Aife

THURSDAY Exercise Goal: Rest day, which I was obviously very successful at, haha. Food Goal: Total Intake: 1538 cal - 125 under goal Fats: 73g - 2g over goal Protein: 99g - 61g under goal Carbs: 146g - 48g over goal Fiber: 33g - met goal Thoughts: This is my long day at work, so it's a rest day. Slightly better on my food macros but still struggling to meet my protein levels. FRIDAY Exercise Goal: Strong Lifts Workout A Squats: 5x5 @ 50 Bench Press: 5x5 @45 Barbell Rows: 5x5 @ 45 Food Goal: Total Intake: 1696 cal - 33 cal over goal Fats: 66g - 5g under goal Protein: 153g - 7g under goal Carbs: 133g - 35g over goal Fiber: 32g - met goal Thoughts: Normally this would have been a yoga day, but I decided I felt like lifting instead. Finally did that full 5x5 bench! So happy, can't wait to up the weights next time. Also, I'm doing much better meeting my food goals, definitely helps that I got a protein powder supplement.

I had been considering getting waxed recently (I have a vacation coming up next week that involves a trip to some hot springs - maintenance was a must) and finally bit the bullet and went today. Loved it! I might actually be a convert, depending on how the growing-out phase goes. I checked around on yelp and found a good place. My waxer was great, and the whole thing took less than 15 mins. It hurt much less than I thought it would, although I did take a couple advil beforehand just to be on the safe side. Waaaayyyy better than shaving (I'm another one who always ends up cutting myself) and being all stubbly and itchy. As far as manscaping, I would probably giggle if he came home with it all waxed, but he is very on top of his grooming/trimming game, which I do appreciate.

I switched from iced macchiatos to getting 3-4 shots of espresso over ice. Add a little milk and a little bit of sugar and it basically lasts me all morning, since it's so strong. I just sip at it instead of chugging the whole thing in 15 minutes. Might take a little while to get used to the taste, but for me personally I found that I ended up loving it in the long run.

I'm going to revert to kindergarten here and suggest the makings for Ants on a Log? Celery, peanut (or almond) butter and raisins. Speaking of raisins, I've found that all sorts of dried fruit can be great as workplace snacks. Craisins, apricots, mangos, things like that all go great in trail mix or are good by themselves. Sweets that are a better option than cookies, although some do tend to be very high in sugar, so check labels.

I'm a creature of habit, so I tend to make the same meals frequently, just on a vague rotation of "oh, haven't made xxx in a while, guess I'll do that!" Trying to break out of that rut, but that's another story. Meat/Protein: Good lean steaks, like tenderloin, london broil, sirloins Boneless chicken breast Skin-on chicken thighs Pork chops Pork tenderloin (great to marinate and toss under the broiler!) 93% lean ground beef Salmon Haddock or whatever other white fish is on sale that week SmartDogs (hot dogs made of vegetable protein, delicious and healthy) Bacon Roast Beef Turkey breast Eggs. Lots of eggs. Fruit/Veg: Broccoli Kale Spinach Yams Onions Carrots Celery Brussel sprouts (my favorite!) Asparagus Butternut squash Mushrooms Avocados Cauliflower Apples Bananas Plums Strawberries Clementines Dried prunes Dates/figs Grapes Blueberries Variety of frozen fruits for smoothies Dairy: Organic milk Sweet cream butter String cheese (great work snacks!) Shredded mozzarella Sharp cheddar of some kind Plain Greek Yogurt Other Stuff: Hummus Honey Olive oil Coconut oil ACV/Rice Wine Vinegar Protein powder Protein bars Pumpernickel bread (wish I could eat more of it! mostly for the other half) Shredded coconut Chia seeds Hot sauce I also have a pantry fully stocked of a million spices and herbs. I'm sure I'm forgetting a few things, but this is already an extensive list, haha. I just signed up for a CSA share from a local farm, so I'm really excited about getting all sort of fresh produce this summer! I cook things in bulk, because I always like to have leftovers, and I come from an Italian background, which means you have to be able to feed anybody that walks in your door around dinnertime. With me, my partner, our two roommates, and a revolving door of friends and family dropping by whenever they feel like it, needless to say I'm constantly food shopping.

I'll try to get this to the point where I'm posting daily, but this first post is almost overdue enough to call it a weekly retrospective. MONDAY Exercise Goal: StrongLifts workout A - my first! Squats - 5x5 @ 45lbs Bench Press - 2x5 @ 45lbs Barbell Row - 4x5 @45lbs Jog/Walk on treadmill - 15 minutes/1mi Food Goal: Total Intake: 1759cal - 96 over goal of 1663 Fats: 60g - 11g under goal of 71g Protein: 73g - 87g under goal of 160g Carbs: 140g - 42g over goal of 98g Fiber: 31g - 1g under goal of 32-40g Thoughts: Sooo I suck at the bench press. I'd like to blame it on my bum shoulder, but in reality I know it's just because I've probably never used my chest muscles for anything more than supporting my boobs. (Not that that's not a task in and of itself, right ladies?) Barbell row was almost a complete success, so I'm confident that when it comes time for the next set (Saturday!) I'll do the whole 5x5. Squats felt easy at the time, but my legs were sooooo stiff the next day! Food.... ouch. I won't be too harsh on myself because it's day one, but I REALLY need to get more protein - I hit less than half my macro today! TUESDAY Exercise Goal: Not met. Missed yoga because food shopping took longer than I thought it was going to and I would have been 25-30 mins late to class, which is not cool. Food Goal: Total Intake: 1149cal - 514cal under goal Fats: 29g - 42g under goal Protein: 69g - 91g under goal Carbs: 86g - 12g under goal Fiber: 11g - 21g under goal Thoughts: This was my day off, which means I spent half the day lounging in bed, sleeping late and catching up on paying bills, reading things, etc. Days like this I actually forget to eat, which is pretty much what happened. I didn't get up and do anything, so I didn't eat. Once I finally got up, I went food shopping and that was a success, because I got zero junk food, all healthy proteins and veggies, but it was hard to catch up on my eating - I can't force myself to eat if I'm just not hungry. I tried to have 2 pieces of chicken with dinner and everything, and I just could NOT manage to finish. I did have another small victory though, because Tuesday night is Bar Trivia night, and not only did I avoid the temptation of greasy pizza (my favorite), but I kept my alcohol intake down to 2 beers. We won, because all false modesty aside, I am a trivia savant. (No really, my family stopped agreeing to play Trivial Pursuit with me by the time I hit puberty) WEDNESDAY Exercise Goal: Stronglifts Workout B Squats: 3x5 @ 45lbs, 2x5 @ 50lbs OHP: 3x5 @ 45lbs Deadlift: 1x5 @ 70lbs Food Goal: Total Intake: 1709 cal - 46cal over goal Fats: 87g - 16g over goal Protein: 112g - 48g under goal Carbs: 137g - 39g over goal Fiber: 30g - 2g under goal Thoughts: Realized I was reading directions wrong initially, and that for deadlifts it's 1x5, not 5x5. So I adjusted the weight accordingly. Increased weight for my squats about halfway through, since my legs were still sore I didn't want to hurt myself. Barely sore at all today though, so I'll definitely up the lbs next workout! Food wise this is probably my best day so far, but I'm still struggling to get enough protein and reduce my carbs. Learned that the secret to hitting my Fats macro is to just eat nuts to make up the difference, haha. Bought almonds, macadamias and walnuts while I was food shopping, so I shouldn't run out for a while! Now that I've caught up a bit, it's a relief! I'll put today's entry in a separate post since this was a lot of info in one go. What I really could use some advice on is how to up my protein intake! I do have Muscle Milk shake powder that I have after workouts, and Met-Rx bars here and there, but my problem is that they're also a lot of carbs, so when I'm already going over for that macro I need alternatives. Also, I do like meat, but I can't eat a ton of it or I get a little sick. Ideas? Suggestions?

Boston nerds for everrrr! No but seriously, it's s great town to live in, lots of cool places to visit and things to see. I definitely recommend walking/running around the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, which is right at Cleveland Cirlcle. Also, JP really isn't that bad for the most part. There's Jamaica Pond, which is also beautiful, and a ton of great shops/places to eat. Museums for days, free concerts at the hatch shell during the summer, and the city itself is very walk-able, so you'll get used to navigating in no time.

Just wanted to chime in here - your pic about Optimism made me laugh so hard I had to explain to everyone in the room with me what I was laughing at. Looking forward to reading more of your updates, keep the progress going! Don't let the wife's tasty bread baking entice you - I suggest taking some and bringing it to a pond maybe? (If you have one convenient nearby) Then you can start feeding ducks with it... by the time all the ducks realize you have bread, they'll be chasing you around the pond, and then you not only get rid of the bread, but hey! bonus cardio!

Grand adventures are the best kind! Why settle for less? The mead halls will sing of your accomplishments

I usually do a 10min warmup jog on the treadmill before lifting, and then another 10-15min jog to cool down afterwards. I also walk/run to the gym, which is about 2 minutes from my house. Before I decided to get serious about working out and read a bunch about lifting, I was just going and doing cardio occasionally, either elliptical or treadmill. My best mile (ever!) was about 9:40, and that was a month or so ago. I can do a 5k in roughly 35-36, or at least I could last time I tried, haha. A bunch of people I work with do a 5k right before the 4th of July every year, so I plan on signing up this time around and hopefully not embarrassing myself. I'm interesting in putting more of a focus on getting into a good routine of lifting, since I've never done it before, and I already know that I don't like running on the treadmill enough to do it regularly. Now that the weather is finally getting nice here though, I'll be able to hike more and run outside, which is a little more my speed.

Edit: Oops, double posted that last one.

Honestly, I can probably only do 2-3 sets OHP, but my gym has Olympic barbells which weigh about 45lbs, so I'm just using the bar without any additional weight. I'm trying to work up to the full 5 while getting used to the bar instead of using dumbbells. Deadlifting is much easier, I can do 5X5 already no problem, so I anticipate that I'll be adding weight much more frequently than I will be with the OHP. That was just my thought anyways - does it make sense?

Aife shifted her weight from one foot to the other, processing the news. The Amazon council had called for her to appear before them in a month, and she knew exactly what that meant. The coming-of-age trial. Hers had been delayed several times due to her half-blood status, since "elf blood runs slower in the veins". Now she knew that even her mother's status on the council could not delay the inevitable. Smaller in stature and weaker than her peers because of her half-elven genetics, she was nervous. The trials that the other women her age had gone through were perilous. Night hunts in unknown areas of the jungle, significant feats of strength, skirmishes against a nearby population of Cat-people... How would she perservere when others who were bigger and stronger had perished? Pure stubbornness and determination, that's how. She would show them that she could overcome any obstacle they threw in front of her! FIRST QUEST: Prepare for the coming-of-age trial by increasing overall strength with lifting, flexibility with yoga, and tracking food intake. Strength Goal: Follow StrongLifts workout 3x a week until the end of the challenge. Increase weight by 2.5lbs after every successful set of 5x5 Starting Weights: Squats - 45lbs Barbell Rows - 45lbs Bench Press - 40lbs Deadlifts - 45lbs Overhead Press - 45lbs Flexibility Goal: Hatha yoga 2x a week, 90 minute sessions Dietary Goal: Track eating every day, no exceptions. Follow my IIFYM macros as closely as possible. Drink 75+ oz of water daily. TDEE: 2037 cal/day 80% intake: 1663 cal/day Protein - 160g Fats - 71g Carbs - 96g Fiber - 32-40g I started yesterday, with a successful trip to the gym and my first SL workout. I'm feeling excited and pumped to continue. I have a 5-day trip to beautiful Boulder, CO coming up in a week and a half, so I know it will be hard to follow my challenge goals while I'm partying and visiting friends, but I'm not going to let that stop me!

Hey all! I'm super excited to have found NF, and I'm really hoping some accountability will help me on my journey. A little (lot of) backstory? Ok, since you asked: 25 yr old female, 5' 8", about 158lbs, mother to the world's greatest cat, studying to be an optician while living in a funky 60's (read: falling apart) house with my nerdy partner-in-crime. I've ranged from "chubby" to "very overweight" through my life. My parents, although they are wonderful, have terrible eating habits, which I inherited. I've always been a nerd, and was more interested in staying inside and reading or drawing than getting any sort of excercise. The summer after I turned 21, I topped out at about 210lbs (Aug 2010). I remember getting on the scale and crying. I knew then that I had to change. Fast forward 8 months - I've moved out of my parent's house and away from the bad habits. Living in Boston, I'm working 2 jobs that keep me on my feet 14 hours a day, eating healthier, cutting down on my drinking, and walking almost everywhere. By the time Aug 2011 rolled around, I was down to about 155lbs and I felt great, had more confidence than ever and was sure my progress would continue. But as we all know. "sh*t happens" and sometimes life gets in the way. I injured my shoulder at one of my jobs, which limited my mobility and has turned into a chronic pain issue that still hasn't been resolved. I stopped working two highly active jobs and switched to a high-stress sedentary desk job. I moved out of the city and into the house in the sticks to live with the man I adore, which translated into not being able to walk to work/etc. It also doesn't help that he's the type who can eat everything in his path without gaining an ounce, so there's constantly the urge to get takeout or eat junk food with him. All of these things combined and more have contributed to the plateau that I'm still currently on. Last year I gained a little of the weight back, and promptly panicked. It was a wake-up call for me to get myself back on the right track. I am still in a much better position than when I started - job that I love, better eating habits and the knowledge that I DON'T actually hate excercise. Ok, now that I've rambled about my entire life, here's the good part: FITNESS GOALS! 1. Work out 3-5x a week continuously for a month 1b. Work out 3-5x a week continuously for 6 months 2. Run a 5k in <33 minutes by July 3. Lose 3in off of my current measurements 4. Get my diet to 80%-20% by tracking everything I eat every day 5. Pizza no more than once a week! (sob) Right now my major motivation is just to break out of the rut that I seem to be stuck in. I've got my ideas of where I want to be by my Lvl 50, so the first step is just getting past Lvl 1. If you've made it this far, thanks! I'd love to hear anyone's ideas or constructive criticism