Jeni's Journal

[jeni5.0]

Hello-
ive finally decided to start a journal. i am still not sure about everything i am doing, and figure if i write it out here someone can tell me if its wrong. or give me suggestions on what to do better.
i was doing what bsc said to do for awhile, but i want a change.
i am 23, 5'10, 160. i started at 168. my goal is to be happy about the way i look. to be able to wear shorts and not be so self conscious.
i guess ill start with yesterday, since it was the first day of my new routine...

Feb. 28- chest/tri
bench press-bar only-1x10
-bar + 5lb-1x8
-bar + 10lb-1x6
butterfly machine-25lb-1x8, 1x6,1x4
(i think i may have started out too heavy here)

skullcrushers-ezbar only- 1x10
-ezbar + 5lb-2x6
kickbacks-8lb-1x10
-10lb-2x8

cardio- today i just walked for 20 minutes


nutrition:
1406 cal
101 pr
162 carb
30 fat
10 saturated
29 fiber

the workout isnt set, each week i would do different exercises so my body doesnt get used to anything.

[jeni5.0]

cardio- 40 minutes on treadmill total
-20 minutes running-5.2

im not a very good runner, but this is better than what i started at. plus ive been focusing on HITT alot lately.


nutrition:
1230 cal
80.5 pr
113 carb
38 fat
9 saturated
21 fiber


i know i have alot of work to do on nutrition. it is usually better than this, i promise. these past two days have been very weird.

i also know i need to up my calories. usually they are from 1500-1900. i know they were way too low the past couple days. partly due to sleeping til 11 and then not having time for dinner at work plus having no apetite at all due to being sick. yah i know, excuses excuses. just want you to know i realize the cals i need.

anyway, hope to hear from everyone soon.

[kkapp]

Hi Jeni,
I just started my journal today too, I thought I would check in with someone else who is just starting to journal and maybe we can keep each other on track.

I am posted under Karla's journal.

It sounds like your workout is pretty good, and I know you are aware of not eating enough, but also make sure you are getting enough protein.

What time do you workout? I am a morning person.

Well best of luck with the journalling (is that a word?), at least it will hold us accountable. Do you do a cheat day? I am not sure if I am going to or not. I am pretty psyched about doing this right, that I am afraid to cheat, in that it may lead to a downward spiral.

I will look forward to see how you do with your program.
Karla

[jeni5.0]

hi karla-
yah, im working on the protein. it always seems to be too low, and my carbs too high. i still have lots of work to do there. i think im gonna start posting what i eat all day, that way others can make suggestions.

i sortof have a cheat day. i didnt for awhile, but started wanting more and more sweets. so i allow myself a sweet or 2 one day a week (saturday or sunday). this week i ate a twinkie and a cookie.

ill be sure to keep up on your journal also. good luck to you!!

oh, i work out when i can get to the gym. sometimes with a friend at 6:30-7am, sometimes with hubby at 9-10pm, but mostly alone anywhere from 10am-12pm. i wish i could have a set schedule, but it just wont work right now.

[jeni5.0]

i figured i better post what ill be doing all week.

monday-chest/tri
tuesday-abs/HIIT
wednesday-back/biceps
thursday-shoulders
friday-abs/HIIT
saturday-lower body/walk 20min
sunday-rest

unfortunately there are days i cannot make it to the gym, but this is the order i want to follow. i also want to try a longer run once a week on wednesday or thursday. this week tho i did my sortof long run wednesday, and will be doing HITT today.
does everything look alright??

[kkapp]

Hi Jeni,
I think that workout looks really good. Why can't you make it to the gym regularily? Does your job interfere? I find that if I can stick to a certain routine, then there is less likelyhood of me slacking off. I don't know if this is a problem for you or not. If you look at my post I follow it to a "T"; pretty anal, I know!!

I have a question for you about the HITT... do you run with the HITT and do you do 30 second intervals? If so isn't the 30 seconds half way gone by the time you get up to speed? I have been doing HITT, or at least my version of it, on the elliptical. I also do it at 45 second intervals. I start a certain resistance and stay there, but I speed up for 45 seconds and then slow down for 45 seconds. I do use a heart rate monitor so, I get up to 170 (85-90%max heart rate)during the "sprinting" and about 160 (75% max heart rate)for the
other 45 seconds. Does this sound right to you?

Karla

[Jennifer-Lynn]

Originally Posted by jeni5.0

nutrition:
1230 cal
80.5 pr
113 carb
38 fat
9 saturated
21 fiber

Hi Jeni - Welcome to the board!

Yep your right cals are way too low here...look at that protein 80 grams!!! Try to get that up ok...and if need be wake up EAT and then go back to bed just to get your fuel in

[jeni5.0]

karla- no, my job doesnt interfere. well, too much. i like to go in the morning, but unless my friend goes, i just cannot make myself wake up. i am NOT a morning person. if i get up too early i wont even get a good workout.
i usually go a little before noon because i have to be at work by 3:30-4. (i hate my work). anyway, if i go at night its because my husband wants to go and thats when he can go. i like working out with him a lot, but after work its hard because i am tired.

i do 30 s intervals for hiit. it only takes the treadmill about 5-10 seconds max to switch speeds. i want to do 45 eventually, but right now im still trying to improve on speed and time. i have exercise induced asthma so it is hard for me, but i think i can get to where i want despite that.

im no expert on hiit, but im pretty sure your heart rates are at the right place. i read on another post that the sprinting should be about 90-95% your max heart rate. so i think your fine.

[jeni5.0]

jennifer-lynn
thanx for reading my journal. i can use any advice or suggestions i can get. i am working on my nutrition. if i would wake up to eat and go back to sleep, what would be best to eat?

[jeni5.0]

my workout:
back/biceps

seated row
50lb 2x10
60lb 1x8
straight arm pulldown
40lb 3x8
lower back extensions
3x10
bicep curl
10lb 1x10
15lb 1x8 (barely)
(i dont know why i am so weak here)
hammer curl
10lb 2x8

HIIT- 9 min
jog spd 5.6
sprint spd 7.0
(i know this is slow for many people, but im working on it)


nutrition:

meal 1- 1 egg, 1/2c oats w 1c skim milk and 1/2 scp protein powder
meal 2- protein shake with banana
meal 3-tuna salad on peice of bread with 1 peice of cheese, 1/2c baked beans
meal 4- apple, carrots
meal 5- pb and j sandwich, 1/2c broccoli
meal 6- almonds

1565 cal
123 pr
153 carb
37 fat
6.25 saturated
34.5 fiber

i usually have chicken (or something with more protein) for dinner, but i didnt have time to cook anything before work.
i also count net carbs. is this bad?

the pb is sugar free-simply jif
the jelly is no sugar added- 100% fruit
bread is whole wheat/low carb
cheese is 2%

water- 2 liters
just one soda- diet mountain dew

[jeni5.0]

one of my goals is to get 5 fruits/veggies a day. sometimes i do sometimes i dont, but i try.
i also am going to be trying a new vegetable each week.
this week is spinach (in a can). any suggestions on how to make it good?

[jeni5.0]

workout:
shoulders/abs

i had to do my workout at home today, thats why the "weights" are weird.

see saw press-5kg-3x8
bent arm lateral raise-2 cans green beans-3x10
ball crunch-3x12
cross body crunch (on ball)-3x10 each side

cardio- shopping in trier, work (bartender)


nutrition:

meal 1- glass of milk, yogurt,2 whole wheat toast, 1 egg, 3 egg whites
meal 2- "fresh and chicken salad" from pizza hut
(we went here while shopping and i was the only one who didnt eat pizza!!)
meal 3- protein bar (it was this or nothing)
meal 4- tuna salad, broccoli, strawberries
meal 5- 1/2 c oats, 1c milk, protein powder

these totals DO NOT include the chicken salad
1417 cal
139.75 pr
107.5 carb
22 fat
2.75 saturated
17 fiber

even after adding in the salad, i think my calories and fiber and fat are all too low. but my proteins are much higher.
the oats in meal 5 were because i worked out after work.

water- 2 liters
2 sodas-both diet

[VanillaBean_21]

Originally Posted by jeni5.0

nutrition:

meal 1- 1 egg, 1/2c oats w 1c skim milk and 1/2 scp protein powder
meal 2- protein shake with banana
meal 3-tuna salad on peice of bread with 1 peice of cheese, 1/2c baked beans
meal 4- apple, carrots
meal 5- pb and j sandwich, 1/2c broccoli
meal 6- almonds

1565 cal
123 pr
153 carb
37 fat
6.25 saturated
34.5 fiber

i usually have chicken (or something with more protein) for dinner, but i didnt have time to cook anything before work.
i also count net carbs. is this bad?

the pb is sugar free-simply jif
the jelly is no sugar added- 100% fruit
bread is whole wheat/low carb
cheese is 2%

water- 2 liters
just one soda- diet mountain dew

You can't get Natural PB? Even if the PB is sugar free, it's probably junk becuase of all the oils and transfats.

[jeni5.0]

i know my pb isnt the best, but ive tried natural and it makes me gag. i dont know why, it just tastes SO bad to me.

what brand do you use? maybe thats the problem, i just need to try different kinds. the only kind i can buy here is smuckers. any other kind id have to order online. but i dont think that would be a problem.

[VanillaBean_21]

I just buy the store brand. It's basically all the same thing, crushed peanuts. Smuckers Natural PB is good and a lot better then that oily crap. I think it tastes 100% better then regular PB.

[jeni5.0]

well, maybe ill give the natural pb another chance.


today was just an awful day. and it reflects in my nutrition, which i will post later on. i also didnt make it to the gym today. i hate bad days. it just seems like they get worse and worse over here. i wish i could just go home. but then id miss my husband. ugh.

[VanillaBean_21]

I'm sorry you had a bad day. I have those days a lot. Just try and think positive(yeah its hard! i know).

[mommykuce]

Originally Posted by Jennifer-Lynn

Hi Jeni - Welcome to the board!

Yep your right cals are way too low here...look at that protein 80 grams!!! Try to get that up ok...and if need be wake up EAT and then go back to bed just to get your fuel in

I agree about the low calories & protein and also about eating something in the middle of the night- I have been known to wake up to go to the bathroom and then grab something quick to eat (I have hard boiled egg whites in my fridge at all times, and with all the water I drink I never sleep through the night).

Jeni- I am still asking around about a nutrition program online. I didn't forget about you- looking forward to watching your progress!

Oh, yeah- I believe 100% in having a cheat day. Just do it in moderation. Being a sweets craver myself, it not only gives me something to look forward to at the end of the week (mine is usually Sunday unless I go out during the week and I also don't work out that day) but also stops me from binging. It also mixes things up for your metabolism- a little shock to the system gets it going!

[mommykuce]

Originally Posted by jeni5.0

i know my pb isnt the best, but ive tried natural and it makes me gag. i dont know why, it just tastes SO bad to me.

what brand do you use? maybe thats the problem, i just need to try different kinds. the only kind i can buy here is smuckers. any other kind id have to order online. but i dont think that would be a problem.

Have you ever tried soy nut butter? It is smoother than the peanut butter. I also use Smuckers all natural, it is really the only brand in the grocery store unless I go to a health food store.

[kkapp]

Hi Jeni,
Sorry you had such a bad day, but we all have them and we can only hope tomorrow is better.

I can't stand canned spinach, it is ?"goopy" If I eat spinach, I usually eat it raw, and in a salad. Another vegetable to try, is asparagus. I didn't think I would like it, but I buy it frozen and then grill it in a little olive oil.

As far as your fat and fiber count. I usually shoot for at least 25 grams of fiber, so that I stay "regular", if you know what I mean. If you don't think you are getting enough fat, try some flax seed oil. It is healthy fat, and has the omega 3 and 6 that your body needs.

Good job at increasing your protein, but you probably still go a little higher. Do you ever use fitday.com to find out how the percentages workout?

I try to shoot for 40P/30C/30F, but I somehow usually end up with 50P/25C/25F. I also count net carbs. I used to be really anal about carbs and cutting them really low. I have now since just starting add them, but use only the good carbs (from fruit, vegetables, and whole grains).

Well I hope you have a great day tomorrow. It's the weekend!!

Karla

[jeni5.0]

like i said before, no workout today.

my nutrition wasnt as bad as i thought it would be at all, in fact, i think its a little better....(except for the 2 bowls of cereal and hardly any water)

meal 1- milk, life cereal, 2 eggs
meal 2- pb and jelly sandwich
meal 3- yogurt
meal 4-chicken salad w light ranch
meal 5-milk, life cereal, dried apricots (lots of potassium in these)
meal 6-subway wrap, nutrigrain bar

1754 cal
136.5 pr
177 carb
44.5 fat
11 saturated
27 fib

water- 1 liter
2 1/2 sodas
(i know, not good)

my bad day picks above were the nutrigrain bar, the extra bowl of cereal, and the extra soda.

i have to leave, but i will reply to everyone tonight. thank you so much for reading and replying.
talk to you all soon.

[jeni5.0]

well, i sortof "fell off the wagon" this weekend. didnt make it to the gym saturday or sunday, and cheated both days. not too much, but more than usual. i am disappointed in myself and feeling bad, however i am also more excited to start over/again tomorrow. i feel more commited. i dont know, maybe taking those two days was good for me. i wont make a habit of it tho. ive started getting food ready for this week, and already made a gym "date" with a friend at 7am tomorrow.
this week is going to be hard.... ive GOT to clean this house, type up a bunch of papers and finish some hours for my degree, take my ferret to the vet (which is 40 minutes away), drive an hour 1/2 with my husband one night to pick up our new car, work every night and try to make it to the gym. wow, i feel like im back at college and working two jobs. i know i can do most everything this week if i keep motivated, but thats the problem. i lose motivation very easily here.
so, i will start posting nutrition and workouts again tomorrow.
(wow that got long)

[jeni5.0]

MK- thanks for looking stuff up for me about the online nutrition thing. i am still doing some research, as well as my mom. i havent tried soy nut butter, but we dont have any here. there is a bigger commisary an hour 1/2 from here that i can look at, but we wont make it there while the commisary is open for another few weeks. would it be ok in the mail if i had my mom get me some?

Karla- im registered on fitday, but havent used it yet. if i have time ill log my food in for tomorrow. id like to see the percentages. i decided to give my canned spinach to someone else. keep hearing nothing but bad stuff about it. ill have to get some fresh spinach this week sometime (i forgot to get some today).

VB- thanks for the encouragement. you are right about it being hard to stay positive, but i do try. if i look at the big picture i know i dont have it all that bad at all. sometimes things just get to me too much. gotta work on that.

[kkapp]

Jeni,
Monday is a new day and a new week. So hop back on the wagon. It will feel so much better.
We can motivate each other. Go to the gym in the morning and have an awesome workout. My weekdays are pretty structured, so I don't usually have a problem getting to the gym and eating healthy, I have my meals all packed to take to work, but on the weekends, it becomes more of a challange because I am not in my routine I am going to the gym at different times, and I am trying to find times to eat, and it never really works out how I hope.

Good luck this week... think of the great results... summer is coming.
Karla

[jeni5.0]

workout-lower body
(my gym buddy didnt show up today, but she had a good reason, oh well)

squats
ez bar 1x12
bp bar 1x12 (really off balance with this)
db 50lb 1x10
db 60lb 1x8
squats are getting frustrating because i know i can squat heavier than this, but i cant hold anything heavier. and i dont have a spotter. why does my upper body have to be so darn weak?!

high step ups
db 30lb 1x10 each leg
db 40lb 2x6 each leg
another situation where it hurts to hang on the weights. what are hand straps, or weight straps, or something? would they help me?

ham curls
40lb 1x12
50lb 2x6

superset with
leg extensions
35lb 1x12
40lb 2x6

calf raises
(stood on aerobic step and used smith machine)
no weight 1x12
bar + 50lb 1x10
bar + 55lb 1x8

cardio- just walked for 20 minutes at low speed


nutrition:
meal 1-milk, oats, protein, 1/2 banana (pre workout)
meal 2-milk, protein, 1/2 banana (shake-post workout)
meal 3- turkey and cheese sandwich, mac & cheese, apple
meal 4- turkey and cheese sandwich, almonds
meal 5- chicken salad with egg whites, cottage cheese, strawberries
meal 6- small, small bowl of cereal
also snacked on gummies today (emma-leighs recipe)

2048 cal
161 pr
185.25 net carb
63 fat (wow!)
11.75 saturated
35 fiber

water- 2 1/2 liters
soday- 2 cans diet md

not the best food choices today. im going to look on some other journals and try and plan out a better menu. we'll see if that works.

[kkapp]

Jeni,
First, congrats on going to the gym, even though you had to go it alone!!

Looking at your food plan. Are you eating regular cheese with those sandwiches? What kind of bread are you eating?
Mac and Cheese...usually high in fat.

Could you, have a turkey sandwhich and add some lettuce, tomatoe cucumbers etc. instead of cheese?
Could you add a lettuce salad? Chicken salad... are you using mayo or something else. How about some tuna, or grilled chicken breast. I made this spicy peanut chicken, recipe posted somewhere. I could get it for you. Great protein source and it is 6 servings, so you could eat it for a couple days. Also there is a turkey loaf that could be eaten for a few meals.

Meal #6... what kind of cereal and where is the protein in this?
It is could to eat the grain carbs in the morning, if you are working out then, and have more vegetable carbs in the evening. There are some good ideas in other people's posts, so if you have time you can read up on them.

I will talk again soon.
Karla

[jeni5.0]

hi, i dont know how to quote, so hopefully this wont be confusing.....

i eat 2% cheese, and i do have lettuce on the sandwiches. i will leave the cheese off today and see how it tastes. the bread is northwest reduced carb/whole wheat. (its real whole wheat, i checked the ingredients)

yah, the mac and cheese was a bad idea, it was kraft. i ate 1/2 cup. i havent had it in about 6 months, so i decided to make some.

the chicken salad is a lettuce salad with chicken on it. sorry for the confusion. its just lettuce, chicken, 2 egg whites, and 1T light ranch.
i do make tuna salad with a little miracle whip, a little relish, and egg whites.

i would love to try a new chicken recipe. could you get me the turkey loaf one also, or tell me where you found it? that would be great.

the cereal was a little less than 1/2 cup whole grain cereal (life) and 1/2 cup skim milk. usually i try to stay away from that at night, but sometimes ill eat it after work.

hopefully ill do better today. will post later. gonna go read your journal now, as well as a couple others. talk to you soon!

[kkapp]

jeni,
Just wanted to quickly touch base. I will post the recipe's tomorrow. It's getting late and I can't even type straight anymore!!!!
Karla

[jeni5.0]

rest day today

nutrition:

meal 1-yogurt
meal 2-skim milk, wh gr cereal, 1 egg, 1 egg white
meal 3-chicken, 1/2 mac & cheese
(i know,bad, i just cant make myself throw it away)
meal 4-turkey sandwich (just wh gr bread,turkey,lettuce), apple
meal 5-salad (chicken, lettuce, cottage cheese), strawberries
snack- almonds, 1/2 c healthy choice no sugar added ice cream

1588 cal
142 pr
147.5 net carb
44 fat
9 saturated
20.5 fib

except for low fiber i think i did pretty good today. need to add a little protein somewhere tho.

water-3 liters
soda- just one!!!

[jeni5.0]

workout- chest/triceps

pushups
3x12

superset with
tricep dips
3x12

incline bench press
bar only 1x8
bar + 5 lb 2x5
(these were very hard, need to work on em i guess)

rope pulldowns
40lb 2x8
45lb 1x6
(these were also very hard, dont know if its cuz i was tired from waking up early to work out or they were just weak from the dips, or both)

cardio
3 miles on treadmill- 2 walking, 1 running


nutrition

meal 1- skim milk, 1/2 c oats, 1/2 scp pr powder, 1/2 banana
meal 2- protein shake, 1/2 banana
meal 3- 1 egg, 3 egg whites,2 wh gr toast, 1 cheese (egg sandwich)
snack- 1/2 c mac & cheese, 1/2 pr bar
(i threw the rest of this away tonight, it was hard, but i did it)
meal 4-cereal, milk, couple strawberries, 2 egg whites
meal 5-chicken, lettuce, cottage cheese (salad), 1/2 c green beans

1796 cal
168 pr
161 net carb
42 fat
11 saturated
24.5 fib

water-3 liters!!!
soda- 2 diet md