getting fit

i think i am going to keep a private journal of my working out... for some reason, i am self conscious about too many people knowing about it. i guess if i fail, i don't want anyone to know i was trying. as for why on BL, i would rather keep all my ramblings in one place as opposed to getting a livejournal or something. and maybe in a few months i will look back at these post and notice progress.

i've lost 6 pounds since i started

i've pretty much cut out caffeine (and pop as a result) and beer. i occasionally have a drink on the weekend but nothing like the 5-6 beers i was drinking nightly. i am making an effort to eat more than one giant meal day. altho its hard to eat anything more than a granola bar or banana for breakfast cause i am not hungry. i am used to just downing a coke zero. actually, since i stopped drinking beer, i haven't been craving fatty/greasy foods. without fast food, i actually eat pretty healthy.

my arms are weak. i struggle to do exercises using 3 lb weights. by the last set, i am using just my arms for few repetitions. (i think i used those terms right, or maybe its the other way around?) according to my trainer, i've been using my lower back to lift things instead of my arms and chest (i think that is what he said anyhow).

my legs are decently strong but my balance is off, so we are working on me using proper form and the right muscle groups for lower body exercises. and i fucking hate core exercises.

 

6 pounds, no caffeine, no soda, NO BEER and no greasy/fatty foods????? All at once????? You are kicking ASS!!!!!!!

You sound committed as hell!

Who cares what the amount of weight you are using is in the beginning. It doesn't matter yet because you are doing what you should be doing and focusing on form. Give it a couple more months and then start tracking how much weight you are using so you can see your progress and gauge when its time to move up another 5 - 10 pounds.

Don't worry too much about your arms since pretty much every time you work your back, shoulders and chest, you will be working your arms as well. Now, if you are looking for tone as opposed to strength, then you may want to focus on your arms by doing light weights with many repetitions (reps=how many times you push the weight in a sitting and sets=how many times you do multiple repetitions)

See!??!??! You have me all excited now!

Take a picture of yourself for your own reference (the less clothes the better s you may want to keep it private ) Set a timeframe where you take another picture of yourself so you can see the progress (I do 1 every 3 months).

I'm going to stop because I want to go on and on and on!!!!! I am so happy for you! It sucks in the beginning but you may just start to really enjoy it!

 

taking a picture is a good idea! i think i will make my husband do it so i get good angles, i always take odd pictures of myself.

i am trusting my trainer about the weights (or lack of). it still feels silly to say i have a personal trainer. but he is the driving force behind most of this right now.

i also feel kinda energized after working out. its a pretty weird feeling that i can be rather exhausted from work and then leave with energy after doing a crapton of stuff

and thanks for clearing up the reps and sets thing OD

 

I've heard people say, and have found this to be true as well, that exercise doesn't take energy, it makes it. I'm in a bit of a lapsed state right now, and am finding my energy levels at some of their lowest in many years, whereas when I was doing my yoga instructor training I was more active than ever and had tons of energy.

Good luck on your new routine! It sounds like you're already making huge progress, just don't get hung up on the scale. If you feel good, then it's good.

 

thanks for the encouragement dave

i never would have believed that working my ass off for an hour would leave me energized.