sozzielou is what she chooses to become

[sozzielou]

So hello again; I'm respawning after an NF hiatus. This is my first challenge in the new 2016 format so please bear with me if I don't get it quite right in the beginning. My challenge for this month goes something like this:

 

1. Moderation!

When it comes to chocolate, I practice moderation. I eat no more than 50g of chocolate per day.

 

2. Breakfast!

I eat a healthy breakfast after I work out. 

 

3. Treadlift!

I follow the Treadlift workouts.

 

4. Alarm!

I make use of my smartphone alarm app to organise my life and maintain discipline / boost mindfulness.

[Charlie_Quinn]

Yay! Sozz is back!

 

 

Nice challenge. Is treadlift some combination of treadmill and lifting?

[Elastigirl]

Looks like a solid challenge.

[Evicious]

Looks good, sozzielou!  And I second Charlie_Quinn's query - what's "treadlift"?

[sozzielou]

16 hours ago, Charlie_Quinn said:

Is treadlift some combination of treadmill and lifting?

 

treadLIFT is a new programme by Jill Coleman of jillfit. I like her stuff and have done her mindset course. I am also trying to implement her moderation365 idea (eat what you want but in moderation, hence the chocolate rationing.) Very much like what Steve says and does.

 

treadLIFT has 3 sections, each section lasts 12 weeks. All the workouts are designed to be 30 mins. The first section is Build. It is 10-mins of treadmill (or any cardio really) work followed by 20-mins of weights. Four days per week and different workouts each day which build over the 12 weeks. The key is that they are dumbbell based weights. My gym is getting pretty popular at 7am (who'd have thought it?!?) and consequently I couldn't guarantee getting a power rack for barbell workouts. Plus I was looking for something fresh and new. OK it has only been 2 days (Wednesdays are rest days) but I am enjoying it. 

 

I didn't get any workouts in between June 2015 and February 2016. On Leap Day 2016 I went back to the gym and started working out again. But I lost so much strength and conditioning that I pretty much was starting from scratch again. I have had all the DOMs and aches and pains ever since!

 

 

 

 

[Charlie_Quinn]

It sounds like a nice mix of cardio and strength training and the fact you enjoy it is even better.

[sozzielou]

For the first time in my life I am running on a treadmill without holding on to the sides.

 

I feel awesome 

 

 

 

[Charlie_Quinn]

Fist Bump!

[sozzielou]

45-second run intervals today and I survived! Woohoo!!

 

Week 1 of Treadlift is complete. Today's strength was shoulders. It was HARD. But it's done.

 

Overall, I'm really enjoying it. Will do a proper round up of week 1 after Saturday.

[Charlie_Quinn]

Well done! Intervals are horrid but they get the job done. 

[Evicious]

I've never liked interval training either. I always start off feeling like, "Oh, hey, look at me go! I'm not even tired!" and then a 1/4 of the way through I feel like I'm moving through peanut butter up to my eyeballs.  But you ALSO accomplished my other area of difficulty: shoulders. I can totally sympathize with you on that one! So proud that you stayed strong and got it done.

 

[sozzielou]

Week 1 round up!

 

1. Moderation!

Moderation is going well; I find preparation is key. I have portioned out 20g pots of chocolate buttons with 15 almonds and have this as my snack in the afternoon. It is a filling snack which I eat right when I need something to tide me over on the transition from finishing up at work and going home. I am therefore not completely starving or faint by the time I get home and am not craving chocolate after my tea so it's a win there.

 

2. Breakfast!

Again, preparation is the key. I have been making hard-boiled eggs and putting them in pots with a slice of turkey wrapped around them. After I work out, I have a protein shake with a scoop of greens powder in. Then once I am showered and dressed I have my breakfast with a cup of tea. I have swapped my teaspoon of sugar (in my cup of tea) for stevia. Another win there, I think. It's proving to be a pretty good way to start my day!

 

3. Treadlift!

Treadlift is proving to be challenging but fun. I haven't yet completed a workout; the weights portions are 4 rounds of 4 exercises but 10 reps of each, and I haven't had the time, energy and strength to complete 4 rounds yet. But I am working intensely and I genuinely feel I an working more efficiently, which is what I am aiming for. Quality over quantity for the win! I was a bit sad to see how much strength and conditioning I have lost, but it is a reality check and honestly to be expected when I have been a bit lazy and submissive for the last 8-9 months. I am a fighter and I choose to fight on.

 

4. Alarm!

This has been pretty revolutionary for me (as sad and as behind the times as that sounds) and so far I am only using 2 alarms per day! Firstly, I have an alarm which goes off one minute after my alarm clock rings in the morning which says "get out of bed." I don't know why it works, but it does. My second alarm goes off at 8pm and says "evening routine." This is a reminder to stop what I am doing, switch off any screens (games, television, laptop, facebook, whatever) and start winding down before bedtime. I like to have things set out for the next day so I can get up and out of the house quickly, and this alarm helps me bring my mind back to what I am doing so that I don't get side-tracked by doing something else.

[sozzielou]

 

Managed 3 rounds of 4 today! BOOM! That's progress 

[Charlie_Quinn]

Great job! I'm sure you'll be doing 4 rounds in no time. You may have lost some conditioning but it wont take you long to get back to where you were.

 

I like your egg wrapped in turkey idea. Here's a slight alternative if you fancy a change. My friend who goes to slimming world turned me on to this one; mini quiches, but instead of pastry you line the base with ham slices. Really great as a portable snack.

[Evicious]

[sozzielou]

21 hours ago, Charlie_Quinn said:

mini quiches, but instead of pastry you line the base with ham slices

 

Great idea Charlie, must have a go next week! This week I actually have my hard-boiled egg wrapped in a slice of ham and a slice of cheese, so it's kind of quiche like. But I like the idea of the quiches because of the opportunity to get some veggies in there.

 

So today I did 4 rounds but 3 exercises instead of 4 (knees just say "no" to lunges.) I'm taking part in the Rangers mini and this week is agility feat week. I opted to do exercises on one leg that would usually do with 2 legs. Today was leg day and I did squats, deadlifts and glute bridges. I did some Bulgarian split squats with 2 kettlebells instead of 2-legged barbell back squats, single leg deadlifts with a kettlebell instead of regular barbell deadlifts and a kettlebell for 1-legged glute bridges. I think I probably looked hilarious and a bit dodgy doing the glute bridges but I don't really care. I used lighter weights but definitely felt more agile doing it. 

 

Monday was all arms so nothing there I could do 1-legged, and Wednesday is recovery / rest day so next update will be Thursday when I will have some more agility feat opportunity. Be awesome everybody!

[Evicious]

 

Just wanted you to know that I dragged myself out of bed this morning at 04:30 a.m. (to the sound of my newly-set, ultra-early alarm, which is meant to give me extra time to run longer distances) and had almost convinced myself to "just work out later today", when I found myself skimming through your Week 1 wrap-up and read this:

 

Quote

I was a bit sad to see how much strength and conditioning I have lost, but it is a reality check and honestly to be expected when I have been a bit lazy and submissive for the last 8-9 months. I am a fighter and I choose to fight on.

 

And I put down my (2nd) cup of coffee, went and changed into the brand new running clothes I'd bought specifically for my Week 2 running plans, strapped on my Fitbit and headed out the door.

 

Yes, this is accurate.

 

I didn't have much time left after my morning of procrastination, but I still did 2 miles of intermittent sprinting and some unintentional hill work (got turned around on an unfamiliar street and it took 3 tries to pick the correct outlet). In short, you rock and I wouldn't have done it without you. Thank you for reminding me:

 

[sozzielou]

On 5/17/2016 at 9:00 PM, Evicious said:

I put down my (2nd) cup of coffee, went and changed into the brand new running clothes I'd bought specifically for my Week 2 running plans, strapped on my Fitbit and headed out the door. I didn't have much time left after my morning of procrastination, but I still did 2 miles of intermittent sprinting and some unintentional hill work (got turned around on an unfamiliar street and it took 3 tries to pick the correct outlet). In short, you rock and I wouldn't have done it without you.

 

Aw ... this is awesome! You are awesome!  Compared to your 0430 start, I feel lazy getting up at 0550 now!

 

Oh and I feel like that in new gym clothes too 

[sozzielou]

Oh and woot alert ... I did my treadmill as prescribed and then 4 rounds of 4 exercises (10 reps each) this morning. It was back and core work today and, whilst I didn't do the exercises completely as described (for example I can't do renegade rows yet so I did planking on my hands instead and even managed to do some shoulder touches for one-armed agility feat awesomeness) I managed my "sweet sixteen" all within the time allocated. When I finished I actually felt 2 inches taller!!!

 

[Charlie_Quinn]

[Evicious]

[sozzielou]

Week 2 round up!

 

1. Moderation!

Pretty good for moderation this week; no binge eating and no starving. Win!

 

2. Breakfast!

Continuing from week 1, I have been having my shake with greens right after my workout plus when I get to the office I have been having a hard-boiled egg with a slice of meat (ham this week) and have added a slice of cheese. The cheese I got is pretty large and a bit higher in calories than I wanted but it's tasty. I want to look for something slightly different for week 3.

 

3. Treadlift!

I managed 4 rounds of 4 exercises this week, 10 reps each exercise. Despite having the same exercises each week, it's still challenging and fun. I am seeing improvement in my abilities which is motivating to me.

 

4. Alarm!

Continued with my 2 alarms from week 1 which are really helping me be more mindful and less distracted.

[sozzielou]

It's Monday again so soon! My day didn't get off to the best start. But did I let that affect me? No, I went to the gym and smashed my workout, I listened to some fantastic tunes, I had a good sweat, a good shower, a good breakfast and today is going to be a good day 

 

 

 

[Charlie_Quinn]

Happy Monday!

 

Excellent job on week 2. I have no doubt that by the end of this week you'll be standing over a destroyed week 3, laughing as it sits quivering fearfully in the corner.

[sozzielou]

So I work at a University where one of our departments has a sport therapy / rehabilitation clinic. They give really good massages as well as advice and specific exercises for posture and any sore or injured body parts you may have. Staff get a reduced rate. Anyway as my reward for sticking with my challenge I thought I would book a massage for myself this week. Well, what do you know, this week the clinic is offering FREE appointments for staff! My Monday just gets better and better!