Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Insanity [fit test]

i finally decided to try it.. Insanity! i had heard so much about it from a few devoted friends, friends who have seen results. i have a few days off, and today being a holiday ['Family Day',] there's not much else to do but focus on myself.

i found out that the gym that i signed up for right down the street has postponed it's opening again.. for another 6 weeks! i was looking so forward to getting on the machines that i was neglecting to do much about exercise in the meantime. beyond my walks and a few reps here and there on my Lebert bars, i had gotten pretty sedentary this winter sulking about the cold. i felt i was depending on the gym to open in order for me to have the means to focus on my fitness.. it's so cold in our apartment most of the time it's hard to find the motivation to come out from under the blankets.

no more waiting. i started to do some research into different at-home workouts to find if there may be some i can do in my tiny bachelor apartment. there are so many good ones out there, the three that caught my attention are P90X, Insanity, and T25. i even started looking up different exercises for the Equalizers so that i can chart out a routine. up until this point i was more or less freestyling with the bars, but i'm now trying to keep track of what i am doing so i can challenge myself later, and see that i am getting stronger.


anyhoo... the Insanity Fit Test! i figure, even if i don't start the Insanity workouts right away, it'd be nice to know where i'm at. i made my own tracking sheet to record my results and well... i was actually pleasantly surprised. i didn't think i would be able to do all of the moves for the test, but i could actually do most even if it was just a few times. the jumps i could do only slowly and few, i'm still working on that ankle sprain and i don't want to push it. the push-up jacks and 'suicide jumps' i substituted for pull-ups on my Equalizers, and push-ups from my knees using one of the bars as a grip. i am also doing my best to remain conscious of my old wrist injury, and until i get some more weight off i don't want to attempt to hold my body weight with my wrists in that position.

that being said.. NO EXCUSES! if there is something that i can't fully 'do' in a workout, i'll modify it slightly so that i can work the same muscles until i can do the moves. after my fit test and trying bits of other workouts i had a burst of energy, and decided to go on a 7.8km walk around the city. it was the first sunny day in a while that i wasn't stuck inside at work and [though still frigid!] it was nice to get out.

now i'm looking into other routines, and creating one of my own. more on that later!

Monday, February 17, 2014

fitbit first impressions..

i've been eyeing this little gadget since a friend of mine got one for christmas, and i finally gave in and grabbed one. now that i have, i kind wish i would have sooner. i have tried many other 'apps' to attempt to keep track of my diet and activities, but the very act of inputting all of the data is enough to be discouraging. fitbit keeps track of my steps, 'calories burned', time asleep, and the accompanying mobile app and online profile [that synchs via wireless dongle] that makes it easy to see what i've been up to, and when i need to push myself harder to reach my goals. that and i can see when i have surpassed them, which keeps me 'competative' and motivated to beat my old records.


the online account lets you input everything you eat and drink so that you can keep track of calories [plus fat/protein/carb ratio] going in and compare it to your daily activity and calories being burned. of course, one must be 'honest' with the software about servings and whatnot, and when i do so it really puts into perspective the 'value' of everything i put into my body. that and generally keeping track of everything i put in makes me more aware of what i'm consuming- another motivation to make better choices, especially to get a balanced ratio of everything i need to support workouts and recovery.

speaking of.. i've had to get creative and find another means of working out. it seems very possible that i may have been roped into a gym 'scam'... i pre-registered for a facility that keeps postponing it's opening. it was supposed to open [for the second time] this weekend, but it was pushed another six weeks. at first i was pretty upset about it, but now i realise that i should start small before i get on the machines as i have the tendency to push myself too hard. anyhoo, i'm using this obstacle to further drive my motivation. getting a grip on my fitness level before i step into a gym is a blessing in disguise. between this new little gadget and the numerous resources available to work out at home, i may not need the gym membership after all. although, a little more space to move around will be nice. trail running weather is still a long way off.

that's all i have for this episode, next i'll write more about my Insanity Fit test.. and building an at-home routine that will [hopefully] help me get super-fit inside this tiny little apartment. no excuses.. get fit or die!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

the difference..

since i did the three day juice fast, i have continued to drink fresh cold pressed vegetable and fruit juice daily, in addition to watching my calorie intake. i have noticed a couple things in this past week. first of all, i'd like to blame the juice for this.. i haven't been sick yet in 2014. there have been some horrible bugs going around, people on my team at work have been sick twice over so far, and i haven't gotten so much as a cough. i feel pretty confident that the constant influx of delicious vitamin and mineral rich juices is helping to support my immune system and keep me virus free.

juicing in the snow for my '24 hour challenge'

secondly, i've heard a few people say this.. don't watch the scale every single day it will freak you out and/or make you crazy. i totally agree. last month i was literally weighing myself daily, sometimes even twice a day. i was curious to see if there would be any changes, and at first the pounds came off quickly until i got down under two hundred. i may not be losing it as fast now, but the good news is, it's still coming off. this month on average so far i have lost a pound a week. that really isn't so bad.. if i were to continue at this rate i could lose 40 more pounds this year, and i wouldn't complain. the real difference here is that my trend of gaining roughly six pounds a year has finally changed due to a complete [and continual] overhaul of my lifestyle.

it has been a challenge to this point to get in more physical activity. it's been a long, cold, brutal winter.. even this time last year i had no problem running the trails, but this year the frigid temperatures have been a burden. i still see some people running, good on them. this temperature just isn't for me. on top of that, when it's that bloody cold i usually opt for a bus pass to get to work, but i didn't renew this month. i've started walking again [it's only average ten below instead of thirty], to work and back which adds 7 kilometers to my daily regime. i feel a lot better when i get to work, not as tired.. and i sleep better at night.

speaking of which, it's about time to get a move on. my gym finally opens this weekend, i have been literally counting the days. i can't wait to get in there and learn how to use the machines.time for work... bye for now!

Saturday, February 1, 2014

cheat day

me again.. yea i'm still at it. since i'm kind of freestyling here [with some extensive self education] as far as my 'diet' goes, i've decided to make payday my 'cheat' day. i only get paid biweekly, so that's two days a month i can eat whatever i want. within reason of course.. the likelihood of me scarfing down a McDonalds cheeseburger on my cheat day isn't very good.

yesterday i had a banana berry smoothie with chia and coconut oil for breakfast, broccoli salad and a few pieces of brown rice vegetarian sushi at lunch, and for dinner Matt and i attended a Geocaching event which involved chicken wings. i only had a few as i could barely get anymore in my stomach, and had lemon water to drink and a few of his fries, i couldn't resist. i wasn't going to go chicken wings, but i rarely ever get the chance to eat them and was really craving some meat.

after a week of primarily plant based whole foods, it was a little bit of a shock to my digestive system. i didn't feel it till later in the evening, it was probably the wings that did me in. that being said, the gut ache still wasn't nearly as bad as i used to get them, just a little uncomfortable trying to get to sleep.

it's the weekend again, so i'm juice fasting again for my days off. i'm pleased with the success so far in regards to how i'm feeling overall, and the fact that i only 'gained back' half a pound from the six that i lost over last weekend. keeping up with a mostly plant based whole food diet i believe is helping me to maintain my weight.


i'm super excited to go to my new gym that finally opens in two weeks! i'm glad i bought in pre-opening and that i'm locked in for a year because that will encourage me to take full advantage. the price was right for my budget and it's just too awkward to get a good workout in our tiny little apartment. there's just not enough room to move around for the impact that i'm going for.

in the meantime, i'll keep up with the juicing and primarily plant based diet along with some stretches and light exercise. eventually i'd like to ease back into running, but not until i get enough weight off to have a lesser impact on my joints.

i'm feeling sort of hungry and grumbly today, which isn't all that surprising considering i ate whatever i wanted yesterday. and because of very recent previous experience, i know tomorrow will be easier. i've been considering stretching it out into a longer term juice fast, i've been reading up a lot about thirty day and sixty day juice 'cleanses' and i'm wondering if i might be able to handle it with my schedule and physical job. i may have to modify slightly to get a greater intake of calories, i know i don't feel right if i'm not getting enough.

that's about all that i have to say for today.. i am noticing that my yoga pants are loose in places they never used to be. i'm excited every time i notice a subtle change in my shape or my appearance or the way that i feel. keeps me motivated and makes me smile.