30 Day Challenge!

It has been my intention to keep up with this blog!  And yet I have not.

But I have been quite busy.  In January, I ran the MLK 5k and ran my fastest time; 31 minutes.  I was so proud of myself!

Starting January 16, 2014, I began the Body Rock 30 Day Catching Fire Challenge (www.dailyhiit.com).  This challenge is based on HIIT  (High Intensity Interval Training).  I love these workout, because I can be done in about 12 minutes and have a full and eventful all over body workout.

Although I begin on January 16th,  I had to restart on January 27th due to the fact that I became ill.  It was some virus that was going around attacking everyone.  However, thanks to elderberry syrup I kicked that virus' derrière.  But not to be deterred from my goal, once I felt better I attacked the challenge like nothing ever happened to me.

I really liked the exercises in this particular challenge; I was never bored and I was amazed at the different exercises that I did as well as how strong I became.

By taking photos through the challenge, I tracked my progress.   A while ago, I decided not to get on the scale, that's a sure way to get depressed!  The way my clothes fit was a great indicator of my progress as well.  Yesterday I wore a pair of pants that were extremely baggy, but the week before they were not.  While doing this challenge, I continued to run.  On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I ran 3 miles and on Saturdays I ran 6-7 miles.  Then on Sundays, I would either do a slow 1.5 - 3 mile recovery run or walk.

Since I started the HIIT Challenge, I noticed that my running has gotten better.  Let me expound.  I did not feel as many aches as I did before the Challenge, which is a great thing!  The HIIT Challenge was a lot of core workouts, which is great for runners.  There is another challenge coming up, Boot Camp you can sign up for it here: Boot Camp 21 Day Challenge.


Here is an example:

Today, February 25, 2014 I completed the Catching Fire Challenge!  I am so proud of myself.  It is also great that tomorrow is my birthday.  Yep, I will be 38!  I guess you want to see my results, huh?

Here they are:

Not bad for a soon to be 38 year old.

Another thing that has helped my progress is my diet.  A year ago I became vegan.  I did it for my own health benefits.  Don't worry, I am not a militant vegan.  I don't judge or try to convert others to veganism.  I believe that everyone should do what is best for them.  Sometimes I still crave a double cheese whooper, lol.  That's just being real :)  Well that's it for me.  Now I need to maintain, and continue to get better.  My journey continues! 

*I forgot to mention, on day 30 I am a little bloated.  I have visitor coming real soon.

It's a new year!

Wow, I can't believe that it has been a year since I last wrote in this blog.  It was my intention to continue to have up to date posts.  Slack, I have been.  But, I have been active!  Last year, I became a fulltime vegan!  I also started going back to the gym and added weight lifting again.  But now I only go two times a week.  Here is my work out schedule:


Monday and Wednesday: HIIT Training at the Gym
Tuesday and Thursday: Run 3 miles
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Long run, 7.5-10 miles
Sunday: Either 1.5 - 2 mile run/walk


December was the best month of 2013 for me.  I ran my first race, the Savannah Bridge Run.  This is the toughest course in the state!  I did the Double Pump, running up and down the bridge 3 times.  It was an awesome experience.  I got my first black toe nail :)

Also, I am liking the changes that are happening with my body.  I am leaner, which is what I want.  I started going back to the gym in May 2013 and I am now just starting to see the changes that everyone else says they see.  Often, I catch myself staring and flexing in the mirror!  I still got a bit to go, but I am happy with what I have accomplished thus far. 


I have not been to the gym this year, but I have been running!  I ran 7.5 miles on Saturday and ran 1.5 and walked 1.5 on Sunday.  It was my intention to go to the gym on Monday, but I did not feel like it, and I was supposed to run today, but it was like 5 degrees outside.  So, I am running 3 miles tomorrow and Thursday.  Then, head to the gym on Friday and Saturday.  I am still getting it in!


I am going to keep up with the blog this year!  Stay tuned!

I am still here!

Hi everyone.  I know it has been a while since I have written in my blog, but that does not mean I have not been active!  Since the last time I wrote, I completed a few other challenges.  I did a Pilates challenge, two challenges with Bodyrock.tv, and now I am running and doing pilates.  I also incorporate some of www.zukalight.com exercises into my workout regimen.

I have not been to the gym to lift physical weights in a very long time.  Now, I use more body weight.  Since I am running, I have been advised to stay away from heavy weights because they can interfere with long distance running.  So I use my 2-3 pound weights as well as my 8 pound kettle bell.  I am going to get another set of weights, so that I can continue to build up my upper body.

A current picture is below.   I have not weighed myself in a very long time.  And I will be honest I did get a little lazy, it happens.  But I was not lazy for long, the most I took off was about two weeks.  So, I am not so bad =)

I am starting a vegan challenge.  I am going to go vegan for a month and see how that affects my body.  I need to kick the sweets again.  But I have been eating clean sweets (thats what I tell myself to feel better).  I will keep you up to date.  The vegan challenge won't be so hard, since I am already a vegetarian.  The only thing is that I love cheese.  To help me out I ordered some vegan cookbooks: soul food, Latin, and Caribbean.  I am excited!  Well that is all for my updates.  Can you believe it is 2013!  Happy New Year everyone!

Getting ready for a run! 2013

Oh no, not again. It hurts so good, I don't understand . . .

Rod Stewart is referenced in the title. It's from his song "Infatuation". I thought it was an appropriate title considering. Just watch the video . . .

It's Done! I'm Finished!

Hello everyone! On yesterday, Saturday, April 7, 2012 I completed the Jamie Eason LiveFit Challenge. Wow! Okay. As some of you who have been reading my blogs know, this has been a tough journey for me. I am in the middle of completing my MBA program and I work 40 plus hours a week. I've been getting up at 4 am in the morning to go to the gym and workout. Man, I set here and think about my first time in the gym. I was so intimidated. I did not know what I was doing.

And now, I am a veteran. I go in the gym and do my workouts without any problems. I am no longer intimidated. I even made some acquaintances. However, there were some issues. During Phase III I started to encounter injuries. First it was my left foot, then it was my right groin, and last my right hip. I had to take a few days off just to recuperate. Also, last weekend I went to New York for a wedding and I did not go to the gym. But I more than made up for it with all of the walking I did. I was planning for this weekend to be my one and only cheat weekend. But it did not happen. I could not bring myself to do it. I did have a small piece of cake, but is slimmer than a slice of bread, lol. So I still ate well at a wedding, that had so much food. Okay, maybe one thing I ate that was bad was the pasta, and I did not eat all of that either.

So, I guess you want to know what are my results. Well, I started this program officially weighing 138 pounds. Now I weigh 136 pounds. Unfortunately, I did not take my measurements or percentage of body fat at the beginning of this program. But my clothes are really loose. Too big to be exact. I wore a pair of skinny jeans yesterday and they were kinda baggy. I have some photos that I will post.

Some of you may have some questions. So, I will try to guestimate them.

1. Did you follow the program to a T? I tried very hard to do the workouts as designed and for the most part I did, until the injuries started happening in phase III.

2. Did I eat right the whole time? The answer is mostly yes. My biggest thing is that I don't think I ate often enough. I am a vegetarian so I don't really eat bad. What I had to do is cut out sugar. Well unnatural sugars. I replaced sugar with xylitol. Xylitol is a great sugar substitute and it tastes just like sugar. For this program it called for lean proteins, chicken, fish, etc. However, being a vegetarian, I could not eat the chicken, but I did eat fish, tofu, and shrimp. For breakfast, I did either egg whites, oatmeal, or Kashi cereal with 6 grams of sugar or less and unsweetened almond milk (my new favorite, I've actually turned my mom onto it). And of course I ate fruit and vegetables. Nuts: almonds, cashews and walnuts. I tried to eat as many times a day as I could, and I did protein shakes. I also have fallen it love with Ezekiel bread. It's my new favorite thing (with natural peanut butter).

3. Did you ever get discouraged? Yes, I did plenty of times. I just felt like nothing was happening to my body. The biggest mistake was getting on the scale. The scale does not tell the whole story. I gained muscles, which weigh more that fat. Once I got this through my head I was good.

4. I am I happy with the results? For the most part, yes . . . I am healthier and stronger. I remember, I could barely do 5 push ups, now I can do three sets of 10 - 15. I am not happy that I had to lose some days due to my injuries. I do believe these missed days impacted my progress a little bit. But I look great if I do say so myself ;)

5. What's next? That is what I have been thinking about. I thought about doing the whole program all over again. That is once I have finished with my MBA classes. This way, I can fully concentrate on working out and planning my meals ahead. If you go to www.bodybuilding.com there are plenty of programs and information about working out. I think I may try another program from there. I do plan to continue to eat clean and healthy.

You want to see updated photos? Here we go.

March 21, 2012

April 8, 2012 (End of the LiveFit program)

So let's look at me from the beginning to the end, he he he . . .

Jan. 17, 2012---------------- Feb. 18, 2012

March 5, 2012

March 13, 2012 March 21, 2012

April 8, 2012

It was a long journey, but I completed it. And now my journey continues!

P.S.

If there are any men reading this you may want to turn your head right about now . . . .

Okay ladies, I got my monthly visitor on yesterday, so I am not as toned as I was a few days ago. But hey, this still isn't half bad, huh! =)

Phase III

I love this! It has kept me motivated. You can't judge by the scale =)

I am in Phase III of the LiveFit program. I have actually completed a week of this phase and I am getting excited because the end is near. Well, I was excited until this morning. What happened you ask. Well today I pulled something in my right thigh. Arrrrrggggg!!!! Why now, why in Phase III? I was doing so well . . .

Let me tell how last week went at least. Well this phase is the fat burning phase, the phase I was most looking forward to. Last week, plyometrics was included, so there was a lot of jumping. I actually, jumped rope. The thing I hated the most, but was getting use to were the 30 sec sprints on the treadmill. Basically, you run 8 miles per hour for 30 seconds, then you get off for 30 seconds and repeat this sequence for 3o minutes. I detest this exercise, I really do. This week is the last week for the sprints, and I believe that my body was getting used to it. Because I could tell a difference from first time on Tuesday, to my third time on Friday. May body was getting acclimated. So today I was really excited about working out . . . That is until I injured myself.

Here's what happened. I was on the leg press machine, and I felt a little something strange in my inner right thigh during my first set. I thought I just needed to loosen up, so I continued as a warm up. Then I started to do jump squats, and that is when I truly felt that something was not right, but I this kept going hoping that it would loosen up. But it never loosened up. So I stopped exercising, because I was beginning to limp. I was so angry. I left the gym, because I wanted to take care of the injury and not further inflame it. So, I have been icing it. I am going to lay off leg exercises until my inner thigh starts to feel better. Instead of running on the treadmill, I am going to walk. I am so bummed; I was so close! I was starting to see a difference in my body.

Luckily, I took a picture of myself the first day of Phase III. I looked and felt good. You can see the photo below. I also weighed myself. I lost the two pounds I gained. And I believe I owe it all to last week. Let's just hope I have the same progress this week.

Now, I have to be even more careful of what I eat.

March 12, 2012

Week 8 and photo updates!

Wow, I am actually in Week # 8. This is the last week of phase three of the LiveFit Challenge. Boy, I have come a long way. I must admit that last week I was a bit discouraged; it was not a good week at all. I weighed myself and realized I gain back the two pounds I lost. Something I don't get. I thought I would have lost more weight by now, especially since I am eating well, and I am a vegetarian. I guess it is the muscle mass that I have gained.

Additionally, I was not able to work out on Friday, last week. I had a conference to attend for a paper I wrote. Before I left for the conference, I called the hotel to see if they had a fitness facility, and I was told it was mostly treadmills.

Imagine my surprise when I saw the fitness facility actually had weights! It did not matter, because I really did not have the time to work out. A big challenge was the food. For breakfast bagels and cinnamon buns were served. I got some tea without sugar. It was quite challenging. I had to eat a granola bar, thst had a good amount of sugar in it, but I had to eat. So, I felt more discouraged. Anyway, the one thing that brought me some joy was the fact that I won first place for the paper competition.

However, as promised I do have updated photos, once again taken in my bathroom =)

So let's do this:

Jan. 18, 2012<---------------------Feb. 16, 2012

March 5, 2012

My strong like bull shot Mar. 5, 2012

I am now starting to see a difference and thank goodness. Because Phase three starts next week. And I will be focusing more on burning fat; however, I will still incorporate the weights. I am looking forward to it. Until next time.