Perils of Big Thighs and Bridesmaid Dresses

[aquamarine84]

I hear you on that...I would give up bodybuilding in a heartbeat to play hockey again, but one of the reasons my mother made me quit when I was little was the cost. Here's hoping you find a new team!

[mavd]

I hear you on that...I would give up bodybuilding in a heartbeat to play hockey again, but one of the reasons my mother made me quit when I was little was the cost. Here's hoping you find a new team!

Yeah luckily I don't grow out of my equipment as often, but I do need new skates soon. The cost makes me hesitate because I travel a decent amount, especially this fall, and would end up missing 2-3 games of an 8-12 game season.

[mavd]

8/7/2017
Calories: 1253
Protein: 133g
Weight this morning: 145.5#

Workout: 2 supersets of 4x8
Overhead squat (45# + Medium Resistance Band) + Single Arm Cable Row (70#) + Standing DB Row (25#)
Walking Lunges (35# + Medium Resistance Band) + Single Arm DB Bench Press on Busa Bench (25#) + Delt Raises (12# dumbbells)
12 min of stairmaster (1 min @ level 5,6,7,8,9,10 x2)

Added resistance band to try to get more glute activation. There is some soreness today, so maybe I succeeded. I'm going to try to do a medicine ball core workout today before yoga class since I skipped on ab isolation yesterday (although all of my lifts used core-stabilizers).

[JustBulk]

good luck, you can do this!

[mavd]

good luck, you can do this!

Thanks. I know I can. I just need to chose goals over pizza and beer slightly more often than I currently do.

[mavd]

Calories: 1561
Protein: 160g
Weight this morning: 144.8
Workout: Vinyasa yoga (60 min)

Didn't end up doing any cardio or core work. I'm a little frustrated, because I feel like I've had time for the bloat from Sunday's sodium-fest to clear out and that I'm still at/above where I was a week ago. Also, I'm headed to Michigan for the bachelorette party and bridal shower Friday-Tuesday, so exercising and eating well are going to be extra challenging. I was also reaaally hungry last night, I really hate feeling like I'm depriving myself.

[mavd]

8/9/2017
Calories: 1520
Protein: 128g
Weight this morning: 143.5#

Workout: 3 supersets of 4x8
Elevated SLDL (85#) + Inclined DB Bench (20# DBs)
Bosu Ball Leg Curls + Lat Pulldown (80#)
Kettlebell snatch (20#) + Kettlebell rotating shoulder press (10#)
Kickball practice (45 min)

Proud of myself for getting the lift session in. I planned on doing it between work and kickball, but then ended up being on the phone with my mom and sister instead. Went to kickball, came home, cooked dinner, then went and lifted at 9:15. I'm usually in bed by 10! Also, I've been eating under my 1700 goal to makeup for Sunday, and finally my last-7-day average is back to 1700 and my weight has gone back down. Trivia tonight, so no workout, but I'll walk the 4 miles round trip for LISS.

[Fiction2Fitness]

Nice work getting the lift in. Hope you had some fun at trivia.

[mavd]

8/10/2017
Calories: 2153
Protein: 127g
Alcohol: 4 drinks
Workout: 4 miles fast walk
Zero self control at trivia. Zero.

8/11/2017
Lifted this morning and did 20 min of rowing but I'm on my phone in the airport terminal and don't want to type it all out. Forgot to weight myself this morning. I've got 800 calories left and need to consume another 40 grams of protein and a 90 min layover in Chicago. Wish me luck....

When packing this morning and deciding what to where to the shower I tried on 2 dressed that were too tight a few months ago. One fit, the other smushed my boobs into pancake status but zipped. Yay.

[mavd]

Well.... let's just assume I didn't do well on Saturday and Sunday food-wise, considering I crammed a family reunion, bachelorette party, and bridal shower in there. Didn't exercise those days either, unless you count running around helping with food prep/cleaning/decorating for said parties. Friday I was around 1600cal/130g protein.

Monday 8/14/2017
Calories - 2400
Protein - 56g (alllllllll the carbs)
Workout - ~10 mi leisurely bike ride with the parents

Tuesday - 8/15/2017 (7 hours/3 flights of travel)
Calories - 1614
Protein - 51g
Workout - Supersets of 4x8
SLDL + Incline Bench + Inverted Row
Curtsy Lunges + BB Row + Delt Raise
4 min tabata planks
16 min stairmaster
14 min row
60 min yoga

Weight this morning was 146. Lots of carbs lately so hopefully that means lots of water and not fat. I also slept like absolute **** all weekend. Yesterday even though I was tired AF I worked out hard and prepped breakfasts and lunches for the rest of the week. Time is ticking down and that bridesmaid dress is still too tight for comfort. In other upsetting news, apparently I was basically shafted by the other bridesmaids because I wasn't in town to help pick the dresses. I was told everyone else loved the dress and looked great in it blahblahblah. Apparently, bride's little sister hated the dress everyone else picked and demanded she get a different style and I was given that style too to even things out. The other dress is beautiful, not mermaid style (aka would fit my thighs), and lower cut in the back (aka wouldn't hit my lats funny making me look like I have upper back fat, which I don't, I don't store fat there at all but my dress cuts into my lat muscle). I'm not the type for dramatics so I didn't say anything to the bride, but it feels really underhanded and I still have the texts from her containing apparent downright lies. If I have to end up getting the dress altered, I'm going to try to get the seamstress to cut the back like the other dress, it would be so much more flattering that way.

[mavd]

8/16/17
Calories: 1225
Protein: 130g
Workout: 25 min of spin
Weight this morning: 145.1#

[Fiction2Fitness]

That is a bit fishy with the dress. Understandable to be a little put off by that fact and what you had been told prior to finding out that bit of information. Though the response to saying anything might be they were there and you weren't despite any logical reasoning to not be present... or I may have watched a few too many episodes of Bridezillas. The tailoring the back does sound like a nice idea if you have to get it changed anyways.

How do you get your protein above 100? Just curious as I fail at that even on 1500 calories let alone the lower days. Really should meal prep but have been saying that for over a year now, lol.

[mavd]

How do you get your protein above 100? Just curious as I fail at that even on 1500 calories let alone the lower days. Really should meal prep but have been saying that for over a year now, lol.

The secret is to... meal prep. Sorry! I make my breakfasts and lunches for the week on Sundays (usually, or this week on Tuesday when I got home). That means proats (30g/meal) and chicken (~60g/meal because I eat 2 servings of chicken). Dinners I don't prep but I generally aim for 1-2 servings of a lean meat (chicken, salmon, turkey, with the occasional steak or pork chop for sanity's sake). Yesterday was super low cal because I haven't shopped since returning so I have no veggies or fruits to supplement. I've eaten nothing but proats, chicken, salmon, white rice, hummus, and no-calorie drinks for 48 hours. I kind of want to die. But I also ate ALL the cake and drank ALL the wine this weekend, so part of me thinks I deserve this living hell :'D

[mavd]

And because bridesmaid dress is in my journal title and I'm not done being butt-hurt by the whole thing.....

My dress:


The other dress:


PS... Did I whine yesterday that mine has SEQUINS and the other doesn't?? Why do I have to be the tacky sequin bridesmaid? Waaaaahhh......

[mavd]

8/17/17
Weight: 144.2#
Calories: 1887
Protein: 137g
Alcohol: 4 glasses of wine
Workout:
2 supersets of 4x8
Overhead/Front Squats (switched halfway thru cuz arms gave out, 55#) + Single Arm Bench Press (30#) + Lat pulldown (80#)
Single Leg SLDL (20#) + Upright Row (40#) + Plate Chest Press (2x5# plates)
Russian Twists (10#)
2 mile fast walk

[jessswooo]

that's a bomb dress in the pic. I can't see your own dress picture tho...
4 glasses of wine LOL

Keep up the good work. I quit beers but haven't quitted pizza. I understand.

[mavd]

that's a bomb dress in the pic. I can't see your own dress picture tho...
4 glasses of wine LOL

Keep up the good work. I quit beers but haven't quitted pizza. I understand.

I fixed the link. Looking at the two, they actually are both cut the same below the waist in those pictures. But I assure you, the one I was delivered is much more drastically mermaid, and the other two bridesmaid dresses I've seen in person are definitely A-line cut. I think the designer has a major consistency issue. Also, all 4 of the other bridesmaids are plus size, and I suspect the patterns used for plus and normal size have different hip-to-thigh ratios.

Yeah, the wine is a problem. I go to trivia thinking I'll just have 2 glasses, and I finish 2 glasses by halftime. I think next week I won't drink at all or order a vodka/diet, because the wine is by the bottle and therefore I end up drinking a bottle.

[mavd]

Have a friend visiting from out of state. Diet has been ****ty. Same excuses as normal. Weight is at 146.8 this morning. Argh. Lifted on Saturday, don't feel like writing out the full log, but it was about my normal without cardio. Not going to work today either because said friend is still here.

[mavd]

Have a friend visiting from out of state. Diet has been ****ty. Same excuses as normal. Weight is at 146.8 this morning. Argh. Lifted on Saturday, don't feel like writing out the full log, but it was about my normal without cardio. Not going to work today either because said friend is still here.

[jessswooo]

I fixed the link. Looking at the two, they actually are both cut the same below the waist in those pictures. But I assure you, the one I was delivered is much more drastically mermaid, and the other two bridesmaid dresses I've seen in person are definitely A-line cut. I think the designer has a major consistency issue. Also, all 4 of the other bridesmaids are plus size, and I suspect the patterns used for plus and normal size have different hip-to-thigh ratios.

Yeah, the wine is a problem. I go to trivia thinking I'll just have 2 glasses, and I finish 2 glasses by halftime. I think next week I won't drink at all or order a vodka/diet, because the wine is by the bottle and therefore I end up drinking a bottle.

yay thanks for fixing the link, i see it now. They're so pretty!! I think it's worth the efforts to lose some volume to fit in. I can foresee that walking in it would be a big problem too tho, haha.

I totally solo finished 1.5L wine this saturday. It was amazing. Have you heard about tequila's fat burning effect or something? I always choose tequila over vodka bc of that. Makes me feel better about myself lol.

[mavd]

Visiting friend wanted to go to his favorite SD restaraunt which happens to specialize in poutine and fried chicken. Then he wanted to meet another friend for "a drink" and we ended up getting in to this exclusive speakeasy and spending quite a bit of time there. Anyway moral of the story is that my weekend slip is slipping into the weekday.

I'm thinking I'm going to drop my calories down to 1500. 1700 is fine for weight loss, if I was actually hitting it, but I go over so often that I think increasing my daily deficit will realistically help me maintain a deficit through my weekend. I feel so unmotivated to cut back on social activities to adhere to my diet, so I need to try something else. Anyway, if I keep my current activity level, 1500 is about a 700 cal/day deficit, but if I tend to be in the 2200-2500 range on weekends, so that would end up averaging around 500/day deficit.

[mavd]

8/22/17
Weight: 145.6#
Calories: 1303
Protein: 139g
Workout:
2 supersets of 4x8
Front Squats (55#) + Single Arm Cable Row (50#) + DB Upright Row (25#)
Leg Curls (60#) + Single Arm DB Bench Press (25#) + DB Front Lat Raise (10#)
60min Vinyasa Flow Yoga

In amusing news, I'm wearing a size 0 White House/Black /market dress right now. As-if. Seems like a ****ty marketing strategy to vanity size yourself out of a large portion of customers. This girl ain't no size 0.

[mavd]

8/23/17
Weight: 144.7#
Calories: 1699
Protein: 163g
Workout: 32 min spin

I have made no progress, scale or visually, in 3 weeks. I realize this is entirely my fault, with my diet being crap between my trip and my out of state visitor. However, I'm now about a week away from the deadline I set for setting up alterations. I keep thinking "I can do this!" and then "I've got plenty of time" and now I'm stuck with "Well, you CAN do this in 6 weeks, but you like to make excuses and in those 6 weeks you have your 30th birthday, a trip to San Francisco, and an open bar gala." Guess I better start looking at places to get alterations done.

[jessswooo]

lol how bout no drinking/pizza for a solid week??

[mavd]

lol how bout no drinking/pizza for a solid week??

I'm thinking no alcohol until my birthday.... September 17. So no wine at trivia tonight, no beer at the bonfire I'm invited to on Saturday. No beer for the college football kickoff in 9 days. And my wine club shipment just arrived! Guess that'll sit and "age" for a month or two. Luckily, now that kickball season is over, my "regular designated drinking" nights have gone from two to one.

Honestly, the eating is only a problem when I'm drinking and/or socializing (i.e. party food at bonfires). I never just order myself a pizza, my food treats are more generally sushi, poke, or ramen which are easy to work into my macro goals :-) But, no more over TDEE splurge days until my bday either (I'll probably still do a day every week or two at TDEE).

[jessswooo]

Nice that sounds like a good plan. I like how it feels when all my friends told me to drink and i'm just like um nope i'm not drinking today. It's not hard at all. soooo yessss let's not touch that alcohol

[mavd]

8/24/17
Calories: 1579
Protein: 94g
Workout: 4 mile fast walk

8/25/17
Calories: 1487
Protein: 77g
Workout: supersets of 4×8
Elevated SLDL (100#) + Single Arm Lat Pulldown (60#) + DB Mil Press (25# ea)
Bulgarian Split Squat (25# DBs) + Incline Bench (50#) + Triceps (20# DB)
4 min tabata planks
17 min stairmaster
7 min rowing

8/26/17
Calories: 1388
Protein: 77g
Workout: Did a fitness bootcamp. I thought it would be cardio intense, but it turned out to be more light weight high rep lifting. My @$$ is sore AF now. Might try to eat something else to hit my protein today. Maybe. Probably should.

[mavd]

8/27/2017
Calories: 1515*
Protein: 111g
Workout: 57 min of LISS biking (heartrate kept in the 130-140 range)
Weight: Saturday I was at 143.5, Sunday 143.0, and this morning (drum roll please) 142.6!

I finally believe the weight has actually dropped after three days of low numbers. I went all weekend without binge drinking and eating. Oh, the asterisk next to yesterday's calories is because I tracked 1315 cals but I nibbled a lot (Cost Co samples, a few bites of the bf's ice cream, a few bites of peanuts/chocolate chips/beef jerky during GoTs). Yesterday was supposed to be weight lifting, but I was soooooo sore from Friday and Saturday I decided active recovery was a better option. In my mind, during a cut, my only goal is to retain muscle. There's no chance of building. That being said, what's the point of lifting if every major muscle group is still sore? Clearly they're still recovering from the last sesh. Biking gets the blood moving and has a nice repetitive stretching motion, plus I can watch the baseball game on my phone while I do it, so it makes a good mindless movement. I thought about spinning, but again, those classes are pretty intense on the quads.

[jessswooo]

oooo congrats on the weight loss!!!!

[mavd]

Considering switching to a PPL routine to minimize soreness. My legs are usually super DOM-y on day 2, which means I basically walk around with leg DOMs 24/7 these days. Also, I'm not stupid. I know my made-up-as-I-go full body supersets aren't ideal. I've just been lazy and unwilling to commit to a routine. Would do something like....

Legs:
Front Squat
SLDL
Leg Press
Leg extensions
Hamstring curls
Calves

Push:
Bench press
DB incline bench
Single Arm DB press
DB side raises
Triceps

Pull:
Deadlift
Lat Pulldown
Bent Over Row
Chest supported rows
Biceps

It's adapted from something I read on here for the equipment I actually have access to. I think I would work with a 3x8 rep range. Thoughts?