YOU MUST PUT STRESS ON YOUR BODY TO FORCE IT TO ADAPT AND CHANGE.

Pushing past your comfort levels into a zone of intense work is the only way to make that happen. If you repeatedly take yourself to just below your limit and stop there, how will you ever move past it? You won't.

Embrace the pain! Embrace the effort and work because that's what it's going to take! Look forward and say BRING IT ON!!! Are you getting the idea that this is as much about your mindset as it is your physical condition? YES IT IS!

I can look back now and realize what was really happening when I started walking. I was changing my mind about my physical abilities. I remember as I got into walking farther and farther, I felt very liberated. I felt set free from my limitations. I was far from home but I had no fear that I was going to be stranded by aching knees and lungs that had given out. I could keep going! But you know what? I WAS tired! I did not fear fatigue anymore. I had started thinking about it in a different way!

Working out can make you feel weak and broken down. It can put a glaring spotlight on your physical limitations. You can feel very discouraged to discover how little you are able to do initially or feel downright distressed at how wiped out and completely exhausted you feel. TURN THIS AROUND!

Reaching your limits is where the excitement starts! You WANT to get there and then GO BEYOND! That's the only way to get the results you want so bad! Your limitations can become your strategy for change.

In Which I Am Pursued By the Evil

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 02:53:00 +0000

I worked just about a 14 hour day. But I got SO MUCH DONE I'm hugely relieved to have it behind me! So no weights tonight. I wanted to get my laundry out of the way. What I did complete today was much more important. And I'm very pleased that I did get a workout in this morning! I will do it again tomorrow!

Working these kinds of days definitely throws off my eating. I get busy, I don't want to get up, I get to snacking if something is around. Today was no exception. Through the course of the afternoon and into the evening I had a frozen yogurt, a Nature Valley Granola bar and a whole bag of Genisoy Soy Crisps. I kept thinking about doughnuts and the Dunkin' Donuts that's right downstairs. Fortunately, I was so engrossed in my work I did not succumb. But I didn't eat anything appropriate either. On the bus home I started going into "Food Fantasy" mode.

Food Fantasy is when my imagination is bigger than my stomach! I get a little hungry and I start to think about the things I'd like to eat. This usually doesn't last very long and can be easily defused! As the bus approached the stop in front of the grocery store at my corner, I thought about getting off. I did not have a taste for anything in particular. That's the strange thing about Food Fantasy. I just imagine wanting to eat! It can be the most odd disconnection! I didn't get off the bus. I started to. Didn't.

Next stop, my house. Next to the pizza place. That sells slices. And of course it was open. Get off the bus. I start walking in that direction. But after a few steps I take a left! I was very happy to discover that I still had some edamame bao from Wow Bao in my freezer! I like having those around. Pop one in the microwave for one minute and they come out almost as good as when they're fresh from the restaurant. About 100 calories, protein, fiber, whole grain, a serving of vegetables. They're PERFECT! Took my night time supplements and I'm all set. Food Fantasy episode over.

Getting washed up and in bed right now. I would have felt like shit if I'd had that pizza.

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 11:47:00 +0000

This new morning routine is off to a very good start! The timing works; the bus tracker works; the nutrition strategy works. Blogging on the bus works! I am really liking the Art of strength workout. It is suitably Kicking my ass. I like it better than all the jumping around of the shred workout. And I think the aos ab work is more intense. Sixty Russian twists will get to you! I do them with 15lbs. I will lift weights tonight. So long from the 136 bus on Lake Shore Drive!

Bus blogging!

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:52:00 +0000

Biggest Loser and my favorite workout of the week tonight! The new bus strategy is sound so far. On the bus now! l worked late last night. Good thing I had my workout done!

Art of Strength Workouts

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:58:00 +0000

Kettlebells lend themselves really well to circuit-style workouts. There are many places to get great combo workouts. Art of Strength is probably THE ABSOLUTE BEST. And I once got to meet Anthony. It was a THRILL!!

My workout this morning consisted of a circuit of Sumo deadlifts paired with swings, then Getup Situps combined with Russian Twists and finally a clean and press ladder combined with a high pull to a snatch. What's a ladder you ask? You do an increasing then decreasing number of sequences. One on each side, then two, then three, then reverse. Keep taking the ladder higher to increase intensity as you improve.

My own original workout described in this website is this sort of circuit style, done in rounds with timed rest in between. I loved this workout and found I was able to build my momentum as I did it.

Art of Strength has a great collection of workouts to download. This one is just $14.95. You get video demonstrations of the exercises and multiple levels of workouts laid out in a straight-forward, easy to follow manner. This is just the sort of thing to really hook you on kettlebells!!! Find "Workouts on Demand" in the Online Store at ArtofStrength.com

Greetings from the Bus

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:18:00 +0000

I LOVE MY PHONE. I got it about a month ago. It uses handwriting recognition for text entry. It even learns how you write and improves its recognition.

So I'm on the bus. Used the bus tracker, no prob. I will be at the office by 7:30 with all supplements consumed and one protein drink down.

I did an Art of Strength kettlebell workout this morning. I'll tell you about it tonight. I feel nicely worked out. It's a great way to start the day! Let's all have a great day!

Different Results: Different Strategy

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 09:46:00 +0000

My week back at work after being sick was fairly tough. I worked some very long days trying to get caught back up and I still feel behind from where I wanted to be by now. And I still seem to have about 10% of this frickin' cold.

Getting sick pushed me completely off track but in the past month I saw my work schedule throw off my training plans. I think that integrating a morning workout into my routine is the way to go.

What has to change to accomplish that:

I found that I did not perform well when I first get up in the morning but of course the goal of training is to condition your body to adapt and change. There's my answer! I have to keep working at it until I force my body to adapt and change.

I have been a freak about getting to the office earlier and earlier! Like I'm pissed the first express bus isn't until 5:45! Oh good lord girl, let it go! Arriving every day at 7:30 is PERFECTLY FINE!! I do like to be there alone in the early morning but I think this is more important. The express bus I take is going to be on the bus tracker starting today. I can see exactly when a bus is going to arrive at my stop. I will plan to be on a bus that will get me to the office by 7:30 every day. I should be able to get up at my usual time, spend about 15 minutes waking up, have about a 30-minute session and be able to get ready for work in the unhurried manner I prefer. I should also have time to send out the early morning commentary I do from home each day.

I need to change my morning nutrition habits. I have long dealt with a tendency for anemia. I get it from my mother. Last year I had reached a level of severe anemia. I was taking an iron supplement but I was taking it incorrectly by consuming things that interfere with iron absorption like calcium supplements and tea. I started taking iron first thing upon waking on an empty stomach. I'd drink a Fuze with vitamin C while I was getting dressed. Vitamin C enhances iron absorption. I am never really hungry in the morning and was never a breakfast eater anyway so I had my first protein drink of the day at the office, giving my body loads of time to absorb the iron before consuming anything that might have interfered. But I got very inconsistent with that. I'd get busy and put it off and put it off and before I knew it, 10:30am would roll around and I had consumed NOTHING since awakening! I need a good morning nutritional plan.

I think I can continue to take my iron first thing upon awakening as I will continue to get up at 4:30am. I could have a protein drink by about 6am and that should be fine. I have let my insistence on leaving for the office before friggin' DAWN get in the way of following a sound morning routine that includes getting something into my stomach besides my various supplements and vitamins.

Iron at 4:30am, everything else at 6am should be fine and I should have more than enough time for everything. I will be due for a blood test in June and that should be enough time to see if I am maintaining good iron levels.

So! I've been doing a little waking up as I've written this! Alright, let's see how this works starting RIGHT NOW....

Emerging and Awakening!

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 05:42:00 +0000

Isn't this so great? I feel loads better and finally downright perky and awake. AT NEARLY ONE AM!!!! Well this is darned convenient. I have been in and out of sleep all day long, now I have to see if I can get BACK to sleep for some semblance of a normal night. Of course, if I get up around 5am that would be fine since that's my usual time during the week.

I would like to work out tomorrow but I am not sure if I should. My arms have been bothering me quite a bit and I'm not sure why they should at this point. I know they won't necessarily feel completely normal yet but the backs of both of my arms where I had lipo have been feeling tight and very tender with weird "crawly" sensations. The fact that both of them feel like that make me think it's because I lifted weights. I'm seeing my doctor on Tuesday. I'll find out what's normal and OK.

Can't Even Hear

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:53:00 +0000

Trying to feel a little normal. I am really quite sick. I ran 101 for a while last night but fortunately it didn't last. Good old-fashioned regular ASPIRIN! But I have so much fluid in my head I feel dizzy and even my hearing is a bit dulled. I'd like to have at least a tiny appetite for something but I'm forcing myself to keep sipping Fuze with vitamin C. I had so much I needed to work on over this holiday weekend and I don't even feel much like sitting up. I doubt I'd be able to focus. I'll take a hot shower and see if I can keep myself vertical for a while.

I'm thinking I'm going to have to hit the RESET button on THE SHRED after I'm well again. Drag.

OK, Not Quite!

noreply@blogger.com (Dagny) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:24:00 +0000

Whatever this is that I've had is turning into a full-fledged cold. Oh boy, just in time for the long holiday weekend!!! I was planning on working all weekend anyway.

Poop. If the symptoms are well-controlled by the various meds I'm taking I'll do some light working out otherwise, I'll take it easy and probably visit the sauna a few times. I'm SO GRATEFUL I got the soreness worked out of me last night!!