Amanda - Phase 2 - Week 3, Tuesday

So, I woke up this morning and had lost 1.6 pounds of the 8 I had gained.I was happy with that. I was only expecting a pound. Hopefully tomorrow will be as fruitful.

Here was my CF workout for the day:
5 Rounds:
250m Row
10 Pullups
20 Pushups
30 Situps
40 Air Squats
4 minute rest.
Each round is blitz ACFer's!  The rest should be enough to get you back and ready to tackle the next round. Don't pace... get after it! *Rest intervals will incorporate a different corrective exercise or stretch each round.

I finished in 39:27. My goal was to get under 40 minutes, so I felt good about it. People were getting done anywhere from 36-45 minutes. I did the pushups on my knees and used a red/purple band for my pullups. The pullups were defintely the toughest of all the exercises. I'm not sure if it's because I was coming off the row, but I couldn't knock out the 10 without resting, even with the bands. I'm sure the extra 6 pounds doesn't help either!

Jon Tuesday Week 3

Well, I am still not feeling well!  Along with that I was up at 2:30 this morning and basically tossed and turned until 6:30.  Not ideal! 

My eating has not changed, but I notice that by not working out I feel weak.  I haven't gained any weight, which is positive, but I constantly feel like I'm out of breath.   I wonder if I have bronchitis or something. 

I am leaving work early today and getting some rest, hopefully that will take care of this, it's almost two weeks now since I have been sick, which is terrible.  I don't know how I go basically an entire year without getting really sick and the last two weeks have been tough.  Other than the congestion and cough I don't feel bad, but it's getting to be too much with this constant winded feeling because my lungs are filled with junk!

I'm looking forward to a recovery tonight and a good night sleep.  I must get back to the gym!

Amanda - Phase 2 - Week 3, Monday

Crossfit at noon:

“The Bear Complex”
5 Sets, with three minutes of rest between each set of:
7 rounds:
1 Power Clean
1 Front Squat
1 Push Press
1 Back Squat
1 Push Press
These 5 movements make up 1 Round, and 7 Rounds make up one Set. I maxed out at 70#


So, I am back at it today. My Thanksgiving holiday didn’t go as well as I had hoped. On Wednesday, I was perfect – my eating was track. Then, on Thursday, Thanksgiving day, I think I mentioned it went downhill after 4:00. Then, on Friday, I worked out in the morning, which was great. I’m definitely going to have to keep that up when I visit the parents. It gave me the right mindset I needed…until that evening anyway, when mom put out all the leftovers, including the 3 different kinds of desserts. Again, not so good. Then, on Saturday, I had a few more leftovers, including dessert, before I took off for Chicago that afternoon. The bad thing of course, was 3 days of eating poorly. The positive thing was that on Sunday, my meals were back to normal. Normally, my mindset would be to ‘start Monday’. But I really wanted to get back on track again. So, I was proud that mindset had evolved. When I reflect back on those 3 days, the whole ‘listening to my body’ thing didn’t work out so well. As soon as my body got a taste of that sugar and there were numerous sugary items spread out in front of me all day, being rational and listening to my body was thrown out the window. Clearly, that’s not going to work. On one hand, I think – so what, it’s the holiday, don’t be so uptight about it. On the other hand, I think I’m just making an excuse. Why should the fact that it’s a holiday be that drastically different? Ok, have a piece of pie and eat a little more than normal. There’s no reason I have to have one of every dessert there is, and then do it for two more days. Logically, I get it, but when I’m in the middle of it, logic doesn’t really work. Part of my problem, I think, is that there’s not a lot to do. Perhaps I could plan things to do when I go home for holidays. Making a point to go to the gym was a huge step. Perhaps I could also try to talk mom into giving away all the leftovers. Ok, so for Christmas, my plan is to plan things to do every day while I’m there, go to the gym every day but one day, and talk to mom about getting rid of the leftovers. I’m going to have to give that a try.


It’s not like I was eating for 3 days straight, but unfortunately my body seems to respond that way. I got on the scale this morning and had gained 8 pounds, which is almost 75% of the weight it took me over 2 months to lose. That sounds terrible and I’m hoping half of it is sodium and will come off quickly. If that’s the case, I should be able to lose 5 pounds in the next week. I won’t be too terribly discouraged if that’s the case. The remaining 3 pounds will be a bit harder, I’m sure. I will keep you posted!

Jon Week 3 Monday

Well, it's good to be back on schedule.  Though I didn't go to the gym this morning I am back to my strict eating, which is good.  I wish I could kick this congestion and cough, so I could get a good night sleep and wake up early to go to the gym but I'm sure that will happen sooner than later.

Over the weekend I was able to maintain my weight without any gains so I'm pleased about that. 

I'm hoping for a good night sleep tonigh and improved health tomorrow!

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 2, Friday

Well, I did alright on Thanksgiving...not great, but okay. I did pretty good until 4pm and then with all the food sitting out, I seemed to sink back into old habits. Eating sugar is like a drug for me. It's like once I get the taste of it, it's impossible to stop. The positive thing, is that I went to the gym this morning. It's the first time I went to the gym while at my parents, and it was a great experience! The gym was nice and the workout was really good. It definitely helped remind me of the mindset I have while at home. Not only that, being in workout clothes in front of a mirror, reminded me how hard I've worked. I'm certainly not going to let that go. Anyway, I did better today, but again, around dinner time, I ate more than I should have. I know all the holiday foods makes it significantly more difficult. I'm going to have to reflect more on this when I get home...when I feel more level headed about it.

Jon Week 2 Friday

Well, it has been awhile!  No fun having flu like symptoms for three or four days, going out of down for two days and coming back and getting a cold!  Not a great run over the last week, but I'm feeling good today. 

A quick recap of the week.  I was out of town at the "Annual." It's a yearly tradition to go up north with a bunch of my friends for the typical guy weekend.  Because I wasn't feeling too great I didn't over-indulge or for that matter really indulge like I normally would.  That turned about to be a good thing.  When I got home Monday I felt pretty good about getting back to the gym and getting back on track eating wise. Over the weekend I had only gained 2 pounds which was incredible, normally I think I gain 10 going up there.  Anyway, on Tuesday morning I woke up coughing terribly.  That lasted into Wednesday and part of Thursday.  Today I haven't been too bad with coughing and I feel much less congested.  I woke up and for the first time in a week got a workout in.  Nothing too special, but we have the WII fitness so I did a workout on that.  Surprisingly I got a good sweat and feel good after.  I finished up with some sit-ups and burpees for good measure. 

Today I will eat fairly normal, though I will have one or two pieces of left-over pie and some stuffing for lunch.  After that though it's back to it.

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 2, Wednesday

CF this morning at 6AM:
Strength:

Bench Press

5-5-3-3-1-1

Conditioning:

5 Rounds for Time:

500m Row

100 ft. OH Walking Lunge (45# / 25#) Idid 25#

50 Double Unders (I did 4X singles)

 

My 1 rep max for my Bench Press was 90#, which wasn't great, considering I did 85# X 3 on Sept 28. I'll have to keep an eye out for my strength.

 

I finished my WOD in 31.17. I was the second one done. The person who got done first, finished between 27-28 minutes. She did DUs instead of singles and she was also significantly faster on her row. She must have been pretty consistent rowing each of her 500s at 2 minutes. I think my first was like at 2:05 and then I think my final one was like at like 2:25. That's a couple minutes there. Then, of course, she was proficient with her double unders. So, that was at least a few minutes there as well. I made up time with my lunges however. Anyway, it was a long and good workout. The rowing always kills me!

 

So, today I am leaving to go to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving. Again, I am mentally preparing myself. I'm printing off my last blog entry when I went home last time, but this time is a little different since it is a holiday. It makes it significantly more challenging. Considering my goal however of learning the proper mindset of 'every-day life', I'm not going to say, "I won't eat this" or "I can only have so much of this." I really want to be in tune to my body and my true voice and not allow past behavior or mindsets make my decisions. And just because I 'decide' to have a piece of dessert or anything else, that doesn't mean that has to open the doorway to continued indulgence for the rest of the day/weekend. Also, 'decide' is an important word. I need to own that it is a decision. It think that's liberating. In the past, particularly with holidays, I've always felt so out of control with eating. What I ate was never a conscious decision. I want everything I put in my mouth to be a conscious decision. Doing that, gives me a feeling of control. It's empowering. I know that it's ultimately up to me, not past actions, not hormones, not habits...but me...I am in control.

 

I still think it's empowering to have a plan however. It adds to that feeling of empowerment. And considering working out helps get me into the right frame of my, it's vital in helping me in transition my mindset, particularly when I travel or visit my family. Here's my plan:

 

Wednesday - I worked out this morning. I have oatmeal cooking on the stove now and I already have my chicken salad and coconut oil dressing to take with me for the road. I also have my other foods packed for the weekend that I can't get at home: oatmeal, coconut oil, yogurt, Ezekial muffins, etc.

Thursday - I won't workout. I'll eat my normal breakfast and then Thanksgiving dinner. I will eat until I feel satisfied. I will listen to my body from there. There's really no need to be 'picking' throughout the rest of the day, as food sits on the counter. This is where I really have to listen to myself and own my decisions.

Friday - Workout in morning and the rest of the day should be as normal as far as food, for the most part. I'm sure I'll have some 'leftovers', but I'll be cognizant of the portions and continue to make those conscious decisions.

Saturday/Sunday - I'm not sure yet when I'll be leaving. Either way, I will workout one of those two days. Again, portions will be reasonable.

 

I will blog my updates!

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 2, Tuesday

Well, I finally had some progress regarding my weight this morning! I lost the half pound I gained and an additional half pound! I even had Flounder last night - something totally different! So, I am a half pound lower than my lowest weight at the end of our last challenge on Nov 13. Maybe it was that 5K yesterday...who knows? Originally, I wanted to be another 0.8 pounds down by tomorrow (the day I leave for WI for Thanksgiving), which seems like a stretch, but I'm going to work really hard today!

I went to CF this morning at 8am:
"Elizabeth"
21-15-9 reps of:
Power Cleans ( I did 65#)
Ring dips (I used the red band - second from least resistance)

I was the first one done at 8.35. It was an okay workout. I got two really great compliments today though! I was working on my pullups after class and our coach, Todd, looks over at me quickly and then glances back and says, "Holy shit, you're shredded." Then, a girl who was visiting from another CF location, asked me if I was a gymnast because I looked amazing on the rings. It's gratifying but at that the same time uncomfortable for me when I get compliments like that. They feel so undeserving. I've always felt so inferior athletically and physically. I just don't see myself like that. I've been thinking about that a lot lately though and am beginning to feel like it's critical that I get rid of that old mindset. I think because I don't truly believe that about myself, it keeps me reverting back to old habits. Where, if I really work on starting to view myself as a strong athlete that I'll be more apt to keep doing things that support that mindset. I'm going to have to give that some more thought as to how I can successfully make that transition.

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 2, Monday

Well, we had a surprise WOD at CF today and we did a 5K. I had never done a 5K before and am a dreadful runner. On top of the surprise 5K, there was a torrential downpour outside. She did give us an option to Row a 5K, but I already had my mind made up -- I was going to do it! My goal was to do it in under 30 minutes and not have to walk. My time was 28.35, and despite the gusts of wind and hurricane-like rains, I felt amazing afterward! I was the last one to finish, but I didn't care. It's been a while since I felt that accomplished. It even crossed my mind that I could do a 10K. What helped considerably was that I paced myself. Most of the time when I run, I go all out, like for my mile, and then afterward, I feel like I'm going to die. My pace wasn't fast, but it was consistent. I think my first half mile was 4:20 and my longest was 4:40. Allowing myself to go at a pace I was comfortable with was key. I might have to try it again in normal weather.  Who knows, maybe I could become a runner after all!

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 1, Sunday

I ended up gaining a half pound after eating the thing Greg brought me. It had to be the sodium because there wasn't anything in it that would warrant the weight gain. Unfortunately, I didn't lose it this morning. I have a feeling these 3 pounds are going to be tough.

Well, I didn't work out yesterday. I worked on our synopsis most of the day so we can get it to the agent by Tuesday. There's still some work to do on it, but I did manage to go to Bikram this morning. I figured the extra sweating may help me excrete the extra sodium out of my body.

My meals have been good. I still haven't tried my grass-fed beef yet and probably won't until after Thanksgiving. I want to make sure whatever I thaw doesn't get wasted. I did try some Spaghetti sauce though from Tropical Traditions. I mixed it with some beef I had left over from Trader Joe's and it was really good. It's kept me satisfied as well. Hopefully tomorrow I will have lost that half pound, plus some.

As for my weekly checkup:
I blogged 6/7 days
I worked out 5 days (3cf, 1 gym wo, 1 bikram)
I exceeded my 50 pullup goal per week - I did 72
I followed my meal plan and tried a few new things. I'm still a half a pound away from where I was last week though. I'm hoping I can still lose weight and try new things. If not, I may have to go back to basically eating the same thing every day until I reach my goal. I'll make that determination after Thanksgiving.

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 1, Friday

I went to CF this morning at 9:30:
Press
3-3-3-3-3 (maxed out at 65#, which matched my 3 rep max from a couple months ago)

Tabata Row (for total meters)
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Mountain climbers
Rest 1 minute
Tabata bottom to bottom squats*
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Planks
 The Tabata interval is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 intervals.
*For squata, the 10 seconds of rest should be spent in the bottom of the air squat position.

The workout was good but not super exhausting. I worked on my pullups as well.

Not to interject, but Jon and I got our first response back from a literary agent...he wants more info!!! If anyone knows a publisher or agent interested in contemporary romance novels, send them our way! We've only sent out 10 queries so far and the first response we got back was a positive one!!!

Ok, in addition to that, I still haven't tried my grass fed beef yet from Tropical Traditions, but I did receive in the second half of my order which included a bunch of stuff, one item being organic, really raw, honey.  This stuff is amazing. I didn't know this before, but truly raw honey should be crystalized and shouldn't drip. This stuff is crystalized, but has the consistency of whipped butter almost. It's truly different than any honey I have ever seen or tasted. It's super sweet and dense...incredible!

I didn't have my salad tonight because Greg, the guy I have do some handy work, brought me this onion and tomato and beef concoction that his Italian mother made. They only use fresh ingredients and again, it was amazing! He said she didn't sweeten it at all and all the sweetness comes from the tomatoes. It was fantastic. I figured it would fit right in with my purpose of trying new things to get my body used to a variety of foods. I probably had a cup of what he brought. Hopefully my body reacts favorably and the scale is friendly. We will see tomorrow!

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 1, Thursday

So, I have a half pound to go to get me back to where I was last week. The fact that I can gain nearly 2 pounds from eating 3 bites of birthday cake and 5 small hors d'oeuvres on Saturday night is frustrating and ridiculous! That's one of the things I'm going to try to remedy over the next handful of weeks. I'm pretty sure sodium and water retention are a big part of it. My body just isn't used to all the salt, so I'm sure it sucks it up. I'm trying to get more salt in my diet, so I'm closer to a 1000mg/day. Hopefully that will help.

I did my Gym Workout today. I changed it up a bit and instead of doing a mile, I am running as long as I can at 9.0mph without touching the treadmill. Today was 3 minutes. I thought this might be more motivating for me. After that, I did the following:
15 Walking Lunges with 2 15# DB over my head
25 Air Sqauts
(4 sets)
70-75 second sprint at 10.0mph

10 - 1 Leg Lunges with 2 10# DB (alternate legs for 4 sets)
70-75 second sprint at 10.0mph

15 - 1 Leg Bridge Lifts (alternate legs for 4 sets)
70-75 second sprint at 10.0mph

15 Kickbacks (alternate legs for 4 sets)
70-75 second sprint at 10.0mph

20 CF Situps
18 CF Pushups
(4 sets)
15 Standing Obliques (alternate sides)
15 Standing Abs
75 second sprint at 10.0mph

The workout takes about an hour. I've done the sprinting in between my circuits before, which I like. I'm going to do this workout at least once a week.

Lastly, my grass fed beef from Tropical Tradtions came in last night. I can't wait to try it. I have some chicken yet to finish up on, so it'll probably be the weekend before I'm able to. It looks fantastic. The color is deep maroon, which is very different from the color at the grocery store. Hopefully the taste will be as wonderful as well!

Jon Wednesday, Week 1

Today was not stellar!  I had a terrible night sleep and woke up feeling achy and sore!  My 35th birthday is right around the corner and I'm either not aging gracefully or I'm full of psycho-semantic issues!

I did manage to eat well today, except for a pork, kale and beet soup from Heartland that was incredible! 

I have had the chills all day and night and have been overall not pleased with my health.  I'm hoping for a great night sleep tonight with a hot pack on my neck and good thoughts of waking up tomorrow to a new energy. 

The positive today, along with the soup, was that I lost .6 pounds after eating a full subway sub on Tuesday.  No complaint here!

I'm not sure of my work-out schedule the next two days, I guess I'll play it by soreness and most all chilliness!!

Jon

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 1, Wednesday

CF this morning at 8am:
4 Rounds for time:
250m Row
6 Thrusters (135/95)

Rest 10 minutes, SMR

For time:
25-20-15-10-5
Overhead Walking Lunges (45/25)
Double-Unders (4x singles)
Situps
The first WOD I did in 9:05. I started out with 75# Thrusters and had to go down to 65#. The most I had ever done for Thrusters before was 65#, so 75 was a stretch.

The second WOD I did in 8.18. I used 25# and did 4Xsingles instead of Double Unders. I was the first one done. It helps that I've conditioned my lower so much. Where lunges are pretty tough for most people, especially when you're carrying a 25# weight over your head, I can breeze through them pretty quickly. I should probably learn how to do those Double Unders, but I'm really not too interested, at least right now. I really just want to focus on my Pullups/Kippings.

So, my dinner last night of beef and Butternut Squash proved to be good. I felt very satisfied all night long. I didn't crave anything sweet, which I do sometimes. I also got a good night sleep. Once I finish the beef and chicken I already have cooked, I'll make some fish and see what that does for me.

Amanda - Phase 2, Week 1, Tuesday

Crossfit at noon today:
Strength:
Hang Power Cleans
3-3-3-3-3 (maxed out at 90#)

Conditioning:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Deadlifts - 50% of 1RM
Burpee KTE's

I did my WOD in 10.51 and I was the second one done, so I felt good about that.

I had my normal breakfast of oatmeal, greek yogurt, berries, and coconut oil, but tonight, I had beef and summer squash with a sundried tomato and coconut oil. It was really good. I got home later than I expected otherwise I probably would've made my salad. I felt satisfied afterward.

I had good energy throughout the day.

Jon Week 1 Tuesday

Well, this morning I weighed myself and lost the 3 pounds I gained over the weekend.  Feeling good about that. 

For my first gym workout this morning I decided to up the intensity and lower the time a bit for the cardio so I did the following:

20 minutes on the treadmill:
3.0 incline
2.25 miles

The incline was intense and amazing how much more difficult it was for me.  I actually had to stop and walk a few times just to catch my breath.  Overall I liked the change and was much more spent after then I typically am after running 3 miles.

After the run I did 3 sets of 10 sit-ups (CF style) and 3 sets of max push-ups, I did the push-ups on the minute like a TABATA workout.

The only downside to today is that I have forgot my lunch at home.  It will be interesting to see how I overcome it.  Right now I'm thinking a sub at subway as I won't have any snacks etc.  Thoughts?

Amanda - Phase 2 - Plan and Objective

I feel great about what I’ve accomplished this last 9 weeks. During the next 5 weeks (Nov 15 – Dec 18), though I still want to lose a few more pounds, I want to focus on transitioning my mindset from weight loss to optimum wellness. For me, optimum wellness consists of being at my ideal weight, having good consistent energy, feeling strong, improving my fitness levels, and feeling great about myself, but at the same time, still be able to enjoy a night out. I need to learn how to be able to balance that, not fear it, but enjoy it. Therefore, I need to gain a better understanding of how my body works with different foods. I’m going to incorporate more of a variety of foods in my diet this time around and really take note of how they make me feel. I’ll journal what they were, the amounts, how my body responded, and how my body felt. The ultimate goal in doing this, is to feel less restricted and give myself more nutritional freedom without gaining weight. If I know exactly what certain foods do to me, it will empower me. What I eat will then become a choice. It will be what I simply desire versus what I MUST do in order to not gain weight.

Amanda’s Goals by Dec 18

1.      Lose 3 pounds

2.      Get my Baseline workout under 7 minutes

3.      Do 4 dead hang pull-ups and get 2 kippings

4.      Set the foundation for developing the ‘lifestyle’ I want

Amanda’s Commitments (From Nov 15-Dec 18)

1.      Take Weight daily and Measurements weekly

2.      Blog 6 days per week, focusing on different things I’ve eaten and the impact of them (numbers-wise, cravings, satiation levels, etc)

3.      Workout (CF, Yoga, Gym WO) 5-7 days/week

4.      Do 50 pullups per week at CF

Because these next 5 weeks are focused on lifestyle and monitoring the effects of different foods/choices, there are no “exceptions” or additional “restrictions”. Thanksgiving falls in this time period, and it will be up to me how I choose to handle it. I know what my goals are and the timeframe I have to achieve them. I will make decisions based on those goals and blog about the decisions I made, regardless of what they were or the consequences.

Jon Week 1 Monday

So, the first challenge has ended with some great results!  I lost 40 pounds in nine weeks and improved my run time and baseline WOD both by over five minutes; but now, it's time to keep working!

There is no deadline in mind right now for this new challenge; at least not one yet carved into stone.  I will outline my new goals and new requirements to retain my focus and get me through the holiday season!

Goals:
1.  Lose 10 pounds (by end of the year)
2.  Track and measure my weight (daily), measurements (weekly), and calories (daily).
3.  Create a "normal" lifestyle change.

HOW:
1.  Continue with gym workouts (5 times a week)
2.  Cheat (8 days for the rest of the year.  Considering the holidays, Annual and my birthday I think it's reasonable).  The cheat days will be the only time I have alcohol as well, minus a glass of wine here or there, but no more.
3.  Start using a hybrid Body-For-Life eating schedule, but really focusing on calorie counting.

The biggest thing I want to accomplish in the next seven weeks is to really create that "normal" lifestyle change.  One of the best ways to get this done is to set my calorie intake at 1500 daily.  I may refine this based on my energy level, but I believe that long term that is they key to continue my success.

On another note I have decided to stop doing Crossfit for the next seven weeks to see if I can focus on my endurance (which I struggle with) and get on a routine in which adding Crossfit in down the road will make sense. 

So, the RACE continues!

Amanda - Week 9, Sunday (Last official day)

So, here's the Plan vs. Actual:

My Original Commitments:
1. Take Weight and Measurements weekly - Did 100%
2. Blog 6 days per week - Did 100%, actually 7 Days/week
3. Follow the Meal Plan I have outlined below Did 100%
4. Follow workout schedule I have outlined below Did 100%
5. Restrict alcohol consumption to 2 drinks/week (with the exception of my one cheat weekend, which I can do whatever I want.) Did 100%, actually only had 4 drinks the entire 9 weeks
6. Only ‘cheat’ one weekend (Sat & Sun) out of the 9 weeks. I never had a cheat weekend, but I did go out to dinner twice and each of those 2 times had 3 bites of dessert. My entree was a small portion of something reasonable, like fish and flatbread
7. To not eat ANY dessert/sweets over the 9 weeks (this includes my one cheat weekend), except allow myself one time to eat Karyn’s Vegan Carrot Cake - I never did this.

My original goals
1.      Lose 6 pounds - I accomplished this!
2.      Run a sub-7minute mile (w/o hanging on console) - I didn't accomplish this. I was running a mile in 6:45 and reduced the time I held on from 4:45 to 2:45
3.      Do 3 Pullups without assistance and learning Kipping pull-ups - I accomplished these!
4.      Do 40 CF Pushups without rest - I didn't accomplish this. The most I got to was 25 good-form pushups without rest.

Some numbers:
Weight - Lost 11 pounds
Measurements - Lost 10 inches from arm, chest, waist, hips, butt, thigh, and calf
Baseline workout - Improved time from 8:00 to 7:25
Press - Improved my 1 rep max from 67# to 75#
Deadlift - Improved my 5 rep max from 145# to 155#
Front Squat - Improved my 3 rep max from 105# to 115#

I did take my "after" picture this morning, and although I am totally satisfied with my upper body, my lower body needs A LOT of work. Because of this, I am definitely going to keep going. I am going to put togehter a new plan and some new goals. The blogging will continue!

Amanda - Week 9, Saturday

Again, I woke up this morning feel like I had lost a half pound, but I only lost the 0.2 pounds I had gained yesterday. On the upside, I took my measurements and have lost 2 inches from a week ago...another full inch off my hips!!

I went to Crossfit this morning at 8:30 and we had what was called a Crossfit Cardio class. It basically consisted of a lot of functional training with no weights. We did shuttle runs, burpees, pushups, situps, squats, jumping squats, etc. The class ran for an hour and kept us hopping.

I know today is technically the end of our challenge, but Jon and I were talking and we don't really feel like it's the end. We've really had incredible results, which is super exciting, but we don't want to stop here. I'm going to give some thought to my plan from here and will post that tomorrow. I will also post all my results.

Amanda - Week 9, Friday

I went to CF at 7AM:
5 Rounds for time:
20 Box Jumps (24/20)
15 10m Shuttle Runs
10 Man-Makers (35/20)
1 Rope Climb

I finished in 29:08 and I was the second one done. I only did 10# for my man makers, but I did all 5 rope climbs. The other girls were scaling them by doing towel, jumping pullups. It was important for me to do the rope climbs and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to if I used 20# for my Manmakers. The rope climbs were actually easier than I was expecting so it's possible I could've made it. I was super exciting about being able to do them. That never would've happened a few months ago! It was also a cardiovascularly challenging WOD which was good for me.

I gained back the 0.2 pounds I had lost yesterday, which puts me at the same weight for 5 days. As I mentioned yesterday, that's what happened last week and then I lost a pound in a few days. I have high expectations for tomorrow!

Jon Thursday Week 9

This morning I woke up knowing I was going to do my baseline workout.  My last performance was 16:16.  Upon completion I felt good, until I talked to my cohort about my time!  Not to be detoured I set my mind to making sure I really improved this time.

DRUM ROLL PLEASE.........................

My time was 10:32.  Amazing!  I would not have thought that I could possibly reduce my time by 5 minutes so I was impressed.  I noticed the biggest differences in my push-up and burpees with ease and the sit-ups took much less time than it was before.

I feel good about that progress.  It's the first WOD that I've done twice so it is cool to see the progress.

When I look back at my original goals here is what I had:

1. Lose 30 pounds
2. 5 grey band pull-ups
3. improve 5k time
4. 24 inch box jumps


I hit goal number 1 by losing 40 pounds.  I am able to do 3 pull-ups with the grey band, I improved my 5k time by 6:16 and with the 24 inch box jump I use them as my WOD about 70% of the time depending on the WOD.  Sometimes I use the 24 inch box for the majority of a WOD but then go to 20 inch or even 12 inch box depeding on the WOD. 

Jon

Amanda - Week 9, Thursday

I woke up this morning feeling like I had lost at least a half pound, but it was only 0.2. Oh well!

I went to Bikram this morning. It had been a week since I had been there last and I didn't notice any of a difference in my body, even though I've lost 1.6 pounds since then. It was a good class, and the little amount of clothing, combined with the mirrors, is motivating for me to keep going.

My meals have been going well all week. I've been kind of hungry though and a bit tired. I was thinking about adding an extra 100 calories in and see what that does for me. I'll see how today goes and then probably toy with it a bit.

Jon Week 9 Wednesday

Well, I was up at 2:30 this morning and got out of bed at 3:30.  I weighed myself and was done just another pound.  I decided to watch a movie and try to get some sleep, but just watched a movie.  When I went back to weigh myself I was down 2.5 pounds so I thought I should do that more often!

Due to my lack of sleep I wasn't too convinced about going to the gym today, but I did make arrangements to do my baseline WOD tomorrow morning just in case I end up having plans this weekend! 

Jon Week 9 Tuesday

Well, I'm awake and it's almost 9 so that's great.  I thought I would make sure I get Tuesday in before I do Wed.
Warm up:
Tuesday at CF:
50 Jumping jacks
10 Broad jumps
10 Lunges
10 Push-ups
Squat:

5-5-5
4 Rounds for time:

250 M Row
21 WB Shots
21 Sit-ups
200 M Run

I finished in 20:12 which was close to most others' in the class.  I was super tired though after this one.  Sit-ups are tough for me!!

I ate well all day and though Tuesday morning I had only lost one pound I felt good.

Amanda - Week 9, Wednesday

I went to CF today at 8am:
Deadlift
5-5-5-5-5
For time:
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Push Jerks   (95/65)
Front Squats
*** 10 Pushups on the minute, every minute ***
I maxed out my deadlifts at 155 X 5. On Aug 24, I did 145 X 5 and on Sept 15, I did 160 X 3. So, it's probably not a lot of progress. I might have been able to do 160 X 5 but I ran out of time. On top of that, my hand is still healing. In fact, I ripped another part of it open. It looks kind of gross.

For the WOD, I finished in 13.58. I started out at 65# and after the first 10, I thought I could make it, but then after I did the 10 pushups and had to go right into the Push Jerks again, I knew the WOD would end up taking me like 20 minutes, so I went down to 55#. The pushups were the worst. I started out doing regular pushups as well, but my shoulders were spent! Even after the first set, I had to rest after every few knee pushups. They were killers. So, it took my like 30 seconds to finish 10 pushups, which meant I only had 30 seconds to get in as many push jerks and front squats as possible before I had to start doing pushups again. Once I got past the 6 rep mark, it went much faster...thank God.

I've been noticing that I haven't been working up the sweat that I used to with CF. I was thinking about it, and I don't think it's because I'm not working as hard. I think before, my endurance gave out before my muscles. Now, it seems my muscles are giving out before my endurance, like today, for example. The workout was tough, but I wasn't gasping for air like I used to. I also noticed my recovery time is quicker. These are all good things, but I think it's important to get a good cardiovascular workout as well. I'll have to make sure I'm getting that in my workouts.

I've been at the same weight for 3 days now (since Monday). Last week, I was at the same weight for 5 days, and then I lost a pound over 3 days. I miss seeing that scale move, even by a small amount, but I know that's what I have to expect at this point.

Amanda - Week 9, Tuesday

I did my Gym Workout this morning and my mile went pretty good. I cut an extra 5 seconds, and it wasn't as challenging as the last time I did it. I also worked out in shorts again this morning. Again, my upper body looks really solid. I can see the muscles in my lower body, but my legs could be so much tighter. I'm hoping I'll start noticing a bigger difference as these last few pounds come off.

I'm going to make a Pear Vinaigrette for my salad tonight. The recipe sounded really good. I think it would be good if I could find a handful of salad dressings that I really like, just to mix it up sometimes.

Jon Week 9 Monday

Yesterday (Monday) was a LONG day.  I didn't get a work out in, but I did eat well all day.  I went to sleep at 8:30 and woke up quite refreshed this morning.  I will add my Tuesday blog later today.

One good thing about Monday is that I was down another 2 pounds so 15 pounds in a week.  I noticed the weight loss has slowed a bit, but overall I feel good about the progress.

Amanda - Week 9, Monday

I felt great when I woke up this morning! I had a great night sleep, the sun was shining, and I had lost another 0.4 pounds. I was surprised. I had eaten an extra couple hundred calories on Sunday and I didn't feel like I had lost weight. Nice surprise!

I went to Yoga at 4pm and it was a great class!

I followed my meal plan today, but I added in a yam with my salad. I put a little coconut oil and cinnamon with it. It was super good!

Jon Sunday Week 8

Well, week 1 of atkins diet and I have lost 13 pounds.  Feeling pretty good about that!!  I went to the gym this morning after cleaning my garage and ran.  I did my three miles in 26:45 which I feel great about as well. 

This week was good all around, workout and meal plan all went well, though I think I only made CF twice, I should look back, but either way I feel good about the progress and the week!!

Amanda - Week 8, Sunday

Well, I lost a half pound this morning, so I am down 1 pound for the week. I feel really good about that considering I went out on Friday night.

I didn't workout today, but I've followed my meal plan.

Weekly Checkup:
I blogged 7 days
I worked out 6 days (3 CF, 1 Gym WO, 2 Yoga)
I had 1 glass of wine, 3 bites of dessert when I went out Friday night - other than that I followed my meal plan.

Jon-Week 8 Friday and Saturday

Well, not much has really happened work out wise Friday and Saturday.  I was very productive both days though and ate well so I feel good about it.   I am down 11 pounds in 5 days with the eating change so that is very exciting. 

Sunday I will go work out in the morning, either CF or the gym haven't decided yet.  I will post later today and fill in the new weight loss from yesterday and what work out I did

Amanda - Week 8, Saturday

I felt good about dinner last night with my friends. We ended up going to a different restaurant than we had planned, so I couldn't order what I was planning on. Anyway, I had one glass of wine, 3 bites of dessert (pound cake), and little bit of a few different entrees that we shared. The eentres were beets, artisan pizza, sea bass, and gnocchi. They were all small serving sizes. I had a couple beets, 2 pieces of pizza (small), about 2oz sea bass, and probably 4 bites of gnocchi. I definitely could've eat more but felt satisfied.

When I woke up this morning I had gained 0.2 pounds. I usually see more of an impact 2 days later, so we'll see what tomorrow brings. I only ate half my calories today though and all in the morning. I just wasn't hungry in the afternoon/evening. Hopefully that will help.

I went to Crossfit this morning at 10:30:
For time:
40 airsquats
120 X jumprope (singles)
40(double leg) mountain climbers
40 box jumps
40 pushups
120 X jumprope (singles)
40 squat leaps
500 row
40 burpees

I got done in 18.27 and the average time was 19 minutes, so I felt decent about that. Those box jumps were tough right after the Mountain Climbers. It was a good workout. After, I worked on my Kippings, and I ended up ripping my hand open. I'd love to say that I was able to find my rhythm and it was worth it, but I still can only do one. Hopefully it doesn't take long for my hand to heal. It hurts!

Amanda - Week 8, Friday

Well, I did lose 0.6 pounds this morning, so it was positive to end my 5-day plateau! Also, because of my shock at Bikram last night, I decided to take my measurements. The last time I took them was last Saturday, so 6 days ago. I'm down 1 pound from then. Most of my measurements were the same except I lost 1/4" in my thigh and 3/4" in my hips. I totally notice that my hips are smaller, which is great, because I really needed to lose some there. No wonder I noticed a difference in Bikram yesterday...3/4" in one area of the body is huge!

I did my gym workout this morning and my mile didn't go so well. I felt pretty fatigued and went backwards in my mile. I may need to start eating before my workouts...I'm not sure yet. The other possible reason is that when I came home from Bikram last night, it was about 6:30, so I didn't eat much at that time, just some yogurt and broccoli. That could've been the reason as well. Despite my mile, when I started my weights and looked at myself in the mirror, again, my upper body stunned me! It really looks amazing! I didn't wear shorts when I worked out, so I can't comment so much on my legs. I didn't want to take any chances in my legs interfering with my excitement...I wanted to stay positive.

So, I was looking at my measurements, as they are right now, and compared them to when I was at my lowest weight. I was at my lowest weight about 8 years ago, when I did Body For Life. I still wasn't happy with my legs back then, and looking at some pictures, they look pretty similar to how they look now. I'm not fixated on being at the same weight - I'd have to lose another 8 pounds - but it does give me some frame of reference. What I find interesting is that my bicep was 2" smaller! That just seems odd. I can't imagine losing 2" of fat just off my bicep. I don't think I have that much fat to lose. Maybe I could lose .5 or .75 without losing any muscle, but that would be pushing it, I think. Anyway, it causes me think I have more muscle than I did then. I will say, at this weight, my abs look far better than they did back then when I was at the same weight. I would be very surprised if I didn't have at least 3 pounds more muscle. My waist, hips, and butt were each 2"-2.5" smaller as well. I wouldn't think muscle would affect those areas much and I could definintely see losing another couple inches off my hips and butt, and maybe another 1.5" off my waist. Anyway, typically, when I lose 1 pound, I'll lose 1" cumulative over my body. So, if I consider that, then I could lose another 6 pounds. I'm not sure if I want to (I'm still only certain about half that), but it's interesting to compare now to then.

Tonight, I am going to dinner with a couple friends. I'll be nice to get out...I don't do that often enough. I'm trying to cut about 40% of what I eat throughout the day, so it won't make so much of an impact tonight. Regardless of how good I am, it always seems if I eat something off my normal food list, I gain weight and it takes a few days to take it off. I've looked at the menu of the restaurant we're going to though, and have already picked out a couple things that I think are good options - Lyonnaise Salad with Mustard dressing and a Bison Slider. I'm sure I'll have a glass of wine as well. Even if my weight is affected, which I'm sure it will be, I'm ok with that. It's good for me (physically and mentally) to get out. It's also good practice to make good choices when I go out to eat instead of indulging.

Jon Thursday Week 8

I went to CF this morning:
Front Squat:
5-5-5 175#
For time:

400 M Run
3x:
20 Pull-ups
100 Squats
400 M Run

I finished in 26:04 which was last in the class but not by much.  I avoided using the stairs all day as the squats were not very good after doing squats!  Pull-ups are still tough for me, but did ring jumps which I think made my legs even more sore.

The plan is to go to the gym tomorrow and blog before I leave.  I won't blog Saturday but should on Sunday.

Amanda - Week 8, Thursday

So, I went to Bikram tonight and felt like I looked great! The last time I went was Sunday, and it seemed I looked so much better. Two things that could have made a difference was that it was 4pm and not noon - the lighting is different, and I was wearing different shorts. I don't know how much those things made a difference, but I saw muscle definition, my upper body looked amazing, and even my legs looked acceptable. I weigh exactly the same as I did on Sunday, but it sure seemed like I lost some inches. It was super motivating!

I'm not sure exactly why my weight has stayed the same since Sunday. I've followed my meal plan, but I definitely feel like I've been retaining a little water. My ring is a bit tight. I guess it's possible it could still be from the sun dried tomatoes. I couldn't go to the bathroom today either. Considering these things, I'm surprised I saw such a difference tonight in Bikram. It'll be interesting if I feel the same way when I go back. Hopefully tomorrow I will see some movement on the scale.

Jon Week 8 Wednesday

I was sore today from CF last night, but I was pretty excited to see that I am down six pounds since Monday. 

The Atkins diet is working well for me and I can't stress how much I enjoy egg salad/deviled eggs. 

I didn't work out at all today, but my meals were good. 

That's about it for today.  Looking forward to CF tomorrow.

Amanda - Week 8, Wednesday

I went to CF this morning at 8AM:
Hang Power Clean
3-3-3 (maxed out at 75#)
Power Clean
3-3-3 (maxed out at 95#)

Conditioning:

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
20 Box Jumps
20 Push Press (95/65)
20 Alternating Body Rows
Post rounds completed to comments.

I completed 4.5 rounds, which I felt ok about. I started out with 65#, but then 10 reps in, I knew 20 for AMRAP was going to be an issue. I went down to 55#. I had done 65# Push Presses before, but only for 10 or 12 reps in a couple sets. Perhaps I should've tried 60#, but in the middle of the WOD, I wanted to be quick with switching over. After the WOD, I worked on my Kippings. I'm still having a hard time getting into a rhythm. Waller, an experienced crossfitter, was giving me some pointers. He said that how my Kippings look, they look closer to Butterfly Kippnigs than regular Kippings, which are supposed to be harder. I looked them up on YouTube and the round motion does seem to be more natural for me. Perhaps I'll get those first.

My meals are going well. Though yesterday I had a few sun dried tomatoes in my salad and this morning I had gained a half a pound. I'm sure it's from water retention. I'm used to having about 500mg of sodium per day and those had 1000mg just by themselves! They were really good though. My plan is to not have any today, stick to my meal plan precisely, and I'm sure that half pound will come off, and with any luck, another half pound as well.

Jon Week 8 Tuesday

Didn't get this post in last night, so I thought I'd update it today.  CF workout at 7:00 pm class last night:

Max clean and jerk was 195
Then 5 rounds for time:
10 Clean 135#
10 KB swings 72#

Did first 3 rounds at 135 then dropped to 115.  Did rx on kb swings.  Finished in 19:37.  That was a tough workout especially at night. 

Meal plan was solid, I think I like this all protein diet.  I eat a lot of eggs, meat and salad.

Amanda - Week 8, Tuesday

Not a lot to report today. I went to Forrest Yoga today, which is always a good workout. I followed my meals and all is well. I look forward to see where I'm at at the end of the week.

Jon Monday Week 8

I went to the gym today and ran for a mile then lifted.  I focused on squat and cleans.  After I ran another mile.  I felt good, even though I prefer to work out in the morning.  Hopefully I'll get a good night sleep and wake up refreshed.

I ate well today, I have moved to a strict protein diet for the next two weeks to see how far I can get with the weight loss.  Day one was good, though I ate more than usual.  Amazing what carbs do.

Amanda - Week 8, Monday

I went to Crossfit at noon today:
For Time with a Partner:
100 Wall Balls
100 Burpees
75 Wall Balls
75 Burpees
50 Wall Balls
50 Burpees
25 Wall Balls
25 Burpees
* Only one partner may be working at one time. Partners must complete one movement and reps for that round before moving on to the next movement.

My partner, Girard, and I finished in 29:12. I was hoping for something around 25 minutes, but oh well. Neither of us rested while we were doing our reps so I think we did pretty good. There were two other teams who finished before us (25 and 28 minutes), but those guys were veteran crossfitters.
After the WOD I worked some more on my pullups. I did 3 pullups with elbows nearly at lockout, but not quite. I also worked on my Kipping, which I did 2, but I still need to work on them quite a bit. I can't seem to get more than 2, and my rhythm isn't very good.

When I weighed myself this morning, I weighed exactly the same. I felt good about that; I was kind of expecting a swing.