Getting Ready for Spring! 6-Week Weight Loss Challenge

[MightyPen]

Actually MP, the right mindset to have is that it is a year round commitment. There is no end date. But if you want an INTENSE and effective cardio routine, start doing burpees.

 

 

Do them like the women in this video. Squatting hands to the ground, jumping back, holding for a split second allowing you to do a strict push-up, jump your feet back in, and then do a full jump out of the bottom. Land and repeat the process.

 

Start out doing 10 sets of 10 with 60-90 seconds rest between. BRUTAL.

 

Uh...I will try to build up to those. I need to lose more midsection weight before I can do decent pushups. But yes it looks like a great exercise. Maybe I can start trying to tackle those in April.

 

And my mindset is definitely long-term, but I think breaking down fitness goals into little challenges during the year can help battle complacency. It helps to get a little boost every month or two by accomplishing something.

 

I was already going to ask folks if we should transition right into Challenge #2 on April 1st...maybe have it stretch 8 weeks, ending on Memorial Day Weekend... sort of a "Getting Ready for Summer!" Challenge.

[MightyPen]

Every day my active minutes go up and up and up! I already have in over an hour and fifteen minutes today!

 

Walking with my friend isn't going to last. She pooped out early today so it's just me and my dog for now. We kept going.

 

I've been trying to stick to a 1200/day caloric intake but I get so hungry at night. Are you suppose to go to bed starving hungry? Because I can't. A little hungry maybe but I get uncomfortably hungry.

 

Is that normal to be so hungry when you're trying to lose weight?

 

Anyway thanks for making this thread. It got me going during a really tough time in my life.

 

I'm glad this is helping you a little. I think it's helping quite a few of us, actually.

 

And 1200 is really low. I'll defer to fitnessfan who knows a lot more about nutrition than do I.

 

I will say that as you cut calories it becomes even MORE vital to make sure they are all high quality calories. That's where I am now. Everything that goes in my mouth is either a protein shake, chicken breast, tuna, lean turkey, cheese, nuts, fruits, veggies, skim milk, Greek yogurt, or whole grains. No sweets. No alcohol. Very few sugars.

[amaysngrace]

I'm glad this is helping you a little. I think it's helping quite a few of us, actually.

 

And 1200 is really low. I'll defer to fitnessfan who knows a lot more about nutrition than do I.

 

I will say that as you cut calories it becomes even MORE vital to make sure they are all high quality calories. That's where I am now. Everything that goes in my mouth is either a protein shake, chicken breast, tuna, lean turkey, cheese, nuts, fruits, veggies, skim milk, Greek yogurt, or whole grains. No sweets. No alcohol. Very few sugars.

 

That's a lot like what I eat. I keep drinking hot lemon water to try and curb my appetite plus tons of regular water but I'm still so hungry.

 

Maybe I should start doing smoothies again? Maybe that will keep me full?

 

Any pointers I can get would be great.

[Aniela]

I'm cooking a lot of healthy things, but I've mostly been eating cheese and pickle sandwiches. I didn't want to get out of bed today (depressed). Soups and stews are in the fridge, and will be portioned out for the freezer.

 

One thing I did like was the Moroccan stew I made from that book, the elimination diet. I might post it later.

[Summer3]

"Getting Ready for Summer!" Challenge.

 

Love the name.

[fitnessfan365]

My GF and I did a BRUTAL workout together today.

 

We switched off between burpees and stairs. I did the whole 45 minute workout in my 40lb weight vest taking me up 260lbs total. Let me tell you, doing full push-up burpees and running stairs with an extra 40lbs on you is BRUTAL! But it definitely ups the calorie burn which is good.

[Summer3]

My GF and I did a BRUTAL workout together today.

 

We switched off between burpees and stairs. I did the whole 45 minute workout in my 40lb weight vest taking me up 260lbs total. Let me tell you, doing full push-up burpees and running stairs with an extra 40lbs on you is BRUTAL! But it definitely ups the calorie burn which is good.

 

Do you compete?

[Summer3]

I will say that as you cut calories it becomes even MORE vital to make sure they are all high quality calories. That's where I am now. Everything that goes in my mouth is either a protein shake, chicken breast, tuna, lean turkey, cheese, nuts, fruits, veggies, skim milk, Greek yogurt, or whole grains. No sweets. No alcohol. Very few sugars.

 

I'm making tuna for dinner. My diet has gotten so much better but I will still eat cookies and cake. I drink maybe one to two glasses of white wine a week.

 

I don't want to get too obsessive about my eating.

[fitnessfan365]

Do you compete?

 

Haha.. She's definitely has a competitive nature. But here's what's funny. When we workout together, I always get her to do more than she thinks she can. So it gets under her skin and she gets bugged. However, it's that same annoyance that makes her push even harder. So then when she picks it up, it make me push harder because she knows I take pride in being a trainer and at the head of the pack with workouts.

 

I will admit, I was struggling a bit today because I had to do the whole 45 minutes in the 40lb weighted vest. But she was there to help me keep going and vice versa.

[Emilia]

That's a lot like what I eat. I keep drinking hot lemon water to try and curb my appetite plus tons of regular water but I'm still so hungry.

 

Maybe I should start doing smoothies again? Maybe that will keep me full?

 

Any pointers I can get would be great.

 

Fresh fruit and raw veg like carrots. I love raw carrots.

 

The problem with smoothies is that it's several fuits squashed, huge amount of sugar. If you ate the same in whole fruit, it would take you ages to consume the same amount of them one by one.

 

Plus your body absorbes the fructose slower if it's part of the fiber than if you drink it

 

You also need to be careful with lemon water, the acid isn't good for your teeth

[Aniela]

That's a lot like what I eat. I keep drinking hot lemon water to try and curb my appetite plus tons of regular water but I'm still so hungry.

 

Maybe I should start doing smoothies again? Maybe that will keep me full?

 

Any pointers I can get would be great.

 

I didn't see your post earlier.

 

I've read that upping your fat intake will help to curb your appetite. Eating or drinking something with coconut oil in it, for example. I wrote down a few recipes from Eat Fat, Look Thin (or lose weight - I can't recall which), for smoothies using coconut milk or butter.

 

I'll need to be on blended soups, or slow-cooked soups again - that's mostly what I can digest (everything else, including raw vegetables, like a salad, or carrot sticks, rarely settles). So it will be soups, juice, smoothies, tea, and water, for the most part. Juice is easier on my stomach than smoothies, unless it's orange juice (my favourite).

 

With the lemon water: try drinking it through a straw.

[MightyPen]

Starting right now, we have about 54 hours of weekend time!!*

 

*(disclaimer - this assumes you live in the Eastern Time Zone go to bed around 10:00PM on Sunday night).

 

I just wanted to encourage everyone to make the most of the weekend! Get outside if you can! I'm running another 5k even if it means running in the rain.

[fitnessfan365]

In the spirit of the new challenge, I am going to make an effort to increase my water intake. In the spring/summer you're always sweating. So it's easy to drink a gallon plus of water every day. However, now when I have my 5-6 meals a day I am drinking 16oz of milk with at least 1/2 of them. A full glass of whole milk is 320 calories. So it definitely adds up. Luckily I am very active and burn a ton of calories.

 

Still though, I want to cut back on the milk. So I will have one cup of milk added to my oatmeal in the morning and one full glass a day. Other than that, it's all water all the time now heading into spring and summer.

[Summer3]

Some new goals. I want to slim down my lower body and tighten up thighs, butt and calfs.

 

Upper body I want to add some muscle. Get more definition and strength in back, shoulders and arms.

 

I CANNOT put the weights over my head or hold them while doing lunges because it compresses my spine. I plan to start using the assisted pull up machine and currently do push-ups. Any suggestions on how to put more muscle on my upper body without compromising my back is welcomed.

 

Today I plan to do hard manual labor in the garden for at least four hours.

 

I have a bikini pic that I took on March 5th I want to see improvement by May 5th when I'll take my next progress pic.

[fitnessfan365]

Full on BEAST MODE today.

 

Heavy Prowler sled pushes up a hill for ten rounds

40 pull-ups

50 flights of stairs

[Summer3]

Full on BEAST MODE today.

 

Heavy Prowler sled pushes up a hill for ten rounds

40 pull-ups

50 flights of stairs

 

FULL ON BEAST MODE As well:

 

Six hours hard manual labor in the garden.

 

That is six yo...every muscle is dead.

[Summer3]

I'm starting to food journal again.

[amaysngrace]

Since 2/18 I lost 5 and 1/2 lbs.

 

It's not as quickly as I'd like the weight to come off but I'm eating well and exercising so I can't really complain too much. I just feel so much better that I thought it would have been more.

[MightyPen]

Six hours in the garden at this time of year would have me a sneezy mess! Well done, Summer. And FitnessFan, my goal is to be you. Give me a year to catch up a little!

 

I've been sick but I'm eating clean (averaged 137 grams of protein per day the past three days) and I still ran a 5k on Sat and worked out hard with weights on Sunday. Today will probably be planks and stretching in my office (I love having a door!) and maybe 30 minutes on the exercise bike tonight when the kids are asleep. Lost another 2 lbs this past week!

[Summer3]

Six hours in the garden at this time of year would have me a sneezy mess! Well done, Summer. And FitnessFan, my goal is to be you. Give me a year to catch up a little!

 

I've been sick but I'm eating clean (averaged 137 grams of protein per day the past three days) and I still ran a 5k on Sat and worked out hard with weights on Sunday. Today will probably be planks and stretching in my office (I love having a door!) and maybe 30 minutes on the exercise bike tonight when the kids are asleep. Lost another 2 lbs this past week!

 

I joined Fatsecret to food journal. Apparently I eat a lot of fat and carbs. IDK how to get my diet together.

[MightyPen]

I joined Fatsecret to food journal. Apparently I eat a lot of fat and carbs. IDK how to get my diet together.

 

Well now that you're keeping track, you can troubleshoot. I keep track of the big three plus my vitamins - yesterday my grams were 163 (protein), 185 (carbs) and 70 (fat). Very balanced, and much of the fat was from nuts.

 

If you like cereal, Special K makes some great tasting high protein cereal (30 grams of carbs, 10 grams of protein, that paired with a few egg whites, makes a very balanced and tasty breakfast). Oatmeal and eggs does the trick as well.

[Summer3]

Well now that you're keeping track, you can troubleshoot. I keep track of the big three plus my vitamins - yesterday my grams were 163 (protein), 185 (carbs) and 70 (fat). Very balanced, and much of the fat was from nuts.

 

If you like cereal, Special K makes some great tasting high protein cereal (30 grams of carbs, 10 grams of protein, that paired with a few egg whites, makes a very balanced and tasty breakfast). Oatmeal and eggs does the trick as well.

 

My husband won't eat oatmeal and I'm not crazy about it but I will force myself to eat it.

[Aniela]

My husband won't eat oatmeal and I'm not crazy about it but I will force myself to eat it.

 

I cook it up with some cinnamon added, and throw in a sliced banana before I turn off the heat. Then I add a bit of raw honey, coconut oil, and flax oil (a teaspoon or so - more of the coconut). You could skip the oil, and just add the bit of honey for flavour, or add a different fruit.

[fitnessfan365]

Today sucked..LOL

 

Did 5 rounds of - bleacher runs, pull-ups, 50 battle rope slams, and push-ups. The awful part was I did the whole 50 minute workout in my 40lb weighted vest! Doing high intensity training for almost an hour straight bumping your weight up to 260lbs total is exhausting! However, the only way to keep the calorie burn high is to make yourself heavy. The heavier you are, the more you burn.

[Summer3]

Today sucked..LOL

 

Did 5 rounds of - bleacher runs, pull-ups, 50 battle rope slams, and push-ups. The awful part was I did the whole 50 minute workout in my 40lb weighted vest! Doing high intensity training for almost an hour straight bumping your weight up to 260lbs total is exhausting! However, the only way to keep the calorie burn high is to make yourself heavy. The heavier you are, the more you burn.

 

OMG...that's an intense workout. Are you training for anything in particular?

 

Today, I vow to eat clean, do yoga stretches, take dog for long walk and meditate.

 

If it's nice out I'll work in the garden.