lyricalsharon

I think it's just a matter of whether or not it lines up with your goals. If you can't keep up with the aerobics but can/want to do other cardio stuff at home.... awesome. Strength training is fantastic - it helps with like, life. Like, with everything. Again, I think it's just a matter of determining what your goals are, and then working toward them. Like, if your goals are get strong/fit whilst still maintaining enough energy to do college.... and the aerobics class is helping you get strong/fit but is working against the maintaining enough energy to do college.... then ditch the aerobics and go with something still challenging, but that's not going to destroy you. Etc etc. Figure out your goals (i.e., what's important to you, and what is attainable), and do stuff that will get you there.

Yup so I've been AWOL. Needed to take a break from NF and tracking stuff. Plus I felt really de-motivated my last couple challenges, and kind of bored. Didn't know what new things to challenge myself on. So I let logging fall to the wayside....but fear not! I've been consistently going to the gym and stuff (except for the time when I was sick.....for a week.....oh yeah and the time I had to go the hospital because of a pinched nerve in my shoulder and then had to take another week off). I've been hiking a decent amount, and in fact just got back from a 4-day hike/camping trip up to Cape Scott. I did it last year as well and I am happy to report that I am in WAY better shape than I was last year. I wasn't sore when I came back...just tired for a few days. That's all for now folks!

Hey kids, I'm back! Challenge: Train for 5k (or 10k) Night Race on Sept 25! To complete this, I must: 1) Run at least once a week 2) Do 2 other cardio exercises a week (This can be any cardio I like, including running.) 3) Buy new running shoes by the end of the challenge! (Which will give me 2 weeks to break in the shoes before the race). I'm totally going to keep up with the strength n stuff, which I have been....which is why I am still posting in Rangers. I'll assign points n stuff later. K Bye

Update: I am pretty much rocking this challenge! I am eating more fruits n veggies than I know what to do with! The only time I faltered was this morning - forgot to eat a piece of fruit with breaky... and one weekend near the beginning of the challenge where I travelled for a conference and ate out a bunch. AND.... I am back to doing 95# deadlifts, after a short hiatus from them... AND.... Last week I squatted with the bar for the first time!! Yahoo!! I am now doing 50# (5# put on the bar). I'll be going up more too. AND.... Yesterday I used the ab roller thing. I could actually use it! Huzzah! The end.

Congrats!!! Sent with a flurry of little thumbs and dog hair.

Day 3 (Wednesday, Jan 7): 1. Fruit: Forgot that I wasn't eating breakfast on Wednesdays and went ahead and made myself a lovely fruit salad. Had a cup of it and yogurt, granola, and 3 sausages. 2. Veggies: Lunch was remainder of fruit salad with 2 cups of cabbage/broccoli slaw, and 3 more sausages. Supper: At least a cup of salad, and a whole crab with loads of garlic butter. OMNOMNOM 3. Stronglifts* n PlanksForTheWin* *I always do more than just SL. I usually incorporate calf raises, lat pulldowns, tricep work, etc. **this means I do 3 sets of front and side planks for 35 seconds, plus 3-9 sets of back raises at 10 reps each. CORE-LICIOUS!

Excellent! I was just about to ask if there were any mini challenges yet. Challenge away, sir!

Day 2: Tues Jan 6 1. Fruit: Banana with my yogurt and granola 2. Veggies: 1.5 cups of assorted veggies with sausages for lunch, and 1.5 cups assorted veggies with chicken breast for supper (both meals with a delightful rice vinegar dressing) 3. Caught the last 15 minutes of the bootcamp (work ran late) and then went on the Jacob's ladder for 10 intervals of 45 seconds high intensity, 45 seconds low/rest (roughly). Also had a soak in the tub last night cuz my hammies were TIGHT! Noticed this morning that my jeans, though they are not loose in the front or on the sides, are loose in the back at the waistline. That's weird and has never happened to me before. Is it just because I am developing muscles in all the right places???? I sure hope so.

Day 1: (Monday Jan 5) 1. Fruit: Banana with breakfast! 2. Veggies: 2 Cups (roughly) of broccoli with mah lunch, and 2 cups of cuke/pepper/onion salad with supper! 3. SL & PlanksForTheWin.... ugh.... went with my new workout buddy and she makes me actually WORK OUT.... so now my muscles are yelling at me today. Huzzah! It's great because she's a fitness instructor, so she's been helping me to tweak what I'm doing. Such as, do the exercises slower, instead of rushing them. Engage the muscles more, and rely less on momentum. Thus, the yelling muscles today.

Main Quest: Fit into size 7 jeans by Nov 27, 2015 I'm pretty proud of myself that I have managed to develop a consistent exercise regime over these past few months! I've noticed changes in my body and people have commented on how great I am looking. I feel stronger, happier, and more confident (WAY more confident) about myself. There IS such a thing as an Amazonian Hobbit, I am sure of it! SO! Develop excellent exercise habits and build a bunch of muscle? Check! Drop body fat so that I can actually SEE those muscles? Ummm............ I'm still in size 12 jeans, though they are loose enough that I need to wear a belt. I've been reminded again that I "can't out train my diet" and "can't outrun my fork" (thanks Steve for your latest article). I feel confident enough in the habits I've built of training regularly that I now want to focus on what I eat - amp it up just a tiny bit. I already have a solid foundation of decent eating (a far cry from the bags of chips and jars of salsa that I used to have for lunch) but I clearly either a) eat too much; or have the wrong proportion of foods...i.e., too much grains and not enough veggies/fruit. (Or could be both a & b, but we'll tackle this one at a time). Since I am not prepared to mentally challenge my portion sizes, I've opted for challenging the ratio of foods I'm eating. Huzzah! WHICH LEADS ME TO: EAT MOAR FRUITSNVEGGIES!!!!!!! Challenge Goals: 1. Eat (at least) ONE fruit per breakfast meal. +2 CON +2 CHA +1 STA I don't eat breakfast on Sundays and Wednesdays so that will be 5 whole fruit a week! 2. Eat (at least) ONE cup of veggies with each lunch and supper. +2 CON +2 CHA +1 STA The only exception to this is if/when I am eating at someone else's house. 3. Continue with current Exercise Regime! +2 CHA +2 STR +1 STA Includes: M/W/F: Stronglifts, etc., and PlanksForTheWin (I made that one up) TUES: Bootcamp & Jacobs Ladder THURS: Jacobs Ladder SAT: Cycling with a Friend (at Gym) *****M/W/F is mandatory. The other days are bonuses, since I am trying new stuff and have acquired a new workout partner for M/W and Saturday. Thanks for joining me! Questions, comments, hi-fives, and awesome gifs are always welcome!

Samers!!!!!! Go team!

Thanks guys!

Maybe I missed it, but why hasn't anyone put up a recipe for Beer Can BBQ Chicken? (Or Ginger Ale/insertappropriatepop Chicken)! Here's a cut and paste from the first recipe I could find off of Google Beer Can Chicken Total Time: 1 hr 35 min Prep: 10 min Inactive: 10 min Cook: 1 hr 15 min Yield:4 servings Level:Easy Next Recipe Ingredients 1 (4-pound) whole chicken 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons salt 1 teaspoon black pepper 3 tablespoons of your favorite dry spice rub 1 can beer Directions Remove neck and giblets from chicken and discard. Rinse chicken inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then rub inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub. Set aside. Open beer can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that the can is half full). Place beer can on a solid surface. Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing the bird on its 2 legs and the can like a tripod. Cook the chicken over medium-high, indirect heat (i.e. no coals or burners on directly under the bird), with the grill cover on, for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F in the breast area and 180 degrees F in the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed with a sharp knife. Remove from grill and let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Recipe courtesy Bob Blumer Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/beer-can-chicken-recipe.html?oc=linkback Also! I love chicken breasts. I buy the big packs of frozen boobs and then take one out as needed. Usually what I do is put the frozen breast on my ceramic roasting pan (it's shallow).... then I drizzle olive oil or peanut oil over it, and sprinkle the seasoning of the day on. (i.e., jamaican jerk, or bbq, or lemon pepper, or oregano/rosemary/marjoram, and of course garlic and pepper... I usually don't add too much salt since the frozen ones are usually salted. I just put whatever seasoning I am into for the day.) I often chop up onions or peppers or whatever I want to eat and add it to the pan, so that it's not covering the breast. Then I bake it at 350 for however long it is until it's done. I do cut it open at the thickest part to check how it is doing, because I am impatient. The key as someone has already mentioned, is cooking the chicken breast until it is just done. Don't overcook it! Overcooking guarantees dry chicken breast. Chopping up thawed chicken breast, sauteing it with cabbage, onion, peppers, carrots, and then throwing in sweet thai chili sauce and maybe a little hot sauce is excellent. What I do too because I am not interested in making more dishes than necessary is put quinoa in with the vegetables (I think I throw in the chicken after the veggies have cooked for a while).... and I add a little water in with the dish, and kind of add as necessary so that the quinoa cooks along with the stir-fry. Buttttttt, that's just me. The aforementioned thai chicken/cabbage stirfry is excellent over quinoa properly cooked in it's own dish. Chicken thighs/drumsticks/legs: Pain in the butt to have to fry it, because of the bone. I am far too impatient to debone it, so what I do is throw the selected meat into a roasting pan (with a lid)... and again.... olive oil, chopped up onions, garlic salt and pepper, and then whichever seasoning I like that will go with the vegetables I am having. I think I put a tiny bit of water in it. Pop the lid on, throw it into the oven at 350 until it is done, like falling off the bone or nice and tender. I check it periodically so that it is not getting too dry - if there is no water in the bottom, put a bit in. Don't drown it. Coincidentally, you should be able to make a gravy out of the drippings, if you so choose. In all of this, I say, look up recipes online. Check out the reviews of that recipe .... they are helpful! .... And try Beer Can Chicken. Simply AMAZING. Also, try stuffed cornish game hens with rice and sausage stuffing. Delish.

Oh dang. I love me some good quiche!

So what's all this stuff about "counting macros"? It's macro-nutrients, or something, right? Proteins, carbs, fats.... yes? My question is actually..... do people only count macros when they are "bulking"? Can I (should I) count them as part of maintaining a healthy diet, even if I am not trying to "bulk"? My goal is to build muscle and cut fat. I am just under 5'2", roughly 156 lbs and I estimate my bf% to be about 32%...ish? (Gauged by the pictures on the "what's your bf%?" websites)... I do Stronglifts and just recently started doing the Jacobs ladder at least twice a week. Can I build a healthy diet around counting macros? And what kind of macros should I be going for, considering where I am at? Haaalllllp! Thanks y'all. (by the way, if this was posted on the wrong forum, sorry!)

That looks like a delicious pizza! My favourite picture is where you're using a hand drill to blend stuff. Nicely done.

http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/what-to-eat/paleo-diet-shopping-list http://paleoonabudget.com/shopping-list/ http://ultimatepaleoguide.com/paleo-diet-shopping-list/ http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/my-essential-paleo-shopping-list/ That should keep you busy for a while.

This is a pretty detailed list: http://adventuresinspice.com/flavormap/flavormap.html Another good resource: https://www.studential.com/university/student-cooking/herbs-and-spices BTW, you can never go wrong with onions.... chopped up and put in with your beef roast (or baked chicken)...grilled.... sauteed..... carmelized.... Onions, garlic, salt and pepper are the base of almost any meat dish I have. Bay leaf goes fantastic with beef if you are doing a stew (you can make some pretty healthy stews). Lemon Pepper seasoning is good for chicken.... But pretty much this... I learned to make yummy food 3 ways: 1) Trial and Error.... if you don't like it, don't do it again. If you do, add to your repertoire. Experiment. Also, less is more when experimenting. Don't try 3 or 4 or 8 random spices that you're not familiar with. The taste can get really muddy and gross). Try one or two together. I smell the dish as I am cooking it and I smell the potential spice I want to use. If it smells good together, I use it. If not..... nope. 2) Following recipes ... a la Google, my mom, friends, cookbooks.... great way to learn what spices goes with what. Sometimes I crave something I've had at a restaurant or something and then I Google how to make it. 3) My employer is a chef and I've gotten to do a lot of catering with him. So I get to learn about classic French cuisine.... BUT! In lieu of that, if you hang out with friends and they make something delicious, ask how they made it. Awesome.

I could..... but surprisingly, there are not many stairs in the town where I live. It's remarkably flat, and most of the buildings are only 2 storeys at most. Plus.... the gym is a literal 3 minute walk away. Mountains are fewer and further, requiring cars and gasoline. This thingie makes me have to coordinate limbs and stuff. More challenging/engaging = more chance of longevity and consistency in going on it. I acquainted myself with the Jacobs Ladder on Tuesday, after boot camp. It was a particularly leg/abs/core-ish boot camp, and so when I rolled out of bed yesterday and then again this morning and thought "OH MY GOSH MY ABS AND MY GLUTES!!!" I attributed the soreness to the class. But when I got on the Jacobs Ladder today..... I realized NOPE THAT'S FROM THIS THING!!! Point is, if I keep this up I'm going to have the most well-developed glutes I've ever had in the history of my life. Dang man.

Thanks Teagarden! I intend to! Yep, the climbing machine thingy is what I am talking about. I've been glancing at it for a while (read: a couple of years) and now the glancing is turned to contemplative staring. As in, "I think I should do that. I've heard good things about it. Yeah. I'm gonna do it." But it totally is a massacre, so I've been a little intimidated by it. Bah who cares, I'm going to ladder it up!

I think I need some inspiration. I was on instagram and saw some of the EXTREMELY #fitchicks there. And man. It kind of encouraged me to up my game. Except that I don't know how to up it, to the level that they're at. So when I say I need inspiration, I think I mean, I need a bit more inspiration so that my brain can get wrapped around the idea of taking it up a notch. And also, I need a game plan of how to get there. Stronglifts is actually doing me a lot of good. I am seeing noticeable results in my legs, shoulders, and can actually feel abs underneath the layer of flub. But I think I've successfully laid down a foundation of working out 3x a week, doing exercises I still really like and still find challenging enough to keep me interested without making success unreachable. I just have to figure out now.... what's next? I've been deeply considering taking my T/TH/SATs and doing a "Jacob's Ladder" quest for the next challenge. I've heard that JL is really effective in burning calories/challenging cardio/changing body composition. I'm thinking that I ONLY want to do that on T/TH/SATs, except of course for stretching afterwards. I think my cardio is not being challenged or utilized at this moment, what with me essentially just doing SL on M/W/Fs. I'm not too interested in doing walking/running at this point: 1) It's cold outside; 2) I'm a little bored with it; 3) The time commitment running takes and mental energy it takes to gear up for running..... not appealing. I think Jacob's Ladder is basically high-intensity - shorter time, great results (hopefully). This is one of the pictures that inspired me the most! Usually my jeans split on the inner thigh.... and NOT because I've been working out! Haha! Thoughts?

Dude. Your transformation is phenomenal. Well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dude!!!!!!

Nicely done!