A long Hard Road, Not Giving Up!

fitladyj · 03-01-2006, 07:33 AM

When I began about a year ago, I weighed 296lbs and measured 42-43-53. My body fat percentage was 49 percent and I was miserable! I was totally sedentary too and ate the basic American couch potato diet (i.e. too much fat, simple carbs, too much everything). Now my weight maintains between 200-205lbs, today I weighed in at 203lbs for example and I measured in 38-31-40. I workout nearly everyday. My old workout plan consisted of 30-45 minutes on the elliptical, 4-6 days a week and weight training 5-6 days a week, rotating each major muscle group for optimal rest. I am now incorporating HIIT, doing roughly 20-25 minutes of cardio, using the elliptical, stairmaster and bike, 5-6 days a week. Also doing my weight training consistently as before, as I still have some fat to lose. How much fat will be determined today, as I am going to get my body fat measured again for the first time since I lost all the weight.

A typical day of eating for me now is much healthier! I eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and include lots of lean protein in my diet, as well as complex carbohydrates and modest amounts of healthy fats.

Breakfast

1 whole wheat bagel
4 egg whites

Post Workout
2 scoops protein powder (as part of a smoothie I make with blueberries, peaches, yogurt and white grape juice)

Lunch
6-8 oz chicken or turkey breast
1/2 sweet potato
2 cups broccoli

Snack
1/2 cup yogurt covered raisins or 1 medium apple with peanut butter

Dinner
1 cup curried red Lentils over 1/2 cup brown rice
1 cup asparagus

Only bad thing about eating for me is that I am on a medication that makes me not want to eat. So some days I know I do not eat enough. My goal right now because I have a large frame is to get down to 175. I would like to do this without losing too much muscle, as I am sure I could lose more fat. I will post again today once I find out what my body fat is and this I am sure will help me plan more accordingly with my goal. I will also post some before and after pictures of my transition so far later.

Sandguy · 03-01-2006, 07:43 AM

Wow...great job on losing all that weight. Keep working hard.

d2r2005 · 03-01-2006, 08:49 AM

sounds like you are doing well so far. keep it up. i'll subscribe

fitladyj · 03-01-2006, 01:44 PM

I could not get my body fat tested today because the mofo didn't show up! WTF?!?! That made me madder than all get out, but as promised I am posting pics of my before and after so far. Again here are the stats so far:

Me before (Feb 2005): 296lbs 42-43-53 ; thighs 34 inches; arms 13 inches; both of pure flab I swear!

Me now (March 1, 2006): 203lbs 38-31-40; thighs 22 inches; arms 15 inches

So now there are still things I need to improve on, no question there, like I said I want to at least be down to 175, and as you can probably tell from these pics, I am no little lady! My chest, shoulders and torso are broad. My thighs and calves are the first places I pack on muscle. I am anxious to see the impact of the new HIIT I have added to my workout routine. If you have any suggestions for fat loss I welcome them, but bear in mind, a lot of supplements I cannot take because I have a medical condition which severely restricts that sort of stuff. So if it has a warning label on it, it probably means I can't take it, LOL.

Today went well with training, I did 15 minutes on level 7 of the elliptical at our gym which kills me, LOL. Then I hopped on the stairmaster for 7 minutes of the fat burning program at intensity level 3. Like I said I am new to this HIIT stuff, which was really different from my old cardio routine, but I definitely like it. I also went to see my physical therapist to make sure I wouldn't put any strain on my old knee injury from the car wreck I was in several years ago. He said my knee doesn't sound any worse but to keep an eye out for intense pain that doesn't go away. So far so good! I also did some light weights on upper back, chest and shoulders. Tomorrow is abs and lower back on weights. Stay tuned, I am going to see how much our student fitness center charges for a body fat assessment, they used to make you buy three whole damned personal training sessions which was 100 bucks! I also have my whole transition available at http://photos.yahoo.com/shy_poet_4_love

See you tomorrow!

Jess

d2r2005 · 03-01-2006, 06:39 PM

looked through your photos and it looks like you are doing great. i looked at your diet above, and you might want to mix oats in some days instead of bagels just a suggestion. keep it up

fitladyj · 03-03-2006, 01:33 PM

I am going tomorrow morning for the body fat assessment, they will do them for a separate (and much cheaper) cost than the total personal training. So I am thrilled with that. Tonight is upper body again (chest, upper back, shoulders) and I am also going to work on my abs, since I cheated and had two chocolate chip cookies today!!! They looked so good, I just could not resist. Okay I am a female, we get cravings around a certain time of the month! But otherwise I did great!

Breakfast

1 cup slow cook oats
4 egg whites

Snack
1 cup grapes

Lunch
1 cup egg salad on whole grain sour dough bun
2 chocolate chip cookies

Post workout
protein shake and an apple

Dinner
6 oz Chicken breast
1 cup asparagus
1/2 cup brown rice with tomatoes

Cardio was good too, another HIIT trip as I call it! 15 minutes on the elliptical at level 7, I think I will move up to level 8 next time. Then I followed with 5 minutes on the stairmaster at level 5 and 5 minutes on the bike at level 4.

Tomorrow is body fat report! Lets hope it goes well!

Jess

fitladyj · 03-04-2006, 09:37 AM

How can I possibly have a body fat percentage of 28 percent? I know I was giving the girl a look like, you have to be kidding! Granted, I am glad it isn't still 49.5 percent, but still, it seems like after all the effort I put in I should be a little bit closer to the 15-20 percent range. Hmmm, oh well. Back to the drawing board. Now I really need to sit down and configure this whole diet and exercise thing. I am just wondering though if the fact that I have loose skin isn't throwing it off a little. I know I should always be realistic and but damn 28 percent??????

thebarbie101 · 03-04-2006, 10:02 AM

it's okay girl , don't worry about your body fat now!!! just focus on what you want your body fat to be when you're done!
this is just a starting point, so when you look back you can say whoa look how far i came!

you go girl!

fitladyj · 03-04-2006, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thebarbie101

it's okay girl , don't worry about your body fat now!!! just focus on what you want your body fat to be when you're done!
this is just a starting point, so when you look back you can say whoa look how far i came!

you go girl!

LOL, I will say it pissed me off enough I hopped on damn near every machine and hit the weights harder than ever! Although I didn't bust a$$ on cardio as hard as I did yesterday, today was more about weights. Yesterday was phenomenal cardiovascularly, I really busted my butt! I made it up to level 8 on the elliptical and clear up to level 7 on the stairmaster! On my old program I would just do like 45 minutes at level 1 or 2. I am noticing a difference in my weightlifting abilities by using the HIIT. It seems I have more strength and I like that, even if I can't do as many reps on the heavier weight. I am focusing much more on form than I used to, which is good too.

thebarbie101 · 03-04-2006, 02:41 PM

that's awesome! just keep up that enthusiasm & you'll reach your goals in no time

I support you all the way!

d2r2005 · 03-04-2006, 04:20 PM

Some things like body fat % will bring you down. You are doing awesome. Use things like how clothes fit to measure how you are doing. That is what counts for now I think. When I first started, I found clothes I hadn't worn in a year. I kept them hanging up. They were the goal. I know that bodyfat % is really important to you, and it should be. Don't let it get you down. Just keep kicking ass.

fitladyj · 03-05-2006, 06:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d2r2005

Some things like body fat % will bring you down. You are doing awesome. Use things like how clothes fit to measure how you are doing. That is what counts for now I think. When I first started, I found clothes I hadn't worn in a year. I kept them hanging up. They were the goal. I know that bodyfat % is really important to you, and it should be. Don't let it get you down. Just keep kicking ass.

Well I have just decided that this means I am at a sort of halfway point with things. I mean, I definitely want to get down to a certain percent of body fat, because I like to see the muscles I am working so hard

I noticed today that the pool here on campus opens an hour after the gym does, so I think I will go for a swim after my cardio. I haven't been for a swim in a while and I want to enjoy it before I have to leave school (only 8 days til I am done with my BA in psychology). I know swimming is great exercise too, especially for back and shoulders!

fitladyj · 03-05-2006, 03:38 PM

Pool was closed due to a swim meet at the university, so I went to the gym as usual. Did lower back and legs on the weights. Moved up to 150lbs on the seated leg presses! I had been doing 130x10, but today did 150x8. It seems amazing now because when I started out I was doing 50lbs and struggling to even push 5 reps. I also got on some lower back machines and managed 60lbs on those, I tried 50 but it seemed too light, but after 60x10x3 I was feeling it!!!! Cardio went well today also, I did 18 minutes on the elliptical rotating level 6 and 7 ever 3 minutes, then hopped on the stairmaster for 5 minutes.

Diet went well too, even though I was craving cake today!!! LOL, I have no idea where that came from?

Breakfast
Two slices whole grain bread with 2 Tbsp peanut butter
6 oz low fat yogurt
Hot tea with lemon

Post workout snack
Protein & Fruit smoothie (tofu, peaches, blueberries, yogurt and grape juice)

Lunch
4 oz Chicken breast
2 cups green beans

Snack
Oven baked fries (made from two small potatoes)

Dinner
4 oz chicken breast
10 asparagus spears
2 slices whole grain bread with one pat of butter

Altogether a pretty good day, not overly hungry other than the weird craving early in the day for cake (still trying to figure out where the hell that is coming from).

d2r2005 · 03-05-2006, 09:12 PM

yummy. the dinner sounds good heh. great job on those leg presses. i don't do nearly as much leg work as i should, but 45 minutes of cardio usually does the trick. keep on kicking ass

.

fitladyj · 03-06-2006, 08:05 AM

My old boss, who knew me when I weighed about ~275lbs and was just starting to lose, saw me today and was like "WOW, you are like half the size you used to be!!!" I love compliments! LOL. I have dropped several sizes since I lost all this weight. I used to be a size 24!!! Now I wear a size 14/16, depending on the cut of the pants, and most shirts I can wear a large now instead of a 2X. I was also checking out the photos last night from the Arnie and it gave me more motivation. Mondays are hectic for me though so I won't have time to get to the gym. Typically I eat lighter on Mondays because I know I won't be exerting as much energy as usual.

Typical Monday diet

Breakfast

One slice of whole grain toast
1 tbsp peanut butter
6 oz yogurt

Lunch
2 cups Salad with 5 oz chicken and lemon juice
20 grapes

Dinner
1 cup whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup homemade low fat spinach alfredo (I am one hell of a cook, LOL)
6 oz shrimp

Snacks (maybe if I am hungry)
10 wheat pretzels
2 oz low sodium beef jerky

Again, I don't eat as much on Mondays because I don't get to go to the gym. I have 3 classes, one of which is 4 hours long! They are broken up throughout the day which severely limits my time. So I use Monday as a rest day. I am not much of a weekend warrior on the party scene anyway, so I workout all weekend instead. Basically from the time I get up to the time I go to bed on Monday I am in class

Tomorrow I can return home to the gym I love so much! It is almost time for lunch though and the cafe next door has my salad fixin's so I will talk to you all tomorrow!

Jess

YoungShad · 03-06-2006, 09:53 PM

Just dropped by to check out your Journal very impressive I will keep lookin for your progress

fitladyj · 03-07-2006, 06:40 PM

Among other things! Hadn't been swimming in a long time, at least not recreationally. Can't say I have ever been to the pool for the purpose of a workout! I thought I would waltz in and do an hour straight, ha, who was I kidding? First off the lap lanes were packed and I got the crappiest one (with the stairs). Anywho, I didn't let that stop me and I managed to do a half hour straight. Not bad for a rookie at this. Ain't gonna lie though, my legs were weak and I was light headed when I got out, LOL. I thought I would go to the gym afterward, but decided against it. It was packed and I have dumbells at home so I came home and used my 30lbs and did some light arm work. I figure the pool pretty much worked all that so I just did a couple sets of curls and kickbacks. Mine are an adjustable set up to 50lbs so I moved it up to 50lbs and did some light chest presses. I am feeling it clear into my lower back from swimming, but hey no complaints as I had a wonderful time in the pool. Not only did I get a great anaerobic workout, but at the pace I was swimming at, I became winded enough for a good cardio workout too.

Diet wasn't too bad. I let myself have a cheat meal today (see if you can pick out which meal that was, LOL).

Breakfast

Whole wheat bagel
1 tbsp lite whipped cream cheese

Snack
6 oz low fat yogurt

Lunch
Chicken salad sandwich (350 calories, 20 grams of fat

)
small bag of doritos (150 calories, 8 grams of fat

)

Post workout meal
2 cups mixed green salad with 2 tbsp low fat ranch dressing
Turkey Ham (4 oz) sandwich on whole grain bread

Dinner
1 cup whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup tomato mushroom sauce
3 tbsp grated low fat parmesan cheese

d2r2005 · 03-08-2006, 08:58 AM

looks great. i absolutely love the pool. great cardio. im getting burned out on eliptical so you just gave me some motivation to get in the pool. were you swimming laps freestyle or with a kickboard? cheat meals are great. they really throw your metabolism off in a good way. your diet is shaping up quite nicely.

fitladyj · 03-08-2006, 11:50 AM

It keeps me sane! LOL, I know when I need them and use them sparingly, I know some diets tell you to have a cheat day, but that seems a little ridiculous! Everything in moderation I think is crucial. As for the pool, I was swimming laps freestyle, just keeping a good cardio pace. Some I would do backstroke, then I would switch to breaststroke or sidestroke, sometimes I would even try to race with the guys next to me, periodically. I plan on going again tonight, that was sooo much fun! Earlier today I went to the gym and did light cardio on the elliptical and some light weights. It is so nice to change things up so I don't get bored. When I move back to my mom's, my only real options will be running and biking. Not bad, but I get bored easily with these two. Plus, the nearest gym is kind of a far jaunt and I don't know if they offer short term memberships or not. It is something I will have to look into, but I am excited about finishing school here. Just 6 more days left and I am out!

Diet is good today, even though I woke up late and had to eat after my morning class which set me back a little.

Breakfast (or maybe brunch?)

Chicken (4 oz) sandwich on whole grain sourdough bun
whole wheat pretzels (1 oz.)

Snack:
Large (~16 oz) cappuccino made with skim milk and sugar free syrup

Lunch (post workout)
2 cups mixed green salad with 2 tbsp low fat ranch
3 oz turkey ham on 1 slice whole wheat bread

Dinner:
1 cup whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup tomato mushroom sauce
1 cup spinach

Snack:
15 Cherry tomatoes

So tomorrow, I don't have any classes, so I plan on spending a good hour or so in the gym and enjoying more time in the pool while I can!

fitladyj · 03-08-2006, 02:26 PM

Just to see how I am progressing...Overall muscle is looking great. I can see where I need to improve....more photos in the next post...

fitladyj · 03-08-2006, 02:33 PM

The last two pics are just a couple older ones so you can see where I have been with size and definition. Definitely coming along with that. Now I just need to lose size and gain definition in my tummy and I will be all set, hehe.

fitladyj · 03-09-2006, 06:11 AM

So I can really do as much as I like today in the gym and at the pool! Haven't lost any weight yet, but like I said from the photos, my muscle size is increasing in the areas I want. I still want to target the fat loss though, need to figure this out...hmmm....Wish I could try some of these supplements, but with my medical condition I am so limited. I think I am going to really lengthen the cardio today, although the HIIT has been good for my muscles I might need to step it up a little bit. HIIT has given me one thing God did not. I now have a butt, LOL, and it only took a little over a week, hehe. I went from gluteus flatteus, to J-Lo. More later on how today went!

J

fitladyj · 03-09-2006, 10:29 AM

I made it clear up to level 10 on the elliptical!!!! Did that for 20 minutes, and then hopped on the bike for 10 minutes. So my cardio was upped to a total of 30 minutes today at the gym. I then followed with 15 minutes of ab work. After that I walked over to the pool. I swam laps freestyle for about 20 minutes. I love that our pool is heated, so it was relaxing my leg muscles, but working them at the same time. I mainly focused more on my upper body with my swimming today (i.e. my lats, deltoids, rhomboids, traps, pecs, arms too). I only used my legs to propel me when I noticed my upper body getting really tired, but then I would pick back up on using my upper body via different strokes. So really today, I got a total body workout and it feels amazing!

Diet wasn't too bad. Today was soul food day at the cafe, so I had to choose wisely. The nice thing is that the cafe is run by the Dietetics department, so they offer healthy options even when the menu is high fat and not so healthy. So their "fried chicken" was actually oven baked with a light breading on it. I got that and the small serving of green bean casserole. Not too bad after a workout, as I needed some carbs!

Breakfast

Whole wheat toast - 1 slice
2 tsp peanut butter, natural no added salt
5 whole strawberries
3 strawberries - sliced and put on top of the toast and peanut butter

Lunch (post workout)

4 oz oven "fried" chicken (delish! I need their recipe)
1 cup green bean casserole

Snack

2 oz beef jerky, low sodium

Dinner

1 cup whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup low fat spinach alfredo

Snack
5 whole wheat pretzel sticks

fitladyj · 03-10-2006, 05:44 PM

Could not workout today! Could not eat! So doped up right now on painkillers that I don't really care either, LOL. I went to class today and came home and slept for 4 hours! I hate being a woman sometimes! Cramps are no fun! I was in so much pain today I couldn't walk. I couldn't even stand comfortably. Like I said right now I am doped up on pain pills...so let's hope tomorrow, after a good night of sleeping, I will be better!

Diet...if you want to call it that!!!

Breakfast

Medium Onion Bagel
1 oz low fat whipped cream cheese
Black Coffee

Dinner
2 whole wheat pancakes
2 tbsp sugar free syrup

Pretty bad huh? I think its pretty good considering I had no appetite whatsoever and the sight and smell of any food made me nauseous beyond belief!

kethnaab · 03-10-2006, 09:03 PM

geezus, you dropped a FOOT off your waist and OVER A FOOT off your hiney!

WOW....*applause* well done, ma'am.

fitladyj · 03-11-2006, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kethnaab

geezus, you dropped a FOOT off your waist and OVER A FOOT off your hiney!

WOW....*applause* well done, ma'am.

Yeah it seems insane at times to think that I was even that big! Definitely got rid of all those old clothes and am enjoying buying all the new ones now!

fitladyj · 03-11-2006, 05:16 AM

Okay so yesterday I couldn't eat because I was in so much pain it made me sick to my stomach. I weighed myself this morning as usual and I dropped 3lbs in one night just from not eating like normal! I weighed an even 200 today and the day before I was at 203.4! Well at least we know my metabolism is working alright! LOL...definitely going to try to eat better today, but take into consideration this calorie thing since I do need to lose some weight, hmmm....I still feel like s*** today, although not quite as nauseated. I might try to at least hit the gym today or if I can't muster up the energy to walk 3 miles there, I will stay home and use my weights here.

thachi1 · 03-11-2006, 02:19 PM

u fina as a mofo ..can i get them digits?

fitladyj · 03-11-2006, 04:47 PM

LOL, if you weren't one of my friends you know I would kick your butt!

Jess

fitladyj · 03-12-2006, 06:52 AM

Much better today, also gained a pound back, LOL. I figured most of what I lost yesterday had to be water, since i hadn't eaten hardly a thing! I'll take 201 for now, but it has to come down, eventually...suppose I will start cutting somewhere. I have nothing left in my fridge since I am moving on Tuesday. Pretty much frozen veggies like spinach and cauliflower, pasta, strawberries, peanut butter, like two slices of bread and some whole wheat pretzels, LOL. I won't have access to a gym for the first few days at least while I am moving, so if anyone knows of any good running/sprinting programs for HIIT type cardio let me know!