Day #10

I have decided I'm going to stop posting calorie numbers, since I am not trying to lose weight. It is becoming increasingly distracting for me to include these figures in my food diary. Going forward I will post what I've eaten and include a daily breakdown of carbs, protein and fats (the things I should be concerned with).

Food Diary:

• Breakfast: 1 piece egg white fritatta; bagel thin w/low fat cream chz; black coffee
• Snack: 1 small apple w/2 tbls peanut butter
• Lunch: Whole wheat wrap w/4 oz shredded chicken, provolone chz & light BBQ sauce; tomato & mozzarella salad w/balsamic vinegar
• Snack: 3/4 cup Honey Nut Cheerios
• Dinner: 5 oz filet Mignon w/grilled onions, scalloped potatoes & salad
• Water: 90 oz

I have been using Sparkpeople (www.sparkpeople.com) to track my food and according to website I hit each one of my food goals for the day - this is the first time I've been able to do that since I started this journey! I am definitely psyched about that!

A funny thing happened when I was at the gym today. As I was getting ready to do my power squats, I looked up how much I had done last week, then I added 5 pounds to each side. I added another 5 pounds for the next set and finally I added the last 5 pounds to each side. By the time I was done I had added what I thought was 15 pounds to each side... but as it turns out I'd been adding 10 pounds to each side. So what should have been 15 pounds total ended up being an additional 30! Somehow not knowing exactly how much I had added enabled me to get out the same number of reps as last week.

On my way out of the gym I ran into my trainer and told her what had happened - perhaps an error in judgement - and she said "if that's the case I'm never telling you again how much weight you're lifting!"

Saturday could be really dangerous! :)

Exercise:

• Power Squats
• Leg Presses
• One Leg Standing Hamstring Curls
• Dead lifts
• Abs w/6 pound weighted ball

I am really starting to look better and feel great! I can see the change in my body. In fact I was able to put on a pair of pants today that haven't fit me in three years! Not only was I able to put them on, but I was able to button them and still have room in them!

I feel more confident every day and I hope that this feeling continues!

Stay Strong!
xoxox Raich

Day #8

After work last night I hit the gym for a double work-out. I figured I owed myself from the weekend and also because I won't be able to go tonight. I got in 30 minutes on the Elliptical and then spent the next 90 minutes doing my entire upper body!

As I was standing at the weight bench looking at myself in the mirror I realized that my entire outlook has changed. When I used to watch myself lift, I would focus on the bad parts of my body, the things I didn't like. All I would see is the cellulite on my legs or the fact that when I bent over I could see rolls on my stomach. Now, when I look in the mirror those things are still there (albeit, less) but instead of getting frustrated or being angry I look at them and see strength! Those legs that I hated so much can Power Squat almost 200 pounds already and that stomach that used to drive me nuts is starting to take shape and there is visible definition!

This attitude change in the gym has spilled over into my personal life. When I get dressed in the morning I no longer allow myself to say negative things about myself or get angry if something doesn't fit the way I would like it to. I remind myself that I'm building muscle and that my body is changing so things are going to fit and look different for a while - but I'm proud of that!

I really enjoy my time in the gym and I'm becoming more and more anxious to see where I am at the half way point ... is it bad to wish away the summer just so I can see the change?

Yesterday was another not so good food day. But I was able to get to the grocery store after the gym so now the house is stocked with delicious and healthy items!

Food Diary (previous day):

• Breakfast: Bagel thin w/low fat peanut butter, black coffee - 200 calories
• Snack: Nothing - 0 calories
• Lunch: 1 can shredded chicken w/low fat mayo & cheddar cheese crumbles and Triscuit thin crisps - 300 calories
• Snack: Nothing - 0 calories
• Dinner: 2 oz whole wheat pasta w/half cup pasta sauce - 260 calories
• TOTAL: 760 calories ... (I don't even have anything to say about this)

Exercise Log:

• 30 Minutes Elliptical
• Bicep Curls
• Concentration Curls
• Incline Chest Presses
• Tricep Kickbacks
• Tricep Push-downs
• Seated Cable Row
• One Arm Row
• Upright Row
• Pull-Ups
• Bosu Obliques
• Bosu Lever Crunches
• Bosu Knee-Ins

Work out was incredible. By the time I was done, I felt like my arms were going to completely fall off! I had a hard time pushing the cart at the grocery store!

Stay Strong!
xoxo Raich

Day #7

Mondays are always tough. I have school from 7-9:20pm and because of that have to remind myself all day to eat even more healthfully. Unfortunately, I still haven't had time to get to the grocery store so it was left-overs again. My trainer did say however, to eat up everything in the house first and then start fresh that way I won't be tempted down the line.

I think that I might invest in one of those foldable stair-steppers for my office. There are days that I can't get outside to walk either because of meetings or due to bad weather. I feel like if I have something at my desk that I can use while I'm on the phone it would at least be a small help.

Food Log (previous day):

• Breakfast: Bagel thin w/low fat peanut butter - 200 calories
• Snack: Yoplait Vanilla yogurt - 180 calories
• Lunch: Left-over chicken parm from the Olive Garden - 545 calories
• Snack: Wheat thins - 150 calories
• Dinner: 6" turkey sub on whole wheat w/all the veggies & baked Lays from Subway - 455 calories
• Water: 40 oz
• TOTAL: 1,530 calories

Exercise:

• Zero - didn't even walk at lunch because it was raining.

Contemplation...

So it begins. I have attempted to write blogs in the past but always end up abandoning them shortly after starting. With this blog I am hoping to keep myself accountable for all my fitness accomplishments and failures over the next 365 days. I will try to blog every day about what I have eaten, what I have done for exercise and how I'm progressing toward my goal - be a Fitness Model by May 2011.

This time last year I was determined to run the Boston Marathon in 2010 - well the marathon happened yesterday and guess who wasn't running... yup, your's truly. As I watched the race I got emotional, thinking that I KNOW that could be me if I had just trained hard enough.

I have told my huband over the years that I have wanted to train for a marathon, become a personal trainer, take up Tae-Kwondo, run a triathlon (which I actually did do) and now my most recent dream is to be a fitness model.

I began working out with my personal trainer again (after a 3 year hiatus) and she is competing in her first fitness competition in 8 weeks. When I look at her, I see what I want to be - healthy, fit and happy.

While I'm not over-weight or even out of shape, I'm definitely not where I want to be. For the last two Saturdays she has really kicked my ass in the gym, and the emotional high I get after working out with her is amazing. During the week I have felt even more motivated to get into the gym on my own time, so that when we meet again I can show her my accomplishments. I've been so focused over these last 14 days, and I am telling you I can already see a difference. I'm feeling stronger and I can already see my muscles starting to take shape.

She and I have discussed my goals and she has told me that there is no reason why I can't get there, but I have to stay committed and focused. This week we are going to take my beginning measurements, my body fat percentage and my weight - then over the next 12 months we will track those numbers and watch my progress. So, consider this my official commitment to myself and to all of you - by this time next year I will be happier, healthier and in the best shape of my life! Wish me luck!