Sneak Peak into Fall!

• Vegtember: Vegan/Vegetarian for all of September
• Yogtober: Join a yoga class for the month
• Newvember: try something new all month
• Detoxember: Juicing & detox focus all month

 ++ Yoga Friday!

Yoga Poses | 7DSD Day 2

I wanted to give a recap of my nutrient intakes since I started compared to my fat/muscle percents. As carbs and fat decrease, so does my fat (slowly, but surely) and as I increased my protein and workouts, the muscle is even more slowly going up. I'd really like to see these have more dramatic changes, but at least they're still mostly going in the right directions. I just know that with how little I was eating and how hard I was working out, something wasn't working right.

I'm still struggling to understand what my calorie intake should be per day. My BMR is around 2200, so I switched my daily goal from 1200 to 1700 per day, hoping that cutting 500 from my BMR will be one pound per week. If I work out, too, then that other 500 calories will be a 2nd pound per week. Since the beginning I had my calories cut to 1200, then I'd work out 500-700 calories a day and end with only 500-600 calories. I thought this was how I would lose 1 lb a week, but apparently that has put my body into a starvation mode and it is holding onto fat and burning muscle instead. I was told we need to eat more to fuel the new muscles, and assured that the new muscles will burn off those extra calories anyway. I'm trying to steer a bit away from counting calories and more just listening to my body, but I don't want to get too lax so I'm still tracking daily.

And here is where I'm at for my workouts this week (not going well but still doable!)
Sun - Get active w/ friends at zoo
Mon- none/sick
Tues- none/sick
Wed - Yoga +  Santorini Bikini X2 + Malibooty X3
Thurs - Surfers Paradise X3 + Cowabunga X3
To do:
Fri: Surfers Paradise X3 + Bikini Cardio
Sat: 60 jog (to make up two missed 30 min cardios) + Bridal Babe w/o

Fluctuations

My weight is down to 161 today. I need to not weigh myself till Wednesday now. The detox lost me 2 lbs, but I ended the detox at like 4pm yesterday. Um, I think I'll do a 7DSD starting Saturday or Sunday. This is just getting ridiculous because I cant figure out where that weight came from. I did not eat 10,500 extra calories to gain 3 lbs!!!!! But that aside, I'm just trying to stick to my workouts and clean eating. Last night I did have 1 margarita and popcorn to watch the season finale of Greys Anatomy. Today I'm hoping to get lunch with a good friend and possibly go for a walk if the weather permits it.

Tonight, instead of indulging I really want to take a walk or catch up on my TIU toning routines. I'm a little behind this week but only by a couple so I should easily be able to make them up. It'll be okay. This week, and pretty much since I started dieting, my mantra has been "It's a lifestyle, not a race!" and I just have to keep remind myself of that.


*Update

So I went for a little walk with my sister this afternoon then I went for a 40 min. cardio jog/walk afterwards. :) Nearing the end of my jog, I was pushing really hard to keep jogging, watching my feet hit the pavement and singing "Just around the river bed" in my head as I rounded a bunch of trees and a lake. For some reason that line always comes in my head when I'm jogging in the forest preserve. lol. Anyway, so I look up and stop in shock.... there is a deer standing 10-15 feet in front of me, at a dead stop! He looked just as shocked to see me! Ha. And he was stopped dead center of the pathway. Of course this is the very first time I did not bring a camera with me... I figured everyone was sick of seeing my workout pics in the park. Of course this time I would have had something to shoot! Ugh, I could kick myself. But I had a really great moment with nature and with this deer. I motioned at it to move as if it would understand what the motions meant. It jumped over a few feet, I saw it's poofy white tale. Then I started walking past and it took a few more feet into the trees. I watched it and it watched me. It was a really cool moment, seriously!

After I got home from my jog, I checked my weight for the last time until Wed... and I am back down to 159. My sister had speculated that this fluctuation is due to me ovulating and I can assume she's right, being that I am ovulating right now according to my period tracker app.  lol

End of Drinking Fast

So today was officially supposed to be the end of my drinking fast. I didn't stick to it pretty much at all. Um, I am disappointed that I didn't finish but overall I'm just trying to minimize the amount I drink and for that I think I've been successful. I have continued to have a few drinks every weekend (boo me!) but I have for the most part cut back on how much I drink every time that I do, and I've made better choices about what to drink! So instead of beer I'll choose a vodka-diet or something. Eh, I tried! I'm going to continue trying to minimize my drinking because I think that's overall a really great goal to try for.

 I didn't do any workouts yesterday. I've had this awful headache since early on Wednesday. I pushed through it for my workout on Wed, but I couldn't yesterday and I went to bed at 5pm last night! Stayed in bed for 12.5 hours. I just took some migraine relief... I don't know why I have it but I want to get rid of it because It's MY BIRTHDAY!

I know I'm going shopping with my mom to pick out an outfit for my Bday dinner tonight with my boyfriend. I also have to give her her mothers day gift ((a nonspillable mug, dark chocolate bar, a ginger ACV drink, and a sweet almond bar of soap)) Sadly it's 50 degrees and raining so I'm not even excited anymore. We had 75 and sun all week, except today. :/

Right now I'm watching  "Into the Wild" and trying to relax with a cup of coffee. Just finished some Bday morning yoga to relax as well.

Yogi Friday

Today I did 45 minutes on the elliptical machine.+ Malibooty workout X3


I try to do a little yoga every week so any improvement I make doesn't fall to the side by lack of practice. I didn't do it Sunday like usual because this past Sunday I had to work so I actually did the yoga last night. I'm really glad I committed (in my May goals) to posting about yoga on Fridays this month because it holds me accountable to continuing to do it every week. If it weren't for that, I know this week I would have skipped it. I didn't do any routines this time (like Tara Stiles youtube channel). I just tried to relax and practice the poses I've learned. I couldn't get up on the back bend at all so I'll have to practice that one more. I balanced on my head for awhile, though.

Bikini Series

I have continued to work on my yogi poses. :) I'm not progressing yet but I think it's important to keep on it and train my muscles. I have progressed from holding my knees on my elbows to floating my knees in the air. Eventually I will be able to hold my legs up for more than 20 seconds. The back bend... Well that has a very long way to go. I can't really lift my head off the floor yet. My arm muscles aren't strong enough!

This week I focused on upping my protein intake so every day I was, give or take a few, 111 grams. I felt so much more awake and energized. I slept better. I was more pumped for workouts. My attitude was better. I wonder if I have been needing more lean protein all along! I always felt like I ate enough (then I upped it when I started dieting) but TIU recently informed me via their Protein calculator that I need 111 grams per day! I was averaging about 70 so it was quite a jump and I feel amazing.

Anyway, for fit Friday I wanted to express my excitement for the TIU bikini series! On Wednesday we did 45 minutes of HIIT (I did it on the elliptical, level 5 for moderate pace and level 8 for harder pace) and we also did Sunkissed Abs routine X3. Then on Thursday we did 30 minutes of cardio (I did 30 minutes on the elliptical as well as 30 cycling) plus the bikini strap workout X3. Loving it!!

Triangle, Tip Toe, + Warrior

Sunday seems to have become my yoga day. I hate going to the gym on weekends because it's so crowded and there are so many kids running around. All morning I was trying different yoga poses and routines (some from netflix, some from youtube). I was able to do a headstand for 20 seconds with no wall support. I tried again later that day but flipped onto my back. Lol. I'm glad nobody was there to see that!

Yesterday Mu upper back/shoulders hurt so bad! I think it was from all the strength training I had to do to balance my body for the headstand. That or its from the one time I flipped over. :) So I was only able to do 35 minutes at the gym yesterday which is better than nothing! And, again, no 30DS was completed because a lot of the strength routines in it focus on shoulders and  back so just in case I did tweek something from flipping over I didn't want to hurt it more by pushing myself.

I think yoga will be really great if I can keep with it. I don't know much about it but all I hear are amazing things! A year or two years from now I'd love to be able to do certain yoga poses and look back at this and have a good laugh at my excitement to even get into position, though not elegantly.

I made a board on pinterest to inspire me to keep trying more yoga. The benefit in restorative yoga are immense but personally I'm more interested in yoga strength and balance. Power Yoga is probably the closest one I can identify. I found this little infographic that is pretty funny. I was surprised to hear a few weeks ago that there were 4 types of yoga... then to see this, I couldn't help but laugh at my ignorance. It'll be enlightening to learn all the types and see which one suits me most.

Yoga & Arms

 

Just click the image for direct links to the youtube videos I've been doing! :)

/// Did 1/2 of the 30DS today, plus 65 min. cardio

Headstands

So on Sunday I thought...

 "I'm going to try a headstand!

 And I did it! My first attempt I got up and then two more attempts and I was able to hold myself up. Pretty cool since I definitely did not expect to be able to do it. After I had quickly conquered my feat, I decided to google the benefits. It being something I can do daily, I figured why not know what the rewards may be?! As I read through them, I found myself wanting to facebook or twitter every single benefit. "2. Headstands increase nutrients and blood flow to the scalp, decreasing onset of grey hair. Some yogis say that it will even convert grey hair back to its natural color!"  #bloodisflowing #notauntflow) Seriously though, there are a TON of benefits! The picture was too funny not to post. If sweat is sexy, I don't know what this is! Maybe one day I'll be able to do some yoga poses like her. And have a calmer, more relaxed look on my face. ha!