Meranna the Hobbit - First Quest!!

[Meranna]

 

 So, I didn't discover this forum until this past weekend, so I'm starting this challenge late. 

 

I've already been working out with my husband for over a year now, and I've been really getting into the strength training, but I haven't had a lot of success sticking to the nutrition I know I need so I'm hoping I can push myself more through these challenges. 

 

So, here goes nothing!

 

(*NOTE* Editing Quest on 12/5/14, as I was able to take the time to work out some more specifics. This may also be due to the fact that I actually just read the Level 1 Guidebook in detail only yesterday... Oh well, I'm glad I posted my initial, though incomplete, challenge notes when I did as I knew if I didn't do it I would eventually convince myself to wait until the next challenge started in January.)

 

Main Quest

Improve myself - and my body - physically. I didn't want to make too specific goals here, like weight or clothes size because I don't want to obsess over details like that. But I know I want to be strong - I know I want to get my body fat percentage down to a healthy level, and I know I want to believe that I look good when I look in the mirror. Ultimately, I don't want to set a "goal weight" because eventually I hope to become happy with my body and then just build muscle beyond that and continue to get stronger.

 

I know, at the very least though, that I need to lose at least 50 pounds. I'm only 5'3", and I currently weigh 200 lbs. I think starting with a goal of 50 lbs is a good, healthy goal to start with; once I'm there, we'll see after that! To be perfectly honest....one of the main reasons I'm unsure of the weight I should aim for at first is because I am Latina, and my bust, hips and butt have always been bigger no matter my overall weight. I don't want to get too specific here or weird anybody out, but this is the reality of my conundrum and frankly it's something I worry about a lot - worrying about my bust size especially, as it has never fluctuated in size with my weight. (At least not since my sophomore year of high school when I hit the size I am now....let's just say "the girls" were bigger than average, especially for a 16 year-old girl, and they've stayed pretty much the same size ever since.) I've never worked out and strength trained the way I am now though, either, so I'm nervously anticipating what changes might happen all over my body. I'm mostly just not sure whether I should be worried about the size of "the girls", and how their size may or may not affect my overall health. I'll just take things as they come, I guess, no matter what changes in my body may occur. My goal is to be strong and healthy anyway, and I want that more than anything else.  

 

 

Steps to take for reaching the Goal (For the remainder of this challenge)

1. Workout, both strength training and cardio, at least 5 times a week. This will involve:

   1. Strength Training at least 3 times a week

   2. Cardio at least 2 times a week

   3. Individual goals within this step: run for 3 miles straight without stopping at least 3 times by the end of December; learn to squat and bench press with the free-weight barbell (rather than the Smith machine) by the end of December; be able to complete at least 3 full pushups by the end of December.

2. Continue to wear my Fitbit daily (taking one night off a week to charge it) and track all exercise, food intake, and sleep each day.

   1. I have a food plan on my Fitbit account aimed for a 750 calorie deficit every day - I will be flexible with that though on the days that I do intense strength training (in other words, Leg day).

   2. The best way to measure whether I’m tracking accurately and being honest will be by my weight; my hope is to lose 1.5-2.5 pounds per week (weighing on Sunday mornings).

3. Limit my eating out to three times a week, and avoid eating out at lunch as much as possible. It’s harder to find good food for lunch that meets my current dietary needs, while if I eat out for dinner with my husband we tend to eat healthier and be more careful. (This will also help financially.)

 

Life Quest

I am very much an introvert, and I don’t want these goals to keep me from developing and growing emotionally as well. My goal is to spend some time at least once each week hanging out or talking to a friend outside of work - either going out dancing, having someone over, or going over to a friends house for a visit. (And my husband doesn't count - he sees enough of me, and I know he wants me to be more social, too.)

 

Motivation

I want to improve my health so I can start a family, sometime later next year is the goal. I want to build good habits before then so I can be the best person I can be for my kids and give them a good example.

 

No Attribute points at this time for me, but I do want to outline how I want to measure each of my Quest steps at the end of the challenge.

 

Workouts

A = 10-12 Strength Training Sessions, and 7-8 Cardio Sessions completed by the end of December

B = 8-9 Strength Training Sessions, and 6 Cardio Sessions completed by the end of December

C = 7 Strength Training Sessions, and 5 Cardio Sessions completed by the end of December

D = 6 Strength Training Sessions, and 4 Cardio Sessions completed by the end of December

F = 5 or less Strength Training Sessions, and 3 or less Cardio Sessions completed by the end of December

 

Fitbit and Weight

A = 26-31 days tracked on my Fitbit, and 7 or more pounds lost by the end of December

B = 21-25 days tracked on my Fitbit, and 6 pounds lost by the end of December

C = 16-20 days tracked on my Fitbit, and 5 pounds lost by the end of December

D = 12-15 days tracked on my Fitbit, and 4 pounds lost by the end of December

F = 11 days or less tracked on my Fitbit, and 3 pounds or less lost by the end of December

 

Eating Out

A = Eating out 12 or less times during the month

B = Eating out 13-14 times during the month

C = Eating out 15 times during the month

D = Eating out 16 times during the month

F = Eating out 17 or more times during the month

 

Alright - let's see how this goes!  

 

[AIdi]

I'm really inspired by your motivation. i think doing something like this for your future family is really respectable, and something i've been considering myself so I can relate.

 

Anyhow, I saw that there were a few late comers to this challenge so I thought I'd say hi and good luck as we might be on a similar path. All the best on accomplishing your goals, especially in these first few weeks! I'll check in now and then to see how yours are going.

[Meranna]

I'm really inspired by your motivation. i think doing something like this for your future family is really respectable, and something i've been considering myself so I can relate.

 

Anyhow, I saw that there were a few late comers to this challenge so I thought I'd say hi and good luck as we might be on a similar path. All the best on accomplishing your goals, especially in these first few weeks! I'll check in now and then to see how yours are going.

 

Hi Aldi! Thank you very much - and I saw you started the challenge recently as well! Looking forward to see how your journey goes over the next couple of weeks - good luck!

[Meranna]

Week 1 - Update 1

 

Day 1 - Tuesday December 2nd

 

Workout:

• Fitbit steps tracker: 6,496 steps total
• Warm-up: slow jog for 10 minutes
• Bench Press (smith machine), 3 sets of 10 reps each; sets 1&2 at 30 lbs + Bar (15 lbs/side), set 3 at 20 lbs + Bar (10 lbs/side)
• 2 sets of Dumbbell flys - 10 lbs; set 1 - 10 reps; set 2 - 14 reps (supposed to be 12 and 12)
• Kneeling Pushups - 15 total
• 40 Hip Raises (bridges)
• 40 Donkey Kicks (20/side)
• 40 Oysters (20/side)
• 40 Bird Dogs (20/side)
• Metabolic Finisher: High Intensity Cardio/Ab Endurance Superset - "Do any cardiovascular activity at an intensity you can only sustain for 2 minutes; switch to a push-up plank and hold as possible (up to 1 minute)." I did two reps, cardio was the row machine, keeping it between 2:30-2:45/500 meters, and I held the push-up plank for 30 seconds each time.

Nutrition:

• Total Calories burned: 2,483
• Total Calorie intake: 1,676
• Deficit: -807

 

Day 2 - Wednesday, December 3rd

 

Workout:

• Fitbit steps tracker: 10,616
• Cardio day: walked/ran a total distance of 4.9 miles, 2.5 of which were at the gym on the treadmill, and 2 of those I ran without stopping. (Yay! I've discovered I actually really enjoy running. It's something I've never really been able to do until I started training for my first 5K which I completed the first weekend in November, which I ran about half of, interspersed with walking as fast as I could. The fact that I can actually run for 2 whole miles now without stopping is a HUGE accomplishment for me, and frankly makes me feel stronger than almost anything else....except for when I can leg press more than my husband.)   Tee-hee

Nutrition:

• Total Calories burned: 2,702
• Total Calorie intake: 1,976
• Deficit: -726

Day 3 - Thursday, December 4th

 

Workout:

• Squats (smith machine), 2 sets of 12, 50 lbs + Bar (25 lbs/side)
• Barbell Deadlifts, 5 sets of 8; set 1 - Bar only; sets 2-5 20 lbs + Bar (10 lbs/side)
• Smith-machine lunges 3 sets of 8; 20 lbs + Bar (10 lbs/side)
• Calf Press/Leg Press Superset; 1st set at 180 lbs, 10 leg presses/20 calf presses; 2nd set a 175 lbs, 8 leg presses/20 calf presses; 3rd set at 175 lbs, 10 leg presses/20 calf presses 
• Metabolic Finisher: Row Finisher - row 500 meters, rest 3 minutes; row 300 meters, rest 2 minutes; row 200 meters, rest 1 minute, row 100 meters. (All sets rowed at a 2:25-2:45/500 meters pace) *Note* I wanted to do a sprinting version of this finisher, but my legs were like rubber and I felt like I was going to throw up if I stayed upright much longer.... rowing was definitely the wiser choice on Leg Day, plus it then also worked my chest and triceps!

Nutrition:

• Total Calories burned: 2,689
• Total Calorie intake: 2,265
• Deficit: -424

 

As far as eating out goes, that hasn't been going as well...I've eaten out during lunch 4 times this week, though I have made dinner every night. Goal is to definitely do better next week... I think I need to buy a bunch of chicken this weekend and grill it on the George Forman. 

[Teirin]

That is indeed great motivation and you are very clear and sensible in looking at where you want to go and not just picking random numbers.  You clearly spent a lot of time thinking about this and deciding what would work for you. 

 

Welcome to NerdFitness :-)

 

Edit:  if you haven't already been in, the level one mini challenges are in this thread.