Lu's Workout Journal

[swanso5]

how does tour metabolism just "reset'?

[ldematto]

The 2nd Cycle that we are currently in is specifically meant to "reset your metabolism by increasing and decreasing caloric consumption to stimulate fat burning and to help prevent plateaus."

as stated by Dr. Moreno who is a graduate of the University of California at Irvine and Hahneman Medica School (now Drexel University) who now practices family medicine and sits on the board of the San Diego Chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Simply stated above in plain language as is his entire book, but the food plan is designed to stimulate your metabolism to burn calories - by eating lean proteins, fruits, veggies and small amounts of grains - healthy foods, the stuff we should all be eating anyway. With these foods we get the body to store the good (health building nutrients) and expel the bad (fat and toxins) by retraining your digestive system and your metabolism. The "reset" is probably similar to your "carb cycling" as referenced in other journals as follows:

wt days - high having 50 - 70g from any source but you'll need some simple carbs for fast absorption either pre/peri or post workout
cardio days - 25 - 40g from veg and fruit
off days = 5 - 20g from fruit and veg but veg only is best here

I lost another .6 lb

[fitoverforty]

I lost another .6 lb

For the boys I love Robbie and Jacob!

I was sad that Robbie didn't make it I thought the last song he sang was beautiful.

Congrats on the addl. .6 lbs Lu. Things are going in the right direction for you. I'm not gonna weigh until next Friday, hope to see a bit more loss.
Keep working hard Lu, I admire your steadfastness and determination to make those stubborn lbs. move!

[swanso5]

so "proper' eating with a fancy title and a price?

[ldematto]

Geez, guys, she found something that's working for her and that she's sticking with. And that's not that unhealthy (maybe you want to argue about low calories, but it's still at least 1,000, yes? so not one of those horrid cleanses). I say good for her.

Keep up the good work, Lu!

Thank you Allison

so "proper' eating with a fancy title and a price?

Fancy title? The book cost a mere $27 - it provided me with the framework to achieve some success. I needed a blow by blow daily regimen to follow without having to count calories etc, and yes, it's working!

[swanso5]

good stuff

[ldematto]

The book now cost only $12.92~! So for anyone who wants to try the 17 Day Diet, go to http://www.the17daydiet.com you can read all about it too.

I lost another .8 lbs

My Saturday morning Workout Partner (Nancy - I prob didn't tell you about her) will be here any minute. We do a pretty rigorous workout - then at 1 PM I'm going to a beginner's Yoga Class with my Electrolysis gal....should be fun! The instructor specializes in Svaroopa Yoga Before this I never heard of it, but apparently it takes care of you from the inside out

Have a great day!

[ldematto]

Great day today! Warmed up with 50 Windmills...Did 20 minutes, 8 Sprints on the treadmill at level 5.
Medicine Ball Squat, reach - 3 x 30
Incline Flyes 3 x 30
Lat Pulldowns 3 x 15, 50 lbs
Weighted Squats with Smith - 3 x 15 - 90 lbs
Single Arm Rows - 3 x 10, 25 lbs

90 Minutes Svaroopa Yoga - Apparently Svaroopa is a technique for opening your body to find your self. We practiced what they call The Magic Four - . This practice creates a core opening by releasing the tensions in the deepest layers of your body. The instructor was very good and this Free class is a great way for her to introduce her business, but it's not for me. I am thinking of taking a class through the town that focuses on your butt, abs and back.

Today's Food

Wake Up Drink - hot water with lemon

Breakfast - Dr. Mike's Cookie and Orange Green Tea
Snack - Kefir Smoothie - 1 c blueberries, 1 c plain Kefir, 1 scoop Vanilla Whey Protein Powder <--delicious!
Lunch - Breast of Chicken with lots of broccoli, Green Tea
Orange before 2 PM
Dinner - Tenderloin, small red potato, onions with green peppers and fresh strong beans w/few almond slices, Green Tea
Snack - 1 cup plain Kefir with protein powder.

Tons of water.

Since today was carb day I decided to get some more exercise - so walked on the treadmill for 4 miles at 3.6 mph. Can't imagine losing weight with what I ate today, but I've been surprised before on this diet. Of course I'm not suppose to weigh myself every day!

[fitoverforty]

Great day today! Warmed up with 50 Windmills...Did 20 minutes, 8 Sprints on the treadmill at level 5.
Medicine Ball Squat, reach - 3 x 30
Incline Flyes 3 x 30
Lat Pulldowns 3 x 15, 50 lbs
Weighted Squats with Smith - 3 x 15 - 90 lbs
Single Arm Rows - 3 x 10, 25 lbs

90 Minutes Svaroopa Yoga

walked on the treadmill for 4 miles at 3.6 mph. Can't imagine losing weight with what I ate today,

Well, I can imagine it! You are killing it Lu!! It is great to see you using all that healthy energy you have. You go girl! Sprints, weights, yoga, treadmill -
an inspiration I tell ya...that's what you are. Rock on Lu.

[ldematto]

Well, I can imagine it! You are killing it Lu!! It is great to see you using all that healthy energy you have. You go girl! Sprints, weights, yoga, treadmill -
an inspiration I tell ya...that's what you are. Rock on Lu.

You are so good for me! You always make me smile

Yesterday I took the day off from exercise, and today (so far) did 45 minutes on the Treadmill, steady as she goes. The Sprints, while I love them, beat the hell out of my knees Same problem I had a while back that went away - when I bend down, not in a squat, but all the way where my butt rests on my heels, something inside my left knee area hurts like hell! Only my left...can't imagine what I did...but obviously I've pulled something that hasn't totally healed yet because it's exactly what happened before..I'm bummed! BUT, I won't let it keep me down, I'll just do something else

It's slow going on the weight loss in this cycle - I'm hoping for a breakthrough soon. I've lost a total of 15.6 lbs so far, 12 more to go to reach my goal. I'll get there!

Food today (Carb Day)

Breakfast - Oatmeal 1/2 C - with fresh blueberries topped with about 1/4 c Kefir, sprinkled with cinnamon
Snack - Orange
Lunch - Chicken Breast with 1 c Steamed Broccoli
Snack - Dr. Mike's Cookie - yummy! The book says 128 Calories, but livestrong.com says 147 - I use livestrong to be safe.

For dinner I will have a salad with grilled chicken, 12 grape tomatoes, cucumbers, a few baby carrots and 1 oz of FF Feta Cheese, 1 T olive oil, 2 T balsamic vinegar.

Evening - I'll have 8 oz of Kefir with a little flax
Green Tea with breakfast lunch and dinner and lots of water...always the hot water with lemon when I wake

Total Calories for the day = 1350 or there about.

Have a great day!

[Boss Man]

The Knee thing looks related to the Squats. I would suggest you don't go lower than 90 degrees.

Some say you shouldn't anyway and some say it's alright for a proportion of people, though I've never seen any scientific data, to outline what sort of people can do ass to the grass Squats, without incurring possible long-term negative ramifications to the Knees.

If you are possibly doing Sumo Squats, the ones with the wide stance, as opposed to the usual ones with the Legs projecting straight infront of the Delts, then consider a closer Leg positioning and convert to regular Squats.

Personally I never go below 90 degrees, except possibly the odd rep and probably not by much, but it may be the source of your problem, so potentially consider it and maybe consider reducing the weight by around 25% as well, incase the issue raised currently, cannot be initially overcome by modified technique, because sometimes when the tolerance level of a part of the body has been reduced, other normally inconsequential things, can then become mildly or severely intolerable to the affected area, so altering technique will not automatically be an initial preventative measure, until the recovery process of one or both Knees has concluded, so the weight reduction as well should combine, to hopefully provide a more recouperative scenario.

Then the technique modification, might provide a better prevention against reoccurance of the current issue once recovered, in which case weight increases could be added, until you find your limit with that, as making the supposition that you can use the same amount of max for reps weight, doing regular Squats compared to something like Sumo's, isn't necessarily a sound one.

Hopefully that all makes sense. Good luck and keep on pushing, because you're doing a stirling job and you should be proud of your hard work. I can appeciate when you're over 50 and trying to remodel your lifestyle significantly, it can be a more daunting or greater concern regards potential of results, than it would be for many much younger people, but you've stuck with it for some time now and have earned a right to be proud of yourself.

You're a truly great Lady Lu and a true asset to the comunity and I'm always proud of the hardworking Ladies we have on here .

[swanso5]

do some terminal knee extensions right before each set of squats

[ldematto]

The Knee thing looks related to the Squats. I would suggest you don't go lower than 90 degrees.

So sorry for creating confusion. I do regular squats, never going below 90 degrees. I was trying to describe when it hurt me - when I bend down lets say to go through a lower cabinet or drawer or to pick something off the floor, squatting vs bending over. My squats are normal, not even sumo ever since I learned through N.A.S.M. they were not recommended. When I do the weighted squats I use only 95 lbs, which is relatively easy - way back when I was up to 140-150 lbs. When I do squats I have no pain or discomfort in my legs or knees. It does appear logical that squats would create this issue, but it doesn't feel like it. This happened before and I attributed it to the Fitness Test on my Treadmill - 5 minutes at various speeds and 10 incline. After that my leg/knee (same issue, not sure what it is) was never right, I felt what I am feeling now. That was why I thought it was the sprints....but I guess it could be anything?! I will definitely watch my squats, make sure I am doing them right and reduce weight as you have suggested.

do some terminal knee extensions right before each set of squats

Standing or laying down? I think laying down might be beneficial. It's not my knee per se that hurts, it feels like it's a ligament or tendon in the back of my knee area? The patella seems fine - no pain and not swollen.

[fitoverforty]

Don't use incline on the treadmill for a while. The only time I have knee pain is when I do alot of hills. It is killer in the knees.
Sprints are fine - just no incline. just my humble opinion.

Don't forget to stretch after your sprints. A good one for that area you are describing is to lay on the floor lift that leg in the air and using a resistance band or a jumprope over the foot (across the bottom of your shoe, just above the arch area), hold to each handle and pull the front of the foot downward toward you gently - you should feel a good stretch all along the hamstrings and back of the knee area.

[ldematto]

The only time I have knee issues is when I need new running shoes. If I run on a treadmill with worn-out shoes, my knees kill me. Otherwise, no problem.

Home treadmills are also a lot less padded that gym treadmills...unless you got a really expensive one.

Hmmmm - I could need new running shoes - I've actually been wearing my NB Trainers - ones that I only use for the gym, but I should get new running shoes, mine are beat.

My treadmill has an orthopedic pad, definitely not the bottom of the heap, so it's probably my shoes and/or the incline as Lynne suggested.

Don't use incline on the treadmill for a while. The only time I have knee pain is when I do alot of hills. It is killer in the knees.
Sprints are fine - just no incline. just my humble opinion.

Don't forget to stretch after your sprints. A good one for that area you are describing is to lay on the floor lift that leg in the air and using a resistance band or a jumprope over the foot (across the bottom of your shoe, just above the arch area), hold to each handle and pull the front of the foot downward toward you gently - you should feel a good stretch all along the hamstrings and back of the knee area.

I stopped using the incline for a long time, but forgot to create a custom sprint program without incline. That and my shoes..... That stretch is very similar to what Swans says I should do above, the terminal knee extension.

I did my steady treadmill this morning, but worked out tonight as well.

Warmed up with 100 Windmills

Did some terminal knee extensions - I think I will incorporate them in my workouts as part of my stretching routine.

Circuits

Medicine Ball squat, bringing ball between my legs, then stand and over my head 3 x 30, only a 4 lb Ball
Incline Flyes 3 x 30 - 8 lb DB's
Lat Pulldowns 3 x 20, 50 lbs
Alternating side/front raises - 3 x 30, 8 lb DB's
Squats on Smith - 3 x 20, 95 lbs. (really not heavy and no pain in leg/knee)

Felt good!

Made a batch of the Chicken Vegetable Soup tonight - it's pretty much a staple on this diet, it's easy and makes a great lunch or dinner. I put it in 1 and 2 serving size containers, some I freeze. I stuck to my dinner plans, so ended my day right. Tomorrow limited carbs, only fruits and veggies

Off to put some Biofreeze on my knee/leg and off to bed!

Good Night~!