I have received a e-newsletter addressing one of the questions that may enter our mind after weeks of starting a brand new workout regimen. Why am I not losing weight?
One of the things I had forgotten since the P90X days was the "plateau". Once our body finds a groove and is no longer "confused", it burns as if we executed the same amount of aerobic activity every day. A and I have been running 3 days a week, mainly on the same pace. What we haven't integrated into our regimen yet is sprinting. There's nothing like a quick shred of fat than short bursts of high intensity training. That isn't to say that we haven't been doing any of that during the week. With the introduction of "tabata", (normal protocol is performing this hour long mega-cycle 3 times a week) we can be sure that the metabolism will pick up and results will be visible in a few more weeks.
Nutri-dense veggies and colors all the way! Except for the occasional chocolate cake, of course...
Eat 3-4 meals a day, and watch portion control!
And that's all I have today, folks. Remember...
EXERCISE MAKES YOUR BRAIN FUNCTION BETTER AND HELPS YOUR EMOTIONAL STATE.
If you think you are going to try and eat a pasta lunch and THEN attempt eating an 1/8 of a chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream without working out afterwards? Think again.
I turned 28 Thursday. And to celebrate, I ate chocolate cake and did two things I wouldn't normally do at the gym.
- spin class
- a long run on the treadmill
And... I've [re]learned a few things. One, I still don't like spinning classes. I respect the class, but it is just not fun enough for me. Two, its probably not a good idea to do back-to-back lower body exercises (i.e. spin followed by running). And three, sushi is always delicious.
I'm sure you all were wondering how my rest day was going. I actually feel sore from my first experience at pole fitness, a pole-dancing based fitness class that incorporates parts of dance and gymnastics into routines. I think it's a great way to become stronger and toned, all while becoming comfortable and confident with your own self (i.e. learning through "sexy" moves how to find power within your body using a pole--same as using weights or bands or anything else). Plus it's a fun and refreshing way to sweat.
I think a lot of the images we've seen in the movies give us a little exposure to how to make your body look sexy. But just like an entertainment show, you have to balance the technical skill with showmanship. The "Wow" factor from the spins and the climbs--and eventually inverts--has to mix well with the hair flips, the exaggerated high stepping with heels on, and slow back bends. Otherwise, you might get confused with the Indian men's sport of Mallakhamb.
A video I saw a year ago... hope these are splinter free:
The first five minutes of the warm-up, I already had wet spots under my arms. Gross, I know. But to show the exertion in this form of exercise, I want to share with you that it is not an easy class. Luckily, I feel like I have a headstart than most because I can already carry my own body weight because I've practiced pull-ups. Like anything, if you practice doing pull-ups, you will eventually be able to do one, then two, then five, etc. Same with the splits. Same with spinning around on a pole while looking graceful. It takes repetition and a strange awareness of your body.
Sidenote: When you run, you're technically supposed to be aware of your body. Before, most of the time I become a mindless moving body, not paying attention to my alignment. Thinking of my feet and thinking of my arm sway takes me to more of an active role whilst running, which helps me focus on my breath more, increasing my endurance.
So here is a video giving you an idea of how a typical pole fitness class is run. I was in a small studio in someone's home with five poles (I am thinking of investing in one myself, but waiting until I find $100 on the street one day). This morning, I woke up feeling sore in my calves from all of the toe pointing we were doing (imitating heels). I also felt the great change in the area near your armpits--the area where we usually find that side fat poking out of the bra. It was like I had done a million arm circles. Or machine cable pulls.
I was not wearing a pink sports bra, although I think that would be such a cute thing :)
Oh, almost forgot to list off my food. Yesterday, after the pole class, I drank 2 cocktails and a beer after a beautiful sesame salmon + veggies dinner at a gay bar. Lunch was a bit of turkey embotido (ground turkey with bits of hard boiled egg, raisins, carrots, and peppers) and salad. We can all assume now that breakfast will always be Shakeology + fruit.
Today I had penne pasta for lunch and dinner with arrabiata sauce (spicy red sauce) and baked cookies. I cheated with two oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Okay, so I'm breaking into the blogging about four weeks after V and I have started training for a half marathon. Food logging will also be involved. I realize to do this I'm going to have to either A. log on multiple times a day in order to record every morsel that I shove in my mouth (read: highly accurate, with a risk of emotional break down after I feel the need to EXPLAIN why I shoved said food in mouth) or B. record the previous day's intake in a concise manner (read: possibly less accurate but more coherent). Choices.
We're four weeks in. Four weeks. That's a month. I read something on Pinterest today (yes, I Pinterest frequently. It's not the act of pinning that excites me; it's a one stop shop for recipes, work outs, interior design. I'm a "liker". Not a pinner. Enough.) The Pinterest wisdom said (and I'm paraphrasing...) "Are you doing today what will help you get where you want to be tomorrow?" Or something like that. And the answer is: probably not. As the runs get longer (6.5 miles tomorrow, eeeeee!) I was hoping to feel better during them - a la someone who runs. Regularly. Like me. But I don't. Sometimes I feel winded. Mostly I just feel mushy and crampy and... gross. My muscles and joints seem to be cooperating... My iPod cooperates thanks to my new headphones at V's recommendation... It's all there, and I get out of my front door because of V... and bleh.
So at the four week mark, I realize that no, I can't eat crap and expect my body to just magically get up and slug out 6.5 miles at a pop. I also realize that perhaps, maybe, just maybe I should be doing more than just running in order for my body to totally acclimate. Who knows. So in the spirit of that, I got up this morning and did a 60 minute ballet strengthening workout. I know what you're thinking - Ballet, how is that going to help you run? But I've never felt my thighs burn quite so intensely. And while I'm not whipped out right now, my lower abs and inner thighs definitely feel like they've done something today.
I also - in the spirit of "good in, good out" (also, ha, the whole point of this blog) packed my lunch and took it to school - I mean work. It consists of the following:
1.5 cups of a rice, wheatberry, black bean concoction that tastes similar to turkey stuffing (if that's even possible) It's quite delectable. I promise.
1/4 cup chipotle hummus - damn good.
1 cup(ish?) of baby carrots (for said hummus)
An apple and about 2 servings of these brown rice/quinoa cracker/chip thingys. All paired with water.
At this point, it's 9:30 and I've made it through half my crackers and all of my carrots and hummus. While I'm not hungry anymore, I can feel it coming. I kinda wanna break into my rice, but then there'll be nothing left, which leaves the vending machines, which equal death and, I'm almost certain, a crappy 6.5 mile run tomorrow. Perhaps I'll get started on my other goal - drinking an excessive amount of water. Note, empty water bottle to my left, right beside my Engine 2 Diet Cookbook from which I'll choose a recipe for dinner. All the tools are right here. Sigh.
Alright - I'm going to attempt to post this now... only 9 more hours left at work.
Thursday, January 17
B: Chocolate Shakeology+ strawberries and PB
L: Portobello mushroom sandwich / the rest of my cauliflower soup
D: filet of herb-coconut crusted Tilapia / arugula salad / mini caprese salad
Workout: 3 miler on the treadmill (it was "cold" outside... okay, I wimped out)
Friday, January 18
B: Chocolate Shakeology + strawberries
S: Pita chips, crackers, spinach and kale dip, you name it chips
L: El Paso luncheon... one gordita chimichanga (grilled chicken, avocado, lettuce, sour cream) and rice and beans. Ate it all.Ugh.
6 miler outside. Chilly 32 degrees outside but the sun is shining.
The moral of the story is PORTION CONTROL! Today was a ton of carbo loading that I could have avoided. I brought a banana to work and didn't even touch it. I was so entranced by bread that I went off track...
Update: Girls night out! Yelp approved
D: Bailey's and coffee / smorgasboard of apps including oysters, reuben eggrolls, tuna tartare tacos, goat cheese and lamby meats. A wide array of samplers, probably more rich in flavor than large in quantity. 93 dollars later....
Close to finishing up Week 4 of our 12 week Half-Marathon program :)
A and I have been working hard to maintain the running portion very hard on our schedules, being lenient on the individual workouts. Thought, "Hmmm... maybe it would be a good idea to start a food blog/exercise log to keep us honest?"
Maybe... this can go beyond the March 16th deadline.
Maybe... this can be a year long thing. I hear some people call that a resolution? Whatever, I call it a realistic goal.
What's even better... we can totally keep each other honest. As long as we're following a schedule, I think we can do it.
Okay. Here's my input for
Thursday, January 16
B: One chocolate Shakeology from Beachbody + strawberries and tsp of PB
S: Banana
L: Bacon avocado wrap, sea salt and peppercorn chips
D: Homemade sandwich with Portobello mushroom, hummus, arugula, and roasted red peppers on sourdough; arugula salad with carrots
Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit workout
Okay... the weather is getting colder, so its time to start bundling up :)
