Strong is the new skinny

[Howell27]

Wow, reading your training logs is impressive! I've got a ways to go. Good luck with your transformation. I did not have fun putting on my old bikini either. I think it must have shrunk!

[Starbuck1517]

Originally Posted by hal1

No... you look great to start. And 12 weeks from now you'll look even better!

Originally Posted by weetamclan

I agree. You look great!

Thanks, Heather and Clare! I'm looking forward to a good 12 weeks of work as I'm sure you are! A little late, huh...but I finally got your signature quote, Clare, when we saw the Shrek movie it came from.

I had a cheat day today (4 days between this and the last time-a little close!) just to get myself on track for once a weekend cheat days and definitely got any junk cravings out of my system for the week. I have to go back to work tomorrow...it won't be fun after 2 weeks off and not checking my email for a week and a half! Sigh. But the weather has been nicer so I am hoping to get outside at lunch for walks. Fingers crossed!

Originally Posted by Howell27

Wow, reading your training logs is impressive! I've got a ways to go. Good luck with your transformation. I did not have fun putting on my old bikini either. I think it must have shrunk!

Thanks, it has been a year that I've been back at this and finally working close to my limits. I started working out with weights as a teenager and have had fit and not so fit times. But I am feeling very good about where I am. It can only get better from here too!

I am really enjoying this new program so far! It's intense but fun-just how I like it! I've found the key thing is to just keep pushing yourself to your limits with good form, then switch things up and start again with different exercises and build up again. Timing my workouts around my monthly cycle has helped me tremendously, starting a new workout when I am feeling weaker and more tired (doing only 1-2 sets), then having the heavier later workouts when I feel my strongest.

My main challenge for this transformation is going to be keeping my nutrition on track-it always is hard when I have three work trips planned for the first three months of the year. But I am doing some carb cycling now and keeping my protein pretty high, which helps a lot. I just need to stick to the plan.

[weetamclan]

Originally Posted by Starbuck1517

A little late, huh...but I finally got your signature quote, Clare, when we saw the Shrek movie it came from.

I have to go back to work tomorrow...it won't be fun after 2 weeks off and not checking my email for a week and a half! Sigh.

I'm back to work in 2 days after nearly 2 weeks off too... and am similarly dreading the email opening The only good thing about being back at work is I won't be able to spend all day nibbling/drinking

[Starbuck1517]

Originally Posted by weetamclan

I'm back to work in 2 days after nearly 2 weeks off too... and am similarly dreading the email opening The only good thing about being back at work is I won't be able to spend all day nibbling/drinking

Oh, I empathize!!! I was dreading this morning, I spent what seemed like hours deleting junk email. But that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be... I hope it won't be too bad for you!

The thing that got me today was the bad night's sleep (Brian is sick)-waking up constantly while he was blowing his nose. Worse for him of course, but I was so tired when I woke up that I reversed my Day 5 and 6 workouts and did intervals today at lunch. I'll do weights tomorrow. I have been doing mostly explosive step intervals over the break so the bike KILLED me today! My BFF registered 21 minutes of vigorous activity though-the highest daily total yet!

[Starbuck1517]

Today's meals:

Breakfast-Eggs with natural bacon, red peppers, salsa, cheese, spinach, 0.5c OJ, half-caf nonfat capuccino-440 cal
AM Snack-small nonfat capuccino-30 cal
Lunch-Greek yogurt, blueberries, mixed green and tomato salad with dressing-300
PM snack-EAS chocolate chocolate chip bar-190 cal
Dinner-chicken, steamed stir fry veggies, sugar snap peas, mixed greens, red pepper and tomato salad with dressing, BBQ sauce-490 cal
Late snack-Half-caf nonfat capuccino-40 cal
Around 1500 cal today with a wicked interval workout...should be a deficit for sure!

I used a bad night's sleep as an excuse to have 3 shots of espresso instead of dropping to 2 today. Tomorrow I will try the drop to 2 shots...Wish me luck!

[hal1]

Hey Shannon
I hear you on the crummy sleep. That was my case on Sunday night also. Last night I slept very soundly as a result. Yes!

Couple of questions for you - I remember you saying that you're looking to get the 30g of protein w/in 30 minutes of waking as suggested in the 4-hour body and recent call w/ Craig. I listened to most of the call and heard this mentioned, but no explanation - is it explained in the book? I mean, on the one hand, I've recently read some advice to fast all the way until noon and on the other hand this person says eat 30 g of protein w/in 30 minutes of waking. With all this contradicting advice; I'd love to know the rationale for each (but still on the fence about the book and no time to read now as the semester is ready to kick up again).

Also, I read somewhere in these forums that you have used kettlebells for intervals. How much weight did you use and do you think it helped improve your upper body strength as a result? I've pulled my hamstring and was actually starting to consider changing up my intervals away from running anyway as it doesn't take much for me to "opt out" of running intervals when it's cold out.

You look like you're off to a good start here. I haven't started the contest yet and not sure I'm going to start up a thread here or just keep my journal over in the workout area - but I'll be reading here to see how you're doing!

[crazycanuck]

Originally Posted by hal1

Also, I read somewhere in these forums that you have used kettlebells for intervals. How much weight did you use and do you think it helped improve your upper body strength as a result? I've pulled my hamstring and was actually starting to consider changing up my intervals away from running anyway as it doesn't take much for me to "opt out" of running intervals when it's cold out.

Not Shannon here (hope you don't mind me jumping in) but I just got off a year of using kettlebells prior to rejoining TT. Normally can swing a 35lb one no problem, but the other day struggled with swinging a 26lb one after doing a TT workout...mind you, it has been a long time since I have DB squats and lunges. I had been doing some KB front squats and goblet squats, but that in no way compares to the leg work you do in TT. I think if I opt for KB's I will have to do my intervals completely separate from my workout, like in the evening or an off day!

Normally beginning women are advised to use an 18lb KB. KB work, swings and even snatches tend to be a ballistic explosive movement from the hip flexors and hamstrings....you are (ideally) barefoot, hinging back like sitting in a chair, and snapping your hips/contracting your hamstrings/glutes and driving the force through your heels into the floor (that's why they advise the bare feet or REALLY flat soled shoes), which is what gives you the power. If you have hamstring issues, maybe let them heal up a bit first.

Hope this helps!

Tina

[crazycanuck]

Originally Posted by Starbuck1517

I used a bad night's sleep as an excuse to have 3 shots of espresso instead of dropping to 2 today. Tomorrow I will try the drop to 2 shots...Wish me luck!

I like how you post your nutrition! I got to start doing the same!

Although I am not hard core (LOL!) like you and drink espresso, I do drink coffee, and find lately I am getting a "crash" in the early afternoon from my 2c jump start in the morning which is something new for me. I did have one cup this morning...had a really late night with a sick kiddo and other issues and if I couldn't exercise this morning, it meant totally missing a TT workout this week. So, that is my justification! Hey, I had half my usual sugar (usually 2 TBSP) and NO CREAM! Gotta start somewhere right?

Maybe you and I should start a reformed-former-coffee-drinkers club!

Tina

[Starbuck1517]

Originally Posted by hal1

Hey Shannon
Couple of questions for you - I remember you saying that you're looking to get the 30g of protein w/in 30 minutes of waking as suggested in the 4-hour body and recent call w/ Craig. I listened to most of the call and heard this mentioned, but no explanation - is it explained in the book? I mean, on the one hand, I've recently read some advice to fast all the way until noon and on the other hand this person says eat 30 g of protein w/in 30 minutes of waking. With all this contradicting advice; I'd love to know the rationale for each (but still on the fence about the book and no time to read now as the semester is ready to kick up again).

Also, I read somewhere in these forums that you have used kettlebells for intervals. How much weight did you use and do you think it helped improve your upper body strength as a result? I've pulled my hamstring and was actually starting to consider changing up my intervals away from running anyway as it doesn't take much for me to "opt out" of running intervals when it's cold out.

You look like you're off to a good start here. I haven't started the contest yet and not sure I'm going to start up a thread here or just keep my journal over in the workout area - but I'll be reading here to see how you're doing!

Hi Heather, thanks! I think the rationale for eating protein early in the day is supposedly to rev up metabolism while keeping insulin low, and also provide protein to stave off muscle loss during low calorie dieting. His example in the book is of his dad, who was not getting good fat loss results when not eating enough protein and after he added 30g at breakfast, then his fat loss accelerated. In the face of conflicting advice, my default explanation is always that both approaches work for SOME people but they may not work for the SAME people. I know that I would not be able to function properly fasting till noon! I like the approach of eating my largest meals around my workout, and I always workout in the am.

With my background being genetics/genomics, I tend to default to the explanation that people have genetics variations that affect their base metabolism. So maybe one person may have super active fat usage enzymes and fasting till noon allows them to burn through some of that fat because it's easily available to them. On the other hand, someone else may have some variations that predispose them to use muscle preferentially rather than fat. Eating protein earlier might allow them to spare muscle tissue, indirectly preserving muscle and burning more fat. Those are random thoughts rather than fact! Or maybe it's that eating protein early allows them to feel fuller all day, and snack/eat less. But you get the picture. My advice would be to try each approach and see how you feel and how they work for you. Personally, eating more protein early in the day has been very helpful in giving up the morning and afternoon snacks that I almost always had, even as I've been cutting down calories. Eating a big breakfast, medium lunch, and medium dinner seems to be working better for me than eating six tiny meals as far as keeping calories low. To me, 1500 calories divided by 6 is not that satisfying an amount of food at any meal, especially when I was eating over 2000 calories a day until just recently! 400-500 calories per meal is much, much better for me.

I do use KBs for intervals. I have an adjustable Kettlestack handle, and am currently using 40 lbs on it. But KBs do use your whole posterior chain like Tina said, so I'd be careful if you have a hamstring pull, maybe wait till it feel better. Maybe dumbell/KB snatches, they're more quads and shoulders? But you would just have to try and see how it feels. Hope your hamstring feels better soon!

[Starbuck1517]

Originally Posted by crazycanuck

I like how you post your nutrition! I got to start doing the same!

Although I am not hard core (LOL!) like you and drink espresso, I do drink coffee, and find lately I am getting a "crash" in the early afternoon from my 2c jump start in the morning which is something new for me. I did have one cup this morning...had a really late night with a sick kiddo and other issues and if I couldn't exercise this morning, it meant totally missing a TT workout this week. So, that is my justification! Hey, I had half my usual sugar (usually 2 TBSP) and NO CREAM! Gotta start somewhere right?

Maybe you and I should start a reformed-former-coffee-drinkers club!

Tina

Haha about being hardcore! Espresso is about 75mg per 1 oz shot (which I have with 0.25c milk), while coffee is 100-200 mg depending on strength per 8 oz cup. I guess it's all about whether you like a lot of milk with your espresso rather than a bit of cream and sugar in weaker tasting coffee! Using cinnamon I've been able to eliminate sweetener

You do have to start somewhere, and gradually changing is best-at least the fewest headaches. Granted, sometimes you just need the caffeine! I'm certainly not saying dairy and caffeine are evil and should be avoided at all costs or must be totally eliminated. But I was just having way too much caffeine on a daily basis, and I know that couldn't be good for me in the long run. It's going OK so far, still at 200 mg per day or so, will try to cut down next week again...This was just not a good week to try it!