Guns Guns and Guns

So...I am embarrassed because I am so late with last weeks blog:( So I will just do two this week!

Last week was great! Good progress with writing down what I was eating and making better choices. I always like when Audit Season comes because I am out of the office and forced to pack a lunch. I also am not able to snack on all the goodies we have the "snack cupboard" at the office as well.

We did the Green Mile again on Tuesday as well as a lot of new and more complicated Kettle Bell exercises. Thursday Micah was out so we had one of the other trainers teaching our class and she kicked our arms butts! LOL...I called it Guns Guns and Guns! It was a great class and went by really fast and my arms were toast the next evening.

This week I am focusing on the following:

Logging food intake
Running farther and increasing my cardio nights by 15 minute intervals (ie: from 1 hour up to 1 hour and 15 mins, etc)
Decrease the carb consumption
Get strict again with myself! My 30th is in a month and I want to lose at least 10lbs before then!

Hope you gals had a great weekend and have a fabulous week! Keep going strong:)

Active Rest & Picking Up the Pace

This week was pretty awesome! I have been trying to get back on track and hold myself accountable. I have decided that logging my food was working so well when I was doing Weight Watchers and now that I am no longer in that program I have been not being as diligent about what I am putting in my body. This week I have really tried to pay close attention to portion sizes and not let myself get over hungry and then pig out.

As far as the gym and working out goes....that is always the best part of my days by far. Monday night I got a good hard hour of cardio in at the gym with running and elliptical. Tuesday night at The Awesome Factory (AKA Alpha Co) we did a lot of martial arts...one of my absolute favorites. I took Wednesday night off as my day of rest. Last night...Thursday...was another night of epic proportions! Started out with The Green Mile. This is lunging the length of the Industrial Building where Alpha Co is located and then run around it back to the starting point and off we lunge again. this is done 3 times. Talk about working your assets:) Then in for dead lifts with two 35 lb Kettle Bells. Then on to leverage club clean & presses, halos with 26lb Kettle Bell, Windmills with a 26 lb Kettle Bell, and finally some abs...flutter kicks, Chapman Get Ups, and sit ups with jab combos. Phewwww! Another major evening of perspiration, pushing your body to the limit, and increasing the tempo of your exercises. This time I made sure to drink plenty of water when I got home and I am happy to say I feel great today other than my Hammies (Hamstrings) being a little tight. We really focused on active rests, stretching and moving around as well as increasing the pace of our sets to our ability. It felt great!

Our team there at Alpha Co is so kick ass! We have a great time together and just enjoy each other and working hard. I have to say it feels like home and I so look forward to my Tuesday and Thursday evenings. A shot out to Micah Hankins, owner and trainer, you kick ass!! Changing lives every day.

My goals for this next week:

Be extremely conscious of what I put in my body. Eat as clean as possible...this means lean proteins & veggies
Log all food and water in take
Increase length of cardio workouts on evenings I am not at Alpha Co

I hope all of you have a great weekend and an awesome week next week!!!
Hoorah

Pushing the Boundaries

This week was a short work week but full of good exercise. I got home from San Francisco on Monday...and what a lovely trip it was! I did not eat as well as I would have liked but stuck to good proteins and veggies. A little too much great Acme bread for my body but it was delish! I also didn't work out as much as I would have liked to, but I got in a few long walks with my gal pal Amanda and one with my friend Monica. I did go for a 3 mile run in Upper Bidwell Park when I got home on Monday and that felt awesome! Tuesday and Thursday were back at it at Alpha Co...Hoorah! Tuesdays class was not as hard as I thought until I woke up on Wednesday and felt how sore my arms were. Swinging 10lb leverage clubs above the head and squats with a 20lb one. Lots of moves to learn but a great upper body workout! Thursday was what I affectionately refer to as Jihad Thursdays. This Thursday was all about timed exercises. One minute of 35lb kettle bell swings, then one minute 26lb kettle bell curls, then 1 minute jumping rope, then 1 minute of push ups, and then run around the complex with squats and pushups on opposite corners. Then when we got back from our runs, it was back to intervals but this time it was core focused. One minute boat rows with a 26lb kettle bell, one minute Chapman Town get ups with an 18lb kettle bell, one minute flutter kicks, one minute jumping rope, and then another run with squats and push ups. After about 45 minutes of this we brought it down to 30 second intervals. After an hour, I was spent. My biggest downfall this week was hydration. I forget so quickly how much fluid we lose when we sweat and how vitally important it is to replenish that during and after a workout. I felt sick Thursday evening and until late Friday afternoon because I did not replenish my fluids after Thursday night's intense workout.

My goals for this week are:

DRINK MORE WATER...during the day and after my workouts
Continue to eat clean - lean proteins and veggies
Lengthen my runs and add in some push ups and squats
Get more sleep

Hope you gals have a great week and continue to push your boundaries to get the results you desire!

Keep Pressing Forward

So, I too fluctuate at that certain time of the month. So, I was one weight this morning and 3lbs lighter this afternoon. Although, I am 2lbs heavier than I was a few weeks ago when I first posted, I am not going to get discouraged. I will keep pressing forward. Last night was a hard workout. A lot of new kettle bell moves that are complicated and hard to get down right. I got a little discouraged that I couldn't get the moves down, but I will keep trying and work on my technique. Thursday's class will be challenging, but I am excited to push my body and get stronger.

This weekend, may also be a little challenging for me as well. I am traveling to San Francisco to see good friends. I do not know what the menu will consist of but I will try to make smart choices with what there is available. I will take healthy snacks with me and make sure to drink a lot of water. I will also try to get in a run while I am there and another one when I get home.

Have a great holiday weekend ladies! Keep pressing forward.

Staying Focused and Committed

So, I slipped up last week and did not post. Sorry to you all for missing. Time to get refocused and committed.

Last week was quite busy...I took one of my CPA exams on Thursday, but I still managed to get 5 days of good hard exercise in. I did three days of training at Alpha Co instead of my usual two. My Friday workout didn't seem to be all that hard, but boy did I feel it on Saturday. Hurt so good! I stuck to my routine of no carbs in the evenings. I have been making a chicken stir fry with veggies and that has been a staple of mine. I take this to work for lunch and eat it for dinner. For lunch I will sometimes eat it over a 1/2 cup of brown rice if I know I am going to have an extra hard workout or long run in the evening. This way I know my body has enough carbs to fuel it. That was food is for our bodies, fuel. If we think of it that way instead of it being all about what tastes good...wow...what a difference that can make! Lean proteins, lots of veggies and salads, and the occasional whole grains.

My goals for this week:

Up my 3 mile runs on Mon/Wed/Sat to 5 miles
Continue to limit carbs to those in vegetable form after lunch
Drink more water (This is crucial - Stay hydrated ladies)

I just want to encourage you all to really listen to your bodies. Concentrate on your breathing. Keep sippin on water when you are working out and stay hydrated. Clear out the noise and focus.

Good Things for the Weekend

Hi ladies of health! I am excited to join your group and blog along with you and share my experiences. This week was awesome! I am currently training at Alpha Co Fitness in Chico, CA. My friend Micah Hankins started Alpha Co and has been doing personal training since 1997. I am currently taking one of his Hybrid classes two days a week...Tues/Thurs from 6-7pm. We do a mixture of different things including martial arts and strength training using kettle bells, leverage clubs, pulling tires, and using sand bags...just to name a few things. It is about more than just body at Alpha Co; it is about spirit as well. We help each other, encourage each other, and work hard to get the results we want. I am also a member of a local gym in Chico, where I do cardio on Monday and Wednesday evenings. On the weekends I try to get out to the Lower Bidwell Park area and run out in the beautiful parks setting. Fridays and Sundays are usually my day of rest.

Nutrition is also such a big part of our journey. I, like Annie, have been trying to cut back on the carbs and not consume them in the evenings. I focus on getting a lot of protein in my body to help fuel my training and build my muscles. I try to take in, in grams, half my body weight of protein a day. So, right now I am at 168lbs, so I am trying to get at least 84 grams of protein a day. I have lost 18 lbs to this point over the last 2 months and I am aiming for another 18 lbs. But, weight loss is not my main focus. Feeling strong in body and spirit is my ultimate goal.

Get out in the sunshine this weekend and do something that makes you feel good. Work up a sweat!

Good things!
Alison CATTT