no more excuses - pecan's log

[pecan]

my greatest problem can be summed up in one sentence: i make excuses for myself. the problem is, one excuse leads to another, and i often end up going in circles (example: i can't work out because i have to study. but i can't study because i have to work out. end result? excessive internet usage, watching tv, etc!)

i kept a log here before, and i really enjoyed it -- even though i ran into several obstacles (hello, life!), i kept pressing on. and you know what? it was worth it.

well, of course, once that journal ended, i had to start a new one. ..what has taken me, what, three weeks? excuses!

NO MORE!!

we start anew, today, april 19th! which..kind of is good because i just celebrated a birthday. and, you know how that goes. so back on track!

my goals: okay, my goals are kind of different than a lot of people here, but not really. i want to eventually conduct research in the field of nutrition, so i'm not concerned with my physical body to the point of perfection. instead, i want to be healthy: i want to demonstrate a healthy diet with an appropriate amount of exercise. i'm also coming from an ed background, so that tends to make me not want to get *too* caught up in things like "cutting". so while my tendency is to relax in exercise much more than diet, making me lean towards being skinny-fat, i want to overcome that and be strong and healthy.

so, hi again everyone! let's get logging!

key to macros: c/f/p (like the nutrition label?)

sunday april 19
foods:
cottage cheese, soymilk, slice of multigrain toast
hummus with crudites
shrimp and broccoli stir-fry
soy and rice crisps
meatless taco salad
cottage cheese and soymilk
1840 39/22/39

exercise:
cardio - 45m treadmill
strength - upper/abs

bench press 20x12x2
chest flye 20x12x2
lower ab crunches 35x2
crunches 35x2
bicep curl 20x12x2
overhead press 20x12x2
bicycle crunch 40x2
stability ball back extension 15x2
lateral raise 10x12x2
bent-over row 20x12x2
push-up 15x2
stability ball tricep dip 15x2

obviously, i have to rebuild some strength. but on a really good note, that's some amazing macros! i usually end up with a much higher-fat diet..mostly because of all the nuts..haha.

[VanillaSie]

Oh Ya! You started another log! I will be following along for sure!

I'm heading out to go walking on this fine evening, so I will write more later.

[Verti-gal]

Good to see you sticking with it and starting another log.

Good luck on your journey. No more excuses.

[pecan]

monday april 20
foods:
breakfast burrito (eggs and cheese)
cottage cheese and soy milk
cheese and salsa wrap
sunflower seeds
broccoli quiche
rice pudding
1885 29/29/32

exercise:
none.

i was pretty disappointed in yesterday. i put on my gym clothes but went to the library first thing (8am) so i could finish a paper that was due the next day. know what time i finished? TEN PM. ridiculous! the subject matter was just far too complex (it's for a class on kabbalah. interesting but..reading it feels like wading through mud).

so, yeah, no exercise at all yesterday. nothing is due tomorrow though, so no excuses..at least for one day (organic chem test coming up!)

blah, school.

vanillasie, i knew you'd keep on logging!

verti-gal, thanks!

[vanillabn]

Glad you started a new log!! I'm in for sure Organic chem.... eehhhh... I feel your pain!! lol

[twinnett]

Hey there..good to see your new log...a fellow procrastinator like myself! lol

[pecan]

tuesday april 21
foods:
oatmeal, egg whites, walnuts, chopped apple
advantage bar
hummus on pita
cottage cheese, soy milk
tuna salad over romaine, pumpkin seeds
chocolate smoothie (rice protein)
1890 42/31/27

exercise:
20m elliptical

wednesday april 22
foods:
greek yogurt, chopped apple
advantage bar
breakfast burrito
chocolate smoothie (rice and soy protein)
cheese and salsa wrap
pumpkin seeds
1795 41/32/27

exercise:
20m elliptical
same upper/abs routine as above

i'm experimenting with reducing my cardio. i have a tendency to like to do a lot of it, more as a "zoning out" type of thing...but i also have a hard time eating enough. and last time i did that, i lost weight. not good when your goal is to build muscle. hopefully, 20 minutes of cardio will help me get the results i want?

[VanillaSie]

Originally Posted by pecan

i'm experimenting with reducing my cardio. i have a tendency to like to do a lot of it, more as a "zoning out" type of thing...but i also have a hard time eating enough. and last time i did that, i lost weight. not good when your goal is to build muscle. hopefully, 20 minutes of cardio will help me get the results i want?

I only do cardio every few weeks, and tend to go in cycles with it. Sometimes I just want to run, but that feeling doesn't pop up too often. If I try to make it a regular thing, I end up dreading the gym...and that is not cool.

I know in the past, I did cardio out of a fear of gaining fat. Do you think you have any of that lingering -- even just a tiny bit? (don't take that the wrong way)

Lately, when I do cardio, I limit it to 20min. Usually if I have time to kill, I'll hop on the treadmill and put the incline up all the way and just walk at medium pace (~2-2.5mph). If you really like your cardio, maybe you could switch to something like that. It will work your calves for sure, and 20 minutes feels like plenty for me! Just a thought....

[pecan]

thursday april 23
foods:
breakfast burrito, apple
cottage cheese, soymilk, blueberries
tuna over romaine, raw cashews
hummus and pita
asian-style chicken soup (quorn)
sunflower seeds
2070 37/31/32

exercise:
none

organic exam at 8 in the morning+afternoon of classes+homework=i am not getting on track as quickly as i would have liked. granted, i do have four weeks left, so this may account for some of the problems. i was up at 4am studying for that exam (i'd rather study early than late), but that was well worth it...i feel like i did great, and if you've ever done ochem, you know that means a lot...

today is going to be another ridiculous day, so i'm packing my gym clothes and hoping for the best regarding food options. i think i won't be able to go home until around 7pm. ew.

vanillasie, i can see where you're coming from with that reasoning, but in truth, i "like" to do cardio because i've discovered that i can accomplish some of my reading there+make time move faster (good for the feeling of accomplishment). without reading, cardio makes me bored out of my mind. which is why that in my ed days, i never, ever did cardio. kind of weird, but cardio made me hungry anyway, which justified not doing it (???)

i'll try using the incline, thanks for the advice!

[VanillaSie]

Hope the organic chem test went well. That was one of my favorite classes! (one of my degrees is in chemistry )

Hope your busy day went well. Maybe you will sleep well after all that!

The reading thing with the cardio makes sense, I know a lot of people like to do that. I have tried it, but can't seem to concentrate and I end up getting annoyed. Maybe I wouldn't hate cardio so much if I learned to read something! Funny, in my ED days I never did cardio either. I was always so fatigued and would rather just eat less. Sigh.

Hope you like the incline treadmill. If and when I ever do cardio, it is either the stair climbing machine or the incline treadmill. I feel like I am doing something more productive that way, and if that helps motivate me to do it, then so be it!

[pecan]

friday april 24
foods:
cottage cheese, soymilk, chopped apple
blueberry muffin, scrambled eggs
black bean/cheese taco salad
toasted almonds
cottage cheese, soymilk
1682 34/35/31

exercise:
30m elliptical
mixed strength

row 45x12x2
overhead press 40x12x2
leg press 70x12x2
hip abductor 40x12x2
arm extension 30x12x2
preacher curl 20x12x2
abdominal 50x12x2
back extension 20x12x2
tricep rope extension 20x12x2

weird eating day, good exercise day. okay, i actually have no idea on those macros or calories because i ate two meals out, but whatever, the gym was good. i knocked off 15 minutes from my regular cardio (forgot to try the treadmill incline! ugh! will do that today though...must make myself a note, apparently).

i imagine the problem with reading while doing cardio (assuming you're the type who can really zone in on the reading) is that it makes it hard to do intervals/push yourself harder. but again, it's something i'm just making myself do, cardio on machines isn't fun for me.

also, why is the preacher curl so hard while a regular bicep curl isn't?

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by pecan

cardio on machines isn't fun for me.

i reckon it isn't fun for anyone . . . chance of doing it outdoors?
of course, you wouldn't be able to read

[pecan]

saturday april 25
foods:
breakfast burrito
cottage cheese, chopped apple
leftover black bean salad
cocoa almonds
smoked salmon spread
cottage cheese, soymilk
1791 34/29/37

exercise:
25m treadmill (with incline)
20m elliptical

the incline seems to move the effects of the treadmill to areas of my thighs/glutes that don't get worked enough!

also, i don't know how i feel about looking at my diet/exercise this past week. 5 days cardio/3 days strength? is that really enough to make any changes? probably not. i need to kick up the intensity of, well, everything. more eating, more working out.

and i would maybe jog outside, except...it is so hot in south florida. i think the best i could do outdoors would be biking, which is something i should consider actually.

[pecan]

monday april 27
foods:
cottage cheese, soymilk, apple
fettucini alfredo with broccoli
apple, babybel (2)
spinach and mushroom pizza, crudites with ranch
celery with peanut butter
soy crisps
1796 41/23/36

exercise:
cardio - 30m elliptical
strength - mixed

row 40x12x2
overhead pull-down 40x12x2
leg press 50x12x2
abduction 40x12x2
abdominal 40x12x2
back extension ?x12x2
bench press 20x12x2
chest flye 20x12x2
barbell curl 20x12x2
tricep kickback 8x12x2
3 sets crunches

i really, really fatigued at the end of that workout. i'm not sure why. this week should be less hectic by far, so hopefully i'll get more on track. also, the cardio room kind of drives me crazy. i just wanted to finish my buddhism reading, and i had to be next to a guy who talked to himself the whole time. "how do you work this?" "now, this is silly" "WHOA--too fast!" oh..my..lord. not to mention this one girl who was there the entire time i was on the elliptical. she had to have spent over an hour and a half on it (because that's how long i was there, counting signing in, changing, and showering). poor thing..i was actually worried about her because she was BRIGHT red.

[vanillabn]

Nice workout! lol @ the people at the gym... there's some odd characters at mine too! haha. There's a few girls that seem to be on the ellipticals for HOURS on end... it's crazy! Glad you were able to get a good workout in even in spite of all that.

[pecan]

tuesday april 28
foods:
protein pancakes, apple
cottage cheese, soymilk
split pea soup
soy crisps, apple
quorn in basil marinara sauce, salad with avocado
greek yogurt and chopped almonds
1577 50/17/33

exercise:
30m powerwalk (outdoors!)

hmm. too bad i waited until today to calculate yesterday's macros. too low! i suppose aiming for higher protein and lower fat is just making me hit the lower fat. blah.

so i tried some outdoor cardio. i remembered the other reason (aside from heat) why it's tricky - it's tough to figure out what pace you're going at. i know you're supposed to aim for 4.0mph and not fall below 3.5...i'm pretty sure i did it, but..i guess you can't ever know? jogging would be ideal, but my feet roll inward and make it very painful. i can jog for 5 minutes before i'm in pain, so, that's that.

thanks, i guess there are just characters everywhere, huh? lol. life just likes throwing us obstacles - we will persist through our workout though! haha.

[tlstot]

Hey pecan!

Nice work on the cardio.. I love walks outside!

April flew by for me as well. I read you were in college... classes almost over?

I am taking a physiology class and then attending nursing school in the fall, I have two class periods left! I can't wait!

[VanillaSie]

I love exercising outdoors. When I still lived in MS, it was really too hot to exercise outside in they daytime unless you like to abuse yourself. Ha.

To work around this, I started biking at night. I really loved it. Especially since we were on a quiet road just outside of town. Sometimes I really miss my night rides. If we ever go back there, I am going to have to do that again. There is nothing like the cool night summer air in the country blowing in your face as you ride under the stars. Pure magic.

I could get on the W&OD at night, but I have heard it is best not too b/c people could be lurking. If we move to the country this fall -which we are really hoping to do- maybe there will be a good bike road.

[lilly_julia]

an hour and a half on the elliptical machine? that is crazy, I can only stand it for a half an hour before I lose my mind out of boredom. That person MUST be doing it for all the wrong reasons!

What you're studying sounds so interesting, what is your degree in? and I feel you on school getting in the way of working out.. its just NOT conducive!

just a personal note, I'd like to see you throw a salad or two into your daily food, I don't see many vegetables on a regular basis in there.. what do you think?

[pecan]

wednesday april 29
foods:
oatmeal with egg whites and chopped apple
smoothie with rice and soy protein
tuna salad on whole wheat, soy chips
raw almonds, two plums
pizza, steamed broccoli and onions
greek yogurt
1895 43/26/31

exercise:
cardio - 30m aerobics
strength - mixed

barbell curl 30x12x2
overhead press 30x12x2
bench press 30x12x2
chest flye 30x12x2
lateral raise 20x12x2
tricep press 20x12x2
bosu squat 15x2
crunches 15x2
lower crunches 15x2
bicycle crunches 30x2

better food, but weak workout. usually happen the day after i don't eat enough. boo.

tlstot, three weeks of school! i absolutely cannot wait to have a degree, finally. physiology is such a fun class, although i'm slightly jealous that you have only two classes left...well, except that means your exam is closer, lol!

vanillasie, i love biking at night as well, minus the fact that it's more unnerving when you see unusual characters out and about. i feel pretty safe when i go with someone, but i definitely would not go alone!

lilly, i started wanting to pursue holistic health, but am ending up with a general degree because i...changed my mind. i decided i want to study nutrition science, so i've basically put myself into a position where i HAVE to go to grad school. but grad school sounds so much better...i'd rather take classes titled "vitamins and minerals" than "physics" anyday (and yet, i had to do physics? weird.)

[vanillabn]

Great workout! YAY for being almost done school!! That must feel great! I know what you mean about "done your degree FINALLY"... lol... I couldn't wait for school to be over! Three weeks will pass fast So how do you make this oatmeal w. egg whites & chopped apple? Do you cook the egg whites first?

[lilly_julia]

HURRAY for broccoli!

[pecan]

thursday april 30
foods:
french toast, apple
baked potato with f/f cheese
boca chili, soy chips
avocado over baby greens
greek yogurt, chopped apple
1662 51/16/33

exercise:
30m elliptical

friday may 1
foods:
blueberry muffin, extra blueberries
greek yogurt with chopped apple
yves sloppy joes, coleslaw
stuffed mushrooms
sausage and rice
soy chips
1689 54/16/31

exercise:
40m elliptical
mixed (lower body emphasis)

leg press 70x12x2
hip abduction 40x12x2
abdominal 40x12x2
back extension ?x12x2
row 40x12x2
overhead press 30x12x2
leg extension 30x12x2
reverse leg curl 30x12x2
glute 30x12x2 (each side)

i've had a busy and very off-track weekend! lots of eating out, ice cream, etc. but hey, what are weekends for (trying to be positive, i'm actually kind of "ugh"). i'm trying to get on track today, hopefully i will...?

vanillabn, i actually add the egg whites in slowly right after turning the heat down. it thickens the oatmeal and makes it creamy (seems very indulgent!) then i add the chopped apple right at the end, so that it is minimally cooked (nutrient preservation) and i also add some stevia and cinnamon. it's excellent!

lilly, you're my vegetable cheerleader

[pecan]

monday may 4
foods:
greek yogurt with raspberries and cashews
sliced apple with peanut butter
garden veggie burger on w/w bun
cranberry-rice protein smoothie
baked salmon, salad with avocado
tortilla torte
2052 39/28/33

exercise:
cardio - 30m elliptical
strength - upper

row 40x12x2
arm extension 30x12x2
chest press 40x12x2
overhead pull-down 40x12x2
abdominal 50x12x2
back extension ?x12x2
barbell curl 30x12x2
overhead press 30x12x2
lateral raise 20x12x2
dumbbell tricep extension 30x12x2
tricep rope pushdown 20x12x2
tricep kickback 10x12x2 (each)

so i noticed today that i need to up the weight...but i will also need to do fewer exercises in order to not totally wear myself out.

also, i've upped the fat again. i was seriously missing my nuts, and salmon seemed so desirable!

[VanillaSie]

Great that you are ready to up the weight! I always get excited when that happens.

I can't go long without nuts...especially brazil and walnuts. Those are my two favorite - put them in the freezer to make them better (yes, I am weird, but the freezer does magical things to certain foods like nuts, cookies, grapes, gummies, bananas...I am sure I could think of more....my husband likes to make fun of my weird food manipulations. Hehehe. It really just comes down to a texture thing. I have this thing with food and texture )

[pecan]

tuesday may 5
foods:
protein pancakes, apple
egg and cheese burrito, apple
greek yogurt with chopped apple
tuna casserole, carrot slaw
tortilla torte with chopped cocoa almonds
almond butter on...apple (rly?)
1899 46/22/32

exercise:
abs workout (30m)

wednesday may 6
foods:
breakfast burrito, apple with almond butter
greek yogurt with crumbled chocolate
primal strips
salad with tempeh, tofu, goat cheese
scallop stir-fry
sunflower seeds
1631 36/32/32

exercise:
cardio - 25m elliptical
strength - upper (dumbbell)

bench press 20x12x2
chest flye 20x12x2
bicep curl 20x12x2
overhead press 20x12x2
tricep extension 20x12x2
bent-over row 20x12x2

ugh, what a week. i took the standardized organic chem exam today, which covers the entire year. i have a five hour organic exam coming up, and i have to write a 10 page paper this weekend. this log has no longer become a way to track my strength gains - instead, it is the only thing keeping me going to the gym (for 25 minutes) and lifting weights at home. but ultimately, that's better than nothing. so i'm going to keep posting. bear with what sounds pathetic (and really, four apples in one day??)

[VanillaSie]

LOLZ@ 4 apples in one day.


I have soooo done that though, so I can't laugh too hard. I tend to get on certain kicks with food, and will eat very similar things for several days in a row, but then my life starts to feel like ground hog day and I have to change something.

[Miranda]

Originally Posted by pecan

and really, four apples in one day??

yes that is pathetic. i only eat three a day.

[vanillabn]

I like how you have a lot of 'variety' in your diet... that's good! Scallop stir fry sounds awesome yum yum. Organic chem is tough!!! Good luck with that!

[tlstot]

good luck with o-chem! I hope you did well! I just got done with my physiology yesterday! "SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!" (well, not really for me, i've got a class that starts in June )