Joe just found this article in the Calgary Sun. Though it's written in a humorous way, it sure is important to read and do a self check: Are you a gym jerk?
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Respect others while working up a sweat at the club. Don't be a gym jerk!
by Joanne Richard
Does this sound like anyone you know - idle cellphone chit-chat, carelessly slamming weights, alarmingly loud grunting or pools of sweat left dripping on machines?
Fitness experts agree there's a gym jerk or two at every club:
"As a personal trainer, I have witnessed bad gym behavior from both male and female members," says Josh Hewett, owner of Top Form Fitness in Toronto.
Rude, careless and irritating behavior is not only impolite, say the experts, it's also distracting and even unsafe.
"This is not just an issue of ruining someone's workout, but an obnoxious gym jerk can unknowingly make exercise more risky for other members," says Hewett, a resistance training specialist as well as a personal trainer.
"Resistance training is very important for reaching many fitness goals, but if done improperly or carelessly it can lead to injury. Someone could hurt themselves when their concentration is broken by an annoying member."
Dr. Sender Duetsch agrees that focus is essential: "Concentration is extremely important when working out as it is the total connection between the body and the mind.
"The mental aspect of any physical activity or sport is vital to optimal performance."
According to Duetsch, of SHAPE Health and Wellness Centre, "my experience with bad gym people is that just like everywhere else in a public place some people have a lack of respect for others, including issues like personal hygiene."
So be prepared to run into a few of the following gym jerks listed below.
Make sure you aren't one do not try this at the gym:
The writer goes on counting the gym jerks for us:
THE YAKKER: The ones who talk on their cellphone during the workout, and by that put themselves and others at risk.
TIP: Leave the phone in the locker and check messages after the workout.
THE SHOW-OFF: The ones who uses more weights than they can handle, around when they're done.
TIP: Not only is showing off extremely annoying, the equipment can be damaged as well as the other members.
THE SOAKER: Those who sweat a lot, and don't bother to clean after themselves.
TIP: Wipe off your drips, drip! Bring a towel; you can put it on the machine under you and use it to wipe up after you finish.
THE HOGGER: Those who don't like to share and refuse to get off between sets, even while they rest.
TIP: Share. Get off between sets; don't rest on machines.
THE GRUNTER: Those who make grunting sounds while training.
TIP: Keep the noise down. If you can't safely control the weight you're pressing without grunting in agony and scaring co-members, don't pick it up.
THE SLOUCH: Those who don't put the gear they use away after finishing their routine, and by that make the workout miserably annoying for all the others.
TIP: If you use it, put it away.
THE STINKER: Simple... Those who smell bad.
TIP: Wash or change your gym clothes after each workout and let your gym bag air out. Don't wear overbearing perfume or cologne. If you arrive sweaty, towel off and apply a little deodorant or antiperspirant before training.
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I'm happy to say there are not too many jerks like those described above in my gym... but there are few. Luckily for me, I go there at times when the gym is not busy at all, so I guess I "miss" the opportunity to meet those jerks. Lucky me! *s*.
:::Lorien @ 10:50 AM MT :::
Monday, September 22, 2003
::: Me and the boys :::
It was really weird today, at the gym. After walking on the treadmill for 60 minutes I did few weights machines, and then went to the dumbbells corner, stood in front of the mirror and did few exercises with the 8 lbs dumbbells.
After few minutes I've noticed 4 more guys standing all around me, facing the mirror - like me - working with dumbbells. All of them were much younger than me. I was in a very good company... one gal among the lions ;-)).
And the funny part was, I was using the "baby" dumbbells, the 8 lbs, while all the others were using 25 lbs and up... one of them (a small firm guy) was pushing a 55 lbs dumbbells, and I could see it was terribly difficult for him!
I couldn't help but smile seeing this weird funny scene... and the instructor who came towards me at that time asked: "Something's wrong?".
"Look at that", I answered... "I'm suing the babies... and this guy...".
"Oh, that's ok, don't worry", said the instructor and smiled.
"I'm not worried... It's just funny..." was my reply, and then I turned towards the mirror and continued my workout.
It all seemed so very weird to me because up until few months ago I didn't have the courage to go to this area of the gym, stand among the "professionals" and do my thing without worrying about how I looked to the others, if I looked dumb or what. And today I felt quite sure of myself, full of confidence, self ensured enough to enjoy my workout and do whatever I could for myself.
And that's - my friends - is a non-scale victory!
:::Lorien @ 07:29 PM MT :::
Saturday, September 20, 2003
::: It's size 10!!! Alleluia! :::
What do ya know? Bought me two new jeans pants yesterday, both size 10! Yeap! You read it right! I know I already managed to wear my old size 10 jeans, but never made the move to buy new ones... until yesterday (And btw: My starting size was 18).
Tried them again this morning, had the black ones on for the hairdresser, looked at myself in the mirror... and felt so damn proud!
Many moons ago, a short while after I came to Canada, I told Joe there's a nice body inside me, hiding underneath all that blubber. And now... it's out in the open, and lordy lord - I love it so!
... and so is he...
:::Lorien @ 01:16 PM MT :::
Friday, September 19, 2003
::: No title :::
Nothing much to tell... Joe is off today, but went out furniture hunting with his son, so I took the opportunity and went to the gym after a day off yesterday. The soreness wasn't so bad this morning, so I went out and acquired me a new one ;-))
Did 1 full hour on the treadmill... Incline 12, speed 3.6 mph. So obviously I walked 3.6 miles, and burned 667 calories. That felt ssssoooooooo good. And then - of course - weights machines. That's all...
Oh... yea... I came home so hungry, so I pampered myself for lunch with Oats and Kellogg's bran buds in Soy milk and honey. Yum!!! Big yum!!!
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Another good tip from Dr. Weil: Osteoporosis: Avoiding the Risks
About one out of every three postmenopausal women has osteoporosis (loss of bone mass, the bones become porous and fragile). Although the loss of bone mass typically begins around age 30, preventive measures can be helpful regardless of your age. Osteoporosis can be reversed, or its symptoms lessened, by taking certain measures:
Increase your calcium. Nonfat dairy products, dark green vegetables, sardines, and soy products are good sources, as are calcium supplements. Take vitamin D (400-800 IU) to assist in the absorption of calcium. Increase weight-bearing activities to promote bone growth. Exercise 30 minutes per day, five days a week. Quit smoking. If you drink, consume alcohol in moderation to decrease the chance of bone fractures. Decrease your sodium intake. A high-sodium diet can be harmful to bone integrity. Limit caffeine. If you drink more than the equivalent of two cups of coffee per day, try drinking a glass of low- or nonfat milk instead.
:::Lorien @ 03:09 PM MT :::
Wednesday, September 17, 2003
::: Another notch :::
Okee, all the pages are changed and uploaded. Hope there aren't too many boo-boo's around... If you stumble upon something, please let me know? *s*.
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The Gym... you know, this place we all go to to "torture" ourselves, love every minutes of it, and feel like we achieve something, right? So today I went there thinking I'll do only cardio, since my body is still very sore from the last few days' craziness. So I'm starting with the elliptical and working for 30 minutes, thinking to myself: "What, no weights at all today? Doesn't sound right! Maybe you'll do some dumbbells exercises instead of the machines?"
By the time I finished those 30 minutes (and was sweating like a pig), I was convinced, so I went to the weights corner, and took the 8 lbs from the rack. That was my first time with the 8ths, and it wasn't easy. But, I did 12 sets with them, and then took a 10 lbs, and did another 2 sets. Darn, it was a killer, and made me feel even more sore, but I did it!
I love myself when I push this body of mine a bit more than it can endure *s*.
And after that, I also walked on the treadmill for another 30 minutes, and for the last 10 I pushed the incline to level 12. Yummy pain... I'm half dead right now... but I love it!!!
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I've found out (through Bev) that Dr. Phil has a new book, The Ultimate Weight Solution. I'm a big fan of Dr. Phil's, but I missed the first 2 shows of his new Ultimate weight loss challenge ('cause I was at the gym). I'm really curious to read this book, see if I can learn something new from it (I probably can...). I find myself in agreement with most of the guy's opinions, so I'll probably enjoy the book... We'll see. Maybe I'll wait for the Hebrew translation to come out...
:::Lorien @ 06:24 PM MT :::
Tuesday, September 16, 2003
::: Taking it up a notch... and a tip :::
My mid section... the abs... sore!!! My shoulders... sore!!! My legs... sore!!! I guess the new exercises work well, since I now know I have abs... which (did I already mention that?) are SORE!!!
But all in all, I feel good about me doing this new stuff and spreading to some other sections of my "machine". And not only that... today I went up one level in most of the machines I used, and... I'M SORE!!!. On some of them I went 12.5 lbs up, others - 10 lbs, one was 5 lbs up... It was hard, a bit painful, but is brought lots of satisfaction to my little heart *s*.
I also had an interesting talk with the monitor (a young cute guy) while I was using the treadmill, and without noticing I did 45 minutes! He came to ask me if I liked the new treadmill, and from there we talked about workout equipment, nutrition, lifestyle changes, health and such. It was fun *s*.
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Let me leave you with some very important tip from Dr. Weil:
Preventing Dementia
Dementia is a progressive, gradual decline in mental ability, affecting memory, thinking, judgment, attention span and learning. While dementia usually develops after the age of 60, it is not a natural part of aging.
If you want to help prevent dementia, try the following: Exercise. Physical and mental exercises can both help to keep the mind sharp and improve circulation. Watch your diet. Be sure to include plenty of fresh, organic vegetables and fruits (rich in antioxidants) as well as foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as walnuts, fish and freshly-ground flax seed. Take daily low-dose aspirin. Some studies link the use of aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease. (Be sure to talk with your physician to discuss any side effects before you start new medications.) Stay positive. A positive emotional state may help ward off cognitive decline. Social ties, involvement in church and community and meaningful relationships all seem to be protective. Watch your blood pressure. High blood pressure is the strongest risk factor for multi-infarct dementia. Consider taking supplements. Ginkgo biloba, DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid), fish-oil supplements, B vitamins and antioxidants can all contribute to maintaining good memory.
:::Lorien @ 08:18 PM MT :::
Monday, September 15, 2003
::: Changes :::
As you can see, I was playing with the layout for a while. So far, only the main page is ready. I'm gonna take the other pages down for a day or two till I finish the change since right now they're not readable because of the changes to my css page. I'll have to work on them as soon as I can.
Went back to the gym today after 3 days off. Had a bit of a hard time with the monthly nuisance... as usual... so today I did only the weights machines... no cardio. I went through 11 machines, and did 27 sets x 12 reps all together. It felt extremely good indeed! *s*.
You know... While standing in front of the mirror the other day, I've noticed I still have lots of "material" around the waistline... and why not? I don't do much to make it melt, do I? So today I've asked the gym monitor for some new exercises for this mid section of the body.
She was kind enough (as usual) to show me a good exercise on one of the machines, and after she left I also talked to another monitor, and she showed me some exercises on the floor. Boy, those were hard, but sure felt good.
My legs are strong (lots of bike riding this summer took care of that!), my arms and shoulders are doing great (Weights in the gym - every day), so now it's time to pull on those muscles in between. I'm going to pay more attention to my mid section from now on. I'm going to build me some gorgeous abs ;-))
:::Lorien @ 08:18 PM MT :::
Thursday, September 11, 2003
::: Is this moi??? :::
Since I couldn't fall asleep last night I got up and spent some more time here... In fact, it was 4:15 AM when I finally went to bed, only to toss and turn some more...
So , while here, I was trying to make myself feel better. I was going through the photos we took while my brother was here and came across these 2 pics, which I like a lot.
On the one to the left I was wearing this dress which is quite old, and pretty baggy on me right now, but somehow the pic shows me in a position of strength, pride and determination, don't you think? *s*. That's what I love most in it... the mood... The inside feeling that comes to the surface to show itself...
The one to the right was taken on the way back from Vancouver, while we had a "stop-and-rest" on the side of the road. I like it as well... the cute me ;-))
Things like that give me renewed strength... I need to see the success right in front of my eyes, to realize it's there! And sometimes, it's hard for me to believe the girl in the pictures is me...
:::Lorien @ 01:53 PM MT :::
::: Bummer! :::
I don't know why I'm doing this sabotage thing... I do have an idea... after all, the last few days I was very stressed over the situation in Israel all over again... but even though... why do I turned to food? Why do I lose control in face of crisis and eat like there's no tomorrow? WHY, damn???!!!
I went to the gym, had over 2 hours of wonderful workout, came home and had good dinner... and a bit later... started the pigging out party. Until then, my eating along the day was great. Yuck! I'm so disappointed of myself I can spank my own butt! I do deserve good spanking right now.
There's lots on my mind these days, but I sure wish it wasn't such a valid excuse for my behavior in my eyes. I sure wish I wouldn't turn to eating every time I feel stressed or sad or bored. In times like this, I think nothing has changed inside... In time like these, I feel so weak and pathetic.
Oh well... It's a new day, with a new hope to overcome difficulties in a more creative way. Darn, I owe it to myself. I've come so far to ruin everything like that. Shape up, girl... Grow up already!!!
:::Lorien @ 01:02 AM MT :::
Tuesday, September 9, 2003
::: Bad day :::
Regular comments are back. I hope someone will use them... It was very quiet here since I've returned. I'd like to believe someone do read my words...
Other than that... I'm in a horrible state of mind. The situation in Israel makes everything else look unimportant right now... I wish there's an end to those nightmare some place...
I don't feel like working out... I don't feel like going outside... all I want to do is scream... and stop the shivers inside me.
:::Lorien @ 08:03 PM MT :::
Saturday, September 6, 2003
::: Bunch of important tips :::
I'm going through the E-mails I got while on vacation for the last six weeks. You know... all those mailing lists that send me tips and such, that I didn't have time to read till now. Some of them contain some real important info, so I'm going to put them here.
Here are the tips I got from Joanne Bednar:
Anytime you stress the body it responds by resisting, then eventually adapting. This phenomenon is described by Sir Isaac Newtons law of inertia: a body at rest tends to stay at rest, and a body in motion tends to stay in motion. An inactive person tends to stay inactive, and an active person tends to stay active. So when an unfit person begins an exercise program they will tend to burn mostly glucose, and little fat. Its almost as if their fat cells dont believe them. But over a period of a few weeks the fat cells will start to take you seriously and your muscles become more efficient at using stored fat for energy. Eventually your muscle cells will want to become more and more efficient, and something truly miraculous happens: you become a better fat burner!
Most of our cells contain mitochondria. The mitochondria are the sites where energy production occurs. With regular cardiorespiratory exercise, the size of these mitochondria increase, which mean a larger percentage of our cell is occupied by mitochondria. This allows for a greater production of energy, and an increased rate of fat-burning!
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One of the most common misconceptions is that the more you sweat, the more body fat you are losing. This is simply not true. The more you sweat, the more WATER you are losing, which will need to be replaced in order to avoid dehydration. Unbelievably you still may run into people who "bundle up" even on a nice spring day, with the assumption that they will "sweat it off". Likewise, you can still find those in Saunas who are there to drop a few pounds. What they do not realize is that the weight will come back after the first glass of water.
After you have been sweating, it is necessary to re-hydrate your body. To keep your hydration levels stable, follow these simple steps:
Drink about a cup of water 30 minutes before you exercise
Drink 3-6 oz of water every 15-20 minutes during exercise
Drink cool fluids rather than ice cold, or warm beverages (cool fluids pass through the stomach and intestines quicker).
::: :::
Australian researchers report that eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids like tuna, cod, mackerel and salmon once a day as part of a weight loss plan can help you to lose weight and increase your health. Omega-3 fatty acids protect against heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels and blood pressure, research suggests.
For 4-months 69 overweight men and women who were being treated for high blood pressure were studied. Researchers asked each group to do the following: either eat fish containing 3.65 grams of omega-3 fatty acid once a day, follow a low-fat weight-loss plan, follow a combined version of these two regimens, or maintain their usual eating habits. What they found is that those who consumed the omega-3 fatty acids from fish daily had the greatest improvements in weight loss, lowering cholesterol, reducing the risk of diabetes, and increasing HDL's (the good cholesterol).
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Whether you inherited your mothers stocky legs or were blessed with long skinny ones, you can still make them their best by training appropriately. While you cannot spot reduce areas of fat on your thighs, you can dramatically affect the shape of your legs with regular exercise. Use the following guidelines to train YOUR type of thigh:
Lean muscular legs: Don't we all wish we had these! If you are one of the lucky few blessed with legs that are strong and lean, you are not quite off the hook. You can still make improvements by incorporating variety into your daily fitness routine. You should shoot for a different type of exercise each day to challenge your legs on a regular basis. Vary your cardiovascular routine every day, and do different strength training exercises as well. For example, if you normally run 5 days a week, then you might run every other day and on the days in between do a cycling exercise. If you typically do the circuit at the gym, then try alternating it with compound exercises like squats and lunges from day to day. There is always room for improvement!
Short stocky legs: This is the most challenging type of thigh to work with because of the tendency to see more stored fat on the upper thigh. Many times this area is the last to go when losing weight, and most often it never completely goes away. You can, however, make the most of what you've got by training your stocky thighs appropriately. The biggest key with short stocky thighs is incorporating at least 5 cardiovascular workouts a week. It is also important to continually vary your method of cardiovascular exercise so that you can work as many different muscle fibers as possible. By incorporating different fibers on a regular basis you will shape your legs much more than if you just cycle everyday, for example. Weight training is very important for those with short stocky thighs because of it's shaping effects. While you may shy away from weights because of the fear of making them larger, weight training will actually increase muscle mass and utilize fat stores more efficiently. This, in turn, will help your legs appear more slender.
Tall skinny legs: While this may sound ideal for some, those who do have long skinny legs often complain of "chicken leg" syndrome. It can be a challenge to make long skinny legs more shapely. At least 2 leg weight training sessions per week (3 is better) will help you to add some shapely muscles over time. To speed things along, try increasing your weight-load by 5% each week. For cardiovascular training, focus on strength building types like step aerobics or the stairmaster.
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Losing weight is a long hard road. Figure out how long it will take you to hit your goal by losing 2 pounds a week, and then multiply that by 2. You are bound to hit plateaus, especially if you are trying to lose more than 10 pounds. Plateaus can last from a few days to a few weeks, and even longer. Losing weight is a shock to your body. People sometimes die from dieting, or they may suffer certain problems like heart damage, gallbladder damage and more. When professionals say to "always check with physician before starting a weight loss program", they are not kidding.
No two bodies are alike. What is working magically for your friend may not work at all for you, leaving you frustrated and feeling like a failure. Losing weight is a lot like quitting smoking in that sometimes it takes a few good try's before becoming successful. Take what you can use from different resources and find a program that works for you. Get active right away, not after you've lost a few pounds. Even if all you can manage is a walk to the end of your driveway and back, becoming more active will help you lose weight. Waiting until you've dropped 30 pounds will only push back hitting your goal weight.
You will not be successful if every time you make a mistake, you allow that mistake to last the rest of the day, week, etc. Just because you slipped up and had a cookie doesn't mean you should feel like a failure and eat horribly the rest of the day. As common sense as this sounds, many dieters allow an occasional slip to sabotage their whole day. There is no black and white in losing weight. It is a process of finding something you can live with, including good times and bad.
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In order to make your muscles improve, you have to push them beyond their normal range of comfort. Challenging your muscles beyond their normal state is what makes them respond by growing and improving. This is termed as "overloading" your muscles. No pain no gain is a common phrase used in weight rooms across the country, but there is a vast difference between the pain of injury, and the pain of lactic acid build up. A sign that you are overloading your muscles is the lactic acid burn that you feel in the last few difficult repetitions during resistance training. This burning sensation is "ok", and is a good sign. The lactic acid is what signals your body to stop and rest. It is the other forms of pain that you need to watch out for, as they could mean injury has occurred.
:::Lorien @ 03:33 PM MT :::
Thursday, September 4, 2003
::: Update on my first post-vacation workout :::
Went to the gym and started with the elliptical as I usually do. 31 minutes and 341 calories later I felt it was like what I remembered: It wasn't harder, nor easier. So far, so good!
Then I decided to do the weights machines. Started with the upper body ones. Kept the last weights I used on all of them. Went through 5 of them, and did all together 11 sets x 12 reps. Couldn't do more. It felt harder than before. Not a good sign... but not very bad either, and really expected. My upper body didn't have much workout for the last 2 months. Ok... fine with me!
Later, I did the lower body weights machines. Went through 4 of them, did all together 8 sets x 12 reps... and that was it. I was beaten! It was unexpectedly hard. I know my legs got stronger after 2 months of fierce biking... but I guess I was working on other muscle groups.
Oh well... I'll come back to my old self after a while... but I expect some soreness tonight.
:::Lorien @ 05:35 PM MT :::
::: Back on business, babbbyyyy !!! :::
My brother left yesterday, and made it home safely today. We already miss him, but we'll meet again in 7 weeks... this time - over there in Israel.
Oh yea... A very pleasant and satisfactory fact awaited for me at the gym this morning!!! I went there only to weigh myself, and guess what? I was .1 lb down from my last official weigh-in. I am 150.6 lbs today! I was so pleased... and so proud of myself. After 6 weeks of almost no diet, many restaurant dinners and sweet stuff - and I'm right where I was before my vacation started. Isn't that terrific? *s*.
Yes, my home scale showed me some 3 - 6 lbs gain at one time or another... but they didn't stick! The fact is that we were very active with bike rides while on vacation, and that was a very good counter balance to my bad eating behavior.
So... all in all... I've learned that as long as I'm active... I can eat freely almost anything... and keep my weight where I want it. But... I won't allow myself such bad eating anymore... unless I'm on vacation ;-)).
Today will be my first day back to the gym. I wonder about my upper body muscles, which I didn't use much for the last 2 months. I wonder how I'll feel after the workout... that is left to be seen later tonight.
:::Lorien @ 01:23 PM MT :::
Tuesday, September 2, 2003
::: An important triumph :::
Yesterday we had one of our most exciting bike rides ever! And it was in the woods, right here in the middle of the city.
Fish Creek Park is Canada's largest urban wildernesses, with over 54 miles of trails for hiking, biking and running... and it's right here in Calgary. Bro asked to go back there since he enjoyed the place tremendously last week, and wanted to explore the bike trails some more... and boy oh boy, we did some marvelous exploration!
As I said above, there are lots of trails in the park. Paved ones, gravel ones, dirt ones, flat ones, up and down hill ones, very steep ones... no matter if you're a beginner or an advanced biker - you'll find a trail that suits your needs and ability.
And we were looking for those single trails (wide enough for one bike) inside the woods, in the bushes. That was quite an experience! We rode over fallen trees, we were spanked by low branches, we rode on rocks, we even rode on horse trails (and lots of horse $hit)... and we had a hell of a time! *s*. At one point I came out of a single trail to a paved trail shouting: "Yahoo!" from the top of my lungs, and I saw a couple smiling at me while passing by... Yeap, that was pure fun indeed!!!
Yesterday, I outdone myself! I fought fear, I fought soreness, I pushed myself over my regular level... and I did well. Yes, I'm still afraid to ride down a steep hill, so I walk the bikes sometimes... and yes, sometimes I fail to climb a steep hill, and I have to stop and walk... but all in all, I felt I did pretty well, and I was proud of myself. I came a long way from the girl I was 5 years ago, and especially for the last 7 months since I've started working out seriously at the gym.
... and it shows... and it pays off... and it makes me pretty happy with myself!
:::Lorien @ 01:00 AM MT :::
Monday, September 1, 2003
::: Starting new :::
Hello again... Yeap! I'm here again *s*. Did you miss me??? I missed this place, and also being updated on my reads and visit the WEIGH Better forum... but oh lord!!! My holiday was a dream thingy! *s*... and a very needed one!
I know... the comments don't work at the moment. Yaccs is down, and will come back around the 3rd.
I've added 2 new links to my blogroll, Quest for Onederland and skinnification. Thanks for the links, guys. It felt good to come back and find out that few new people found their way over here, and linked to me.
Diet wise, those were strange 6 weeks. I allowed myself to "sin" almost every time the opportunity came along. Why? because it was very hard not to, and also... it seems I needed a break. Being on a diet for 2 years was hard... very demanding. So I guess I won't call this period "maintenance" either, because that's not what I was doing. When I'll get to my goal and start maintenance, I won't allow myself as much as I allowed myself these last 6 weeks. That was too much bad food, and that wasn't healthy in my book.
So right now I feel as if I'm starting a new process... a new diet. I have to assess everything again, make a new plan and go from here. The thing is... every new plan will be for only the next 7 weeks. By that time (October 24th) I'll be leaving on a visit trip to Israel, and will stay there for a month. So everything will have to change again. It's that time of the year, when my brother visits me, and I visit my family... a time that makes it hard for me to follow my diet rules to the fullest.
"So what's the plan" you ask? Ok, first and foremost, I'm going back to the gym. I miss this part very much, even though we had lots of wonderful bike rides outdoors. I miss the weights machines, I miss the elliptical, I need to have this control on what I'm doing workout wise, and put more effort into developing certain muscle groups that I couldn't work on while riding the bikes. Controlling what I eat again, and not more than 1,500 calories per day!!! I know the drill very well... all I need is just to go back to it and follow it with no concessions. Party time is over, girl... diet time is here... now!!! Doing the water thang again! Lots of water... at least 2 liters per day, and if possible - even more. I know how helpful it is, and how good it is... I just have to find it in myself to be able to do it again. Start taking my supplements again. Didn't do that for the last few months... and I know I should!
I guess that's it. I have to find my motivation and desire again, but I have all the good reasons to do so. Yesterday I bought a new winter coat, actually got it as an early BDay gift from Joe. All my winter coats are huge, and I needed a smaller one. And you know what? It's a M size. Couldn't believe it, but yes! That's what I bought! It looks so cool and sharp, and I look good in it. I was very happy with the find.
I also tried a blazer, and got into size 10. That was another happy moment. With all my bad behavior for the last six weeks I've managed to gain only few pounds (not sure how many yet, something like 3 or 4). For me, that's a huge success!!! *s*.
So today I went there thinking I'll do only cardio, since my body is still very sore from the last few days' craziness. So I'm starting with the elliptical and working for 30 minutes, thinking to myself: "What, no weights at all today? Doesn't sound right! Maybe you'll do some dumbbells exercises instead of the machines?"
