I plan a monthly dinner for 20 of my Yelp girls every month, and I had already scouted a restaurant, planned the menu and made reservations for our monthly dinner that was held last night before I started dieting, so I HAD to go. Its pretty poor form to not show up to your own event, diet or not. I can skip out of cocktails with friends, but my own dinner event? Gotta be there.
Guess what? It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Turns out Middle Eastern food has a lot of grilled, reasonably healthy options. I stuck with plain grilled chicken breast and a few grilled veggies. Sure, they're not exciting, but I stuck to the diet. Well, except I had one bit of someones falafel. I'm only human.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The Body Aches
I had my first real training session on Friday of last week with Rob. Um, yeah. Personal training is no joke. I've never sweat more in my life. Circuit training is the devil.
We started out with some stretching and moved right into lots of horrible things like lunges, squats, planks, bridges (where you lay on your back and stick your bootie up in the air and squeeze your knees together), those funny squat looking shuffles that football players do, flutter kicks and carrying huge weights around the track. Brutal.
On Saturday my quads were on fire. I could barely walk or move. Same with Sunday.
Yesterday came around and my next training session with Rob was on deck. I was nervous because I thought there was no way my body could do a squat or lunge or, well, anything at all, but I surprised myself. After I warmed up a bit, I was rockin' and rollin'. You just have to take yourself to another place to get through the tough workouts.
Yesterday's training session was fun because Rob started to incorporate the kettlebells into our workout. Kettlebell training is Rob's forte, so it will be the focus of our workouts, but first we have to learn how to use them. If you're not familiar with kettlebells, they look like metal medicine balls that have a handle connected to them. The basic training motion is a swing between your legs where you hike it back like a football and then swing it forward while you come up from a squat and thrust your hips forward. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. Its difficult to get your timing down and I struggled in the beginning, but I pulled it together. I was proud of myself.
My body loosened up from yesterday's training session and I feel MUCH better today. In fact, I woke up with tons of energy, a feeling I haven't had in awhile.
Also important to note is that I'm wearing a pencil skirt today that I haven't fit into in years. And one of my co-workers told me I looked noticeably thinner. Yay!
We started out with some stretching and moved right into lots of horrible things like lunges, squats, planks, bridges (where you lay on your back and stick your bootie up in the air and squeeze your knees together), those funny squat looking shuffles that football players do, flutter kicks and carrying huge weights around the track. Brutal.
On Saturday my quads were on fire. I could barely walk or move. Same with Sunday.
Yesterday came around and my next training session with Rob was on deck. I was nervous because I thought there was no way my body could do a squat or lunge or, well, anything at all, but I surprised myself. After I warmed up a bit, I was rockin' and rollin'. You just have to take yourself to another place to get through the tough workouts.
Yesterday's training session was fun because Rob started to incorporate the kettlebells into our workout. Kettlebell training is Rob's forte, so it will be the focus of our workouts, but first we have to learn how to use them. If you're not familiar with kettlebells, they look like metal medicine balls that have a handle connected to them. The basic training motion is a swing between your legs where you hike it back like a football and then swing it forward while you come up from a squat and thrust your hips forward. Sounds easy, right? Wrong. Its difficult to get your timing down and I struggled in the beginning, but I pulled it together. I was proud of myself.
My body loosened up from yesterday's training session and I feel MUCH better today. In fact, I woke up with tons of energy, a feeling I haven't had in awhile.
Also important to note is that I'm wearing a pencil skirt today that I haven't fit into in years. And one of my co-workers told me I looked noticeably thinner. Yay!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Bitchy
The caveman diet is getting to me.
I'm basically eating no carbs, which makes me crabby.
I haven't had a diet Coke in 2 weeks. I think I would kick a puppy for a soda right now.
The only fat I'm getting is from the few nuts I eat every day.
I'm struggling... not going to lie. All I could think about last night was how much I wanted frozen pizza. Instead a drank a huge glass of water and went to bed.
Sigh.
I'm basically eating no carbs, which makes me crabby.
I haven't had a diet Coke in 2 weeks. I think I would kick a puppy for a soda right now.
The only fat I'm getting is from the few nuts I eat every day.
I'm struggling... not going to lie. All I could think about last night was how much I wanted frozen pizza. Instead a drank a huge glass of water and went to bed.
Sigh.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Girl Meets Trainer
Yesterday was my first personal training session with Rob Miller, M's friend who's training us at Chicago Fitness Center.
I had been dreading the session all day. I'd never been to a personal trainer and I'd heard stories about puking, passing out, being screamed at... all the general horror stories. So OF COURSE I was freaking out on my way to the gym and completely expecting the worse.
Turns out that while Rob is physically intimidating, he's actually a cool guy. Since it was our first session, we talked for about 15 minutes about why I wanted to start training (I'm 30 and need to lose my fat suit), what I'd been eating (crap, obviously) and how the diet was going (it sucks). He had some good insight on why America is overweight... we fall into eating 3 big meals a day and lots of fast food and processed foods because that's what we're taught in school and what the media markets to us. While it's mostly my fault I'm fat, there are some obvious problems with how people view food because of how it is advertised to us.
So on to the training session. Rob's main goal for the first session was to assess our fitness level and see how we move so he can develop a training program to suit M and me. Our workout consisted of circuit training with some weights, some arm and ab work, leg lifts and squats... the usual. He also had us carrying huge weights around the track, which was undoubtedly the most challenging part of the workout.
What I learned:
1. I'm WAY out of shape. But that will change with Rob's guidance.
2. I apparently have no upper body strength.
3. Planks are evil.
I sweat a lot, but it wasn't as horrifying as I thought it would be. Training is actually kind of fun. I'm sore today, but not in too much pain. My quads (from all those squats) and arms (from the see-saw arm weight moves) hurt the most.
We have our next session on Friday. In the meantime, Rob is going to email me workouts for the days we don't have training sessions. It'll be nice to mix it up.
I had been dreading the session all day. I'd never been to a personal trainer and I'd heard stories about puking, passing out, being screamed at... all the general horror stories. So OF COURSE I was freaking out on my way to the gym and completely expecting the worse.
Turns out that while Rob is physically intimidating, he's actually a cool guy. Since it was our first session, we talked for about 15 minutes about why I wanted to start training (I'm 30 and need to lose my fat suit), what I'd been eating (crap, obviously) and how the diet was going (it sucks). He had some good insight on why America is overweight... we fall into eating 3 big meals a day and lots of fast food and processed foods because that's what we're taught in school and what the media markets to us. While it's mostly my fault I'm fat, there are some obvious problems with how people view food because of how it is advertised to us.
So on to the training session. Rob's main goal for the first session was to assess our fitness level and see how we move so he can develop a training program to suit M and me. Our workout consisted of circuit training with some weights, some arm and ab work, leg lifts and squats... the usual. He also had us carrying huge weights around the track, which was undoubtedly the most challenging part of the workout.
What I learned:
1. I'm WAY out of shape. But that will change with Rob's guidance.
2. I apparently have no upper body strength.
3. Planks are evil.
I sweat a lot, but it wasn't as horrifying as I thought it would be. Training is actually kind of fun. I'm sore today, but not in too much pain. My quads (from all those squats) and arms (from the see-saw arm weight moves) hurt the most.
We have our next session on Friday. In the meantime, Rob is going to email me workouts for the days we don't have training sessions. It'll be nice to mix it up.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Boredom Ensues
It's Saturday night at 10:30pm and I'm updating my weight loss blog. Sad. And loserish. But that's how it goes when you're on a strict diet and exercise plan, eh?
Because I was out and about all day today, I didn't get a chance to hit the gym until 8:15pm. I was literally the only person in my 24/7 workout spot. Seriously. The only person. Whatever... I did my 45 minutes of cardio and some stretching. Boo-ya!
Since my caveman diet starts tomorrow, I went to the grocery store and bought all the grub I need to kick off the next 3 hellish weeks. Damn... healthy groceries are EXPENSIVE. But it's a small price to pay for thinness.
One thing that is making me kind of sad is that because I'm off the booze, I'm staying in while one of my good friends celebrates her 31st birthday. While yes, I could have gone to the bar and drank water, I just don't trust myself to be in that environment yet. I hate that I'm kind of isolating myself from my regular social life because I'm on a diet. I really hope they understand that I just need to lay low for the next few months to work on myself.
Because I was out and about all day today, I didn't get a chance to hit the gym until 8:15pm. I was literally the only person in my 24/7 workout spot. Seriously. The only person. Whatever... I did my 45 minutes of cardio and some stretching. Boo-ya!
Since my caveman diet starts tomorrow, I went to the grocery store and bought all the grub I need to kick off the next 3 hellish weeks. Damn... healthy groceries are EXPENSIVE. But it's a small price to pay for thinness.
One thing that is making me kind of sad is that because I'm off the booze, I'm staying in while one of my good friends celebrates her 31st birthday. While yes, I could have gone to the bar and drank water, I just don't trust myself to be in that environment yet. I hate that I'm kind of isolating myself from my regular social life because I'm on a diet. I really hope they understand that I just need to lay low for the next few months to work on myself.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Sweating it out
Yesterday marked my first day of cardio hell. 30 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the treadmill. Ugh.
I'm proud to say that I didn't have to stop for any breaks, which is awesome. I think my new "workout mix" on my iPod helped. It's near impossible to slack off when you're sweating to that catchy new Michael Franti song, eh? I was a hot, sweaty mess post-workout and I loved it.
I thought I would be miserably sore today, but I feel really good. Great, in fact. I actually can't wait to go back to the gym after work. This is coming from the girl who HATES EXERCISE. I suppose motivation is all you really need to get through a workout.
Also, I may be hallucinating, but my jeans felt slightly looser today. Now, I don't start my crazy caveman diet til Monday, but I have been eating really light all week and cut out booze, soda and anything that isn't water or green tea, so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
I'm proud to say that I didn't have to stop for any breaks, which is awesome. I think my new "workout mix" on my iPod helped. It's near impossible to slack off when you're sweating to that catchy new Michael Franti song, eh? I was a hot, sweaty mess post-workout and I loved it.
I thought I would be miserably sore today, but I feel really good. Great, in fact. I actually can't wait to go back to the gym after work. This is coming from the girl who HATES EXERCISE. I suppose motivation is all you really need to get through a workout.
Also, I may be hallucinating, but my jeans felt slightly looser today. Now, I don't start my crazy caveman diet til Monday, but I have been eating really light all week and cut out booze, soda and anything that isn't water or green tea, so I'm sure that has something to do with it.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The First Day
Today is the first day of the rest of my life.
I've always been fat. It sucks. I've been emotionally guarded, my dating life has suffered and quite honestly, I've just been unhappy for a long time. I know it's because I'm not happy with my body. I just turned 30 this month and I've decided that now is the time to stop messing around and get serious about losing weight.
Acceptance is the first step, right? Second step? Actually figuring out how to lose weight.
I'm lucky enough to have another fatty friend, M (we'll protect her anonymity), who is 100% on board with losing weight with me. So we've decided to team up and lose the chub together. We'll support each other when we're struggling, motivate each other to get our fat asses to the gym and really, it's more fun to do things with a buddy. So M and I are in this together.
M has a friend who's a trainer at the Chicago Fitness Center in Lakeview, so he's going to cut us a sweet deal and train us together for a discounted price. M and I signed up for the gym last night, and while we were there, I met Rob, the trainer. He's, um, kind of scary. I have a feeling that he's going to kick my butt into gear, though, and motivate me to work out harder, better and longer.
Rob also has M and I starting the "Caveman Diet" next week, which is pretty much 6 small meals a day of lean protein and veggies with a few nuts thrown in for good measure. It's going to be a big struggle, but like his diet plan says, "What you eat is either taking you toward your goal of strength, health and leanness, or taking you in the opposite direction, toward weakness, disease and fatness. Every time you feel the urge to deviate from the plan, remind yourself of this."
So the diet and training sessions start next week, but I'm hitting the gym tonight with M to do a bunch of cardio and start getting prepared for our training sessions.
Wish me luck!
I've always been fat. It sucks. I've been emotionally guarded, my dating life has suffered and quite honestly, I've just been unhappy for a long time. I know it's because I'm not happy with my body. I just turned 30 this month and I've decided that now is the time to stop messing around and get serious about losing weight.
Acceptance is the first step, right? Second step? Actually figuring out how to lose weight.
I'm lucky enough to have another fatty friend, M (we'll protect her anonymity), who is 100% on board with losing weight with me. So we've decided to team up and lose the chub together. We'll support each other when we're struggling, motivate each other to get our fat asses to the gym and really, it's more fun to do things with a buddy. So M and I are in this together.
M has a friend who's a trainer at the Chicago Fitness Center in Lakeview, so he's going to cut us a sweet deal and train us together for a discounted price. M and I signed up for the gym last night, and while we were there, I met Rob, the trainer. He's, um, kind of scary. I have a feeling that he's going to kick my butt into gear, though, and motivate me to work out harder, better and longer.
Rob also has M and I starting the "Caveman Diet" next week, which is pretty much 6 small meals a day of lean protein and veggies with a few nuts thrown in for good measure. It's going to be a big struggle, but like his diet plan says, "What you eat is either taking you toward your goal of strength, health and leanness, or taking you in the opposite direction, toward weakness, disease and fatness. Every time you feel the urge to deviate from the plan, remind yourself of this."
So the diet and training sessions start next week, but I'm hitting the gym tonight with M to do a bunch of cardio and start getting prepared for our training sessions.
Wish me luck!
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