Crossfittin'

I was never interested in crossfit before.

Never say never though!  Because......

I decided to try a little crossfit at home tonight! Didn't take very long which I loved! And the intensity was up there for my level of physical fitness ( = weak sauce!).

Honestly, that CF looks really hardcore (and it is!) I haven't attended an actual class but I'm sure people sh*t, shart, and/or fart on the floor along with throwing up. (FYI - I did not do any of that today if you're wondering.)

I think home is a safe place for me to do CF for now.

This looked easy written but if you're a beginner like me it got pretty hard.

Push-ups suck! But I love me some squats!!!

I did modified squats by the way. Still hard as hell, especially if you're going for time. I wasn't necessarily going for time but I will in the future.

Crossfit At Home (for time):

25 squats - 5 push-ups

20 squats - 10 push-ups

15 squats - 15 push-ups

10 squats - 20 push-ups

5 squats - 25 push-ups

Today's time: 7:38p - 7:47p

Next time I will use a stop watch. (DUH!)

Still a great workout! Arms are jelly. I could stand to do more squats in this set though.

After this workout, I kind of discovered something about myself. I actually like high intensity workouts. I think I'll try HIIT soon. :)

D'Anna
xo

Thunder Buddies and Crawling

Tonight, I decided to pull my 8 lb dumbbells out and work on the arms a bit. Didn't take very long to get fatigued. Then I did 2 sets of 50 squats, got dizzy and almost fell over. I was so busy counting I forgot to regulate my breathing. Oops!

In other news, a friend of mine, who we will call "Thunder Buddy", because his other name lacks the appropriate amount of vowels to properly pronounce (haha jk), finally checked himself into the ER at the hospital where I work for his bronchitis so I went to go see him. He's a personal trainer and offered to help me too.

I like that so many of my friends are willing to give me real help. :) Thanks Thunder Buddy!

"You crawl before you walk take it slow you will get there" - TB

ABANDONED!

Over the past week, I’ve been eagerly waiting for my workout plan from my coach. He said he would send it first thing yesterday, after I reminded him on Christmas day. I actually reminded him quite a few times. I waited until late afternoon yesterday and still no email. I was frustrated and feeling discouraged. It didn’t help I was sick all day. I even texted him and he never texted back.

I can understand a busy schedule so I let him off the hook last night by text (he never wrote back – SHOCKER!) I already have a hard enough time on my own staying motivated to work out. That’s why I was looking for help. I really don’t have the time to just sit around and wait for him. I’ll never reach my goals. He was holding me back. His delay was allowing me to make excuses not to go to the gym. That’s not what I need. That’s not what a coach is supposed to do.

He contacted me a couple weeks ago, after learning I was having trouble finding a coach, and offered his coaching services free of charge, from afar. I thought this was a great opportunity and agreed. He sent the meal plan pretty quick but left out the workout plan. I sent my “before” pics and my measurements too, as he requested, so it wasn’t me who was delaying the process. I don’t understand why he took me on when he knew how busy he was. I need a serious coach. Not one who is going to blow me off when I need to get started already.  My plan was to start BEFORE the New Year.

I’m pretty serious about getting back into shape and maybe, one day, entering a contest to show off how much hard work I’ve done. I guess I’m back to doing this all on my own without a coach to see me all the way through. I know I can always ask my friends , fit friends on FB, and the Gymaholics forum (FB). They all have been pretty great resources already.  

D'Anna

xo

Turn that discouragement upside down!

Today, I have been sick puking my lil guts out and other stuff and I have yet to set foot into a gym because I don't have a workout plan yet. I have done my best all day to stay with my meal plan though.

Just finished my last meal. Made it 5 instead of 6 meals. The 6th was optional. And my first meal was just a protein shake but that was because I was feeling pretty sick when I woke up. Couldn't even keep the entire shake down. :(

I was feeling pretty discouraged from being sick and then not having a set workout plan yet from my coach. I decided to do my at-home workout just to get a workout in. I guess I can't really depend on anyone else to help if I can't help myself. Not having a workout plan can't stop me! I have to keep moving forward without waiting. I have to push myself to get that daily workout in. I used the energy of being discouraged/frustrated into workout energy. 25 minutes and my quads were pumped! It was nice to see again only after 2 workouts! That's my fuel for self-motivation! Results, people! RESULTS ! !

D'Anna

xo

Food Prep Night

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!! Hope y'all had a great holiday weekend with your family and friends! Some of you never strayed from your healthy diet. Some of you completely went nuts over all the delicious treats and probably overdid it (I was "probably" in this group lol). And then there's those middle people who can control themselves and eat treats in moderation (yea, right!).

I'm going to confess quite a bit through this blog. It's the only way to keep myself accountable. I haven't worked out since the other day (...was it 3 days ago?). I worked out maybe a lil too hard and I had never done that workout DVD without taking a break before. This time, I didn't take a break. Just went hard the full 25 minutes. Bad idea for just getting back into it. Killed the quads and glutes doing squats/lunges so it was really hard to move around the last few days. Even in my sleep I was in pain. I have had my time to recover and I'll be back to it tomorrow though.

Anyways, tonight! Is food prep night! First one in a few months! I was excited to do it but lazy to get it going. (I'm being completely honest.)

No more guessing what I'm going to eat every day and making bad meal choices.

I usually love food prep day but I had to fight myself to do it tonight. It was all that inner dialogue of bad excuses! *sigh*...

"I need to thaw the fish (reads directions on package)...oh I can do it overnight in the fridge!!!".

"I will just do it tomorrow when I get home."

"I will just do it this weekend!!"

Well I mentally kicked that inner dialogue's butt!

No excuses! No need to wait!!! Do it now!!! Lazy ass! So.....

I threw the fish in cold water to thaw. Threw the chicken on a cookie sheet and threw it in the oven. (Yes, I THREW it! Lol jk) The rest was history and I eventually finished in less than 2 hours. 12 pre-cooked meals done! 3 for each day but I have to actually consume 5-6 meals a day.
_______________________________
Here's my beginning meal plan:

MEAL 1 - 4 egg whites , 1/2 cup oatmeal

MEAL 2 - PRE-MADE
4-6 oz chicken breast ,1/4 cup brown rice

MEAL 3 - PRE-MADE
4-6 oz whitefish, 3 asparagus spears

MEAL 4 -
2 egg whites, 2 whole boiled eggs, 10 plain unsalted almonds

MEAL 5 - PRE-MADE
4-6 oz. chicken breast (or 4-6 oz. whitefish u may alternate) & 1 cup of broccoli/cauliflower crowns

MEAL 6- (if able)
4 egg whites 1 pc. ezekiel bread

*Every third day add 1/2 cup brown rice to meal 5 substituted for the broccoli/ cauliflower
_______________________________

So why would you put off anything today that you could do tomorrow? Well...Because NO ONE sees results TODAY if they keep putting it off until tomorrow. :)

TODAY IS THE DAY! Let's get moving!!!

Stackin'!

Got all my groceries for food prep day and then visited my local Vitamin Shoppe for my supplements. Here's what I bought:

- Dymatize Elite Gourmet Vanilla (2 lb) tub

- Bodytech glutamine/BCAA powder

- Vitamin D-3

Watched Dr.Oz the other day and decided I needed some vitamin D since I don't see the sun often due to my evening work schedule at the hospital. :0/

I'll be the first to admit I know absolutely nothinggggg about supplements. I would take the sales guy's advice instead of researching it first or asking other friends who workout. Luckily, I now have a coach so he told me what to get. It was easy after that.

Then, it came down to the taste test.

I was advised to switch out my beloved almond milk :( for water. So I mixed the Dymatize Elite protein powder with just water in a shaker along with the Bodytech glutamine/BCAA powder. Thought I'd just drink it all at one time and I would be good to go. How was it? IT WAS HORRENDOUS! Tasted like a chalky bitter vanilla mess. LOL I sucked it up and just drank it all.

So the next time I had to drink up, I mixed the glutamine/BCAA, separate from the protein, into orange juice. Much better choice. Masked it completely! The protein was easier to drink by itself too.

I also take Omega-3s. I started taking them a year ago for a different reason but they're great for brain and heart health.

Supplement Daily Consumption:
• Dymatize Elite Protein: 31g twice a day (pre/post workout)
• Bodytech BCAA/Glutamine: 6.53g twice a day (pre/post workout)
• Naturemade Fish Oil/Omega-3: 3 softgels (3000mg)
• Vitamin Shoppe vitamin D-3: 1 softgel (2000 IU)

First Workout

I could not, for the life of me, fall asleep this morning after I wrote the first blog. Too many thoughts going through my head and I was just too excited to get started working out. I finally knocked out after 7am....got a good 5 hours of sleep though. I would prefer 8 hours but I was ready to do a workout and pushed my ass out of bed. Sometimes, you just have to!

I thought it was too cold outside to make it to the gym (this will not be an excuse later) so I decided to do an at-home workout. Popped in the ol' Beachbody Slim in 6 DVD and ramped it up! Yea, I know it was made in the early 90s but it still does the job. Oh man! I did the entire 25 minutes and it really shows that 3-month break took its toll. Squats, lunges, pushups, crunches...oh wow! And y'all wanted me to do crossfit?!!! No way! I'd die! I'm a low-med impact kinda girl. Especially with just starting out again! Gonna lay here and catch my breath before I hit the grocery store.....

This is JUST the beginning!
D'Anna
Xo

Amped Up!

I'm writing this at almost 4am. Can't sleep. The motivation and excitement to re-starting my fit journey is kicking in! I found a coach to help me with this new journey. I'm hoping and expecting great things for myself. The first thing was to set short term and long term goals.

Short-term: Lose this fat and get toned up! Eat clean! Get healthy!!! I do not want to be concerned with the number on the scale this time but the number decreasing on the measuring tape! That is what kicked me down before. Darn scale!

Long term: Enter and compete in a bodybuilding contest (bikini/figure).

These aren't new year's resolutions. They are lifestyle resolutions. Resolutions to take my own health and raise it to the top of my priority list. Too many people around me have passed away this year from cancer or other reasons that could have been avoided. Maybe that is part of my motivation but mainly because I've let my chronic migraines get the best of me the last 8 years.

No one but me can take the first step and do this for me.

Those of you that know me know that I began my journey back in May all on my own and did really great. I had a great support system and I thank you! I followed Jamie Eason's LiveFit for a good 10 weeks before I lost my motivation. I took a 3-month break and it's time to take action, control, and responsibility again.

I took "before" progress pics earlier and it was extremely depressing to face the reality. I was in tears! I received some great feedback and advice from my coach and a few friends (Thank you!).

I was already unhappy about my weight/appearance but it really put things into perspective once I saw it on camera. Taking progress pics is an important component in improving yourself. I've gotta learn to use it as a tool and not a demotivating factor.

I have to say thank you to everyone who has continued to support and motivate me up to this point and beyond. Thank you everyone!

Let's do this! I'm ready! First day of food prep and working out starts today!!!

D'Anna
Xo