Gwen's Body Revolution

Fitness Training Begins

2018-01-20T16:16:00.000-08:00

Today I met with my new fitness trainer Patti at Snap Fitness. We did a fitness evaluation which gave me the following starting results:

Jan 20, 2018
Weight: 199 lbs
BMI = 33.1 (30 or higher is obese)
Body Fat Percentage = 49.1 (almost half of me is fat)
Skeletal Muscle Percentage = 21.9 (low)
Resting Metabolism = 1611 (pretty much what I had as my daily calorie goal - between 1400 and 1800)
Visceral Fat Level = 12 (high)
Flexibility scale = 0

... and my calculated Body Age = 69 Yuk!

We also took my measurements but I forgot to get a copy of that, so I will fill that in later.

We did the circuit using a bunch of machines to find out what settings to use, and what level of weights/reps I should start at (but I forgot that too lol).

We meet on Tuesday to start my routine. It will consist of warm-up, strength training and cardio. After the 2 weeks are up, I won't be using the machines and will be using a routine I can do at home.

It was a good day. Later this afternoon I went for a long walk and ended up at the grocery store buying fish for dinner tonight!

New Year - New Start

2018-01-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

After last Friday's workout, I ended up with a lower back pain that stopped me from doing any more workouts. It's not the first time, but it made me realize I need to work more on form and posture than finishing the workouts.

So, I decided to hire a Personal Fitness Trainer to help me get started on my journey.

This is what I asked for:

I am looking to get some help setting up a fitness routine for myself. I would like to have a work-out plan to do 3x a week that includes strength training. I do alot of walking (about 1hr each day) so am looking for other exercises to build my core and strength in my back, arms and legs AND lose weight!! Preferably things I can do at home with a mat and hand weights - nothing too fancy.

I really need to learn the correct posture for the exercises, so for the first couple of weeks maybe we can work together and you can show me the right form. Seems every time I set out to do exercises on my own, I injure my neck or lower back. I think once I have a good set of exercises to do on a regular basis, and am doing them correctly, I should be good to proceed on my own. Maybe have a followup session with you once every couple of months (or something like that).

Here's my stats:

age 56

weight 210 lbs

height 5'5"

This Saturday, we meet at 10am at a local gym in Brockville called Snap Fitness. My trainer is Patti Easter and she also teaches Aquafit at Tallships - which I attend on Thursday.

Looking forward to the initial assessment and having her prepare a suitable workout for me to do on my own.

Woohoo!

Day 3 - JM 30DS

2018-01-13T07:43:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was the third day of the Level 1 workout. It is definitely getting easier, however I still have a hard time with the push-ups.. Grrr. They are hard! I have lost 1 pound which is great.

Today is my day off. I woke up this morning with a tinge of pain in my left hip. I'm not sure if that was because of the exercises, however, I took a couple of ibuprofens and am stretching it. I might go for a walk thru the snow later today.

Day 2 - Jillians 30 Day Shred Level 1

2018-01-10T18:39:00.001-08:00

I wasn't sure I should do the workout today as I was still quite stiff and sore. But I went out and got all the ingredients to make my delicious protein smoothie. Once I was back home, I decided to go ahead with Day 2.

It actually wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I was able to do the modifed push-ups. The secret is to keep my core straight.

In addition to the JM 30 DS, I did a 32 minute walk thru the snow as well as 10,000 steps.

Feeling good.

Jan 9, 2018 - Other Exercises

2018-01-09T17:59:00.003-08:00

Today's exercise consisted of a 1 hour (5 km) walk through the snow on the Brock Trail in Brockville. This trail winds along the St. Lawrence River, through Hardy Park and then along the Buell Creek across woodlands to centertown Brockville. The trail is snow-packed. This exercise burned 364 calories.

In addition, I also reached my 10,000 steps by 1:30pm .

And to cap off a beautiful day, I went to a 75 minute yoga/meditation session tonight. So relaxed.

Looking forward to tomorrow's Level 1 - Day 2 workout.

Jan 8, 2018 - Day 1 of JM 30DS Level 1

2018-01-09T12:34:00.000-08:00

It is now 2018. I am officially retired and loving it. However, with retirement comes a lapse of structure and a lessening of physical activity. Although I have been maintaining an almost daily walk, it is not the same as the daily movement involved when I was at work.

My typical week included the following forms of physical activity:

daily 1hour walk outside at a leisurely to mid-impact level
once a week Aquafit classes
trying to keep a 10,000 daily step total

However, this is not enough activity to keep my weight down and following New Years' Eve, my weight was 211 lbs. This is the highest it has ever been.

So......I have started the Jillian Michael 30 Day Shred DVD and yesterday I completed Day 1.

There are 3 levels to this - Level 1, Level 2 and (guess what) Level 3. I am starting at Level 1. Each level is done 10 times before moving on to the next level.

Jan 8, 2018 - Level 1 - Day 1

The daily routine consists of a 2 minute warmup, the 3 segments which include - 3minute strength, 2minute aerobic and 1minute abs - repeated 3 times with different exercises in each segment.

Exercises: First segment included push-ups which I cannot do at all. Just kind of did the movements.
Second and third segments I was able to do (in the easy mode). I used 3lb weights for these exercises.

Results: The following day my legs (quads) are SORE but in a good way. My shoulders/neck are also sore. I feel very pumped and positive about the workout.

Actions: I have to be very careful because last time I did an exercise pgm like this I hurt my neck and had to go to physio. So I will be adding in stretches afterwards to ensure my shoulders/neck stay healthy. I also realize that at my age and physical shape that I am better to skip 1 day between work-outs in order to allow my body to grow. There is no way I could have done another workout today! I would have hurt myself for sure. Maybe, as time progresses and I get stronger, I can do these workouts daily, but not yet.

Day 26 of 90

2012-05-18T16:38:00.002-07:00

Last time for workout #4. I gave it my all today and pretty much did all of the exercises. It felt great after I was done - sweating like crazy which I love.

We're going away for the long weekend tomorrow so I had to plan how I will fit in my exercises. I will do my last cardio1 before we leave tomorrow morning. Sunday is my rest day so that works out good. However, Monday we may either be at the trailer or down in Brockville. Hopefully we'll be in Brockville where we'll be staying in a hotel room so I can take my computer and the dvd and do the workout there. If we're still at the trailer it will be pretty hard to do it. Worst case scenario, I wait until Monday evening when we check into the hotel and do it then. I'll see. I just don't want to miss a workout. Especially because I'll be starting the new workouts and I'm excited about that.

I ate pretty well today. Jillians blueberry muffin for breakfast. Salmon sandwich and soup for lunch. And then I got really lazy and just had the rest of the salmon and soup for dinner. Hmmm. Not much variety in there! Add in a couple of glasses of wine and 1 Smirnoff ice and I'm all set for the weekend!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Day 25 of 90

2012-05-17T16:41:00.001-07:00

Today was my final Workout #3. Even though it is the longest workout (at 36 minutes) the time seems to go by fast. Before I knew it I was doing the last exercise and it was cool down time! I'm not doing any of the planks or push-ups so that makes it a little easier.

After that, I went to my physio appointment again and repeated yesterday's workout in addition to a few more stretches. I really enjoyed my time there. I was there for almost 2 hours.

My lovely daughter Jessica left such kind words for me on her blog yesterday. I am so glad that I have her in my life.

I bought some good snacks to have - trail mix and those chocolate covered pretzels, as well as some pita chips that look tasty.

Have a good night!

Day 24 of 90

2012-05-16T18:13:00.003-07:00

I can't believe I'm almost done of Phase 1. Just one more time to do workout 3 and 4 and cardio 1. I'm going to miss those workouts since I'm just starting to get used to them!

Today was Cardio 1. Finally I can get through the running man. It makes such a difference if I just hold my core strong and tuck my abs in. Amazing. I still work up a sweat doing this cardio but I can get through it all.

After cardio, I went to physiotherapy where I worked on various core and shoulder exercises for 1 hour. It was pretty intense and the muscles in my right arm started shaking and giving out near the end. I wear a heart monitor and do either steps or bicycling to get myself into my optimum heart rate (120 to 144 bpm).

The exercises I am starting out with to rebuild the strength in my upper back/neck/shoulder area are:

Using the machines, I do 3 sets of 12 each:

leg presses - @ 40kg
lateral pull downs - @30kg (love these!)
dips - @30kg

Using the ball, I do the following exercises 5 - 10 times each

Back extensions - improves low back strengh
Reverse fly - strengthens upper back and shoulders and improves posture.
Rear shoulder raises - improves upper back posture and rear shoulder strength
Dynamic core mobilization - improves back strength and stability

I also do a few others that I don't know the names of. I'm going to try to go a few times a week because it's nice to have qualified people around to help me with my form and posture.

Looking forward to tomorrow - workout 3 for the last time! Just when I was starting to like it.

Time to Slow Down

2012-04-29T08:28:00.001-07:00

Well, I thought things were getting better, however, after doing the workouts for 2 days (keeping my arm out of it) I was starting to feel worse in my neck - instead of better. I guess it's hard to do any time of workout without using (or tensing) your neck. So I am going to lay off the exercises for awhile and focus on the strengthening exercises my physiotherapist assigned me to do.

I'm still monitoring my food intake on MFP.

Take care, Gwen.

Day 18 of 90 - Redo

2012-04-26T18:43:00.000-07:00

Well, I did workout #3 today and modified all the sets that involved using my right arm/shoulder. There's quite a lot of exercises in this workout that use those muscles. I instead did other things - ab work, running in place.

My neck/arm is kind of bothering me more tonight - not sure what that's about. I'm icing it again.

Meals were good - quite light actually. For lunch I made my banana - whey protein shake, but because I had no banana's I used a cup of frozen fruit. Definitely not as good tasting as with the banana. I still have 429 calories left for today, but I'm sore and tired and going to bed.

Day 17 of 90 - Redo

2012-04-25T16:12:00.002-07:00

Today I've probably felt better than I have in the last 2 weeks. So I decided to give my workout a try. It was the cardio workout and I did it with no problems. Of course, I had to hold my right arm still but other than that, I did the whole workout. Yippee! I even went for a 20 minute walk to burn a few more calories.

Food was pretty good - breakfast was a blueberry-banana muffin, lunch was 2 ham and cheese on tortilla wrap sandwiches, and dinner was a chicken salad on tortilla wrap. Then there was the 3 chocolates, baby cookies and 2 glasses of wine. But still came in under my daily goal.

Looking forward to tomorrow. Workout #3, and the Senators play again.

Go SENS Go! Yes, that's me with Mike Fisher and Jason Spezza!!!

Can It Be True - Am I Actually Feeling Better?

2012-04-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Today I would have to say has been the least painful day since I sprained my neck. Yes, that's what it turned out to be - not my shoulders or my arm, but basically overstrained my neck. I went to a new physiotherapist on Monday morning. He spent alot of time testing my arm and neck strength before deciding on a course of corrective action. That was EXACTLY what I wanted someone to do. Not just start treating me with drugs or acupuncture, etc, but find out what is the problem and how I can change my body to correct it.

My poor posture over the years - due to working all day on the computer - has resulted in my head being slumped forward which has pulled the muscled in my back and limited my flexibility. So first thing I need to do is keep my posture correct and aligned to relieve the pressure on my nect. Sitting up straight with support for my lower back. Sleeping on my back with a roll under my neck for proper alignment. Doing small neck exercises every hour in bed.

When my posture is corrected, I can definitely feel less pain.

So to all you younger people out there working all day slumped over a computer, please keep in mind your posture and try to keep your head over your shoulders - not leaned over.

Here's my picture for the day of me with my grandson William taken in 2010.

Neck Problems Slowing Me Down

2012-04-21T16:41:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been a week since my last workout. I went to a massage therapist to work out some of the stiffness in my shoulders and the pain has been absolutely unbearable since then. I finally got to see a doctor last night and he diagnosed me a neck strain with inflammation and swelling that is cutting intothe nerves that travel down my arm. As a result, I'm now taking a muscle relaxant and anti-imflammatory/pain medication. I also have physio starting on Monday so I hope I can work thru this and learn how to properly strenghthen my back and shoulders!

I am still not able to do my workouts yet but have decided that I will start back at the beginning of Workout #3 and do the full 2 weeks. But it may be a week or two before I can start back in.

Good luck to everyone else on their fitness journey's. I'll be back as soon as I can.

Day 21 of 90

2012-04-15T15:53:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that I've been doing this workout for 3 weeks already. They say it takes 3 weeks for something to develop into a habit. I agree with that because even though today was my rest day I did kind of miss exercising today. Crazy. I so hope that after the 90 days are up I continue to keep exercising on a regular basis.

My shoulder injury is worse than I had thought. Apparently all 4 muscles in my right shoulder are inflamed. Today was the worst of it - probably aggravated by the massage I had yesterday. I'll be calling my doctor tomorrow and will start going to physiotherapy asap.

So, starting tomorrow with workout #3 I will be doing a modified version of Jillians workout focussing on the legs, core and abs and doing light upper body work. I think that's okay. The important thing is to keep exercising - not lose what I've gained (ahem... lost) so far.

Tomorrow is my weigh in day.

Day 20 of 90

2012-04-14T10:23:00.001-07:00

I love Saturday. Once my cardio workout is done I know I have the rest of the weekend off. Enjoyed the workout today, but I had to do it with only 1 arm. I kept my right arm tucked by my side. Hopefully between my rest day tomorrow, the icing, the ibuprofen and a deep-tissue/trigger-point massage later this afternoon, I'll see some improvement and lessening of pain in my right shoulder. Then I can gently begin to exercise it again.

I'm going to keep going full steam ahead - even if I have to baby my right arm. I don't want to lose any of the momentum I've built so far. My body feels great and strong and I have so much more energy.

I've increased my daily calories to 1610 - which is 200 calories over my BMR. Big difference from the 1270 calories MFP suggested I use. Let's see how it goes. I ate a healthy breakfast and had my banana shake with whey protein today after exercising.

Have a great day everyone!

Day 19 of 90

2012-04-13T16:34:00.002-07:00

Today was workout #4 which I really enjoyed. I was able to do all of the exercises (using my 3lb weights). Balancing on my right leg is harder than on my left leg. My upper back/right shoulder is still bothering me. It hurts to put my head back. This happened a couple of years ago and I went to physio so I might need to do the same thing again. I was very careful with the exercises today, but I don't want to have to skip moves.

I had to go do an home organizing job from 10 to 1 this morning so that put off my eating schedule. I was starving when I came home and had a healthy soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. But then for dinner tonight -- after a good meal of salad and spaghetti -- I kept eying my Lindt chocolate easter bunny on the kitchen shelf. The bunny won. I ate the whole thing (100g) which added in 550 calories and doubled my sugar intake for the day. Overall, I was only ~200 calories over, so that's not too bad. But my tummy doesn't feel that great. No wine today! Amazing.

Tomorrow is my cardio workout and then a day off!! Hope everyone got to enjoy the day today. The weather here in Ottawa was spectatular and sunny.

Day 18 of 90

2012-04-12T17:56:00.001-07:00

Amazing...Today was the same workout #3 that I dreaded on Monday, but it actually wasn't too bad today. I kind of enjoyed it. I still can't do all the plank moves - especially the last one where I have to push up to one leg and back but it's getting better. I wasn't able to finish the last set of planks where you go down on one arm then the other, and then push yourself back up. I love that feeling that I am getting stronger - when some of the exercises are getting easier. I seem to be able to do the squats with no problem - and I'm getting real low. One thing different today is that I switched back to my lower weights - the 3lb instead of the 5lb. I want to make sure I'm building my shoulder muscles safely since I know they are in bad shape to start with.

Funny pic of the day...See that little bump - it's my bicep muscle!!!

I'm working really hard on my posture - keeping my head above my shoulders and my shoulders back, however, I still have the burning between my shoulder blades. Nothing to do with the exercises, it's just something I've had for a long time. I'll blame it my office days as a computer programmer and bad posture. Really hoping these exercises will build up my shoulder and upper back muscles and eliminate that pain.

I made my delicious banana protein shake after my workout which really made me feel good after I ate it. For my food, I ate really well, and actually went over my daily limit which I think is okay because based on the fat2fit site and my stats, I should be consuming about 1600 calories a day - which is about what I'm doing. The bad foods today was 2 chocolates and 2 glasses of red wine. Oops!

Looking forward to workout #4 tomorrow.

Day 17 of 90

2012-04-11T17:12:00.001-07:00

I made it through the 2 new workouts - 3 and 4. I found workout 3 really hard. It focussed mostly on the upper body and shoulders and I could hardly do some of the exercises. But since it was the first time for them, I'm sure it will get better. By the end of workout 4 - which also had a lot of shoulder/arm exercises my shoulders and neck were hurting! They feel better today and it was cardio day so I got a rest.

I calculated my BMR and body fat today using an online tool on the fat2fit website. Based on my weight (168 lbs) height (65") neck (14.25") waist (35") and hips (40.5") my total body fat is 36.5%. Not too good. It means I am carrying around 61.3 lbs of FAT! My ideal weight using my stats (for a 50 year old woman with light level of daily activity) is 143 lbs so that is my goal to lose 25 more pounds. To achieve that goal I should be consuming no more than 1850 calories a day. That seems high to me. I'm only eating on average about 1400 calories a day.

Oh and some exciting news......for the first time today I was able to complete all 3 sets of the Running Man in the cardio workout! It was hard but I gave a big YAH shout each time I did it.
Tomorrow is back to workout 3.

Day 12 of 90

2012-04-06T12:49:00.002-07:00

Today was Workout #2 and I completed it with bells on! It sure makes a difference now that I'm eating a light breakfast before doing my workout. Last time, I had difficulty finishing some of the sets and yesterday and today I had no problem. Of course, my body is getting stronger as well. I can feel it and see it.

This is the same Workout where I felt like I might have pulled a muscle on the top of my quad - right leg. So I was very conscious of what I was doing today and watched for the pain. I even remembered what exercise it was that caused it - the lunges with side turns. I had no problems today so my 2 days of resting my quads and some icing seem to have repaired it. This was the last time for me to do this workout. Too bad, I like this one! But onto bigger and better.

Hubby took me out for breakfast this morning. I ordered 1 poached egg, 2 brown toast and a peanut butter. Skipped the bacon, hash browns and beans! We didn't eat until 10:30 this morning, so I had my snack/lunch around 2pm which was an oatmeal with chocolate chip muffin and a 1/2 glass of orange juice. I'm currently freezing banana's in the freezer to make those incredibly delicious chocolate cinnamon banana pops!

A very good day.

Day 9 of 90

2012-04-03T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today was Workout #2 - my favorite. I went out last night to buy heavier weights and ended up just getting 5 lb weights, so not a big increase. But I am sure feeling it tonight in my upper body especially in my shoulders. While doing the leg work, I felt a pain in my right leg at the top of the quad. It hurts more when I stretch out my left leg, so I'll have to watch out tomorrow. Hopefully I didn't do anything.

I ate alot of food today. It was all good food, but just a lot of it.

Cardio tomorrow...