The 90 Day Challenge ~ Fighting the Pounds Off!

[Izu]

What this blog is going to be all about

To put it shortly - losing weight. Yes, that's right, those of you who have known me for a few years would already know that in the past I've often tried to lose weight, lost some, then gained some, then always just gave up on it, until the next time. So, I will be keeping this blog now in an attempt to keep me on track. But the difference this time is that I'm truly pumped of doing it this time.

Why 90 days

First of all the program I've decided to follow is a 90-day workout one - Jillian Michael's Body Revolution. It's intense, it's only 30 minutes and from what I've read all over the internet it is maybe her best program. And it is really perfect for me as in 90 days our company's summer teambuilding event will be taking place over the stretch of two weeks, with tons of activities and all of our offices from all over the world coming over here. Including the London office where the guy I've started crushing on is working. So... yeah... >///>

The Goal

Realistic goal is to lose 20 pounds (10kgs). The ultimate goal/dream goal is losing 30 pounds (15ish kgs). Yeah, I know it's a lot, but I think that losing roughly 1.5 pounds a week is doable. Especially when I will be combining good workouts and calorie counting, trying to mix and match the best nutrition balance I can make.

My (Weight Loss) Past

About 5-6 years ago I was 75 pounds overweight. I managed to lose 50 with lots of efforts, both dietary and not as much physical, but as some of you might know, drastic weight loss can lead to depression, chemical imbalance and what-not. I got that. It has taken me almost two years to get out of the horrible hole that I had dug out for myself, but I think I'm no longer at the bottom, digging deeper, but climbing out and just an arm's reach out of it. And I do think that this time my weight loss will not push me into deeper depression, but will manage to get me out of it once and for always. Truth to be told, last week when I started working out I did start with the mind-set that I had to do it, but just over the past 7 days I've come to the point where I want to do it. And this is a big difference... At least it is to me.

What I will be using

As I said I will be using Jillian Michaels' Body Revolution workout DVDs, and on Saturdays and Sundays I intend on making double workouts with either adding some of her Shred It or Ripped videos, or some of her crazy yoga workouts. Yeah, I'm a big fan of Michaels. I do find her a bit annoying in her videos, but each of her workouts are leaving me shaking like a leaf. And just in a week I am already able to see itty bitty muscles on my stomach, biceps and legs. So... I will recommend her videos to anyone out there trying to work out.

My other tools consist of:
- MyFitnessPal app (free) - great for following calorie intake
- a basic yoga mat
- a set of weights :1kg and 3 kg ones - I would rather workout with heavier ones, but as I have tons of eye problems I cannot really lift too much or I'd be risking fucking up my eyes further. So, lighter ones, but even they right now are proving to be too much...
- a resistance band
- and my newest toy - a heart-rate monitor that gives me back the burnt calories - it's a cheap one, 40 euros, so no idea how accurate it will be, but I will give it a try (got it yesterday).

So... Let's the challenge begin!

[jouzinka]

I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you, Izu! <3 But please, remember the downward spiral. I would hate to see you jump back on the same circle.

And remember, you're beautiful to me (us all) and I don't care how you look, so don't push yourself too hard.

[Izu]

Thank you, Jouzi, but I'm keeping in mind that downward spiral and I will be avoiding it. The moment I feel like pitying myself or beating myself up for not working out or for just not losing weight at the speed that I am wishing for, I will just push myself harder the next time. But definitely not too hard as I'd rather not injure myself and then have to wait for weeks/months to recover. *hugs*


So what I've done so far...

As I already mentioned in the previous post, I started working out last Monday. I first intended on doing a taking turns of Shred It and Ripped, but after reading some and watching Michaels' Body Revolution videos I decided that this program is better suited for me for now. So yesterday I did the first BR workout. It did leave me shaking and sweating like crazy, but I was quite surprised that I managed to do it all. Some parts of it - mainly the planks, were crazy hard to do, but I pushed through them, and even though I'm doing the "easy" push-ups with support on your knees instead of toes, I did all of the push-ups. Quite proud of myself. And not only with it, but also with managing to keep working out despite being sore.

With the BR program I will be working out 6 days a week, for 30ish minutes. I will be doing it after work, and the past one week proved that I can do it. I even got home late on two occasions due to working late (finishing one of my projects at work), but instead of using my usual excuse of it being late or me being tired, I worked out. So, I'm definitely getting my mindset to the right spot about this journey.

Actually, I just finished the second workout. Some of the exercises were killers, but I pushed through them as well. And the fact that by the end of it I was all sweaty did make me feel awesome. I've also got really healthy red cheeks right now. xD So unlike a programmer xD But they are really standing out on my pale-ish skin. So I'm glad how it went today. Tomorrow is going to be a crazy day as we are preparing production upload of my project, so I might be dead tired and just not in the mood, but I've challenged myself and I would like to see whether I can win over me.

Also I'd like to point out that I am 1 week off any sodas (one of my biggest weaknesses) and I've hardly had any bad carbs (my other great weakness). So far if I'm craving anything sweet I'm going for freshly squeezed juice or fruits, and if I'm missing out on calories for the day I'm snacking on raw nuts of any kind (which is currently happening as today I slept until lunch so I missed my breakfast). As a whole I'm thinking that I'm turning towards a healthier eating, maybe not the healthiest, but definitely a lot healthier than before. I've also bought some multivitamins and minerals to make sure that those stay in their normal values as I'd rather not have another low episode.

Oh! And I forgot to mention - the past week I have not used any of my sleeping medicine. I go to bed and in less than 30 minutes I'm deeply asleep!

If I've been seeing such effects after only a mere week I do wonder how I will feel in a month or two or three!   

[Oreo]

This is awesome, Izu. Probably sure you already know this, but go by measurements for the first few weeks. Since you are working out you will be building muscle that is heavier than fat. Don't get discouraged by the scale. *loads of hugs*

[Izu]

I just turned the entire house upside down to find the damn measure. -___-'' But I finally found it and took all possible measurements, including kgs, because I'd want to know how my measurements are going compared to the kgs. >.> And I've already lost some if my memories from last week are correct. And considering that I took all measurements in the evening after a crazy workout... Mm... quite happy with the results. ^__^



A bit about the Body Revolution program:
It's divided into 3 phases - each of 1 month, each month is divided into two weeks, so each phase has two parts. Each part has 2 separate workouts + 1 Cardio. You do workout 1, then workout 2, then Cardio for the phase. And so on, and so on. A total of 12 workouts and 3 Cardio workouts.

I did quite alright on workout 1 and 2 that I will be repeating this week and the following, even though they did tire me out rather nicely. However, Cardio 1 that I will be doing for the first month is simply crazy. I was feeling like crying 10 minutes in - and it is a total of 30ish. It consists of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but it is pretty much 3ish minutes of HIIT then 1 rest-kind-of as the 'rest' consist of marching and kicking up or jogging in one spot. It's crazy. But so damn good! I felt muscles I didn't think I had, my entire body was burning, but after the first repetition (first 10ish minutes) I managed to find some sort of rhythm when breathing, so I managed to push through it with hardly any stops (took maybe 4 breaks of 4-5 seconds). And trust me it was still hard. But I think that maybe by the end of the first couple of weeks I will be able to get through it properly if I manage to get the breathing >.> Breathing properly always confuses me - the reason why I really suck at swimming and running...

But yeah... Quite happy with how I'm managing. Today I also got late from work (had to stay in for 30ish minutes, then hit the crazies traffic jam as it is snowing), but despite being "late" I changed into my workout clothes and kicked myself to do it.

The eating is going really well as well. I'm managing to keep the necessary calories to stay healthy, almost got the correct balance of fats-proteins-carbs-minerals-etc. And even though today I allowed myself to eat 1 chocolate bonbon (a colleague had birthday, so he treated us with some), I made sure to not go over the allowed sugars for the day. Quite glad with how I'm doing. Even the coca-cola cravings are gone, and I used to drink up to 1l of coke zero per day. >.>'' (in my defense back in the days I used to drink 2-3l regular coke... and that was how I got to 75-80ish pounds overweight...)   

[Oreo]

It's surprising how much drinks can affect our weight. Even juice is loaded with calories.

I'm so excited for you, and your enthusiasm. ;D

[Caeli]

If you ever get bored with plain/tap/unflavored water, try infusing it with fruit/vegetables/herbs, like melons, berries, citrus, cucumbers, mint, etc.  If you have a pitcher of it, that's a really great way to make sure you drink enough liquids/water during the day to stay hydrated.

Also, if you ever get a soda craving?  See if you like carbonated (and flavored) water enough to get something like the SodaStream (though I'm not sure what's available in your country).  I know that sometimes I just crave drinking something with a bit of fizz, so a carbonated water with half a lemon squeezed in totally works to satisfy that craving, without downing a can of soda (which I will often regret after I finish it, if I even finish it at all).

Interval training is one of the best ways to burn calories, is what my trainer told me.  I've usually only ever done it with running (run X speed for Y seconds, then slow job or walk for Y/3 seconds, then X speed for Y seconds, etc.), but it sounds like your workouts are going really well!

[Izu]

Tell me about it... -__- Even the 'sugarless' sodas are crazy stuffed with other bad ingredients, so... yeah... Right now when I'm dying for juice I go for fresh or some of the 100% juices that are sold around here - natural ones, supposedly without any added sugar. But so far, for the past 1 week I've had only 2 glasses of the juice and only when my calories and sugars were not enough for the day *nods*

Water is also very important. Luckily, I've been drinking tons for ages, so I'm not having problems. The minimum is roughly 12 glasses or around 3l per day, the maximum - around 5-6l, as after that the kidneys get overwhelmed with so much work. I drink about 4-5 l per day >.< But so far it has saved me from my old teenage kidney problems and from getting my skin loosening up/breaking too much from all the weight losses and gains I've passed through over the years. :P

Oh, Caeli, I hadn't thought of the flavored waters - we've got those around here, also we've got some oxygen enriched ones for re-hydration, though for now I haven't had the crazy soda cravings and if I manage to keep off those I'll be super happy.

As for HIIT - yes, they are great. Best way to lose weight and get in shape. What I love about the program is that is completely based on HIIT - the cardio workouts are 3:1 minutes, while the other workouts... hm... I think they are also 3:1 but not only cardio - mixed muscle training + a bit of cardio. Usually some of the weight lifting like chest flyes are considered the 'rest' >.> It's all really high intensive, but I love it. It pushes me, and it drives me, and it allows me to workout only for 30 minutes per day but with the value of 1-2 hours of normal gym workout with all the rests, turns, wondering around, etc.

Day 4

Today was a good day at work - finally uploaded my initial project on production, now only minor debugging left :3 And I did have delicious lunch and dinner and to my huge surprise -- both really good, really rich and yummy turned out to be too little calories o.o So I had to snack on some raw nuts to get the calories up. So far I'm managing to balance out just about everything as they are supposed to be. My only problem is the sodium. I'm not taking in enough with my food. >.> I'm eating primarily without salt (not a fan of it) and among the good healthy foods rich in sodium is fish... I cannot stand fish let alone have it on a daily basis in my diet. >.< I might need to add salt to my diet (roughly about 4-5 grams per day to balance out what it's not enough). Well, I've made the plan for tomorrow's menu so we'll see how it will go.

The workout went well as well. Push-ups are hard and so is the plank. My arms are not strong enough to support my body weight just yet. Pfuu... And I also ordered push-up bars/supports/the things you hold onto/stand onto to ease your push-ups? Hopefully they will arrive tomorrow... do wonder if they will help.

[Caeli]

You can make push-ups or planks easier or harder by changing the angle of your incline.  A push up where your upper body is lifted higher than your lower body is easier than one where your upper body is positioned lower than your lower body.

For example, doing a push-up with your hands one or two stairs up is easier than doing it parallel to the ground (default), which is in turn easier than doing it with your feet one or two stairs up.

It is very important to make sure that your arms are aligned correctly and you are not bowing your back or piking your hips.  If you cannot support your own body weight, make the push-up easier by lowering your knees and doing push-ups like that, or by using my earlier suggestion of lifting your upper body slightly higher.  It is more important to do fewer repetitions with the correct body alignment, than to do more repetitions with incorrect body alignment, as that can definitely lead to injury and will strain your joints/muscles as you try to compensate for the incorrect alignment.

Plank is a great workout though, a good way to build up core strength.  If your wrists start to get tired, you can do a forearm plank instead/also, which will still use your core but will also force you to focus even more on not collapsing into your shoulders.


I'm rooting for you, Izu! :-)

[Oreo]

The sodium/salt is an easy fix. I use Celtic salt and add just a pinch to a gallon of my distilled water. You can't taste it in there, but you get all the benefits. ;D It seems a little expensive for salt, but I have been using my little 1 pound bag for over a year.

[Izu]

Caeli, yep, yep~ but I think I'm somewhat getting better at both planks and push-ups. And I think my problems with those come from the fact that I cannot position my arms properly - I think I'm going too wide and too far from my chest. But still I'm managing to make 20ish almost complete push-ups from my knees, and to stand in plank position (arms straight) for 30 straight seconds. I'm trying to push myself, so not looking for easy variations. :P

Oreo, ooo.. I had forgotten about that. I will give it a try, but today I found out that a few dashes of normal salt over my main lunch are enough for the sodium.

Day 5

Workout 2, round 2; I started using my slightly heavier weights for some of the exercises. I even did a couple of the other exercises with modifications for advanced :P Well, not really doing those properly, but I'm pushing myself. I feel completely energized after the workouts and my stress levels are going down. And after a shower and a dinner now I'm really ready to fall asleep. ^^

It is getting easier to not eat bad stuff >~> We keep going to a nearby pizza place for lunch with my colleagues, but I've been ordering their grilled meals and salads. Quite happy with not getting tempted by the delicious pizza :3 Though the first really big temptation will be on Saturday when we will be sending away a friend of mine, so there will be tons of food, drinks and alcohol. But I intend on not breaking my diet. *nods* Hopefully I will be able to hold it...

Tomorrow is Cardio day. It is super hard (for me), but I'm up to the challenge. I wonder whether I will manage to make it without any interruptions.

[Izu]

Day 6

End of week one, eight more to go. Cardio kicked my ass again. And I loved it!! I think I'm turning into a workout junkie x'D And I love it xDD
Eating properly is getting easier. Usually my dinners were hard because after work I had no appetite, so I was going for something quick or easy and usually either way too caloric or simply too little. But with the workouts, things are different. After it, after the shower, and after getting to the point of eating I still have no appetite until I start eating. And then I eat what I've prepared for myself to finish up my daily calorie count. And it is much easier.

Today I got my push up bars so I did try them out after my cardio workout - managed to make 3 full push ups, proper ones on my toes. So... yey! ^__^ It will be easier and better from now on - I will try plank on them as well. As a web developer I'm constantly on the computer so my wrists are quite sensitive and weak-ish. So... we will see.

I'm kind of tempted tomorrow to go buy myself roller blades >~> I used to lover skating when I was a kid. And it seems like an awesome cardio workout and another fun thing to do on days off and/or after work additionally. Mmmm... I guess we'll find out tomorrow evening what I decide :P

^^

[Blythe]

Just wanted to stop by to say I'm rooting for you! It's actually kind of inspiring to read your blog, because it is so positive. Makes me want to get back to doing regular workouts again. ^^

(Also....roller blades sound awesome. I used to be addicted to roller blading, so I hope you get them!)

[Caeli]

Caeli, yep, yep~ but I think I'm somewhat getting better at both planks and push-ups. And I think my problems with those come from the fact that I cannot position my arms properly - I think I'm going too wide and too far from my chest. But still I'm managing to make 20ish almost complete push-ups from my knees, and to stand in plank position (arms straight) for 30 straight seconds. I'm trying to push myself, so not looking for easy variations. :P

Well, it's not so much doing "easy variations" as making sure that you protect your body.  You could really set yourself back if your body isn't ready for a certain exercise or your alignment is incorrect, and you end up straining or pulling something or doing something really wonky with your joints.  For example, right now I simply do not have the arm/shoulder/core strength to do a proper chaturanga, so I do modifications to strengthen my body to the point where I would be able to do it.

I think as long as you're being careful and aware of your limits, though, you should be fine.

I've always loved figure skating, but I could never roller blade. Falling on the ice =/ falling on concrete.

[Izu]

Day 7 - Day Off

Thank you, Blythe ^__^ I myself am surprised how positive I am about all this. I think this is the first time that I'm heading down the road of eating healthy, working out, etc and simply staying positive and not losing all my motivation after just a few days with no magical results. So... things are different this time and I'm definitely feeling quite positive. Worst case - I will never lose those last pounds, but I will be so much healthier despite that *nods* ^__^

Caeli *hugs* I am careful, I promise. I am doing modifications of the ones that are really hard for me - so far the push ups. The plank is hard mainly because my core is super weak, but I am managing to stand on my hands. But I just take a 2-3 second rest in the middle of the 1 minute plank stand and everything is fine.

Oh... and....

I got the roller blades!!!

Oxelo Active Fit 3 - a cheaper model, designed for beginners. But they are soooo comfortable... And I just spent like 30 minutes going up and down the apartment like a 5-year-old kid x'D Quite happy that I didn't kill myself when I put them on - managed to keep balance and roller blade without problems. So I really can't wait for tomorrow morning when I'll be trying them out. *feels like a kid on Christmas* Can't wait!!

The plan for tomorrow is to wake up early, go out and roller blade for an hour or so, get home, do my Workout 1, shower, eat, and go fetch my friends who will be having lectures at the university in my neighborhood to head to the surprise farewell party to one of them. And after that we might go out to this one new club that opened last week, so dancing~ :3

I do hope that I will manage to stay away from beer (my alcoholic weakness) and from the tons of yummy stuff that we've bought and prepared for the party >< (And yeah, I know it's not a tragedy to break a diet and allow yourself something 'bad' from time to time, but part of the challenge that I've set for myself is to stay away from all the bad stuff that got me in this situation, so... I want to try to stay away from everything for at least those 3 months).

So to summarize today:
1. Food was alright, managing to do all the right choices when we go to lunch with my colleagues. Yay.
2. No workout as today is a 7th day, which is rest day, but instead I spent nearly 3 hours going up and down 2 malls and 3 big sport centers searching for roller blades that I might like.
3. All psyched about tomorrow! ^~^

Mh... so... yeah... :3

[Caeli]

Best way to stay away from "bad food stuff" is to bring something of your own so you won't be tempted to reach for something you might be sorry about afterward.  Would you have a pocket or a bag that you could stash a water bottle filled with something healthy, like flavored water or infused water? :-)

Planks are awesome.  We do an elevated version in my aerial yoga classes, where our feet are at about hip-height (2 feet off the ground?) and then we rock our shoulders back about 1-2 inches to really work the core.  It's agonizing!

[Izu]

I've got raw nuts and organic no sugar apple juice for myself. And I intend on having a solid lunch before heading out, so~ ^__^ I will be alright. I hope... we'll see... >~> Some of the people taking care of the food are amazing bakers so there will be tons of baked stuff. >.<

[Caeli]

You'll be fine. :-) *hugs!*

[Oreo]

You keep putting a big smile on my face!!

I used to do that trick with taking my own food with me to potluck. :P It took way more weeks to take the pounds off than to put them on. Potlucks are dangerous!

These days I always have a snack bag of organic trail mix with raw nuts and dried fruit in my purse.

[jouzinka]

*hugs Izu* Love your progress and your focus. *adores*

[Izu]

Day 8 - Success!

Today I am super proud of myself. When my alarm started ringing at 7.30 I actually turned it off and adjusted it to just ring later so that I will only have time to do my workout, shower and go out. But after I did it I was like... 'Why? I am already awake-ish, I won't gain anything by sleeping another hour or so'. So I got up, dressed up, and went out. To be honest I was a bit freaking out about rollerblading - people would see me, laugh at me, etc. So I was somewhat panicking, but despite that I put on my protective gear (yeah, I decided to ride with gear - wouldn't want to injure myself if I fall) and roller-bladed for 40ish minutes! Did a little over 10 km and omg... it was amazing. Surprisingly  it seemed that I haven't lost my ability to roller-blade and I managed to keep a good pace and I felt so free... No one looked at me or laughed or anything so.... yey! After that I got home and I actually did my daily workout. Once I was done I was feeling so freaking great, so alive... Amazing!

And I didn't break my diet. ^___^ And considering just how many delicious baked stuff there were... I'm super proud of my will. Instead I snacked on one granola bar, drank my organic juice and right now I'm snacking on some raw nuts (it's late 11pm, but I didn't eat much today and I'd rather snack than stress my organism by having hardly any calories in).

Didn't go to the club as it was sold out, but I don't regret it - the day was amazing, the farewell party was great, the surprise was a huge success and I managed to not give in.

*hugs onto Caeli and Jou and Oreo* <33

[Izu]

Day 9

Today was another really busy day. I got up early once again and went roller blading. The weather was crappy, 10C colder than yesterday, cloudy and crazy windy, but I went anyways. It was quite challenging to skate in the wind, especially as whenever I was turning to make a lap the wind kept changing its direction blowing straight against me >.< but I pushed through and I could feel my muscles burning... I think I'm getting addicted to burning muscles xDD I made 13km skating up and down on a 10% incline route.

After that I got home, did my workout 2 and by then I was feeling quite great. It's surprisingly amazing to be active. Totally more worth than an hour or two of more sleep.

And after that I went out and was out all day long with my two closest friends - went to the mall, went around and around for hours. Saw Need For Speed in 4D cinema (it was awesome) and had a lovely dinner with them. Just got home. Dead tired.

Tomorrow I will be weighing in and measuring. We'll see after one serious week what the results are. But I can definitely see changes happening here and there. ^^

[Oreo]

;D That burn can be addictive. Back when I could, I loved walking and built myself up to 7 -14 miles per day of walking. Since I live in the mountains it was uphill one way and downhill to get back home. I liked the uphill better.

[Caeli]

The burning is definitely addictive!  I remember when I used to run a lot more in high school - even though it sucked to run the mile or three that we had to do for phys.ed., the lightness in my body after I finished was amazing.

@Oreo: I also liked uphill better.  Downhill tends to be a little rough on my knees, though it's more of a concern when I'm hiking downhill on a dirt path with rocks, etc., than on sidewalks.

[Izu]

Day 10 - First Measurements

Well... the burning is obviously actually burning because I've lost 1-2cm from everywhere. And I mean everywhere - I've taken 10 measure points - calf (-1), above knee (-1), thigh 'fattest part' (-1), legs together (-1), hips (-1), ass fattest bit(-2), tummy fattest bit (-1.5), tummy thinnest bit (-1), chest(-1), arm(-1). Quite happy for only one week. Weight wise - well... yesterday I was 1.5 kg down from last week same time, but today I was back onto only 0.8kg of weight loss. I think that last night's pork's sauce is the reason why I've had this weight gain - it was really really salty and spicy and whenever I eat anything like this I tend to keep in a lot of water.

So, yeah. Definitely happy. Normally I'd have gotten soooo disappointed with the weight loss (yeah, I know - my usual mentality is that after one week I should have lost all the extra kgs miraculously >.>) , but this time as I've already said a few times - things are different. Including my mentality and attitude towards all of this. I even let my friends know that I'm onto this journey and just how serious I've been the past couple of weeks, while before I'd have hidden too embarrassed that they would laugh or that when I fail they will think I'm a loser. Not this time. I've been talking so much about it that my closest friend also bought roller blades yesterday and we will go for it together 1-2 times a week after work xDD

^__^

So... yeah... I am getting addicted. And this is the first time in my life (well, second - first time was when I got all addicted to web development and decided this to be my career path) that I'm getting all hyped and hooked onto something that is actually beneficial for me.

Today went quite good - I woke up at my usual time, but as I was home alone (mother and brother were in the other apartment in the other city with my grandma) and instead of sleeping in for another hour like do when I don't have to drive them to work (they start an hour before me), I got up and worked out. ^__^ It really made me feel amazing. And I worked out again when I got home :P

Ah, do you know what else is for the first time? For the first time I actually don't care about the results as I'm feeling simply amazing!

^___^


P.S. I love uphill as well. Though downhill on a dirt path is amazing as well <3 And what I found out after yesterday's roller blading session - I seriously cannot stop when I'm going downhill xDD Surprisingly didn't kill myself xD

[Caeli]

Congratulations, Izu! Keep up the great work :-)

[Izu]

Thank you, dear. *hugs* Thanks for  the support <3

[jouzinka]

*bounces around and randomly hugs Izu*

This is my favorite part, actually.

Ah, do you know what else is for the first time? For the first time I actually don't care about the results as I'm feeling simply amazing!

Seriously, you kick some serious butt, Izu. Keep on rockin'

[Izu]

Day 11

A really long day at work. And I just found out that I've uploaded something broken on production last week (no one noticed it until today). Uh... Not feeling great. I'd normally go for something sweet or junkie when I feel like this... but right now I'm just too tired to even think about any of that. Honestly, hardly managed to do my workout 1, round 4. I got home at around 8pm, worked out, showered, ate and continued debugging from home to find where the problem is. Bleh. But I still worked out and I am not breaking my diet, so... yeah...

[Caeli]

Working out can sometimes be much harder when you're thrown off your game (sick, had a bad day, etc.); the hardest part can be 'showing up'.  The fact that you worked out is amazing and awesome!  *hugs*

[Izu]

*hugs* Uh... yeah... I'm quite proud of myself. Usually when my mood is bleh I really feel like doing nothing. And I did feel like doing nothing, especially when I saw that I'm the one in fault, but I just got off my ass and did the workout. And, yeah, it was overwhelming... But I did it. And that  was a first for sure. And for an emotional eater like me, not giving in to the stress and the bleh-ness is just... huge.

[Caeli]

And remember also that working out releases endorphins in our body, which will help you feel better and combat any feelings of depression you might be trying to deal with.

:-) *more hugs*

[Izu]

*hugs onto Caeli* True that. Despite feeling bleh before and during workouts sometimes, after that I feel just... better.

Day 12
Last of workout 2. Once again was over exhausted from work, but despite getting home a little after 8pm I still worked out. It took quite the effort to finish it through, and after I was done I hardly forced myself to eat - it's way too late for me to eat, not used to eating after 8pm, but I was nearly 300 calories short so skipping dinner was not an option. Uh... work was alright today - fixed everything, but I dunno... kind of exhausting to make the project cross-browser compatible and cross-OS compatible... -___- Had to redo the css for Windows Chrome, Windows Firefox, IE and Mac Chrome, Mac Firefox and Safari -__-''
I guess it just all drained me. Hopefully tomorrow I will be feeling better and I will manage to push through the cardio. 

[Izu]

Day 13 - End of First Half of First Phase

Well, today was my 4th round of cardio - still quite hard, but I finished it. Tomorrow is a rest day, but I'll be going out with friends, maybe dancing, we'll see, so I'll still get a bit of movement. On Saturday I'm starting Workout 3 - haven't seen it yet, but I'm sure it will kick ass quite seriously. Even though I'm not measuring myself cm-wise, I did peek at my weight in the mornings and... well... I haven't lost anything and gained back that one kg that I thought I had lost. I do hope it's holding in water due to eating saltier than before in order to get in all the ingredients I need, but.. well... it's a bit discouraging. On the other had is quite motivating because it's getting me angry and wanting to push harder and just kick those pounds away once and for always.

Gh. I will finish this. And I will not only finish it, but I will keep on living a healthy and active life.

[jouzinka]

You are working out, Izu. You're gaining muscles and muscles are heavier than fat. I think you are acing this really nicely.

<3 *hugs*

[Izu]

*hugs* Well... I'm not quite sure that it's possible to gain muscle mass in just two weeks, especially with following a low calorie plan. But we will see. Definitely having a different attitude this time. Usually by day 10 with no loss I simply give up, but this time my spirit is not completely crushed like always. I am loving what I'm doing.

[Izu]

Day 14 - Rest day (Friday)

Well, quite proud of myself. Stayed in my calories, and when we went out to the karaoke and later at a bar and after that to a 27/7 diner  I didn't break my diet. All I had was water and one sparkling water. I was a bit tempted to get a beer, but knowing myself one beer in and I'd be ordering another. So, I didn't let myself get alcohol and completely make all of my efforts pointless. And even though at 4am I was already hungry from dancing and simply being up all night long, I didn't allow myself eat anything in the diner. Mid-night snacking is something horrible - can throw your organism in a WTF mode for a while. So... yeah... and I had tons of fun. I was actually surprised that I could enjoy myself without alcohol. All of this is really opening a whole new world to me.

Day 15 - Workout 3 #1, and an amazing active Saturday

Well, today was an amazing day. I can totally see being active becoming a part of the rest of my life. I woke up at 9.30 (went to bed around 4.30-5is am) - I was still sleepy but I knew that I was not going to get much rest after my initial waking up. So went out with the roller blades, did a full hour and a total of 10km, after lunch I went out with my bike - it needed cleaning and a bit of fixing as it had stayed in the basement for nearly two years. After I got it all fixed  I rode it for nearly 2 hours, a total of 15km. And the day was simply amazing - warm, about 20C, sunny, everything is blossoming. I felt so amazing. And of course when I got home I stood by my workout plan and worked out. Today was workout 3, first time around, beginning of 3rd week. The workout was crazy, but so energizing at the same time. I was surprised just how many thing I could do without a problem when if I had just seen them I would have laughed out as they seem so impossible. For only 2-3 weeks I've built up a lot of stamina. :3 Makes me super happy. Though right now my butt is killing me (damn bike's seat is hardddd) :P

As a whole I'm feeling great. What I realized today was that I might be having a bit of confidence boost. I was freaking out that people would laugh at me for riding around on rollerblades or with the bike, and a year or so ago when I last rode my bike some random person smiling or laughing in my direction (not at me, just in my general direction) I always assumed that they were laughing at me. Today when I'd pass by other people who were out working out - jogging, biking, I've had a few people smiling at me, but this time I just felt as if they were rooting for me. Like 'Good job!' ^__^

[Izu]

Day 16 - O. M. G.

Okay, so today when I woke up I was quite sore. Especially my butt >< But I got out of bed and went out with my bike. I hardly managed to sit down as the seat was killing me. But I did ride for one hour and a total of 10kms. I got home and did Workout 4 #1, and omg... it's crazy hard. I had already mastered workouts 1 and 2 and they were getting easy, and now workout 3 yesterday was challenging, but this workout 4 is just... wow... really wow... I made through all of it, with a few several-seconds-long pauses and tons of modifications of quite a few of the exercises because... well... they are crazy. Like that one - you stand into a plank, from there you do leg kicks... Holly cow... Or that one you stand with your arms up, you do a backwards lunge, you kneel down then you get back on one knee and push yourself up from lunge to a standing position. It was... like... Whuuuuut. o.o I had to watch it twice before I even got what I had to do. Crazy. But I'm loving it.

[Izu]

Day 17

Woke up with a horrible headache due to yet another crazy moodswing - in the past 5 days we went from 5C to 23C and this morning was back to 5C with clouds and rain. Hardly slept, my wrist kind of hurt and so did my butt. I guess that I'm seriously out of shape if a couple of days of biking got me that sore. The day was long with tons of work, and as the weather didn't clear up and it started pouring I couldn't go roller blading as I had planned initially. Needless to say that bad weather really affects my mood and I was/am kind of feeling down, but despite getting back home late (had to go pay some bills and buy some groceries) I did do my cardio workout. Hardly made through it. I'm in my third week now and I still can't do it without breaks. Today was extra hard due to the muscle soreness from the weekend.

On the brighter side, I bought some organic raw almonds and oat flakes and I've divided them into 30g snacks to take to work. Even though we do get bio muesli at work (we've got tons of snacks including fruits, several types of muesli, cereal, milk, and other 'bad' stuff), they are stuffed with dried fruits which add tons of pointless calories (especially as I really dislike the dried fruits but it's impossible to pick them out as they are cut into tiny pieces). So, now if I get hungry or if I'm running low on calories at work I will have a healthy snack at any time.

[Izu]

Day 17 - Skipped

Well, yesterday I was supposed to do workout 3, but instead I went out with my brother to see the new movie with Kevin Costner - 3 Days To Kill - it wasn't bad, a bit of a cliched action, but I liked it. What I'm most proud of is that even though we had dinner in one of my favorite restaurants with those amazing burgers I didn't indulge. I had a healthy dinner, finished off my daily calories and at the cinema didn't get soda or popcorn, but just water.

I did feel a bit guilty about skipping my workout but I got home at nearly midnight, so I had time only for a quick shower before crushing to bed. I will catch up over the weekend.

Day 18 - Results after week 2

So today I did workout 3, but I've decided to still have my rest on Friday as usual, and continue on as my planned program from Saturday. The cardio will be caught up either with doing it on Saturday if the weather is bad, or biking and/or rollerblading. 

For those who wonder whether to get the Body Revolution - do it. It's amazing. And the fact that it changes all the time and it is always new and interesting without risking getting it boring. And it works. Trust me.

My results so far from the beginning:
above knee -3.5cm,
thigh 'fattest part' -3cm,
hips  -6cm,
ass fattest bit -4.5cm,
tummy fattest bit-3.5cm,
tummy thinnest bit-3cm,
chest -3cm,
arm relaxed biceps -2cm
KGs -2kg.

Quite happy with the results. Even though the kgs are not much and they go up and down (most has gone down to 2.5 but they are usually the most around 1.8), I'm more than delighted with my other measurements.

I can't wait to see how I'll proceed for the next weeks and months. But either way I'm sure that the BR program is going to keep on kicking my ass :3

[Oreo]

I'm really glad you are doing the measurements. The weight loss is one of the hardest parts to get past when dieting and exercising. There are also times when you plateau, and you might go up to three weeks before the scale starts dropping again, even though you are still losing cms. I got greater satisfaction when my clothing sizes dropped. ;D

You are doing awesome Izu!!

[Izu]

Thanks, Oreo ^__^ And yes, definitely - today I noticed that my tightest jeans are no longer tight at all even though they were freshly washed :3 Great feeling. I've also inspired my two closest friends to go for it as well and we'll be setting up a google doc with measurements, challenges and points (competition style) to get each other in line :P

[Izu]

Day 19

Oh. M. G.
I hardly made it through the workout. The more I get into the two new workouts (3 and 4), the better I know the exercises, the more properly I do them, the harder they get. By the end of the 30 minutes I was hardly standing on my feet. Actually thank god that the last circuit is mainly floor based exercises, so that I could just stay on the floor after it was done and die. Even the stretch/relaxation after the main workout is floor based and I'm starting to suspect that the reason behind this is simply because there is no way anyone could stand on their two feet in the end. I was so wiped that I seriously had to just stay on the floor after the video was over for a few more minutes. All of my clothes and my hair were soaked with sweat o.o But now that I've taken a shower (really warm one to relax the muscles and prevent muscle soreness tomorrow) and after I finished my dinner I feel a bit better.

Truth to be told work is really hardcore right now with me optimizing my project, getting into really long discussions with commercial team and my bosses about picking up and making from scratch one more module/mini-project in relation to the current one before moving into the new (the new for which I was promoted to a team leader even though right now it's just a team of me xD -looking for developers), so... it's stressful and I have to be highly concentrated all day long and this stress me out even more, so those hard workouts are really doing me a great favor in wearing me out and wearing all the stress out. Honestly, I've never thought that I'd be looking forward to getting back home and working out. But... here I am - something that before used to stress me out additionally (having to workout to lose weight) is right now becoming one of my favorite things to do. Quite happy about it. :3

[jouzinka]

Congratulations on all your achievements, Izu. You're a tough fighter. *hugs*

[Izu]

Thank you, Jouzi <33 *hugs*

Day 20 - Rest

Yesterday was a rest day. I went out with my closest friend and saw Noah - it was quite good. And I am once again quite surprised at how well I'm doing with temptations. My friend had a Subway and I would have easily gone for one with a big coke, but I didn't even think when I went to another restaurant/booth?(whatever you call the different types of food at a mall's food court) and instead got a steak and salad. For a person like me who really doesn't eat much eat, I'm doing well in this as well. Protein is very important and taking it through food is... good. Surprisingly the more I workout and the better I feel, the bigger the crave for meat is becoming. I guess my body and muscles are needing the protein and that kind of 'fat' to keep on getting in shape.

So... it was a good day.

Day 21 - Bikes!

Well, I was supposed to do my BR workout 3 today, but unfortunately this didn't happen. But today was a good day. I got my brother hooked up on getting a bike as well, so that he can start working out a little, and we bike-shopped all day long. In the process we walked a lot, and as he is not quite familiar with bikes I did try out most of them :P It was fun. In the end he got himself a city bike - a good one. It was quite the adventure to put it in the back of my Gold 4 xD But we made it. And as soon as we got home we went out. He hadn't biked in ages and as he is too on the fat side (about 20kg over his perfect weight) we went slow. But still it was really nice. Even though it was a bit slow and not much of a workout for me, it still has burnt some calories and got me moving.

Tomorrow however I am planning on catching up with workouts and either go out biking before my brother and then meet him up, or stay after I've biked some with him. We'll see. The amazing bit is that I'm currently into my 4th week. With this week I will be finishing Phase 1 of Body Revolution program. I don't think I've ever stuck so long to a workout regime. Let alone having not eaten any 'bad' food, no bad carbs, nothing with sugar in it... Yep... Feeling good. :3

[Kurzyk]

Great job Izu. I've been following your blog and wanted to congratulate you, you're doing very well! It's also good that you're mixing up the workouts. You don't get bored that way, and it's more challenging on the body.

[Izu]

Thank you, Kurzyk ^__^ <3 Yeah, definitely mixing up workouts is keeping it interesting. I think that the Body Revolution program is the only one that offers you something different every two weeks, each week you have 3 different workouts, so just the moment you start getting used to all of them by the end of the second week -  they get switched for something more demanding and new. ^__^ I think I can definitely see myself going all the way with this one!

Day 22 - Things go wiiiild

Well... I did as I said yesterday. I biked with my brother leisurely for an hour, then when we got home I did my double workout. Oh My God. By the end of the first video I was already feeling like dying, but I pushed myself and got into the second one, and somewhere mid of it things just got easier and wilder at the same time. All the muscles on me were shaking, but they could do the work. Quite surprised that I went through it all. I've done 1 hour workouts before but I've never ever really felt as tired as after this today. The two 30 minute workouts kick ass together. o.o Seriously. I'm so exhausted right now that I'm ready to just fall asleep at 6.40pm xD

Today I also looked through some charts on my myfitnesspal account - quite happy to say that I haven't eaten any Trans fats in 3 weeks now, and my carbs and proteins are just at the correct amount for most of the days.

Though if I have to be honest I've been having cravings the past few day, I'm considering allowing myself extra 500 calories once a week, but only if I start going out after work to rollerblade for 30-60 minutes in addition to my workouts. If I manage to get myself organized I will treat myself. If not... well... I will have to keep up as I've been going. :]

[Izu]

Day 23

Ah... hate Mondays. But today was relatively good. I finished up some major optimizations of my project, I arranged for myself a few sick days (loooove my GP <3 xD), so I will have Wed-Friday off :P But there were horrible traffic jams as the city council decided very wisely to start major reconstructions on all of the major boulevards in the city at the same time >.>'' Gotta love that time before the elections.

Anyways. By the time I got home my head was already killing me, so my Cardio workout came quite nicely to get rid of some of the stress. I almost managed to do all of it without pausing, so... yey! Only the Running Man is killing. I still need a 2-3 second break somewhere around the 40ish second of the 1minute interval.

The running man, consist of the picture below - you stand with feet staggered, left in front of right, knees slightly bent. Bend elbows and raise right arm to shoulder height in front of you as you extend left arm behind you (as if you were running). Jump up as you switch arms and legs. Jump back to starting position.


It looks so easy, but gosh it is the toughest cardio move I've ever done. I wonder if I will soon be able to get through it without  a break. I looked into the next phase Cardio and Workouts 5 and 6 that I'm starting this Saturday, and I did see that move in one of them as well. So... we'll be getting acquainted for sure.

Actually I'm kind of excited about moving onto the next phase. The exercised there seem so much harder and so much more interesting... Though there were a few that got me 'WTF This is not possible!!!!!' when I saw them xD I will see if I can make them :3 *quite excited about Saturday* 

[Oreo]

Cheers you on so BIG TIME!! *hugs*

I just saw this and this. All I could think of was Izu out being happy. ;D

[Izu]

Hahahaha! Awesome! To be honest, I rarely listen to music whenever I go anywhere, but when I'm rollerblading I do listen to music and I do kind of have a dance-ish rhythm xD

Day 24

Well, today went well as well. I did have something sweet at lunch but I'm still in my calorie count, so I won't go dramatize over it. :P The workout was horribly tiring as usual, but in the end of it I was feeling great.

What worries me a bit though is that my right knee is somewhat hurting sometimes. I'm a bit afraid I might injure myself, but I just hope it's out of tiredness. Still I think if it doesn't go away in a few days  I will look into getting it checked out. And in the meanwhile I might get myself knee sleeves for some extra support. :/ A bit paranoid about it because there is a history of bad joints and knees in my family. :/

[Izu]

Day 25

Uh, been up and down all day long. I took Wed-Fri off work (fake sick days - yey![sometimes I love our laws and regulations over here]) so today was spent with getting my car fixed. I was quite sure that I will not get much time for myself today, so after I left my car at the shop I walked home, and when I went to pick it up - I walked there. All together roughly about 10km of walking. I got home hardly 15 minutes ago, but I'm beat with all the stress around the car. I didn't workout as I had foreseen, but that walk is better than nothing. Tomorrow I'm hoping for a double workout and sleeping in and resting. If I don't manage to live through a double workout I will do it on Friday.

Food is getting much easier to pick and match to make sure that I've got all I need calories and nutrition value wise. The myfitnesspall app helps so much. It's become an inseparable part of my daily routine. I recommend it or simply creating an account on their website to anyone who is trying to lose weight.

P.S.
Today I measured myself - I was 500 grams down from my last measurement even if tomorrow is my day to measure. :P

[Caeli]

Since you mentioned that your family has a history of joint/knee problems in your family, I probably don't need to caution this, but be careful with knee pain.  I couldn't tell from your description whether your whole body was in a post-exercise ache and the knee just stood out, or if it was isolated pain, but I am always incredibly wary when something in my body feels off because exercise is not meant to be painful.

I think getting a knee sleeve can be a good idea (though I personally couldn't deal with it - it just got in my way).  It is more important that if you're outpacing what your knee can handle, that you focus on strengthening all of the muscles in your leg, which support the knee.  This is the kind of thing that only a personal trainer can really do for you, though, unless you also happen to know enough about human anatomy to work on it on your own.

If it's possible, I'd try easing up on the exercises that are harder on the knees for a few days to see how it feels during the exercise(s) or throughout the day.  Please see a doctor and have it checked out if you think it might be something serious or if it gets worse. *hugs* It is a much greater setback to get injured, than easing back on the exercises to avoid injury.

[Izu]

*hugs and nods* Thank you, hon. I am cautious, trust me. Today I actually bought knee sleeves, so I will try them out tomorrow. But I think it's more of a full legs post exercise ache with having the knee standing out. I've also got myself some balm to rub in to cool/help ease any possible inner inflammations. And I've already googled and gathered a full set of exercises to strengthen the knees. And I plan on doing them daily, replacing the ones that get me hurting during my other workout.

I will get it checked if it keeps bothering me. Otherwise with my minor hypochondriac-ish tendencies I will run myself completely crazy xD 

[Caeli]

*more hugs* I'm really happy to see that you're taking care of yourself, and that you're feeling so great about exercising, and that you're enjoying these work outs!  That is just so fabulous and it's exciting to watch this transformation happening, day by day. :-)

[Izu]

*blushes and grins and nods* Thank you <3 I love seeing the transformation as well. I mean... I do notice changes in my body that make me happy, but right now it's not about it at all. Seriously. At all. I keep doing it not to lose weight, but to keep on feeling the way I've been feeling the past one month - energized, content, just... I dunno... overall great. It does feel great knowing that you are doing something good for yourself. I just feel like I'm achieving a balance within myself with myself... And it's... I dunno... I really can't put it to words. But it's all good.

[Oreo]

How good it feels to be high on life!! That's why I loved and miss backpacking. It made me feel powerful and exhilarated.

[Izu]

Yes, indeed! ^___^

Day 26

So, I'm leading an inner battle with myself. Should I workout today or not? I do feel some light ache in the knee area, but not sure whether it's really there or me concentrating too much on this thought is making me think I feel it. O_< I want to workout, but I'm afraid to workout. And I do feel a bit guilty about not working out yesterday and today :/ But again.. I keep on thinking that if I do have some minor inflammation as it feels like one I might ending up getting a much more major injury. And I don't want that... And most of my workouts consist of all sorts of lunges, jumps, crouches and so on and so on - everything involving the legs and mainly the knees. Uh... I don't know what I should do. I might not workout today either... I will see about tomorrow, hopefully by then I will be feeling better. :(

But on Saturday I will be starting my Phase 2 of the program no matter what!

[Oreo]

Could you do some upper body workouts to keep up the cardio part? Sit ups, pull ups?

[Avis habilis]

Bookmarked for future cheering on.

Also - have you ever done any shadowboxing? That would be an all upper-body activity that would burn some calories without stressing your bum knee.

[Izu]

Yeah, I guess I can do some exercises like these. Along with the ones I found about strengthening the knees. Right now, after reading some on the matter,  I think that a bit of rest might come well. On the other side... mh... the guilt trip -___-'

Avis, mh... not really. But it's an interesting idea. Still I don't think that it's all upper-body. Legs are a major part of boxing moves even if it's shadowboxing... I think...

[Avis habilis]

True, you're usually moving around while you do it. But if you wanted to protect your knees you could practice staying up on the balls of your feet in one place the whole time & not worry about the slipping & stepping. Unless that would stress them too - I don't know how sensitive yours are just now.

[Izu]

Not much really. It's not a sharp pain, or a constant one. Sometimes I feel a dull ache in my right knee and that's it. The left one is alright. I think a bit of rest would be best. At least from all I've read so far. I did some resistance band exercises that I found for strengthening the knee, showered and applied that anti-joint-inflammation balsam that I bought yesterday. Right now it feels alright.

I will see how it goes, but if it hurts too much, I will rest for the rest of the week, only go out to bike as biking seems good for strengthening those knee muscles. And next week I will repeat this last week of this phase and only then move onto the second phase. Hopefully this will be only a temporary problem. But if it continues next week I will find and see a specialist.

Either way, I will not let this demotivate me or as always get me discouraged and give up on all of this. I will not give up. I will not stop.

[Beguile's Mistress]

When you do go back to working out wear your sleeve during the exercising then remove it.  My ortho doctor told me that is the best way to support the joint during activity but help it gain strength the rest of the time.

[Izu]

*smiles, nods and hugs* That was my intention. I might have not been an active person the past... 13+ years, but in my younger teenage years I was a volleyball player (my team was 6th in the country :P ), so I do know a bit about injuries and rehab :P *hugs* And I do read a lot as I get all panicky as I am right now XD

[Beguile's Mistress]

Great!  I wasn't sure if you knew about that but since you played volley ball and it's a sports-related technique as well you've got the plan. ;D  I've been reading along and cheering for you from my corner. 

*\;D/*

[Izu]

*blushes and hugs* Thank you <3 It means a lot <3

[Oreo]

Me too! ;D You inspired me to do a few things even though they wear me out really quick. I have to be careful or I'll set off a dizzy spell, but I have been jogging on my trampoline for a few minutes a day. This thread is so inspiring and makes me so happy to read and follow.

[Izu]

*blushes even more* Oh... wow... thank you guys ;u; You sticking around and supporting me is giving me strength. <3 *hugs*

[Izu]

Day 27 - Measurements!

Alright, so today I woke up early as I had to drive my car for yet another fix - something that they forgot to do on Wednesday -__- (yey for 50% of my salary gone within the first 3 days of the month -___-). And after I left it in the shop I walked home  - 5km. And when I got home I worked out. Slowly. I did my workout 4 video, but whenever I felt the tiniest bit of discomfort during any of the hardcore knee-involved exercises I would stop and instead I would do some of the strengthening exercises that I found. (I keep on referring to them but there is the link to see those exercises - they are easy, and explained well in this mini article, and from what I've read over the past few days they seem to be the best for this kind of pain and problem. :)
So, yeah. I survived my workout - the knee sleeve also helped, and the balsam that I bought the other day is simply magical. After the shower I applied it and immediately my knee felt simply perfect. Herbal stuff are really good as it turns out :3

So, now to the measurements. This week I've done "more poorly" compared to the previous few weeks - from everywhere I've lost roughly 0.5cm, only from my legs/hips I've lost a full 1.5cm and from above my knee 1cm. Weight-wise only 0.5 kgs (I guess it's the week of the halves xD). But this is rounding up my total loss so far to about 2.5kgs or 5.5pounds, and measurement wise - from around 4cm (legs mainly) to up to 7cm (butt xD). This week I'm quite happy, considering that I've hardly worked out. Still going down, which is the important part. :)

As for what I've decided to do about my workouts - I will repeat my last week of phase 1 of the Body Revolution program. And I will keep up today's pattern - if I feel any discomfort - stop right away - do strengthening exercises. But my knee is feeling better right now. I think if I keep things a bit on the lower impact for the next week, treat it well with my sleeve, balms and massages (my muscles are really tight in my legs >.> which might be the reason why my knee is hurting), I think that by the next weekend I will be done to fully engage myself with the beginning of phase 2.

P.S. Today I had a lighter breakfast, due to being in a hurry, so I had some 150 calories to waste tonight. And as I didn't want to get a heavy dinner I went for a little bit of dark chocolate. ^/////^ 20 grams of pure delight.

[Izu]

Day 28 - Back on track

So today is turning out to be quite busy. I woke up early to go change my winter tires with my summer ones, then when I got home, my brother and I decided to go to the capital (we're normally living there, but on most weekends we are at my grandma's at a city 15ish miles away from the capital), to hit a few stores and then go see the new Captain America movie. The program as we planned it is quite tight, but I'm happy to say that I found that 1 hour I need to do my workout and shower :3

Today I restarted the last week of phase 1. But before I started the workout I spent 5 additional minutes on stretching out my leg muscles. And who would have guessed - my right one is sooooo tense it's ridiculous. o.o No surprise that my knee was bothering me so much. After the stretch I had absolutely not problems during the workout. None. I did finish up with the additional leg stretching exercises that I found, prior to which I did my strengthening ones with the elastic band. And I'm feeling great. :) I think this is going to be the way to success and no injuries - additional stretches :3

:)

[Oreo]

Oh my, I had forgotten all about that. It's always good to stretch before and after intense exercise. Congrats on getting back on course. *cheers from the sidelines*

[Izu]

Oh, well, the program does have stretching, though in the beginning of each workout they are what is called 'dynamic stretching'. And obviously this is not enough for me. So I will be doing my additional ones in hopes that it will help me with my knees.

[Kurzyk]

You're doing a great job Izu! And I bet your body is happy and thankful for what you're doing.  :-)

Be careful with the knees. Definitely listen to your body... if it keeps bothering you, take it easy on that aspect of the workout and mix it up with something else.

[Izu]

Thank you, Kurzyk! :) I'm being extremely extra careful. So far my knees are feeling better and from my extra stretching I am assuming that it all has to do with over-tense muscles - just the difference between right and left leg while stretching out is enormous - right leg feels like all muscles are about to burst, left leg is all loosen up and light. So,  I guess I've overworked my right leg, which by the way is also the one that got badly injured when I was a kid and with bad doctor's decision I had to wear a cast for 2 months instead of 2 weeks if I had been treated better. So... yeah... a bit of extra attention going to my legs now :)

Day 29

So, as I've been saying I did my workout as planned - some extra stretching, and then as the weather outside is bad - raining, windy, just not pleasant to go out and ride a bike, instead I dug out my old stationary bike out of tons of clothes (it has been a faithful hang for a over 7 years now), and rode it instead for a solid 45 minutes. And after that I did my workout 4 video. My knees felt quite well after being warmed up so well, so I did just about all of the exercises, but one, which is just crazy - lunge-like, then drop on one knee, then on both knee, then opposite leg goes out and pushes you back up to a lunge-like position and then you step back. Instead I did my strengthening exercises. I'm also discovering that I might have not been doing some of the exercises properly, which might have led to the stress of the muscles and the joints - there are a lot of plyo jumps incorporated in those workouts, and I've been doing some of them with straight legs. I tried one - it killed my knee, then I tried doing more of a bounce movement - where I'd start off the jump with a slightly bent knee and when landing I'd immediately sink lower to a bent knee instead of landing on a straight leg - and, oh miracle! - no pain.  I have a feeling that in the next few days and weeks I will be doing a lot of other findings like this. And I have to admit - I do enjoy learning all of this. Little 'a-ha!' moments when the light bulb in my head goes on. :) It's amazing finding out more about your self, your body and the strength that you've got, that you have never even thought you had in the first place.

[Izu]

Day 30 - The things that have changed in the first 1/3rd

Wow. I can't believe that I'm already 1/3rd through the Body Revolution program. I've never believed that I'd stick to working out 6 days a week, pushing through stress, tiredness, discomfort and general laziness. I'm extremely surprised of myself. And even more proud of myself and what I'm accomplishing - rebuilding my entire lifestyle and way of thinking. It's actually quite amazing how once you've manage to win over that little voice in the back of your head that keeps on whispering 'Eh, skip today. Get a pizza, drink a coke, get a beer', it gets easier and easier to just push it away and ignore it and stick to what you are doing.

And now that I think about it a lot of things have changed during those 30 days. I don't know whether it is due to the fact that I'm eating better, healthier foods, and have got rid of all the junk food, or whether it's the fact that I'm working out so much, but I do feel like my way of thinking has changed. Or at least the way I feel. Don't get me wrong, I'm still incredibly insecure and I still have a crazy social anxiety most of the time, but I don't think I dislike myself anymore. You know... before I'd go in a store, like something, try it on and if it didn't fit or it fit but didn't look well on me, I'd end up devastated - full breakdown guaranteed, while now I go in and out and my attitude 'Not now but soon! Grr!*smirk*'. Before whenever I was stressed or upset I'd go for a few-thousand-calorie snack, now... I don't. It's really interesting observing my thought process when I'd get upset or just get a bit down. I'd think about 'Ohhh... I'll go grab that cookies or the chips or the chocolate or all', but then I'd open myfitnesspal account, look at my calorie balance so far, see how well I'm doing and I'd think about just how much effort those thousands of calories would get out of me in order to burn them. And by the time I've had those two thoughts run through my mind, I'm already shrugging off on the idea and just moving onto calming down in other ways.

It's... completely different from how I used to be. And those who have known me for a while, will confirm that.

Other than that I've been able to go to bed with no medications 95% of the time. And as an ex insomniac and a person who would need a handful of sleeping herbal pills to calm down enough to doze off... well... this is major. This is actually the second most important thing that has happened to me during that one month other than not allowing myself to stress-eat.

And cutting pretty much completely all sodas has made my stomach so much calmer. And having had not trans fats in the past month has helped my skin clear up some.

Well... in other words other than the minuses in my measurements there have been only pluses in everything else. It's... quite energizing thinking about all of that. It makes me look forward to the rest of this program and actually to the rest of my life. I can definitely see working out and eating healthy staying a part of my life for life. :)

[Oreo]

*bouncy-flails around the room* Reading this makes me so happy. I can't stop ;D ing.

You are over the hump now. It takes 21 days for the brain to adapt completely to a new routine, or way of doing things. The same applies to quitting smoking, or other addictions. It is good to see you grasping all the positive possibilities ahead of you on this journey to a new Izu.

[Izu]

*grins grins grins* ^///^ Thank you <3 And yeah... I think my brain is adjusted to the change in routine now, but is still adjusting to the new way of thinking and accepting things ^^; But it's still quite great.

Day 31

Well.... things got crazy today. :P In a good way of course. After work there were horrible traffic jams but instead of driving straight to home I parked at the lane where I'm normally roller blading and got out. I did roller blade for an hour and some, for a total of 10km. And omg... there was this cutie who was biking there and he smiled at me with this huuuuuge amazing smile - I almost fell. Literally, I almost tripped and fell x//D But yeah... It all really energized me and after I got home I did my usual workout. Surprisingly my knee didn't bother me at all with my blades, and hardly at all during the workout. Tomorrow I intend on repeating that process.

I really did enjoy taking some time on my own before getting home. My stress levels went down and even though I didn't really feel like doing anything today - really tired, just bleh, I not only worked out but did all this. I feel great right now. Dead tired, but still... :)

[Izu]

Days 32-33-34

Well, I went a bit 'softer' on those days. I did workout on day 32 - Wednesday, but I took the past couple of days off working out. I've been super stressed at work and I did stay in until like 7-8pm on both days, and after that I just preferred to walk a bit before going home, showering and crashing to watch a movie before heading to bed. And as I'm in here to be honest with myself, I did eat a bit too much on both days - a bit of chocolate and a bit of nuts, for a total of additional 600+ calories on both those days. Not happy about it, but not going to drive myself crazy with self-guilt-tripping and feeling sorry for myself or anything like what I used to do before whenever I'd break my diets and workout regimes.

And the good news about all of this - my knee feels amazing right now. No pain, nothing. I guess I did need a bit more rest after all.

Day 35 - Phase 2

So today I am back on track 110%. I slept in (majorly, woke up at noon), had a good balanced meal, a about 2ish hours ago I started working out. I wanted to go out to ride my bike, but it's cold and raining and as my throat is trying to ache (fighting it - not gonna get sick now!) I decided to stay in and hop on my stationary bike instead. Truth to be told it can get extremely boring, but from a long time ago when I first bought it (a bit before high school graduation when I was trying to lose weight) I've known the trick to just put on something on TV or laptop and watch it. Back at high school I watched that really funny/dumb soap opera that would get me completely fixated onto it and I'd ride for solid 40-50 minutes, so now I'm doing the same - I pick some of the series that I'm following, put it on my laptop, put the laptop a meter or two away from the bike and just watch it while I'm biking. Did good 50 minutes today for a total of 20km according to the bike's meter.

Once I was done with the episode and the bike, I set up my Workout 5 video - the first of Phase 2 of Body Revolution. Oh. My. God. I don't know whether it was the initial biking, or simply that workout is extremely good and hardcore (it is hardcore), but 5 minutes in I was shaking. Still to my biggest surprise I did manage to do all of the exercises, some with a bit of modifications, but still - I did all of them, even the ones that had me completely WTF-NOT-POSSIBLE!! when I first watched it to see what's ahead of me. And I do feel great now. Even if the past few days were a bit off due to eating too much, I didn't let this demotivate me and have me give up. I've changed. I see it in the small things, in the ways I react to stuff, in the way I feel about myself. Before I would seriously have myself think what a horrible failure I am for skipping a workout and having a chocolate bar, now I simply shrug it off and move on because I know that 1-2 days that are off will not kill me. Might make me stumble a little, slow down the slimming down process, but on the other side - I can easily correct the 'bad' effects. After all in the end I do not want to never ever touch "bad food", be scared of it or avoid even thinking about it. In the end I'd rather know how to handle food, workout pauses and off-days. And I think that right now I'm definitely learning those things.

[Beguile's Mistress]

I love how you keep finding balance in your program and allowing yourself some down time but don't feel you are slacking.  Pampering yourself or treating yourself now and then is a good thing when you have the ability to get back into the routine and pick up where you left off.  ;D

[Izu]

 :-[ ;D Yup. It's a whole new experience, so... I'm quite excited. :3

[Izu]

Days 35-36-37

Well, I think that I just went past through my first serious 'down' moment since the beginning of the BR program. Everything started this Sunday. Things were great actually, all up until 8-ish pm. It had been just too peaceful the past few weeks in my family, and this simply cannot be. My mother and grandmother had yet another grand scandal over something extremely small that brought me to more or less a breakdown. Those of you who know me, know that I just can't handle people screaming around me, at me, and so on. It was hard. Thanks to those two (and special "thanks" to my mother) I hardly got any sleep that night. I felt completely crushed. Monday was no better. With no sleep, tons of work, and just a general bleh mood I really didn't want to do anything. Today finally things are getting better. Or at least I've gotten over it and I'm moving forward. And while I didn't stop working out, I did eat a bit too much. Today especially - I felt sick due to yet another night of not sleep - had some sort of stomach crisis/passing a mini-kidney stone/dust, and one of our clients from Germany sent us about 20kgs of chocolate eggs for Easter >.> Those eggs are no more and I had a couple too many.

Still, I've been working out. I think that this is the only reason why I'm getting out of the 'down'-moment so easily this time. Phase 2 kicks ass. A lot of ass. The Cardio 2 video left me shaking yesterday. I did think I was going to die. But I made all of it. Including burpees to my surprise - something that just a month or so ago when I was told what it was I reacted with a 'LOL NO.' Today workout 5 felt great as well. Hopefully tomorrow I will do just as fine and over Easter I will get over the over-eating phase that I've gotten myself into.

And one more thing that made me all 'bleh' today - I haven't lost any weight. Actually I had a + today, which got me more or less back to the weight that I started from. I'm just hoping that I'm holding water back or something... We'll see... What I know for sure is that I will be spending a lot of time in the next few days reading as much as possible about calories, working out and other stuff like that.

On the good side - my knee hurts no more. All through the crazy new Phase 2 it has been simply great.  I think doing a few moderation and trying my best to do the poses all properly is paying off.

So... yeah...

[Caeli]

Just remember that losing weight isn't linear - that is, it won't always be a steady line going down.  You'll have ups and downs, and that isn't anything to be feel bleh about. *hugs* It's just normal.  It's just life.

Emotional setbacks are the roughest to deal with, and for some people, eating is a way to make it better - I know I sometimes overindulge when I'm feeling crappy or need an emotional boost. 

What's important is that you got back up and kept working out.  I think it's super impressive that you got through all of your exercises - I know on my off days, I have a hard time convincing myself to keep going, especially if it's physically very challenging.

So... lots of hugs from me! *hugsHUGShugs* You're such a trooper. :-)

[Izu]

*snuggles into the hug and mews* Mh... thanks... I mean... honestly, by now I would have given up - with hardly any weight lost (down 1kg for a month - not good), but I don't want to stop. Getting home and working out or going out and biking or roller blading just frees my mind from all the bleh-thoughts. So... I don't think I will be giving up. Not this time. But still... I want to lose more weight ;.; <3

*snuggles*

[Beguile's Mistress]

As Caeli said it's super that you don't let the negative things keep you down.  Getting back on the horse after falling off is success no matter how you look at it.  ;D

[Izu]

Days 38-42 Almost half way through

Happy Easter!

The past few days were.... well... surprising.

First let me tell you that I found out that I've been counting calories quite incorrectly, which was the reason why I didn't see much results weight-wise. I was eating at my BMR minus 20% off it. Which really put me at the absolute minimum of calories. And with my workouts I'd get with additional minus 200-300 calories beneath that... Eek. Under eating. So after consulting with tons of people on myfitnesspal's boards, I have now upped my calorie intake and the results are in - I had gained 1kg back, and now I've lost it along with another one! So, right now I'm only 10kgs away from my dream weight!

For those who are more interested on the theme you can look into TDEE and the philosophy of 'Eating more to lose more'. The main idea is that if you go for 'BMR' calories you need to eat back the calories you burnt off during workout - or at least some 70-80% of those calories. If you select TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) - you put in all of your activities and whatever TDEE calculator you use gives you back the calories you need with your lifestyle to maintain your weight. And from the TDEE, if you want to lose weight, you subtract up to 20% to find out how many calories you will need with your current life style in order to lose weight.

Truth to be told, it's a bit overwhelming seeing just how many calories I have to take in on a daily basis - nearly 300 more than what I had before, which is a whole other meal. I'm still figuring out how to handle those along with my 'macro targets' (protein, fat, carbs), so I'm now measuring up everything and writing down tons of recipes in myfitnesspal account to get more accurate calorie count. But I think I'm on the right track. Or getting there.

So, to summarize it over the past few days I've been quite active on the boards of MFP (myfitnesspal). I joined a few groups, posted here and there, read a lot. Seriously A LOT. And I'm moving on.

There were a few horrible days (the past 2 actually), my family driving me crazy, feeling really down and hurt and just overly not great. But  I kept on working out, I kept on reading on the matter, I kept on focusing, or trying to, on myself. Being me it's actually really hard to ignore everything and everyone and just think about myself in the first place, but I think I'm learning when and how to be "selfish". 

Oh. I also bought a blender!! ^___^ Super happy about it! Healthy smoothies <3 I decided that those will be my additional calories and with the milk I'd be putting into them I'd be getting there on the 'protein' levels I need. :3 Yummy stuff.

Also found a great source for free workout videos - there are long ones, strength ones, yoga, short, HIITs, everything really. Recommending FitnessBlender to anyone who wants to do something but has no time/money for gym membership and/or DVDs.

:3

So, yeah... The past few days had their ups and downs, but I'm moving on.

There is no stopping me.

[Nadir]

Izu, this is my most favourite blog. I get happy each time I see you post and your success really is inspiring. You're kicking so much ass <3

[jouzinka]

There is no stopping me.

I cried happy tears reading this.

I remember the "I can't" too well.

You are so incredibly badass, Izu. And I am very happy that you're kicking such a serious ass and so proud of you to have accomplished so much. <3

*glomps*

[Avis habilis]

There is no stopping me.

You are invincible!

[Izu]

;~~~;

Thank you all <3 It really means so much to me to have your support... *hugs all* I really don't know if I would have made it so far if I didn't know that there are people out there who actually support me and what me to make it - my family constantly jokes about me measuring my food and following my calorie intake -__-''


Days 43-44

Yesterday was a great day until the evening when my mother managed to ruin my mood once again and drove me almost to a nervous breakdown. Again. -__- *sighs* But if we ignore this (at least I got it all off my chest and I told her in the face some truths that hopefully might manage to reach her thick brain), the day yesterday was great. I did a double workout and I felt so freaking alive after it. Loved it. Couldn't wait for today to repeat the procedure, but I'm getting sick I think ;__; My throat hurts and I feel as if I'm running a fever, but I'm not. *sighs* Stuffed myself with vitamins and some anti-cold medications in hope to kill it before it gets worse. I do wish that I'll be fine by tomorrow ;u; Don't want to skip workouts...

[Caeli]

;~~~;

Thank you all <3 It really means so much to me to have your support... *hugs all* I really don't know if I would have made it so far if I didn't know that there are people out there who actually support me and what me to make it - my family constantly jokes about me measuring my food and following my calorie intake -__-''

*hugs* You are such an inspiration.  The changes are so very tangible - the you from today versus the you of two or three years ago.

I hope that you know it, deep in your bones, that you are an amazing and incredible individual.

I think it's horrible that your family jokes about this when it's clear that this is important to you, especially the part where you're trying to live a healthier and happier lifestyle.  Fuck what they think, and remember that you have us if you ever need someone to talk to or someone to give you a boost.  And you also have your workouts, which are great for restoring emotional equilibrium (or at least, that has always been true for me - nothing like smacking tennis balls and badminton birdies to tire out the body and process anger/frustration).

[Izu]

*hugs Caeli and dies blushing* Thank you... and yeah... I know... Each day gets me a step away from my past me and I love it. <3

[jouzinka]

I hope that you know it, deep in your bones, that you are an amazing and incredible individual.

Million times this, Izu. *hugs*

[Izu]

Thank you, all <3 ;u; <3

Days 45-49 Sick, but getting back on the wagon down Healthy Road

Well, I got through a nasty cold. Throat, stomach, my sinuses, then on Friday my sinuses hit my eyes and got an eye infection. -___- Fun times. So I didn't workout at all for 3 days, my stress levels were all over the place (still are) and I did end up eating some bad bad stuff. And truth to be told yesterday I still had no energy or desire to workout, forced myself to do 40 min of really really reeeaaally low intensity stationary biking, and just was bleh. Today I felt the same. The weather is seriously affecting me - it's gloomy, coldish, rainy and just making me feel like wrapping up myself in a cocoon and hiding there. But after I whined to myself about how pathetic my sorry as is, I got up and did my usual workout as I had planned it to be - Body Revolution followed by T25. Half way through it I felt beat and yet so alive that I made through all of it and now I feel much better. I think I sweated out the last bits of my cold, and the workout kicked my endorphin back up.

So I did sway a bit off my path, but I'm back onto it with new power and focus. I do think that my stress levels will keep building up in the next month or so while I transition into my new position at work (for those who haven't read I will be made into Product Manager), but I will do my best to not allow myself any dramatic sways off my path. I had made a promise to myself by 25 to have lost all that weight - it didn't happen and last year I start my 26th year with the usual gloominess about it. This year, however, I'll be starting my 27th year quite amazingly - working out, eating better, taking care of myself, progressing at work at an amazing pace... I might have not fulfilled that promise yet, but I'm on the way to finally making it come true.

[Oreo]

I miss those days when I was able to sweat out a cold. I think sometimes doing the workout can build your body heat enough to burn out the infection. It still works when you are over the hill, but not so much when the top of the mountain is looming.

*hugs* I'm glad you're feeling a bit better.

[Izu]

Well... I'm a sickly person, so I don't dare working out when I'm getting sick or when I'm sick, only when I'm 95% sure that I'm almost all okay. >.>

Buuut... yeah... *hugs* Thanks <3

Day 50

Wow... 50 days... kind of hard to believe it that I've been going for so long without giving up. Quite proud of myself. :P Other than that the Monday was alright - tons of work as usual, but I managed to stay in my calorie range, and after I got home I did another double workout. Right now my legs are killing me and I'm sure that tomorrow it will be hard to do a single workout let alone a double, but we'll see. Getting back in rhythm and I'm happy with it. <3

[jouzinka]

*hugs* You're doing so well, Izu.

~ fangirl squee ~

[Izu]

Day 55

Not so sure whether I'm doing all that good. I'm not losing, but then again I'm realizing that I'm not eating all that well either - I don't log all the calories, I don't measure everything and I'm most definitely overeating. And I seriously can never reach my goal protein targets. I eat meat as much as I can (not fan of it), I have milk, cheese, etc almost everyday, but... nope... And on the other side I always go over my carbs. By a lot. Seriously a lot.

*sighs*

Might be the fact that this 55th days is also my birthday which as usual is making me feel extra not great, but I do feel like I'm slowly heading down the road of failure. I dunno... Not feeling great today. I feel like I'm not doing enough...

*shrugs* we'll see... I'll keep on trying. I like working out, but I just can't get the hang out of this damn eating.

[Izu]

Day 56

Well... yesterday was bad. After my post I went out with my brother to see a movie and just go to the mall, and I allowed myself to go crazy. Had popcorn, icecream, waffles, for a total of additional 1500 calories >.< This really pushed my buttons last night when I got home and did the math. And this with the addition of it being my birthday and normally feeling horrible on that day, almost got me to my first real breakdown in months. But instead of beating myself to pulp, I posted on MyFitnessPal's forums and people on there helped me get through it, pointing all the things that I've already known - that I'm doing it for myself, that it's my birthday and it's okay to binge, that I can go on, I can get serious and if I fall again I can get up again. Some were quite harsh, some were all nice, and it was all that I needed.

This morning (well, noon - got up at 11.30) I woke up having decided to get really serious like I was in my first month. I'm cutting all junk food that I've allowed myself, I'm ignoring my family when they try to serve me food I don't want, I will concentrate on myself and I will go on. Today is the first day of my 27th year on this world. I will make sure that by my next birthday I will love myself the way I deserve, because deep down I know that I deserve it. I've worked for hardly 16months and the CEOs of the company already trust me enough to make me a Product Manager for the products designed for our mother company and our biggest and richest client! I have a great sense of humor! People know they can count on me! I can handle anything that comes my way and come out a winner! I am freaking awesome. So yes, deep down I do know I deserve to love myself. I just need to get through my walls, stop beating myself up for my minor failures and keep on going until there is no more 'deep down'.

Today is the first day of my 27th year on this world and I intend to make this year amazing. And I will.

[jouzinka]

You are absolutely and thoroughly adorable, inside and out, Izu. So much determination, so much focus and self-reflection. So much brainz (that's the new sexy, btw!!!).

I'm rooting for you, kiddo. <3

[Izu]

*blushes and hugs*

[Oreo]

You are awesome Izu. You have taken not only your health on a new journey, but you have grasped your life and made it your own. Dance to your dreams.

*hugs*

[Izu]

*blushes and hugs*

Well... I've always blamed my weight for not doing stuff, for being insecure and so on - and it has indeed been a huge part of all my issues, so all of this kind of goes hand in hand you know... Losing weight, getting healthier, getting stronger, sorting your life out... There have been a lot of people who have told me that I will never get healthier unless I first learn to love myself the way I am, but I think for me is the other way around - I am learning to love myself by getting healthier...