Simp's Back

[Simpy]

It's been a while. Frankly, my life got away from me for a bit. It's still running amok, but I shall endeavor to get back to lifting.

I had written a good bit of information about me, but decided it's not relevant. Here's the gist:

1) I used to be in GREAT shape.
2) I've been a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor for 17 years.
3) I've competed in multiple figure competitions. It was love/hate.
4) I'm a full-time mom, full-time student, and full-time employee.
5) That's one full-time too many.
6) I had given up on lifting for a while just to make my schedule fit.
7) I started a free workout group in my teeny-tiny town. 3 mornings a week of boot camp style, body weight resistance, and sprints activities.
8) Since starting work on my doctorate I've put on 16 pounds. 16 POUNDS in a little over a year.

So, there you have it. I am far from chunky. I'm somehow blessed with a body that can pack on 16 pounds and most people don't notice. Or, more likely, they notice, but the weight went in a place that people like. But, it's about me, not them, right? I'm still much leaner than the average American, I'm still healthy, but my clothes don't fit. Plus, somehow I've lost my fantastic ass, and this has pissed me off.

This journal will document my process of losing those ugly 16 pounds and getting my ass back. I plan to continue my 3 days/week with my Iron Roosters workout club. I enjoy the days we meet. I will definitely make time to get to the gym 2-3 times per week. I will try to go in the morning, as long as my husband is home to get the kiddo ready for school. I can't drive in to the gym and be home to get him ready, now can I? I will carve out some time to lift after work, if possible. Otherwise, I'll figure something out on the weekends. I can find 2-3 hours in my schedule somewhere. I'll also do the run thing 2-3 times per week. I already 1 day per week with Iron Roosters. I'll add a few more to this for now. Please note, this is JUST UNTIL I DROP SOME LBs. Running 2-4 miles a few days/week always seems to help me lose weight. Longer runs. . . not so much. It's easy to find time for runs because I can just walk out my door and go. Gym time is harder. I have two gyms: one at work (1 hour away from home), and another in the next town over (20 minutes away from home).

Lifting plan is as such:
Day One - Upper body
Day two - Lower body (butt centric)
Day three - Total body, nothing specific, if I get to I get to it

Diet:
Currently trying to get around 1700-1800 calories per day. I'm not being particularly sensitive to carbs/protein/fat. Just working on calories.

[Marius_Ursus]

Welcome to the forum.


In!

[Simpy]

Hey, Bear!

Monday was IR day. We did a series of sprints, body weight exercises, and fawking burpees. 45 minutes of fun and it was off to the races.

Today I went to the gym. First leg day in, oh at least forever. I went super light because I don't want to get too sore right off the bat. Plus, my hams have always been prone to serious soreness in the past. I suspect that now would be no different. I'll keep weights light until I get a feel for being back in the gym.


BB squats: 5 x 85 x 10
SLDL: 5 x 65 x 10
BB Split Squats: 3 x 15 x 15
Sumo Deads: 3 x 65 x 15 (this was seriously light, but I'm going easy as noted above)
Butt lifts (1 leg): 3 x 10
Butt lifts (2 leg): 2 x 20
Glute kickbacks: 2 x 20 x 15
Stretching: 5 minutes

The butt lifts were sans weight, feed on a bench. The 1 leg ones were done alternating, no rest. So far so good on the tightness/soreness. I've lost some strength but not as much as suspected. What I've really lost is my recovery time. My CNS was going crazy after this workout. I was a shake fest.

[Plateauplower]

In for starting back at it DOMs, it doesnt matter how light you go, it hurts I started back to the iron in late January after a decade of being lazy, having kids (well the wife, but I helped I guess ) Sounds like you have a busy schedule, nice job making some time for yourself...

[Marius_Ursus]

It comes back fast, Simps.

What is "IR"? Whatever it means, sprints are awesome.

[yaaar]

Hey welcome back! Sorry about your legs tomorrow.

[yaaar]

It comes back fast, Simps.

What is "IR"? Whatever it means, sprints are awesome.

I assume "Injury Reserve" after hitting sprints and burpees after a long break.

[baker]

Hi Simpy, welcome back. Subbed and lurking.

[Phattso]

Hi Simpy. Nice to see you. Just an observation. To put your education ahead of staying in top condition is admirable, to me. There is an opportunity cost in many things, in other words, your education cost you a few pounds and being in the best of shape. You made the right decision. But, with all of your experience, it will not take long for you to get back to where you want to be.

Now, just kick some ass

[Simpy]

Thanks for the welcome, everyone. I have missed being on here and being held accountable via a journal. This should be good for me.

What is "IR"? Whatever it means, sprints are awesome.

It's Iron Roosters, the 3x/week boot camp group that I started in my hometown. In the summer we have several attendees and meet outside around town. Once it starts getting cold, we go indoors. One of the members is the preacher at a local church. They let us use their gym, which is pretty sweet.

Hey welcome back! Sorry about your legs tomorrow.

Not bad . . . yet. I feel a smidge of DOMS in my butt, EXACTLY WHERE I WANTED IT, and a bit more in my abductors. No biggie. Tomorrow may be a different story, but so far so good.

Hi Simpy. Nice to see you. Just an observation. To put your education ahead of staying in top condition is admirable, to me. There is an opportunity cost in many things, in other words, your education cost you a few pounds and being in the best of shape. You made the right decision. But, with all of your experience, it will not take long for you to get back to where you want to be.

Now, just kick some ass

Hey, dude! I was aware that when I started back to finish my doctorate that I would have to put something away. I had already slowed the lifting quite a bit because it was just too hard to get to the gym regularly. I was a little sad to also have to give up my Dance Fit class. Not only do I miss the extra money in my pocket, I miss the workouts and the people. But there is so much time that goes into creating routines, that it added up to far more than the 2 hours I taught classes each week. Oh well.

My weight gain is 100% because I have not been eating properly. I have been drinking waaaaayyyyy too much wine in the past year. I sit down on the couch at night with my computer and wine. That starts to really add up.

On a positive note:
I started my weight loss journey on November 1st when I topped the scale at 154! I have since dropped 4 pounds, so yay. . . only a daunting 12 more to go. . . during the holidays. . . and cold ass weather.

Today was and Iron Roosters (IR) day. Usually we run outside on Wednesdays, but sometimes it's inside if the weather is bad. I live in the semi-south, so the 17 degree temps this morning felt like -30 degrees to us. Needless to say, we hoofed it inside. We usually start with a dynamic warm-up of 5 laps around the gym and some stretches. After that we did 10 laps around the top. We run up to the Sunday School rooms, through the halls, and down the other set of stairs. 10 laps, as best we can tell, is around 1 mile. None of us has ever measured it. It takes a little under 10 minutes to run it.

We followed that up today with a bunch of relays around the gym floor and then some double suicides. It was 45 minutes total and I was pretty soaked with sweat by the end.

I had jury duty this morning, so I didn't have to rush back to get ready and head off to work. This gave me a bit of time to stretch. I'm hoping that the movement today will help stave off any DOMS that had hoped to sneak in over the course of the day.

[Marius_Ursus]

Smoky Mountains do get cold.

Good job on the weight loss. I know how hard it is to lose and maintain in the winter!

[Phattso]

Hey, dude! I was aware that when I started back to finish my doctorate that I would have to put something away. I had already slowed the lifting quite a bit because it was just too hard to get to the gym regularly. I was a little sad to also have to give up my Dance Fit class. Not only do I miss the extra money in my pocket, I miss the workouts and the people. But there is so much time that goes into creating routines, that it added up to far more than the 2 hours I taught classes each week. Oh well.

My weight gain is 100% because I have not been eating properly. I have been drinking waaaaayyyyy too much wine in the past year. I sit down on the couch at night with my computer and wine. That starts to really add up.

On a positive note:
I started my weight loss journey on November 1st when I topped the scale at 154! I have since dropped 4 pounds, so yay. . . only a daunting 12 more to go. . . during the holidays. . . and cold ass weather.

Today was and Iron Roosters (IR) day. Usually we run outside on Wednesdays, but sometimes it's inside if the weather is bad. I live in the semi-south, so the 17 degree temps this morning felt like -30 degrees to us. Needless to say, we hoofed it inside. We usually start with a dynamic warm-up of 5 laps around the gym and some stretches. After that we did 10 laps around the top. We run up to the Sunday School rooms, through the halls, and down the other set of stairs. 10 laps, as best we can tell, is around 1 mile. None of us has ever measured it. It takes a little under 10 minutes to run it.

We followed that up today with a bunch of relays around the gym floor and then some double suicides. It was 45 minutes total and I was pretty soaked with sweat by the end.

I had jury duty this morning, so I didn't have to rush back to get ready and head off to work. This gave me a bit of time to stretch. I'm hoping that the movement today will help stave off any DOMS that had hoped to sneak in over the course of the day.

Awesome. This place also misses your great sense of humor.

[mirroroferised]

I'm just getting into sprints myself. Will follow along. Welcome back to the journals

[NorwichGrad]

Hey welcome back!

I thought about you the other day. No homo.


Trying to remember your first name. Leah, correct?

[GKC45]

In for helping you get your ass back.

[Simpy]

Leah, correct?

Yep.

My left ankle is sore today. I guess it's because I only made left turns yesterday.

I had planned to go the gym this evening after work to lift upper and do some cardio, but I forgot to pack my gym bag. I may call Big Sexy and ask him to pack it for me, but there is truthfully no telling what I will end up wearing if that happens. Honestly, I need to sit down and work some more on Chapter 3 of my dissertation tonight. I doubt that I will do that, though. I always plan to write in the evenings, but it just never happens. If I don't write over lunch or early in the morning, it just doesn't happen.

[Simpy]

Yesterday was a mess for me. I rolled over to check the clock and see how much longer I had before I had to get up, only to realize that I had overslept and my IR group's workout was already underway. I told my husband that I would just go to the gym after work. We agreed to meet at home and go together. This would put me at the gym a bit later than if I had gone directly there, but no big deal. I headed off to work, only to remember half way there, that I had jury duty. I turned around, drove the 20 miles back home, and hung out until time for JD. I'm on grand jury, and on Friday duty days, all we have to do is show up, watch the foreman sign papers, and walk into the courtroom so the judge can thank us. It takes all of 15 minutes. Because of my long commute, I end up missing about 2.5 hours of work, though.

Work was a mess. I stayed later than I hoped. Got home late. Got to the gym late. And, as you can probably now assume, did not get to finish my planned workout because of gym close time. All I missed were arms, so not too big of a deal.

DB Incline Chest press: 5 x 25 x 15
DB Flat Bench Flyes: 3 x 15 x 12
Seated Cable Rows: 5 x 60 x 15
Lat Pulldowns: 3 x 70 x 12
Standing DB Shoulder Press: 5 x 15 x 12
3-1 Lat Raises: 2 x 10

This past summer I was running around 5 in the morning, and I tripped on a break in the pavement. I hit hard, skinning my hands and left shoulder on the way down. I also hit my head and suffered a concussion. I should have gone to a doctor about it right away, but I left that day for a work trip. The concussion was obvious and I was officially diagnosed a few days later when I returned from my trip. The shoulder, I thought, was just a deep bruise. Honestly, I think it was more than that. I have had to toss a few sports bras since then because the motion of taking them off hurts my shoulder so badly that I've cut myself out of them. This hasn't happened recently, but I still feel a pain, though not as badly. Last night I had issues with the flyes and the shoulder presses. Nothing serious, but I'm definitely not healed up fully. At this point, I don't think I need to go to the doctor about it. The pain is nothing like it was a few months ago, but I definitely need to be aware while lifting. I'm going to play some of the upper body stuff by ear to see how the shoulder is feeling.

[Simpy]

Current stats:

Height: 5'7
Weight: 150
Chest: 36
Waist: 27.5
Hips: 39
Thigh: 23.25
Neck: 13

Tape measure BF% estimate: 25%


I've always found the tape to be the best at-home measure of bf%. I have no one reliable to use calipers and the bio thing has always been wonky with me - measuring me at 30% one day and 20% the next. Okay, so maybe not that drastic, but it's always been up and down.

Goal: 20% That's pretty much my comfort zone.

[Phattso]

Hey Simps. Wow. I had no idea about your concussion. May I ask, after you were diagnosed with a concussion, what was the medical treatment? Rest?

[Simpy]

Hey Simps. Wow. I had no idea about your concussion. May I ask, after you were diagnosed with a concussion, what was the medical treatment? Rest?

Yep. Just rest. I got in trouble for not minding. About a week and a half after my fall I went out for a run. I thought it was lightening to the left of me until I realized that no matter how I turned it was always to the left of me. Every step I took it made flashes in my left peripheral vision. I sat out for a few weeks and limited light, which seemed to trigger headaches. As far as I know, it was my first ever concussion.

[Simpy]

3 mile run. 27.5 minutes.

[Simpy]

On Saturday I cleaned my house from top to bottom. The kiddo helped quite a bit. Then he went off to a friend's house and I got busy cleaning up chapter 3 of my dissertation. The goal is to defend my proposal in the spring. I need to completely rewrite chapter 1 and chapter 2 needs some work. I plan to really get these in working order over my Christmas break. After turning in Chapter 3, I had a lovely time watching Hallmark Christmas movies all by myself. Not a single down of college football was watched that day!

Sunday - no workout. It was all church and football . . . and a bottle of wine. Oops.

Monday - I started the day with IR. Today's workout was hard. We went non-stop and there were a few times I wanted to vomit. We did some suicides. After 3, my suicides were less suicidal and more of a call for help. I plan to hit the gym tomorrow after work for lifting and cardio.

[Marius_Ursus]

On Saturday I cleaned my house from top to bottom.

Some of the hardest conditioning I do is scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees.

[NorwichGrad]

On Saturday I cleaned my house from top to bottom. The kiddo helped quite a bit. Then he went off to a friend's house and I got busy cleaning up chapter 3 of my dissertation. The goal is to defend my proposal in the spring. I need to completely rewrite chapter 1 and chapter 2 needs some work. I plan to really get these in working order over my Christmas break. After turning in Chapter 3, I had a lovely time watching Hallmark Christmas movies all by myself. Not a single down of college football was watched that day!

Sunday - no workout. It was all church and football . . . and a bottle of wine. Oops.

Monday - I started the day with IR. Today's workout was hard. We went non-stop and there were a few times I wanted to vomit. We did some suicides. After 3, my suicides were less suicidal and more of a call for help. I plan to hit the gym tomorrow after work for lifting and cardio.

Are you working on your masters, if you don't mind me asking, in what?

[Simpy]

Some of the hardest conditioning I do is scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees.

If you ever have a hankering to "work out" in Kentucky . . .

Are you working on your masters, if you don't mind me asking, in what?

I'm getting my doctorate in Education Technology & Leadership.

Okay, so it's been a bit. Here's the general gist of what has happened in the past week:

Tuesday: My SIL's grandmother passed. They are from Eastern KY and it is very much the culture to go to funeral home visitations. Since I love my SIL, I skipped my workout and drove 2 hours to go to the visitation after work. 15 minutes there. 2 hours home.

Wednesday: 3.5 mile run with Iron Roosters. Later in the day I went to gym for leg work. I did pretty much what I did the last time except for butt lifts and kickbacks.

Thursday: Upper body lifting session. Just like last week with some increased weights. I don't have my records with me, or I'd write it out. 20 minutes of cardio on the TM. Nothing strenuous. All followed by some carb loading. Here's pretty much what I eat every Thanksgiving: cranberry sauce, broccoli casserole, asparagus casserole, and 1-2 pieces of sausage balls. I am not a fan of turkey and I can't stand for my food to touch, so loading the plate with all that stuff just grosses me the hell out. All in all, I ate very little for TG dinner. I did indulge in a bit of bread pudding, though. My son absolutely loves bread pudding and begged me to make some. I found this killer recipe for bread pudding with caramel sauce a few years ago, so we went with that. It's insanely decadent and very yummy. Everyone loved it.

Friday: Post Black Friday sleeping and house cleaning.

Saturday: Christmas tree cutting down, lights, ornaments, football, and wine. I think I crashed on the couch by 8 PM.

Sunday: 1-2 panic moments concerning school. 3-4 panic moments concerning the Cincinnati Bengals. 5-6 glasses of wine.

Monday: Iron Roosters workout. We took advantage of 60 degree weather and played outside. It was a piecemeal workout, but we had fun. Hoping to lift tomorrow after work.

[blbskue]

In! I like your profile pic outside of the Troll Pub in Louisville!

[Simpy]

In! I like your profile pic outside of the Troll Pub in Louisville!

We were up for a friend's birthday and stopped there as part of our Thirsty Peddler tour. I'd never been to it. It was a nice bar.


Good news! Since November 1st, I'm officially down 7 pounds. It seems like I was stuck, stuck, stuck for the last two weeks and then, BOOM! Three pounds just fell off . . .over Thanksgiving holiday, of all things. I still want to lift after work, but I may stay late to write a paper if I don't get much done over lunch break. It's one of those weeks where I have to use every bit of time on something productive. I'm leaving Friday for a work trip, my final paper is due Monday, while I'm still on my trip. I'd like to have it done before I leave. In addition, I'm up against some deadlines at work that I want to have behind me before I hit the road. Ugh.


On a positive note, I'll be taking Sunday off from the conference and heading to a Tennessee Titans game. I'm not a Titans fan, but I'm definitely a Giants hater. So, Go Titans! Stomp on Eli's head a bit. I got super cheap seats for my coworker and I. I figure we can move down after the game starts. The Titans have had a pretty crappy season and the games I've seen haven't been too packed. It's my friend's first NFL game, so I hope to show her a good time.

[Simpy]

Outside of two IR workouts this week (Monday & today) I have done nothing. It's the week before finals at work and for my personal schooling. In addition, I'm having some issues with asthma and have suffered two attacks mid-week. I've been tempted to start my emergency stash of prednisone, which means I'm not feeling well as that stupid med is the devil.

I'm leaving today for a conference in Nashville. I'll be there through Tuesday. I'm hoping to get all my school stuff finished during some down time. It shouldn't be tough since there's little left to do. I'm also taking some work stuff to complete while there. That said, I should have time to hit the hotel fitness center.

[Marius_Ursus]

Have fun in Nashville.

I spent a week there one night.

[Simpy]

I'm dying. Asthma. Allergies. Respiratory infection. Prednisone. Inhaled steroids. Allergy pills. Kick-ass cough syrup. Antibiotics.

You name it, I'm taking it.

No workouts since my second day in Nashville. I worked out twice while there but being exposed to so much cigarette smoke made me very ill. Now I'm just trying to recover. I'll workout once I'm mostly over it. Years of experience with this crap tells me not to rush back. My asthma is exacerbated by exercise and I just want to get well. So, until then, adios, friends.