St Louis 6-Week Health Challenge

Mid-Point Measurements

2012-03-02T11:22:00.000-06:00

Results:

Round 2 Starting Stats:
Weight: 167.5
Neck: 12.5
Chest: 37.5
Waist 1: 33.75
Waist 2: 30
Hips: 44
Bicep: 12.25
Thigh: 25
Calf: 14

End Round 2/Mid-Point Gold's Gym Challenge
Weight: 162.9
Neck: 12.5
Chest: 36.75
Waist 1: 32
Waist 2: 29.5
Hips: 42.5
Bicep: 12.25
Thigh: 24.75
Calf: 14

Overall that is a loss of 4.6lbs and 5".

What were my round 2 goals?

Keri's Round 2 Goals:
Workout 6 times a week - Done
Burn 1000 calories each workout - Done
Lose 8lbs - Missed, but with starting back to work, I'm pretty happy with where I am.
Drop Waist 1 measurement to 32" - Success
Drop Waist 2 measurement to 29" - Pretty much
Hip measurement to below 43" - Success
Thigh measurement to 23" - Nope

Gold's Gym Midpoint Check-In - Trying New Things

2012-03-01T09:41:00.001-06:00

WOW! I have been so flipping busy lately that I've not had much time to post on my blog. I just wanted to give an update about what I'm up to. I had my midpoint check-in for the Gold's Gym Challenge today and I'm pretty happy with where I am considering I started my job right about the same time I started their challenge. I haven't been to get in double workouts since I started working, but I am bringing it.

My lovely husband bought me a new Heart Rate Monitor for Valentine's Day. It replaced my beat up Sportline Heart Rate Monitor that I bought from Sport's Authority almost two years ago. My new Timex works amazingly. It tracks heart rate, calories burned, zone rates, avg. heart rate and more. Plus it is more accurate! I've been able to step it up and hit about 1,100 calories in 60 minutes.

What else have I been up to? I'm boxing more frequently. I checked out a local boxing gym and have been hitting it at least 2 times a week. Then I box with Matt once a week, and also have one pt session with him. Usually on the other days I do weights. This brings me to switching up my nutrition. As some of you may know, I was using My Fitness Pal to track my nutrition. It's been a really helpful tool, however if you only have a small amount of weight to lose it can be difficult to track appropriately. It told me I would need to limit my calories to 1200/day. Then whatever I was losing to workouts I was also supposed to eat, but that was sort of unclear. I was getting hungry at work and would feel like cheating because I was close to starving myself. Consider this, I was burning 1,100 calories a day in a workout and my BMR (min. # cals my body burns/day) is around 1,400. I was eating 1,200. Meaning I was allowing my body to run on 100/cals a day, which even if I don't work out is less than my body burns.

After reading several articles on weight loss plateaus and body starvation, I decided to try a different approach. If you are a user of MFP, it is called the "Olivia method." Basically, you NEVER eat less than your BMR, and on the days you workout, you eat until you have a maximum of 1,000 calorie deficit (if continued for a week you would lose 2lbs). Here is a breakdown:

First of all, to calculate your BMR use this equation: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x Weight in lbs) + (4.7 x Height in Inches) - (4.7 x Age).

My BMR is 1495.

Next, calculate the number of calories you can eat to MAINTAIN your weight. You may be like, but Keri, I want to LOSE, not GAIN! Just do it! Take your BMR and multiply by 1.2 if you sit most of the day. multiply by 1.3 if you stand most of the day. See the Harris Benedict Equation for further explanation.

My BMR: 1495 x 1.2 = 1794 maintainenace calories. This is the number of calories I can eat to maintain my current weight. However, we are looking for a deficit of 1,000 calories/day to lose 2lbs a week MAX. I'm not going to eat just 794 calories! That would be insane. So, what am I going to do? Look to exercise to help me make that target.

Next, take your BMR and add 1,000. Then subtract your maintenance calories.

(1495 + 1000) - 1794 = 701 which is now my exercise goal. This means if I burn a minimum of 701 calories a day I will have created a 1,000 calorie deficit. If I burn MORE than that I need to eat the difference. So, if I burn 801 calories from exercise I need to eat an additional 100 calories. If I burn less than 700 calories in exercise I won't have a 1,000 calorie deficit - that's not to say I won't lose weight, I will just not lose 2lbs/week.

So, what does this mean to me? It means I'm able to eat around 1,600 calories a day when I burn more than 700 calories. And, days that I don't work out I eat my BMR - 1,495 calories a day. I'm feeling fuller obviously, and less likely to cheat. It has been one week for me following this program and I have lost about 2lbs. It's not for everyone, but if you are stuck in your weight loss, consider taking a look at adjusting your calorie intake.

It's Been So Long! But With Time Comes Good News - Week 5 Results

2012-02-03T09:49:00.000-06:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to give an update. I actually have had a lot of progress in the job search lately. Lots of interviews - 10 in about 2 weeks. Which means more good news that I will post about once it is all finalized! However, this kept me really busy and I did keep working out and journaling, but never got around to posting. So this may be a long one.

As of Monday I received my CPR/AED certification. I have wanted to become CPR certified for a long time. My sister has three kids and I had always wanted to be certified since I watch them. Also, my dad has had issues with his heart, and if any of you know me, you know I'm a big sap when it comes to children losing their father. I can't imagine what it would be like, but I do know that I don't want it to happen to my dad. I remember when I was in high school and my dad had his first trip to the ER due to heart related issues. He has had several trips back since. He has smoked for a very long time and I've hoped and hoped that he would stop. I still hope he does. But, in my heart when I became CPR certified I was thankful that if something were to happen to anyone I love, or even a stranger, I would be able to help. What finally pushed me to becoming certified? It's a requirement for personal trainers. One thing I want to mention here is how very easy it is to become CPR certified. I wish more people would do so.

Now before I get to my results so far, I want to mention a few things. This go around has been a struggle. Not that I'm not losing, but it has been more difficult. I've been researching a lot to try and figure out how to push past this plateau. As some of you know, I use My Fitness Pal for journaling my food. My recommended caloric intake is 1200 calories/day without exercise. The 1200 calorie mark is really the fewest number of calories anyone should consume without pushing your body into starvation mode. Now, I could also eat my "exercise calories" but in the past I had not done so. Typically I burn 1,000 calories a day with exercise. Meaning my body was living off of 200 calories. So for the next week, I am going to try and eat half of my exercise calories. If it is my rest day then I'll stick to 1200. What about any of you? If you journal do you eat your exercise calories?

Now for this week's results:

Round 2 Starting Stats:
Weight: 167.5
Neck: 12.5
Chest: 37.5
Waist 1: 33.75
Waist 2: 30
Hips: 44
Bicep: 12.25
Thigh: 25
Calf: 14

Week 5:
Weight: 163.9
Neck: 12.5
Chest: 37
Waist 1: 32.5
Waist 2: 29.5
Hips: 43
Bicep: 12.25
Thigh: 25
Calf: 14

Overall that is a loss of 3.6lbs and 3.25".

My Butt And Calves Are So Sore!

2012-01-18T14:01:00.000-06:00

As you know from a couple days ago, I am taking on the BodyRock.tv Challenge. You may be wondering what the hell is wrong with me and why must I become involved in multiple challenges (6-week Challenge, Gold's Gym Challenge and the BodyRock Challenge). I am just way too competitive for my own good. If you ask my sister and anyone I ever played softball with they would tell you that if we lost a game I would either speed off in my Chevy Beretta, punch the crap out of a fence, or run!

I love competition for a few reasons: I want to be the best and it keeps me motivated. I went to the gym today to do Day 3 but the BodyRock website was down, so I did my own thing that I'll post below as well.

BodyRock Day 2:
12 rounds with interval timer set to :50 work and :10 rest.
10 high-knees then 10 mountain climbers
2 squat-jumps then 2 push-ups and 1 tuck jump
Center to elbow jumps (Think plank and you jump your feet in toward each elbow)
Clean and press, squat and press, push-up
Tuck jump, 5 burpees, squat and hold
Spider knee push-up, push-up
Lunge and press
Side lunge, side punch, tuck jump
10 squats then 10 squat jumps
10 elbows to knees each side (Hop while you do it)
Wide leg jump and push-up
Run in place

This workout will kick your butt literally. I feel like my butt cheeks have not been this sore in awhile. Plus random things happen while you do this workout. Big muscular guys come ask you how to do burpees like you are some sort of plyometric champion. Secretly, I hate plyometrics. I think it goes back to my soccer days.

Following this workout I moved on to do my circuit training of biceps, chest and back doing high-reps. Then 20 minutes of arc-trainer.

Today's Workout:
Today I decided to do some Tabata intervals. Tabata intervals are the exercise that suck the life out of you, and if you do them while running on a treadmill you may end up being that girl who falls on a treadmill and gets flung onto the floor. That didn't happen to me, but it was close to happening.
Set an interval timer to :30 work :10 rest.
I used a treadmill my work speed was 7.5 and then for the :10 rest I just jumped off onto the sides of the treadmill because there wasn't enough time to change the speed. Then I did 16 sets.
Follow this up with my circuit training focusing on triceps, delts and abs. Then I did 25 minutes on the arc-trainer and 5 minutes on the bike.

New Workouts - Trying Out The BodyRock Challenge

2012-01-17T08:48:00.002-06:00

A few months ago I stumbled across a fitness blog after finding a recipe for Portobello Mushroom Pizzas. I had added the recipe to my Pinterest board, but couldn't for the life of me remember that I had done this. The website/blog was really amazing. I was kind of overwhelmed the first time I looked at it. There is just so much information. Then last week I stumbled across the website and found that starting early January they began a 30 day fitness challenge. They have HIIT workouts everyday. The longest workout being about 12 minutes. If you don't know what HIIT is and what it can do for your workouts read this article. So, yesterday I decided to give the 30 day fitness challenge a go. It starts off with a FIT test. Think Presidential Challenge in elementary school. You are timed and you do as many reps of an exercise that you can in that time. Then you track your marks and at the end of the challenge do the FIT test again to see how far you've come.

So, what website am I talking about? It's called BodyRock.tv. You must check it out, you may be overwhelmed and I suggest just following it for a few weeks and then jumping on board.

Here is Week 1, Day 1 FIT Test:
This workout consists of using an interval timer and setting it to 7 rounds with :50 work and :10 rest. If you don't own an interval timer, but you have a smart phone I suggest you download the Nike Boom app. You can set up interval workouts on this app and it will beep at each change. The reasons these workouts are so amazing is you don't really need any equipment. You could do this in your house if you wanted. Next you complete the following workouts doing one each round and jot down your scores. Note: my scores are below.

Squat Jumps - 22
Push-Ups (on toes) - 20
Burpees - 12
High Knees (every time a foot touches) - 100
Switch Lunges (every time a leg switches) - 21
Tuck Jumps - 20
Sit-Ups (straight abs) - 20

After this workout I went on to do my circuit training and a bit of cardio. I did hamstrings, quads and triceps with 30 minutes on the Arc Trainer. The FIT test only took 7 minutes and I needed more even though my heart was racing.

Today I'm doing Week 1, Day 2 at BodyRock. I'll let you know how it goes!

Workouts and Week 2 Results

2012-01-13T17:25:00.000-06:00

It is the end of week 2 already, can you believe it? I can't! It seems to be going faster this second time around. Maybe it is because I am now used to the portions I eat, journaling my food and pushing hard at the gym.

I was talking with Matt the other day about goals and he was trying to persuade me to join the Gold's Gym 12-week Challenge. It is a National challenge divided by sex and age group. Typically the winners are the ones who went from fat to flat, and somehow got professional hair, make-up and a spray tan. Michelle and I mocked these photos when we first started this challenge, trying to stick our bellies out as far as possible and refusing to inhale. It's winter so I didn't need to work on being pale as a ghost.

So, after a bit of conversation Matt had worked his magic and convinced me that I stand a chance against a former Gold's Gym trainer, a soccer player who looks like she has leg implants, and I'm sure 100 other 18-29 year old women who don't need to lose any weight. So, not only am I doing the 6-week challenge. I will also be doing the Gold's Gym 12-week challenge. Which I haven't started yet.

Now for this week's results:

Round 2 Starting Stats:
Weight: 167.5
Neck: 12.25
Chest: 37.5
Waist 1: 33.75
Waist 2: 30
Hips: 44
Bicep: 12.25
Thigh: 25
Calf: 14

Week 2:
Weight: 166.0
Neck: 12.5
Chest: 37
Waist 1: 33
Waist 2: 29.75
Hips: 43.25
Bicep: 12.25
Thigh: 25
Calf: 14

Overall that is a loss of 1.5lbs and 2.25".

A lot of people have been asking me what I do at the gym, so I drew this helpful chart to better explain my time:

Here are a few samples of my workouts this week. Feel free to give them a go. Each week I rotate the type of circuit training I do. Week 1: full body, Week 2: Heavy Weight, Week 3: High-Reps, Week 4: Super Sets.

Wednesday's Workout:
I focused on Delts, Hamstrings and Quads.
Warm-Up - 5 minute run on treadmill
Lateral Raises - 8-10 reps @ 15lbs each arm
Squats - 8-10 reps @ 260lbs
Lying Leg Curls - 8-10 reps @ 70lbs
Repeat 3x.
Military Press - 8-10 reps @ 90lbs
Leg Press - 8-10 reps @ 210lbs
Static Lunges - 8-10 reps each leg with 25lb plate
Repeat 3x.
Then because there is not much variety for Delts I repeated Squats and Leg Curls and added Front Lateral Raises.
15-mins on Arc-Trainer
Jump Rope - 1 minute
Torso Twists - 1 minute
Alternating Side Reaches - 1 minute
Prisoner Squats - 1 minute
Jumping Jacks - 40 secs
Cross Knees to Elbows - 40 secs
Side Lunges - 1 minute
Rest - 30 secs
Push-Ups - 1 minute
Lunges with Knee Lifts - 1 minute
Rest - 10 secs
Dumbbell Bent Over Rows - 1 minute
Dumbbell Squats - 1 minute
Burpees - 45 secs
Rest - 30 secs
Overhead Press - 1 minute
Rest - 10 secs
Alternating Bicep Curls - 1 minute
Mountain Climbers - 45 seconds
Rest - 10 secs
Dumbbell Row in Plank - 1 minute
THE END!

Thursday's Workout was with Matt D:
We focused on upper body and a little kickboxing.
Warm-Up - 20 double-hand swings with a 50lb kettlebell (5 sets)
Pull-Up Test - I've never been able to do a pull-up. It is one of my goals. So we tried it out on the weight-assisted pull-up machine. Wound up that I can do 1 pull-up with 56lbs of assisted weight.
Chest Press on Cable Machine - 15lbs each arm @ 10 reps and 5 sets
In Between each chest press set we did medicine ball torso rotations with 10 rotations each direction.
Then we did some kickboxing on the bag and after the session I jumped on an Arc Trainer for about 15 minutes.

Friday's Workout was another circuit:
I focused on Delts, Back and Biceps and today started a high-rep rotation.
Warm-Up - 6 minute run on treadmill
Front Lateral Raises - 15 reps
Row Machine - 15 reps @ 90lbs
Bicep Cable Curls - 15 reps
Repeat 3x
Side Lateral Raises - 15 reps at 15lbs each arm
Bicep Barbell Curls - 15 reps at 30lb bar
Pull-Down - 15 reps at 90lbs
Repeat 3x
I then went through round 1 again, because I like the cable machines the most for circuits.
Then I spent 30 minutes on the Arc Trainer doing intervals of high intensity and incline.

Oh New Year's, We Have A Love Hate Relationship!

2012-01-06T16:03:00.000-06:00

Obviously, the first round of "6-week health challenge," is over. What does that mean?

It means that I spent the following weekend partying rockin'. We went out with friends each night, had a delicious but HUGE New Year's Eve dinner and drank lots of champagne. Now, lets be honest now that we're blog friends, that means I probably put on 1 or 2 pounds in between the end of challenge 1 and beginning of challenge 2. But, I was celebrating!

When Monday rolled around the truth showed on the scale! I was at 169.something after drinking and eating delicious Japanese food. So my goal for this week was to get back to where I was at the end of the first challenge and maybe surpass that number. So, what happened?

Today I jumped on the scale and I was at 167.5 - the exact weight I was at after challenge 1. I'm going to guess that this is going to drop a bit more over the week since it's Lucky Lady's Week. If you know what I'm saying (John refuses to use the P word and we just say I'm sick.) I have a few fun facts to share with you today that John found for me when I didn't lose as much as I wanted one week.

Fun Fact #1 - If you poop once a day your body is retaining 6lbs of poop. If you poop every other day your body is retaining 9lbs of poop. That's a LOT!

Fun Fact #2 (GUYS MAY NOT WANT TO READ) - You can gain 2-5lbs during your period. Lovely huh? It's usually water weight and comes off, but still annoying.

Now - Even though my weight stayed the same this week, which was actually only 5 days (from the last challenge), I did still have Matt do my measurements and they have changed.

Round 2 Starting Stats:
Weight: 167.5
Neck: 12.25
Chest: 37.5
Waist 1: 33.75
Waist 2: 30
Hips: 44
Bicep: 12.25
Thigh: 25
Calf: 14

Week 1:
Weight: 167.5
Neck: 12.5
Chest: 37
Waist 1: 33
Waist 2: 30
Hips: 43.25
Bicep: 12.25
Thigh: 25
Calf: 14

For a total of 0lbs lost and a total of 1.75" lost. Notice my neck measurement went up? I think it just never went down lol. Lost from waist and finally a decent amount from hips.

New Workouts and New Goals

2012-01-02T17:17:00.004-06:00

For the last 3 days I have been battling a pretty nasty cold. My workouts had not been nearly as hard and thankfully that is ok since I took the weekend off for NYE and to prepare for round 2! Which starts today!

So today I went to the gym with the goal that I was going to hit my targets and do it hard and fast. I tried out some workouts on the Workout Trainer App, mixed in with some of my standard cardio. I normally do circuits with my cardio, but this week I'm gearing up for heavy reps and decided I would do all cardio as a transition. I didn't want to spend 60 minutes on a treadmill so here is what I did. I'd love to hear from you - try out the workout at the end of this post and let me know what you think.

Keri's Round 2 Goals:
Workout 6 times a week
Burn 1000 calories each workout
Lose 8lbs
Drop Waist 1 measurement to 32"
Drop Waist 2 measurement to 29"
Hip measurement to below 43"
Thigh measurement to 23"

Michelle's Round 2 Goals:

Workout 5x a week

Burn 1200 calories each workout

Get Waist's 1 and 2 under 30 inches

Hips under 40 inches

Chest lose 1 inch

Thighs lose 2 inches

See some friggin abs!!!

Today's Killer Workout
Warm-up - 1 mile on treadmill
Cross Jacks - 1 minute
Over Over Unders - 1 minute
Rest - 15 secs
Elbow to Hands Plank - 1 minute
Rest - 15 secs
Gate Swings - 1 minute
Rest - 15 secs
Leg Raises - 1 minute
Rest - 15 secs
Lateral Leg Lifts on a Bench - 1 minute (I used a small step up box and you literally put your foot on it from your side and lift your leg)
Rest - 15 secs
Plank with Toe Taps - 1 minute
Child's Pose - 20 secs
Plank with Shoulder Taps - 1 minute
Child's Pose - 20 secs
Push-Ups - 1 minute
Rest - 15 secs
Wall Sit - 100 second challenge ( YOU WILL FEEL THE BURN!)
Sit-Ups - 2 minute timed to see how many you can do. I got in 50.
Kettlebell Swings - 20 secs with a 20lb bell
Bicep Curls - 20 secs with 15lb dumbells
Mason Twists - 20 secs with a 20lb bell
Rest - 10 secs
Tricep Extension - 20 secs with a 15lb dumbell
Kettlebell Swings - 20 seecs with a 20lb bell
Bicep Culs - 20 secs with 15lb dumbells
Mason Twists - 20 secs with a 20lb bell
Rest - 10 secs
Tricep Extension - 20 secs with a 15lb dumbell
Alternating Hands Kettlebell Swings - 20 secs 20lb bells
Dumbell Side Lunge Hammer Curls - 10 secs with 15lb dumbells
Rest - 10 secs
Alternating Hands Kettlebell Swings - 10 secs 20lb bell
Dumbell Side Lunge Hammer Curls - 10 secs with 15lb dumbells
Rest - 10 secs
Alternating Hands Kettlebell Swings - 10 secs 20lb bell
Dumbell Side Lunge Hammer Curls - 10 secs with 15lb dumbells
Rest - 10 secs
Alternating Hands Kettlebell Swings - 10 secs 20lb bell
Dumbell Side Lunge Hammer Curls - 10 secs with 15lb dumbells
Rest - 10 secs

Then I polished it off with 15 minutes on the arc trainer.

Finale: Michelle's Final Numbers

2012-01-02T16:28:00.001-06:00

Michelle's Stats

Start Stats	End Week
Weight: 158 Neck: 13.5" Chest: 38.5" Waist 1: 34.25" Waist 2: 32" Hips: 42.25" Bicep: 11.5" Thigh: 24.5" Calf: 14.5"	Weight: 149.2 Neck: 13.25" Chest: 37" Waist 1: 31" Waist 2: 30" Hips: 40.5 Bicep: 11" Thigh: 23" Calf: 14"

For a total of 8.8lbs and 13.25". Here are Michelle's goals and accomplishments:

Michelle's Goals
Workout a minimum of 5x a week - ACCOMPLISHED
Burn at least 1000 calories each workout - ACCOMPLISHED
Lose 10lbs - Not accomplished, but almost there!
Cut mile running time by at least 2 minutes (13:35)- ACCOMPLISHED new time is 10:56
Decrease waist, hips and thighs by at least 1 inch each. - ACCOMPLISHED
Lose 1 chin (at least half an inch from neck) - Almost there, reached .25"!
See more definition in my arms and shoulders. (and 1 ab would be nice) - Missing the 1 ab, but we can't tell from her pictures, she just claimed that lol!

Finale: 6 weeks of workouts and nutrition and what are the results?

2011-12-30T13:37:00.001-06:00

Keri's Stats

Start Stats	End Week 5
Weight: 174.6 Neck: 13" Chest: 38.5" Waist 1: 36" Waist 2: 31" Hips: 44.5" Bicep: 12.5" Thigh: 26.5" Calf: 14"	Weight: 167.5 Neck: 12.25" Chest: 37.5" Waist 1: 33.75" Waist 2: 30" Hips: 43.85" Bicep: 12.25" Thigh: 25" Calf: 14"

For a total of 7.5lbs and 9.15". My beginning goal was to lose 12lbs, which I did not reach but I am very happy with the loss I did reach after struggling for a few months to lose anything at all and all this during the holidays. I had a few other goals as well:
Workout a minimum of 5 times a week - ACCOMPLISHED!
Burn at least 1,000 calories each workout - ACCOMPLISHED!
Decrease my Waist 1 measurement to 34" - ACCOMPLISHED!
Decrease my Junk In The Trunk to 42" - Not accomplished but I did decrease by .65"
And my MAIN GOAL - lose 12 pounds - Not accomplished but I reached 7.5lbs!

Now are you ready for some before and after shots? I used a self-timer to take the afters so you'll have to excuse the quality. I'm not sure that I see the difference in the pictures, but I feel the difference.

Starting on January 2, I will be beginning round 2 of the 6-week health challenge. I encourage you to join in, even if you don't want to post pictures.

Week 5 Weigh-In and Measurements, Only 1 Week Left!

2011-12-23T09:04:00.001-06:00

It doesn't seem like it has been 5 weeks already. But, it indeed has. This challenge has been great for reinstating some values of fitness and nutrition in myself. Even after this challenge, I'm hoping to continue this and will solicit new challengers with new goals in the new year! If you feel like joining me, send me an email at kerilong13@gmail.com, or leave a comment on this post.

The benefit to a challenge is that you are not alone in working toward your goal and you have something holding you accountable other than yourself. It kept me from cheating, when otherwise I would want to. It kept me motivated in the gym to hit my goals and it kept me interested in learning more about fitness and nutrition.

Now for the results:

Keri's Stats

Start Stats	End Week 5
Weight: 174.6 Neck: 13" Chest: 38.5" Waist 1: 36" Waist 2: 31" Hips: 44.5" Bicep: 12.5" Thigh: 26.5" Calf: 14"	Weight: 168.2 Neck: 12.5" Chest: 37.75" Waist 1: 34.25" Waist 2: 30.25" Hips: 43.85" Bicep: 12.25" Thigh: 25.75" Calf: 14"

For a total so far of 7lbs and 6.4 inches! A lot of that coming from my waist. I feel good about that, and am going to work VERY hard over Christmas Eve and Christmas to limit my eating, especially since we celebrate with my extended family on Christmas Eve, my immediate family on Christmas and John's family on the following Monday. Plus we have my mom's 65th birthday and my mother-in-law's birthday! Lots and Lots of sweets to avoid. My strategy to avoid eating sweets is to stay out of the kitchen, always have a water nearby and to be the one bringing the healthy options to the party.

Catching Up On Workouts and Nutrition

2011-12-21T12:59:00.000-06:00

I got a little busy last week and did not update my numbers and measurements, but I did in fact lose. I lost another pound and about 1.5" total. I weigh in and measure again tomorrow and will update then. There is only one more week left after that! This challenge has been helpful and I wish I would have found this as a motivator prior to help get the last few pounds off. I'm looking forward to my final 9 days of this program and hopefully will be well on my way to kick-starting the new year.

So, I haven't posted my workouts lately, but thought I would do that with my nutrition today. One of my favorite things to do at the gym is the arc trainer. I feel like the elliptical does nothing for me, and I don't love to run. I love the stair climber but it is usually always taken. The arc trainer is the next best thing. Here is the workout I did today:

Warm-up - 1 mile on the treadmill
Circuit Training 3 sets of 12 reps with one exercise per muscle group
Back - Pull Down at 90lbs
Chest - Bench Dumbell Press at 50lbs
Quads - Squats at 260lbs (most I've squated on that machine)
Hamstrings - Hamstring Curls at 70lbs
Abs - Situps using a 10lb core ball
Biceps - Barbell Curl at 40lbs
Triceps - Tricep Extension at 20lbs
Delts - Dumbell Lateral Raise with 20lb bells

You do one set of each muscle group and then move onto the next muscle. Work your way through three sets total resting just as long as it takes you to get to the next machine. I love this muscle workout because it is the best way to keep my heart rate up the entire time I am doing my workout.

Following my circuit I did another 15 minutes on the arc trainer and was drenched in sweat. Overall burning 1,000 calories in 75 minutes.

Yesterday, I did a kettlebell session with Matt D.
Using an 18lb kettlebell we did a warm up of single arm swings for about 3 minutes
Then we switched to 25lb bells and did 3 minute sets of the following:
Cleans on right, Cleans and Press on right, Cleans on left, Cleans and Press on left.
repeat.
Then we did 3 minute sets of the following:
High Pull on right, Snatch on right, High Pull on left, Snatch on left.
repeat.
Then we did 3 minute sets of the following:
Double Hand Swing, Kettlebell Squat
repeat.

Now for nutrition!

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Nutrition and Taking The First Step Toward A New Career

2011-12-14T10:06:00.000-06:00

For the last month and a half I have had six interviews for a new job. I felt like they all went well. Except the first interview I had. But, nothing has come of any of these positions yet. So I figured, since I have the time I am going to start pursuing other interests - one of which is to become a personal trainer. I finally purchased my CPR/AED class and my training material for NASM Certified Personal Trainer.

I am excited about this for several reasons. One being that I hope to increase my knowledge of how to create the best workouts for my body. Two being that I will learn more about nutrition. And three that I will be motivated to stay on track with my own goals.

I've worked with several personal trainers and group ex instructors over the years and hope to take the best things from each of them. I hope my challenges with weight loss and exercise motivate anyone I train in the future and I hope it gives me a better understanding of the motivation they will need.

Now to catch up on Nutrition:

December 11, 2011

December 12, 2011

December 13, 2011

Protein Pancakes - Take 1

2011-12-11T16:17:00.001-06:00

I've seen several recipes for Protein Pancakes, and I love pancakes. So, I thought I would give them a try. Being that last night was our 4th Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Bar Hop. I figured it was the best post-party breakfast. I was sober last night, but we were out until 4:30 in the morning. Then I got about 3 hours of sleep and just happened to wake up in time to get to boxing. So, I went. It was rough but not as bad as I thought it would be. When I got home, I decided to have a go at making my first batch of protein pancakes. And they were not nearly as bad as I thought they might be. These were also REALLY filling. I cut the serving down and still didn't finish it.

Protein Pancakes:

1 serving
1/2 cup egg whites
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup fiber one low-fat cottage cheese
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
1 pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients in a blender until it is a thick liquid-like batter. Then pour onto a hot skillet and cook like regular pancakes. This recipe was actually for 4 servings. But I knew John wouldn't eat them and there is no way I could have finished 4 servings so I divided the original recipe in quarters and it worked perfectly. It made two very large pancakes and one baby cake. I topped mine off with 1tbsp of smart balance light butter with omega-3. Mainly because I don't like syrup and had no berries. However, you could top them off with whatever you like. Now are you curious about the nutritional content? I was very surprised at how much protein they packed in. Excellent post-workout breakfast.

Nutrition:
1 serving
Calories: 280
Fat: 4
Cholesterol: 10
Sodium: 680
Carbohydrates: 33
Fiber: 9
Sugar: 7
Protein: 35

They were really tasty, but I'm curious about the other recipes I've seen where you use a protein powder in place of cottage cheese. I've actually never eaten cottage cheese up until today, and it really wasn't disgusting like I imagined.

Halfway There - Keep On Keeping On

2011-12-09T12:59:00.001-06:00

We are halfway through the 6-week Health Challenge! After the first week things got easier. Not that results were huge, but once we got into a routine staying on track became easier.

I have been in the workout routine for about a year and a half now, but my nutrition has always been the part that swayed. I like working out, and there are activities I love. I love food also. However, I do not want to put weight back on and have to lose it again. Have you ever noticed how it becomes harder each time? It's like you're working twice as hard. So, lets just keep it off and save ourselves some time.

Now for week three stats!

Keri's Stats

Start Stats	End Week 3
Weight: 174.6 Neck: 13" Chest: 38.5" Waist 1: 36" Waist 2: 31" Hips: 44.5" Bicep: 12.5" Thigh: 26.5" Calf: 14"	Weight: 170.6 Neck: 12.5" Chest: 38" Waist 1: 34.75" Waist 2: 30.5" Hips: 44.125" Bicep: 12.5" Thigh: 26" Calf: 14"

Which is a total of 3.625" lost and 4lbs lost. I'm definitely on track on my inches lost, but not on the pounds. However, I do a lot of weight lifting, so it could be that I'm adding muscle mass.

I've also been really stressed lately and Michelle, who used to work at Nutrition Stop suggested it could be my cortisol levels. Sometimes if your body is under a lot of stress (loss of a job) your body may put out higher level of cortisol. Cortisol helps regulate glucose and can effect your metabolism. When levels are too high, your body's metabolism can be effected and you may be working hard but not seeing the results. With that said, I have felt this way with my journal being on point and my exercise being successful so I purchased a few natural supplements: a women's daily vitamin, omega-3 fish oil (helps regulate Cortisol and is also the best tasting fish oil you will ever have) and magnesium powder(also helps regulate Cortisol).

Michelle's Stats

Start Stats	End Week 3
Weight: 158 Neck: 13.5" Chest: 38.5" Waist 1: 34.25" Waist 2: 32" Hips: 42.25" Bicep: 11.5" Thigh: 24.5" Calf: 14.5"	Weight: 151.8 Neck: 13.5" Chest: 37.5" Waist 1: 32" Waist 2: 30.5" Hips: 41" Bicep: 11.25" Thigh: 23.5" Calf: 14"

Which is a total of 7.75" lost and 6.2lbs lost.

Feeling Good This Week - New Challenger, Nutrition and PARTY

2011-12-06T15:29:00.001-06:00

The benefit to setting reasonable weight loss goals is that you can afford to have a cheat day or meal. However, the first two weeks of this program I felt like I went overboard with my "cheat day." So, I am now doing a cheat meal.

I'm still staying between 1200-1400/calories a day. And I average 5,000 calories burned each week in my workouts.

The downside of a cheat day is that the next day you are going to feel heavier, probably because you are. As with any carb-cycle that I've ever done, I always gain week on the high carb days. Then it takes a couple days to get that weight off and the rest of the week is growth. This week, I didn't see as much gain after my cheat day. So, I'm feeling good with my goals for this week.

As you can see from this video, I enjoyed my day off celebrating a friend's 30th bday and of course acting crazy while sober. Also, I'm really excited for this weekend as it is our 4th Annual Ugly Christmas Sweater Barhop. I'm playing sober driver, for two reasons:
1. I will drink less and that will add up to less calories consumed.
2. I can have just as much fun sober as my friends do drunk, probably because of my inability to be embarrassed.

And final announcement today, Matt D. my lovely personal trainer has joined in on the health challenge. He has his own blog you can check out, but I'll also post his updates here.

Matt's Starting Stats:
Weight - 211.8
Body Fat - 10.3%

Matt's Stats 12/06/11:
Weight - 209.6
Body Fat - 9.4%

Down 2.2 lbs and .9% body fat.

And Now for my nutrition update, Saturday was my meal off day:Friday, December 2

Sunday, December 4

Monday, December 5

Week 2: Weigh-in and Measurements

2011-12-02T14:27:00.001-06:00

Well, we are two weeks into the six week challenge. I measured with Matt yesterday, and today I weighed in. I started off weight at 11am originally, so I've tried to keep the time the same even though I'm about a pound lighter in the morning.

Taking a look back at where I started:

Keri 11/18/11:	Weight: 174.6	Chest: 38.5"	*Waist 1: 36"	*Waist 2: 31"	Hips: 44.5"	Bicep: 12.5"	Thigh: 26.5"	Calf: 14"
Keri 11/22/11:	Weight: 173.8	Chest: 38"	*Waist 1: 35.8"	*Waist 2: 30.8"	Hips: 44.3"	Bicep: 12.5"	Thigh: 26.5"	Calf: 14"
Keri 12/02/11:	Weight: 172	Chest: 38.5"	*Waist 1: 35.5"	*Waist 2: 30.75"	Hips: 44.25"	Bicep: 12.5"	Thigh: 26.5"	Calf: 14"

*Some of you may be confused about my having two waists. One is a measurement around the bellybutton.

Two is a measurement around the small of the waist. So overall I am down 2.6 pounds and 1 inch.

Now for my Nutrition for the past few days:

November 30, 2011 - I ran around a lot today had a lot of stuff to do outside the house. So my lunch was just a protein drink and peanuts. And, I finally picked up some eggs. :)

December 1, 2011

I SERIOUSLY Need To Buy Eggs

2011-11-29T21:24:00.001-06:00

We ran out of eggs over Thanksgiving, and I've been waiting to make my weekly trip to the grocery store for Shop 'N Save Thursday. Yea, I'm one of those maniacs who takes advantage of $10 off my grocery bill.

Looking at my nutrition from the last couple days I really wish I had some eggs. I eat so much better when I start with eggs in the morning.

I've done something that I thought I would never do this week though. I gave up my beloved Rockstar Roasted Light. For any of you have seen me before 10am, you probably saw a Rockstar Roasted in my hand. At one point in my life, gas stations stopped stocking my beloved, and I went so far as to buy two cases online. It's my crack. Matt D. always made fun of me for not being able to give it up. He's one of those Coffee Black drinkers! But I always argued with him on this because it IS the healthiest, tastiest coffee drink you could possibly have. Plus its Rockstar so it had extra energy boosters. Only 100 calories for 16 ounces of coffee goodness. BUT, I am giving it up and have exchanged it for plain-ol-coffee plus a little bit of mocha creamer. So, in exchange for 100 calories I am now going for 35. My diet is getting pretty picky.

Now For The Numbers:
November 28, 2011
This was my first day making coffee, I added too much creamer. So I put 2 servings. Also, John and I cooked Round Steak for the first time. We have just recently become steak eaters. And I am apparently a filet eater only. I keep trying different steaks, but just love the filet - minus any bacon wrapping.

November 29, 2011This day, I feel was pretty good. If only I could get my eggs!

Nutrition Apps - A Review of Food Journal Apps

2011-11-27T17:53:00.001-06:00

I've given it about a week. And wanted to review the apps I have been using both for nutrition and for exercise. I'm going to give each an overall rating out of 5 stars, plus the pros/cons.

First The Food Journaling Apps:
Livestrong.com & MyPlate App

The website Livestrong.com also operates an App called MyPlate. The App is $2.99 to download.
Pros: Website and App track all nutrients: calories, fat, fiber, carbs, protein, sodium & sugar. For someone who is really looking to track all aspects of their health this is a great breakdown. This App also has verified data for almost any food you could think of and its fitness portion allows you to enter exact calories burned and not just which activity you did.
Cons: The App does not work as well as the website. It does not always sync when you switch between the App and the website. It also does not allow for a presentable export option. If you print the exported document the text is too small to read.

MyFitnessPal.com & My Fitness Pal App

The website MyFitnessPal.com also operates an App called MyFitnessPal. The App is a free download.
Pros: Website and App sync seamlessly together. You can add food via your phone and it will be updated on the website. This App also has almost any food nutrient data. You can also track exact calories burned for each exercise. The export to print option works perfectly for someone wanting a readable copy. This app does allow you to track all nutrients, but you must edit your diary settings on the website in order to make them show up.
Cons: The only con to this app is that you can not enter your own nutrient goals based on a low-carb/high protein diet, etc.

This Challenge Is About More Than Weight Loss

2011-11-23T16:14:00.001-06:00

I will preface this blog post with this statement: I am currently unemployed!

With that said, my day consists of waking up and eating breakfast, surfing job boards for marketing and communication positions I can apply for, stumbling out of my pajamas and into workout clothes which look strangely similar, then heading to the gym, coming home to eat lunch, working on my freelance projects: invitations, holiday cards, websites, and watching way too much reality television or CSI. It seems like those are my only options.

So on Tuesday, I met up with Matt D. at Golds Gym to fit in my weekly personal training session. I knew going into this workout that we were going to weigh and measure since I wouldn't see him on Thursday. Up until Tuesday morning, I was feeling a bit defeated but was trying to convince myself that weight loss would happen. I had been working SO hard to burn 1000 calories each workout and was tracking my food and felt it just was not happening.

After my workout on Tuesday, I felt like someone punched me in the throat it was so hard to breathe. But honestly, I think I just get frustrated with how easy it is for some people to lose weight when I know how hard I have to work to get there. As a woman, it is slightly frustrating to look at someone who is the same size as you but weighs 10 pounds less than you. You wonder why you aren't there or why it seems to be so much harder for you to get there. Then when I got home I watched "I Used To Be Fat," one of those reality TV shows I've caught now that I'm jobless. The girl on this week's show talked about how it was really hard to stay with it when the people around her weren't also willing to follow a diet or exercise. This could not be more true. I find it extremely hard to stay on the right path when people close to me are not also working hard at the gym or journaling every little thing that goes into their body.

I am happy to say that after weighing in with Matt on Tuesday, I was down one pound and my measurements have dropped. So, I'm going to stay focused on that and less on how easy it is for others to drop weight.

Tuesday, Matt set up a deadly little workout for me:
50 reps of the battling rope (as a warm-up) and I hate this thing as is.
10 18lb kettlebell double swings
Sprint width of the gym and back
8 18lb kettlebell double swings
Sprint width of the gym and back
6 18lb kettlebell double swings
Sprint width of the gym and back
4 18lb kettlebell double swings
Sprint width of the gym and back
2 18lb kettlebell double swings
Sprint width of the gym and back

Repeat with cleans instead of swings
Repeat with high pulls instead of swings and sprint after every 8 and 2
Repeat with snatches instead of swings and sprint after every 8 and 2

50 reps of the battling rope
10 drop squats
40 reps of the battling rope
10 drop squats
30 reps of the battling rope
10 drop squats
20 reps of the battling rope
10 drop squats

Then we did 10 reps on both right and left sides and overhead with slamming a ball against the wall.

Food, Food and More Food

2011-11-23T16:02:00.001-06:00

Everyone in my family loves, and by loves I mean OBSESSES over Thanksgiving food. For years, my mom has made enough deserts that each person could have their own pie. More stuffing than anyone has seen. AND, I hardly eat on Thanksgiving.

This is probably a blessing in disguise since I am doing this challenge. I don't eat stuffing. I don't like gravy. I really just eat Turkey, Salad and a roll. So this year I volunteered to make the salad, since I will eat most of it.

I'm trying to not bog this blog down with posts of nutrition. So here are my meals for the past few days. I'm going to go ahead and posts today's journal even though I'm not done eating for the day. John and I made lean ground beef tacos for a very late lunch today since I got moving so much later.

Nutrition for Monday, November 21:I bought these voila frozen meals for something easy and healthy to make for dinner. It is noodles with chicken and LOTS of veggies (carrots, broccoli, corn). I took most of the chicken and broccoli since John hates broccoli. We used to love these meals. However, today's SUCKED! Will not be eating that again.

Nutrition for Tuesday, November 22:
I feel like I did better on this day, even though I had a few hundred more calories I could eat. My Carb to Protein level was much more where I wanted it. Plus if you haven't tried Trader Joe's Flax Chips you should. They taste amazing and have fiber unlike most tortilla chips. Today's workout was rough for me, but I'll post about that separately.

Nutrition for Wednesday, November 23:

Workout Apps and Nutrition

2011-11-21T15:41:00.001-06:00

I've been doing workouts from a book I purchased about 6 months ago when Borders went out of business. 101 Fat Burning Workouts.

Workouts For The Week:
Thursday - Kettlebells, Ball Slams, Bounce Squats (that's what I'll call them) and Boxing with Matt D. Oh and the dreaded treadmill push.
Friday - 30 minutes cardio on the Arc Trainer and a full body circuit workout from my book.
Saturday - I took Saturday off because I went to The Urge show the night before and was lacking sleep.
Sunday - Boxing - took me 80 minutes to burn 1000 calories my arms were limp noodles but I love boxing.
Monday - Today I tried something new. I downloaded 5 workout apps on my droid phone and thought I would give them a try. Most of them have "motivators" which talk over the workout. I'm going to do a review of these in more detail in another post. But, I did a 20-min intense workout (push ups, burpees, jumping lunges, jumping jacks, mountain climbers, plank leg raises, etc) Then I did a 40-min Elliptical Intense workout, but I hate elliptical so I used the Arc-Trainer instead. 1000 calories burned in a little less than 80 minutes.

Tomorrow I'm meeting with Matt for my PT session since Thursday is Turkey Day. Gonna jump on the scale, but I'm afraid I haven't lost anything yet. Which is disappointing with what I've been doing. But I'm GOING TO STICK WITH IT!

Do nothing, get nothing. Do something, get something!

So, I hadn't posted my nutrition from yesterday yet, so here it is, definitely still not where I want to be with distribution on carbs v. protein. But not gonna give up there.

Nutrition - Sunday, November 20, 2011:

Nutrition - Tracking Food Is The Hardest Part of This Process

2011-11-19T08:59:00.005-06:00

Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs, Spinach, RF Cheese, Banana

Working out has always been the easiest part of weight loss for me. I have a great trainer who has introduced me to sports really, that I love. Boxing and beating the crap out of something when you've had a bad day - nothing beats that feeling. But, nutrition that's another story.

I'm pretty good at tracking nutrition once I'm a few weeks in, but starting off it just seems impossible, BUT I'm going to do it.

Post Workout Lunch - Salad and Protein Smoothie

The website I use is Livestrong.com. I've used a lot of food journaling techniques: Weight Watchers, Excel Sheets, Spark People, My Calorie Counter. I feel like the best option has been Livestrong.com. It has any food you could possibly think of already programmed in, and on the fitness side you can enter the exact number of calories burned instead of selecting some generic exercise.

So, to reach my target of 2lbs lost each week - I am aiming for 1,400 calories a day. I also will be doing one "off" meal a week to give myself a break on the weekends.

Now for my nutrition for Day 1 - November 18, 2011:

Michelle - Goals and Measurements

2011-11-18T17:45:00.002-06:00

Michelle is one of the lovelies who will be participating in the 6 week challenge with me. Here are her starting pictures and goals.

Michelle's Starting Stats
Age: 35

Gender: Female

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 158

Neck: 13.5"

Bicep: 11.5"

Chest: 38.5"

Waist 1: 34.25"

Waist 2: 32"

Hip: 42.25"

Thigh: 24.5"

Calf: 14.5"

Goals

Workout a minimum of 5x a week
Burn at least 1000 calories each workout
Lose 10lbs
Cut mile running time by at least 2 minutes (13:35) <---- because that is poopy.
Decrease waist, hips and thighs by at least 1 inch each.
Lose 1 chin (at least half an inch from neck)
See more definition in my arms and shoulders. (and 1 ab would be nice)

Let The Games Begin - Keri's 6 Week Challenge Goals & Measurements

2011-11-17T16:37:00.001-06:00

It begins tomorrow morning - officially.

My job for the next 6 weeks is to better my fitness level through nutrition and exercise. I've recruited my sister-in-law, Michelle; my lovely friend, Kelly; and my husband, John. They will be participating in this challenge with me over the next 6 weeks. And as long as they allow I will share their journeys also.

So, the idea is to establish a body composition goal for 6 weeks, bringing us straight to New Year's Eve. However, first we should take a look at where I am starting. I just got married, I say just but it has been 3 months already. I recently lost my job and have put back on some of that wedding weight I worked so hard to get off.

Keri's Starting Stats:
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 174
Chest: 38.5"
*Waist 1: 36"
*Waist 2: 31"
Hips: 44.5"
Bicep: 12.5"
Thigh: 26.5"
Calf: 14"

*Some of you may be confused about my having two waists. One is a measurement around the bellybutton. Two is a measurement around the small of the waist.

When I was thinking of a goal, I really thought of several things I wanted to accomplish:

Workout a minimum of 5 times a week
Burn at least 1,000 calories each workout
Decrease my Waist 1 measurement to 34"
Decrease my Junk In The Trunk to 42"
And my MAIN GOAL - lose 12 pounds