Catherines journal

catherine22

ok so where do i start. well for the past few weeks lets say 5 ive been tryin to sort my diet out and i think im succeeding except for a few slip ups. now i have the diet end sorted, im getting stuck into the gym, i started about a year or so ago but have only been taking it seriously for about the past three weeks. (u gotta start somewhere)

catherine22

im hoping by writing in this thing it will keep me motivated, i want to lose weght for a wedding in two months but most of all just to feel good about myself

im 5 7,
weigh approx 70kg
age 22
bodyfat is 27%

so i start by having 2 weetabix with skimmed milk and fruit juice, tea mid morning, lunch is a tuna salad sandwich from o briens and i made chicken curry (from scratch) for tea with rice. ive always upped my water intake to over 2 litres per day now too (go me!)

i did mean to go to the gym after work, but my boss makes hitler look like a puppy so i was in really bad form and jsy wanted to go straight home and get into my pj's at 5, so i did but i stopped off on the way home and bought a swiss ball for toning exercises (for days im not at the gym) so i went straight home and inflated that (which is a workout in itself)

had a cup of tea and a freddo bar b4 bed

tomorrow i will go to the gym

catherine22

ok so today again weetabix for breakfast, missed the bus so had to work half way to (in the rain)
was not hungry at lunchtime at all but had a bagel with a banana and a yoghurt and loads of water

managed to get to the gym after work (boss was nice to me today) and did 20 mins on the treadmill at 8.3 kph and then 15 mins on the bike at level 4 (out of a possible 10) b4 i couped on the swiss ball, could not face any weights because (a) i was too tired and (b) some ppl use the weight area as a social get together!

came home and had a bacon sandwich ( i realise not the best but its what i needed) and a cup of tea

spent half an hour on my swiss ball doing a lot of sit ups and side stretches

had tea and a biccy and am now gonna go to bed to sleep like a log cuz im wrecked

ps drank 2 litres of water

Santa Claus

catherine22 wrote:

came home and had a bacon sandwich ( i realise not the best but its what i needed) and a cup of tea

You're right with the sandwich, it's the small things like it that help you stay motivated.
A cheat though is to get turkey rashers from the shop (Ballyfree make them I think) and cook them on a george foreman....it's not the same as bacon but with enough ketchup or brown sauce on them you kind of forget that it's not bacon and of course as it's turkey you feel a lot less guilty after it.

Best of luck with it all and fair play for sticking up the journal, must do one myself !

justsomebloke

Santa Claus wrote:

A cheat though is to get turkey rashers from the shop (Ballyfree make them I think) and cook them on a george foreman....it's not the same as bacon but with enough ketchup or brown sauce on them you kind of forget that it's not bacon and of course as it's turkey you feel a lot less guilty after it.

This is actaully a lot worse for you then just a bacon sandwich as there is a lot of sugar in the sauces. Some people may disgree with this but in my opinion once you are using a good quality rindless bacon with any excess fat trimmed off and use wholegrain bread a bacon sandwich is a good as lot of other stuff, Another suggestion would be bacon chicken on wholegrain bread with lettuce and onion.

Ok I am startign to waffle a bit. So back OT. So welcome Catherine and I hope the journal helps you get the results you are looking for. There are a couple of things I would note and the main one is that i think you may be undereating. When you under eat your body can go into starvation mode and will try and hold on to as much fat as possibe. I would suggest instead of eating 3 meals a day try for 5-6 so every 2-3 hours as eating this often will help keep your metabolism higher. Could I also suggest that on the days you don't go to the gym try and do some body weight exercises like squats and pressups and if you don't hae any resistance training in your gym session put some in and don't be afraid to lift dumbells that are over 3kg because as a woman you don't have the testorone levels to build that much muslce, but as muscle uses more calories even when resting it will help to raise your metabloism

catherine22

ok so i have been slightly neglecting this journal for the past 6 months (and doesnt my waist know it) but i am back!

despite the fact i havent been posting in this journal i have still been going to the gym although maybe not as often as i should and my diet has been a little iffy (ok it has been atrocious) but no more. my goals are still to lose weight (though now i have more to lose) and to tone up. my problem area is definitely my middle so i am hoping the cardio will sore that out

i was in the gym this evening and this is how it went

cardio- 10 mins on x-trainer at level 10
10 mins on rowing machine (1600 metres total)
20 mins on treadmill- walk for 3mins at 6k, run for 2 mins at 8k
10 mins on bike

weights- 7.5k arm curl (3 sets of 12)
5k shoulder press (3 sets of 12)
15k chest press (3 sets of 12)
20k upper back (3 sets of 12)
40k abductor (3 sets of 12)
40k adductor (3 sets of 12)
50k leg press (3 sets of 12)

and finally 3kg dumbell tricep exercise- not 100% what you call it but i held one dumbell in my hands and put boths arms around the back of my head and then straightened my arms behind my head.
and if anyone was reading my earlier post in the fitness forum, this involved me going into a room with loads of weights in it- i was reading some of the machines and its got olympic bars and cages, etc with 20 guys and no girls and no im not exaggerating. so there i am with my wee 3kg dumbell and everyone else is lifting their body weight, but i dont care i did it and thats the main point.

so thats what i intend to do in the gym for the next 3 weeks or so and then i will assess it again. i will probably only do weights and cardio 3 times a week (probably twice most weeks) and then try and do the cardio alone twice a week.

and now for my diet. im fine for breakfast, my problem is the middle of the day and early evening

like this morning at 8.30am i had hot water with lemon and then a bowl of porridge with skimmed milk
around 11am i had tea, a special k bar and half a scone
4.30pm i had champ and 2 deeny half fat sausages
before bed i will probably have a yoghurt and a piece of fruit
and i drink 2-3 litres of water a day.
i know what everyone is going to say, cut out the scone, have a piece of fruit instead, you are going to long without food between 11am and 4 pm, etc, dont eat sausages, etc but the truth is because i am in college i cant eat at 2pm everyday because i am in a classroom.

so anyway there it is

i will post here tomorrow and i will keep track of everything that crosses my lips

catherine22

so yeasterday, i didnt get to the gym but i did go for a walk for about half an hour. diet was 9am porridge with skimmed milk
10.30am handful of nuts
1pm baked potato with cheese and beans
4.30pm banana
7pm avonmore tomato soup with 2 pieces of w/meal bread
2l of water all day
i will admit not the best day for eating habits, looking back on it i dont think i ate enough but the thing i am most proud of was at 4.30, i went to the shop and got a banana instead of chocolate.

today 9am i had a wheaten scone (had to use it up)
11am handful of nuts and an apple
1pm avonmore tomato soup with 2 pieces of w/meal bread
3pm yoghurt and banana
7pm potatoes, beans and 2 denny 'half fat' sausages

went tot he gym again this evening and did my full work out so i must say i am pretty happy with myself.

now i just have to keep it up

The Walsho

Good work, keep it up.

catherine22

so my leg is a lot better i didnt do anything yesterday

went to the gym this morning and did my usual- 50 mins cardio and then weights. changed the bicep curl to 12.5k (3 sets of 12), chest press to 17.5k (3 sets of 12) and the dumbell i used was 4k

eating 9am hard boiled egg and 2 pieces of w/meal nimble bread
11am banana
2.30pm 2 medium potatoes with spring onions and a little butter

later i will have
4pm yoghurt
6pm 2 pieces of w/meal nimbel bread, small tin of beans and sausages
8pm banana

Sleepy

catherine22, one thing that coud be worth trying is to do your weights before your cardio. Most people, myself included, find it easier to give cardio their best effort after doing weights rather than they other way around.

Keep up the good work!

ZENER

Hi Catherine, well done for keeping at it. At times it can be the last thing you want to do to go to the gym after work but you will nearly always feel the better for it plus you sleep a lot better which is just as important as working out.

Someone earlier mentioned that you may be under-nourishing yourself and I would agree based on what you're writing here. It's counter productive to starve yourself in the belief it's doing you good. Also don't confuse the calorie intake some "diets" recommend, these very often only take into account weightloss via reduced calorie intake and take no account of any training you may be doing.

For the lowdown on food good and bad get a book called the Abs Diet. It's a small orange book and Easons stock it, it goes through all the food types: meat, fish, poultry, Veg, fruit, nuts etc and gives useful information on what to avoid.

Also vary your breakfast, try white scrambled eggs (one yoke and two whites with butter and lowfat milk) with wholemeal toast. Sausages aren't too bad in moderation but check the label and buy the ones with the highest pork content >80%. Avoid too much red meat, and try turkey mince in spagetti bolegnase (sp?) instead of beef. Use baby spinach leaves instead of lettuce and try meusli with Godji berries or any berries you like/can find.

You are probably already aware of this but avoid hydrogenated fats or trans fats, these are lethal but are found in a lot of foods like peanut butter, bread (especially white). On peanut butter, this is a great source of protein but look at the jar it should contain >90% peanuts, and no trans fats - Kelkin do a Healthy Options peanut butter with 97% peanuts.

Keep up the training and the journal and good luck !!

ZEN

catherine22

went to the gym and did some cardio

rowing machine 10mins (1750m total)
treadmill 30 mins ranging from 6km to 9km

diet hasnt been the best today,

breakfast 9am 2 pieces of w/meal nimble bread and a banana
1pm lunch with a friend. had a chicken goujons and side salad
6pm 2 pieces of w/meal nimble bread and an egg
8pm 2 digestive biscuits and tea

i know i havent eaten enough but in my defence, i am super stressed with college, so tomorrow will be better. today i honestly didnt have time nor did i have any food in the cupboard (must go to tesco)

catherine22

so just back from the gym, i changed my workout slightly to the following (did weights and then cardio)

(all 3 sets of 12)

resisitance adductor 40kg
abductor 40kg
leg-press 50kg
upperback 20kg

free weights dumbell extensions (triceps) 1 set with 7kg(holding dumbell
2 sets with 5kg with 2 hands)

2 arm dumbbell curls with 3kg
2 arm dumbbell raised over head with 3 kg
dumbbell deltoid lateral raises 3kg

cardio 30 mins on treadmill at gradient 1

spent about an hour 15 mins in the gym total

now the reason i changed it was because i was reading mrs doyles thread and saw the whole debate on 50 mins of cardio. now i was originaly doing this 10 mins on rower, 10 mins on bike, etc. now i wont say that i enjoyed it per se but i didnt mind it and the reason i was doing so little time on each machine was beacuse i get bored quickly and i found the time went quicker changing about machines.

so anyway i was reading the thread earlier and i noted g'em (i think) saying that 30 mins cardio at a higher gradient is perhaps more benefical for you. so anyways i was thinking of doing some changes to my cardio anyway so i thought i would change to the above. the reason i cut the resistance and used more dumbells was because i enjoy it more and it turns out 'the scary room'- not so scary (as long as i dont look at people in the eye!)

so i would appreciate all thoughts on my workout. im still working on my diet but the changes are coming slowly but surely. im trying to eat evry 3 hours or so even if its just a banana or yoghurt in between meals. i have decided that monday night is weighing night because as much as i do want to tone up, i also want to get my weight down as well. currently i am 76 kgs and roughly 5'6 so i would like to get that down to roughly 65kg over the next few months

one thing i have noticed is the top of my legs arent rubbing together anymore, so i shall take this as a sign that i am toning up!

Sleepy

Good work catherine!

One thing: don't pay attention to the weighing scales. Muscle weighs more than fat and your resistance training will strengthen your muscles making them heavier. Use the mirror or a tape-measure instead.

catherine22

Went to the gym last night for the first time in 2 weeks. between easter and assignments my routine kinda went out of the window for a few weeks but im back on track last nite.

Did my weights (see above) but I think I will increase the weights now because its getting easier for me.

Cardio wise I only did 15 mins on the x-trainer as I was short on time

Later today I will go back to the gym but I am not doing any weights just 45 mins cardio

catherine22

so my arm is all better and what better way to celebrate than to hit the gym:D

increased some of my weights today- hopefully i can remember what to-

all 3 sets of 12
leg press 70kg
abductor 45kg
adductor 45kg
bicep curl 10kg
shoulder press 7.5kg
chest press 17.5 kg
upper arm 20kg
2 arm dumbbell raised over head with 3kg
dumbbell deltoid lateral raises 3kg

20 mins of treadmill at 1.5% incline going between 6.5k and 7.1k-

diet wise today has been brilliant, i have it all recorded on fitday

one thing i bought cottage cheese today and i want to eat it as a snack. does anyone have any ideas- do i just eat it on its own. i ahve never tired it so this may be the only time!

hunnymonster

It wouldn't be one of my favourites but eat it straight out of the tub with a fork. Tastes better when it's straight from the fridge. If it's too flavourless for you like that, chop some herbs or s tomato or something into it. I sometimes add salt too but I'm one of those freaky people who is constantly told to eat more rather than less salt.

catherine22

so yesterday i went to the gym and did a full workout, lately i have been finding the weights part fine but the cardio so boring so i have decided to change the cardio to 20 mins on the treadmill when i am doing a full workout and 20 mins on the rower and 20 mins on the treadmill on cardio only days.

my diet of late has been crap, i kinda just lost my way but i have been making a concious effort over the past few days to eat correctly. i mean whats the point in me slogging my guts out in the gym if im not earing correctly- i am basically wasting my time.

anyway going to the gym shortly to go some cardio

catherine22

went to the gym this afternoon-

weights 12x3

bicep curl 10k
shoulder press 10k
chest press 15k
2 arm dumbbell raised over head with 3k
dumbbell deltoid lateral raises 3k
tricep extension 7k (holding dumbbell with 2 hands)
abductor 45k
adductor 45k
leg press 60k

cardio 1000m on rower
15 mins on treadmill running for 2 mins 8.5k, walking 2 mins at 6.5k

my diet has been a mess, im fine at breakfast, i have porridge and a banana and then pumpkin seeds and an apple about 11am but its during the day at lunch and stuff. but im at home this week studying so i will be able to prepare salads or soup or something. dinner can me a bit unpredictable but i am trying to have pasta in the evenings and some tuna. and then about 8pm i have more fruit or cottage cheese and an avocado.
im going to a healthy eating lecture on wednesday evening so hopefully that
will give me some pointers- i shall report back what they say!

catherine22

ok so after the gym yesterday i feel no pain and im not sure if this is a good thing especially when i was working with weights. normally my muscles might feel a little sore but today nothing and i worked hard yesterday, all the weights that i lifted were as much as i could handle, i wasnt taking it easy. its not that i want to be in pain but im normally a little sore after the gym- so is this normal? i cant up the weights i lift, im already at my maximum.

and one thing that is really bothering me is my triceps, im doing a few weights which i thought would have helped them, my arms are far from fat but im using the bicep curl machine and i can see a real difference with my biceps but see nothing different with my triceps- im using a 7k dumbbell and doing an overhead extension and by the time i get to the end of the 3x12 i can barely lift the weight yet there is no difference to my arms

ideas anyone?

eclectichoney

if it's any consolation i'm having a similar problem! I do tricep extentions (dumbbell in one hand) with 2kg and keep trying to up it to 3kg but can only ever squeeze out 3 or 4 reps before not being able to move my arm at all lol! i find kickbacks and dips quite good though (the former in particular) maybe give them a go - a different tricep exercie each visit instead of just extensions perhaps???

catherine22

havent been to the gym much this past week and my diet has been all over the place- im studying for my finals and while this is no excuse my routine is just all over the show, but i am drinking 3l water a day and eating loads of fruit and veg so at least thats something.

went to the gym this morning

cardio 30 mins treadmill at 6.8k
weights (3x12) shoulder press 10k
chest press 15k
bicep curl 10k
upper arm 20k
leg curl 60k
abductor 45k
adductor 45k
tricep kickbacks 3k
dumbbell deltoid lateral raises 3k

dont feel too bad after it, i went because i felt i had to go and couldnt wait to get out of there. i have so much else on my mind that i can barely remember to go the gym but i dont wnat to slip up and get out of the routine of going. probably wont go again to friday