Week 10 Recap 01/23/12

Edit: 1/26/12 I had to remove my table as this was the cause of my blog format issues. I will add it back in tomorrow once corrected.

Countdown: 14 days

Sunday's numbers day was a success!  Originally I was bummed because I thought that even adding more cardio per BFL supporter Hussman Fitness only amounted to a 1 lb loss, but when I got home to log my measurements in my spreadsheet, I realized that I actually had lost 2 lbs!!  Another positive was that none of my body measurements went up, but many went down, including chest, calves, hips, thighs, forearms.  Another loss was my belly, it had been stuck the last few weeks and FINALLY dropped a 1/2".  Does this mean that my body will finally start taking from the spots I really want gone?  Let's hope so!!  So 10 weeks complete, weigh in of 247 making total scale weight loss officially 18lbs and have lost 6.5" around the belly :)  I was happy to tell the wife my progress and she reminded me that I'm about where I was when I met her eight years ago right now.  I kept thinking I was at about 230 when I met her, but thinking back I was about 200 lbs when I did BFL last time and I had put on some weight by the time I met her, so I guess she is right.  She'll be married to a stranger soon lol.  I'm glad to be in the 240's, watch out 230's here I come!  At this point, I have had much success, changed my habits, eating healthy, established a good fitness routine, but have come to terms, that I need more time to hit my additional goals.  I see how much I have changed now, but will need more time to build more muscle and burn more fat.  Let's see how I can finish out this challenge and will make my decision how I plan the next challenge.

Lifting this week has not suffered even with the addtional cardio.  I need to make sure it doesn't effect my intensity, because if it does I will most likely scale back the cardio.  Putting on my running shoes in the locker room this week I got a shot of my calf muscle and honestly was surprised at what popped out!  I haven't seen that muscle and defined as it was since probably the last time I did BFL over 10yrs ago.

After adding the additional low/ modersate intensity cardio  I can tell you that I feel it in my legs!  My cardio schedule this week has been 20 minutes HIIT on cardio days and adding 20 minutes of low/ moderate intensity cardio immediately afterwards.  Measuring my BPM, I have been sticking between 120-130, but would peak at 140 at times and would slow down to a walk instead of my jog at 4mph to maintain my intensity where it should be.  On lifting days, I am trying to get cardio in the morning, but isn't always working, so I am completing it mostly after lifting is complete.  Again this is 20 minutes of low to moderate intensity and this time I was keeping the heart rate about 110-120 on the bike.  One day I had to use the treadmill because all the bikes were taken, but I really didn't want to run, just didn't want to aggravate my knees.  So I walked on the treadmill and found that if I inclined between 3-4 it would let me hit my target BPM.  Sunday was to be a rest day, but I have added an addtional 40 minute run.  I kept it at 4 mph and BPM ranged from 120-140.  I slept like a baby last night, I could tell my body wanted to sleep more and more lol... Hussman said to make sure to get plenty of rest with the maximum tweak and I think he is right.

Nutrition went well this week stuck to the normal routine for the most part but have escalated one ingredient to a major staple.  1% cottage cheese has become a big part of my diet this week, I went through 4 large containers this week!  I'm mixing it with flavored yogurt and it's delicious!  It was so delicious that I attempted a smoothie with it for my son, naturally I added more protein to mine, but he loved it!  Nothing like a blueberry banana cottage cheese smoothie.  He enjoyed it so much he has asked me to make sure I put cottage cheese going forward lol.  Going forward I would like to replace my last Myoplex Orginal shake with a smoothie, it's just more filling to me when adding the fruit, yogurt, skim milk, cottage cheese, but since I need a higher protein intake, I will just throw a scoopof protein in to boost it with another 20g.  Heck I'm making them everynight for the family anyway, so why not join the crowd!  All I do is change the fruits around and they love them.

  

My cheat day was Sunday and although I didn't really have a taste for anything in particular I did have a craving for Chipotle.  Normally you can still pull off a healty burrito type meal with a wheat tortilla you just can't use sour cream, cheese, and the white rice with cilantro, but it's just not the same without it.  My 3 year old came with me for the ride and asked what is this place.  I had to explain to him it was a restaurant that he had never been too.  I ordered up a steak burrito with the works, chips and guacamole, and a large diet coke.  For the youngin I picked up a taco, but I had to make him happy and called it a mini-burrito lol.  We both enjoyed our lunch at home and I think we found a new lover of their lime salt chips, my son!  As I have learned, I did continue with eating meals every 2-3 hrs and did stick with a shake in the morning after running and one in the afternoon.  I filled in the dinner meal by going out to eat with some friends to celebrate both my wife's and I birthday.  I kept it simple, NY strip steak with a double baked potatoe crust, garlic mashed potatoes, and creamy spinach.  I shocked myself that I was full half way through.  Doggy bag to go, but not sure which doggie will get it lol.  My wife had frozen my Portillos chocolate cake from last week and I had a half a slice.  I stayed up a little later than usual last night to do some work and midnight came around fast, so I ran to the kitchen for some cottage cheese and put in a scoop of protein and some strawberry yougurt.  A yummy before bed protein packed snack.  Just the cottage cheese an protein was a massive 46g's, this didn't include the yogurt.