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JoRaspberrii

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About JoRaspberrii

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  • Birthday 07/01/1995

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    Oregon, US
  1. Question: The more frequently I strength train, the more frequently I experience mood swings (esp. Getting irritated). I'm a 20 year old female and I've been noticing this for the past 2 to 3 years. Is it just an increase of testosterone, or might there be more going on?
  2. It can vary, honestly, in my experience. I often hear something like "10 reps per side," or if it just says "10 reps" I'd still assume that's 10 for each leg. I would just recommend organizing your workout in whichever way makes the most sense to you. If you'd rather count a 10 reps as 5 lunges on each side, go for it! And if you're following a program set up by someone else and aren't sure, ask them if you can, or just go for what feels best for your body.
  3. Any NF Rebels out there from Central Oregon? I've only got three on count so far and would love to find more of you! Mozy on over to our Facebook page if you're interested in meeting up and keeping in touch! https://www.facebook.com/groups/CONFRebels/ And/or, of course, take a moment to hello below. I can't wait to hear from you!
  4. I take activities classes at school, so the physiology lab professor comes in to the classes every six weeks to measure with calipers. Thanks for the advice, I'll take a closer look at TDEE calculators for sure!
  5. I edited the original post to answer those questions. I hope that's the sort of information you're looking for. Unfortunately I don't have much on specifics as a result of tracking my food intake, but I do plan on beginning to look at it more closely.
  6. So I haven't been strength training for long and at first I was doing it just to lose some excess body fat. I managed that, but now that I'm starting to make a lot of progress on muscle gain, I'm just hungry all the time! In addition to gaining muscle mass, I'm also gaining that fat mass back and it's really frustrating me. I've noticed the biggest challenge for me is snacking continuously either before or, typically, after I've had dinner. So I'm not really sure how to eat appropriately to achieve my desired body composition (was last about 24% body fat, would like to be around 17%) and how to know when I'm eating enough, and of what (I have a big sweet-tooth, so I'm always overdoing the carbs). Any advice, tips, and/or guidance to help me manage a healthy diet would be absolutely wonderful and very much appreciated! Additional info: I use My Fitness Pal to track calorie intake (although on really busy days it gets hard to be diligent with this). Can't say I've had a very regular diet lately, however. I stopped using the tracker to meet goals and use it just for information instead, but I'm going to try switching back to having a daily intake goal once I get some more information.My weight has only increased since I began strength training, but in the first six weeks by body fat percentage dropped from 27.5% to 22.5%, although it has increased, as I mentioned, since then. Right now my weight varies between 150 and 155 and I'm 5' 10".
  7. Hey, thanks guys! This was super helpful and I appreciate the time you took to collaborate together to provide me with the best info possible and also to gather all those resource links--I'll check them out ASAP, but I've got some finals to conquer first. =]
  8. So I read the articles on Nerd Fitness about working out in a fasted state. It seems to make sense that without as much glucose in your blood from food, your body will turn more quickly to your fat storage for glucose. Then today I came across this thread in the bodybuilding.com forums: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=119186991. User Blenderate says about his daily routine, " I kept my carbohydrates low throughout most of the day to keep insulin low, but just before my weightlifting workouts four times per week, I would eat a large serving of fruit and have a glucose/protein/BCAA drink. I would continue sipping the drink throughout my workout, and then finish up with a whey protein isolate shake after I was done. This serves to spike insulin, driving nutrients into the muscles." So, I'm wondering how much truth there is to what this man is saying. Because I know that the only thing that insulin directly affects is the amount of glucose that is taken from your blood into your cells. Would this really have anything to do with the nutrient use by cells? tl/dr: Please compare and contrast the physiology of workouts while fasting and after carb loading.
  9. 06/08/14 Oh lordy! I've gotten so busy with school this term that my health got pushed to the back burner! Today I noticed the appearance of cottage-cheese-thighs on myself. =[ On the upside--we do so many crunches everyday in my hip hop class that I can actually feel my abs when I flex them! They're not visible, but they are palpable! I just need to keep it up when this term is over. =P So what I really need to focus on is just taking down my body fat percentage by a notch and just continuing to build muscle. My arms are more toned now than ever just because I try to do 20 push ups whenever I think about it. However, my legs have certainly been neglected. Dat LotR workout, dough! So much fun and my friends and I love doing it together! It's just so difficult finding a time when it's convenient for all of us to get together in order to work out. However, while I'm away at work this summer, I'm going to make sure I focus on getting in shape because I won't have school distracting me. I'm gonna need help sticking to it, for sure, but I'll make sure to get a work out buddy!! =D And the very most up of the upsides--I have fun when I work out! Even if it's actually just a series of lunges, push up, etc... and not just exercise disguised as something fun. Haha. Purely just moving my body and getting my blood pumping and feeling my muscles working hard gets me in such a good mood. So hopefully after finals this next week I can start to re-prioritize. I do have to keep studying hard for my certification exam, however, but that's still only 3 weeks away and then I'm free! So even though I've basically failed the entire past month (or more), I've decided I'm not giving up again. This was just my vehicle stalling in the middle of the road. But I'm still on the same road heading in the same direction and I'm still excited about it! And since I brought it up, here I go with those 20 push ups.... How many can you whip out right now?? (And like I said, I'm instantly in a better mood just for doing some push ups. Haha! =D ) EDIT: I was just reading this NF article: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/03/25/robin/ . And Robin said some really awesome things that hit home with me. So I just wanted to make sure I recorded them somewhere where I could look at them again and again. "...my routine involves eating clean (as much as my sweet tooth will allow), cardio or bodyweight work, and walking my dog. That’s it. I don’t stress the small stuff or go into hyper fitness mode, because I don’t have to... What I’m doing is called living my life. I’m not done and I haven’t arrived yet, but where I am now is a way better place than where I was headed!!!" "My happy reminds me daily that I am worth fighting for and that no one will ever fight as hard for me as I will. I have value beyond measure..." "...wanting to morph into a better version of [my]self — not someone entirely new."
  10. 04/18/14 Hey-o, hey-o, hey-o-yo! I been doing about the same diet-wise. Some really great awesome decisions. And then a few really bad decisions sprinkled throughout. But luckily I eat mostly healthy. =P And tomorrow some of my fellow rebels and I are going to do a big strength-training extravaganza thing! =P So I wanted to plan out some framework for it (because you should always have a plan! Wandering around aimlessly is not going to help anyone level up). And I figured this would be as good a place as any for me to create this outline! So, I'm thinking a basic warm-up, workout as much of the body as possible, cool down. =P And because we're all at different fitness levels, rather than planning sets by reps, I thought I'd do it by time (and just do as many reps as you can in the time frame). Warm up--jog 10 min. stretch (hamstrings, calves, quads; spine and abs; chest, shoulders, arms, neck) additional cardio 3 min Workout--(30 to 60 sec of rest between sets as needed) 90 sec squats " push ups " lunges 45 sec rows (L) " rows ® 90 sec sit ups/crunches (I can only do crunches because my tailbone is too sensitive) " jumping jacks 45 sec plank 90 sec step-ups " bench press Cool down--5 min jog Yoga (Ashtanga (I think is what it's called...?), downward dog, warrior (1, 2, & 3), dancer, tree, child's pose)
  11. 04/11/14 So, no news is bad new, in this instance. Not writing on here means I haven't done anything. Grrr.... I'm battling exhaustion this week and that always makes it difficult to get motivated to do anything or have the willpower to avoid bad things. But I'm enjoying my hip-hop class and my yoga class. The yoga just helps me relax (because it's a Yin practice), but I think that helps me in the long run with these tough decisions of to-do or not to-do. And hip hop gets my heart rate up-ish, but it's just not sustained at that level because there are so many pauses while we wait for the teacher to give us the next set of steps. Still, it's better than absolutely nothing. And my campus has lots of stairs--that's always a bonus! =P
  12. 04/02/14 So I've done a shit job at this whole being healthy and active thing for about two weeks now. I have such a hard time making time for workouts instead of wasting it all away on my computer. And I'd love to just not use my computer on weekdays or something, but the problem is that a lot of my homework requires use of a computer. Does anyone have any tips to limit distractions/increase willpower while I'm on the internet for school?? I've considered using some sort of parental control program--know any good ones that are free?? What have a done? Well at least I've done a little bit. I've continued going for walks when I should be strength training. =P My room is just a mess right now because of a delay mid-renovation, so I just never feel like doing anything in there. And furthermore, our PS3 broke, so I can't use P90X DVDs right either. Grrrr! I know this sounds like a lot of excuses, and that's probably all it is, but I legitimately have not come up with any solutions around it. But this could perhaps be denial and laziness subconsciously overpowering my desire for change and to level up. =/ Anyways, back to the positive! I've also been eating good lunches, dinners, and breakfasts for the most part. It's just snacking and my dessert cravings that are really difficult. I'm trying to work out a grocery shopping plan/system with my parents (whom I still live with, yes), but we are all creatures of habit and it's been tough. I'm lucky my family has always been pretty good about healthy eating anyways, though. At least better than a lot of people in this day and age (and country). It's just a matter of convincing them to hop on board my whole-foods train. But I will do it! I must! And this summer I will be totally in charge of my own food choices, so lets hope I can make the right decisions! Lastly, this dude (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLogFAbTlDI&list=FLiO-cehtEBInVQTvJXuYvVA) pretty much represents my ideal level/use of fitness. But he trains 6 hours a day! How can I best make progress towards this when I've got a responsibility to my education (15 credits this term and at day 3 I'm already exhausted--mostly due to anxiety and anticipated stress because I'm fucking psychotic I swear to god (pardon that run-on sentence of a rant, I'm totally PMSing right now))? I don't even have a job and I feel like I'm never going to make it through this shit called school (it's likely I feel this way because I'm not pursuing the right path for me, but I'm doing the best that I can). I don't know how these other people do it, but much respect to them!! Any tips??? =P
  13. I've missed so many days because it's finals week! And worst of all--I've missed my workouts! But next week is spring break and I'm really, really hoping to do a backpacking trip, or at least a lot of hikes/caving adventures. This week has just been one big fail. -.-
  14. 03/15/14 For breakfast today I had a doughy, egg & bacon roll/croissant thing. not sure what the pastry part was. I'm sure it wasn't uber healthy, but at least i got some protein! And my dad brought it home for me, so that was super nice, too. food that someone gives you is always so much better than food you make yourself, isn't it?
  15. 03/14/14 Just finished my workout! And I actually wore my HR monitor out walking the dogs today prior to my workout, and I'm hitting just about all the same numbers by walking as I am by strength training--in zone ~2/3 the time, max in the 180's, calories burned 500<700, take ~1 hr. Which is pretty intriguing! But I do like having muscles to squeeze when I'm bored (also, am I the only one who does this? Sometimes I wonder how weird it is...). Lol. Anyways, now I'm going to shower and then have breakfast. Or the other way around--I haven't decided yet. =P And all I can think about are those damned muffins! But I think I'll scramble up some eggs with kale, and some cheese to add the flavor boost that I'm craving right now. Also, since I have such a major sweet tooth, is it reasonable to allow myself one "bad" thing a day (ex: bowl of ice cream or 1/2 a muffin--not a whole tub of ice cream or 12 muffins)? Because I believe in everything in moderation and life should smoothly, but is daily not moderate enough? Evening time now. Pretty much skipped dinner and have been snacking since brunch (which was around 2:30--and, yes, I slept in). At first I was snacking well--fruits! But my mother made some savory chex mix and I've been devouring that ever since. Small amounts at a time, not constantly, but I know it's adding up. Grrr why does bad food have to be so delicious?! I was actually ranting to my mother the day (she's wonderful for listening to my crazy self and still making me snacks) about how insane it is that companies are promoting all of the junk foods and making it so difficult to access the healthier options. Granted, the good foods are more available these days, but they're still expensive--and that's the big problem. Everyone's after money. but I truly don't understand how processed foods can be any cheaper than natural whole foods--they don't require any money to spent on processing! Does anyone know what's behind the curtain of this paradox?? Lastly, what gets under my skin more than anything else about the greedy players of the food industry is that we're only subsidizing crops like corn and soy. Why don't we subsidize other veggie and fruit crops that are healthier for you, thus increasing the supply and lowering the cost of them at the grocery store? And why are we still using GMO crops that are all genetically identical when evolution itself has proven that genetic variation promotes population sustainability? Studies have even shown that non-GMO crops are more hardy in the face of unusual environmental conditions, as well as the introduction of new bacteria/viruses/bugs (I don't have link to this at the moment, but if anyone is interested let me know and I'll find it). Why are we letting so much of our food supplies rely on such fragile populations? Especially when GMO crops require much more pesticide treatment and in turn we are ingesting these extra chemicals and essentially poisoning ourselves. Not only do the pesticides cause damage in our digestive systems, but the unfamiliar genetic makeup of these foods is starting to cultivate increasing food allergies in our youths. Anyways, I digress! I had to click over to another tab so I would lose my train of thoguht and stop ranting and raving. Haha. But my point is just that it seems so much more reasonable to make health a priority over wealth, yeah?
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