Fitness Friday
So Fitness Friday, week 2, and this week I have a lot to report! I've been keeping track of my fitness successes, failures and troubles throughout the week so I have a much more comprehensive assessment on my fitness over the week. So, how has this week been?
Weekly Update
Overall, this week has been really good. I've managed to fit the 30 Day Shred in every day, and also managed to squeeze in 30+ minutes of cardio every day. Some days this was just walking, but I have managed to do Couch to 5K four times this week, and I started Week 2 this morning. At the start of the week it was raining a lot, and I didn't want to run in the rain, which led me to consider dropping C25K and focus just on 30 Day Shred. This may still happen, but for now I have managed to keep on top of both goals. My ultimate commitment is to the 30 Day Shred for the next 22 days, but I would like to be able to find the time to continue to do both.
On Saturday, my 1.5kg weights arrived and boy do they make the 30 Day Shred much tougher! I started using them on Sunday and it has really made the workout much more challenging, but also much more rewarding. I did find a lot of aching initially, especially on Saturday after having started both the 30 Day Shred and Couch to 5K, but it has subsided.
Towards the end of the week I was getting frustrated that my endurance levels did not seem to be developing as I progressed through the shred, but on Day 7 I really noticed a difference. I'm finding that my endurance during 30DS is much better on days when my cardio for the day has just been walking, and also when there has been a significant break in the time between each work out. On days when I've been pushed for time, however, I haven't had the luxury of this break, but I definitely notice a difference.
Walking and C25K have been my main sources of cardio this week, especially after finding out on Sunday that rebounding on my mini trampoline burns fewer calories than I had expected. The walking, for the most past, has been in order to get from A to B more than anything else, but on non-C25K days I might start walking instead, if the weather is nice. Of course, if it's horrible outside I will rebound instead of doing nothing.
So far, I haven't had a rest day and I'm a little worried that I might be doing too much, but I'm a bit like a dog with a bone when it comes to goals; I want to stick to them and stay focused. It's not always been easy to fit cardio and the DVD in every day, but I have managed it, even on days when I've been busy. Of course, I am still unemployed so I do have more time to work out, but I do intend to work out a routine for when I do start working.
Foodie Finds
I mentioned last week about trying to avoid eating my exercise calories back, but there seems to be a bit of confusion over whether I should be doing this or not. Like I said, I work out every day and tend to burn 350-500 calories a day from working out. My daily intake of calories is usually around 1200-1400, meaning that most days I only take in around 800 calories. I'm worried this is really bad for my body, especially as I've noticed I haven't lost any weight this week. Of course there could be a number of factors involved (hormones, muscle gain from the 30 Day Shred etc.) but I am wondering if I should be increasing my calories more to make up for the ones burned from working out. I have found, however, that I don't feel I need those extra calories. I always eat when I feel hungry and I've just been trying to eat the best things possible to satisfy that hunger. I have never felt hungry. Advice on this would be much appreciated. Should I be eating those extra calories back or is that counter-productive?
Another issue that came up this week was a worry about lacking protein. I've been pescatarian (I don't eat meat but I eat fish), since I was 11 and while I know I get enough iron (I eat a lot of vegetables), I've been examining My Fitness Pal and wondering if I get enough protein. As a result I've been making a conscious effort to keep my eye on my protein levels and add more beans, peanut butter, yoghurt, cheese etc. into my diet.
I have also been adding more carbs into my diet. I have been kinda avoiding eating bread and other carbs for the last few weeks, but (and I know this is like Nurtition 101), they really do keep me more full. I've been adding brown rice to my evening meal, quinoa or low-calorie wraps at lunch time and occasionally bread at breakfast. My energy levels have definitely improved, plus I've been avoiding eating anything after dinner which I think is down to this too.
One goal for the future, however, is to stop stealing other people's calories. You know how other people's food has no calories? Yeah. I am definitely guilty of stealing a spoonful of my dad's pudding or a bite of his chocolate bar. Sure, this is much better than eating the whole thing myself, and it helps me feel like I'm not depriving myself, but I rarely track these extra calories and I know I need to either track them or stop stealing them!
Foodie finds this week? We made Thai Fishcakes on Tuesday which were delicious, and I'm really into 70% Dark Chocolate, roasted chickpeas and Blackcurrant squash (again!) this week. I always drink a lot of water (I always carry a bottle of water with me, even from room to room in the house!) and I like to drink squash throughout the day so I get water and also a sweet treat.
What I've Learned
- If running gets hard, slow your pace down. This sounds blindingly obvious, but my best friend is a heptathlete and she gave me this bit of advice. It's definitely made C25K a lot easier!
- Try to keep my cardio at least an hour away from 30DS for maximum endurance
- It is possible to squeeze an hour long work out in even on a busy day
- Walking burns more calories than rebounding, but rebounding is a good option on a wet day
- I need to stop sneaking extra calories in that I don't track
- Big, satisfying, and calorie-dense meals are often better than small meals with lots of snacks.
- I might need to eat back more calories to lose weight
- It was easy to think of excuses for not going C25K along with 30DS (rain, difficult to stick to two goals, no time etc.), but I am so proud I stuck it out.
Next Week's Goals
- Hopefully find some weight loss, and if not, change something
- Finish Level 1 of 30 Day Shred (tomorrow is Day 9) and start Level 2 on Sunday
- Continue to fit in an extra 30 minutes of cardio every day
- Stick to Couch to 5K
Weekly Update
Overall, this week has been really good. I've managed to fit the 30 Day Shred in every day, and also managed to squeeze in 30+ minutes of cardio every day. Some days this was just walking, but I have managed to do Couch to 5K four times this week, and I started Week 2 this morning. At the start of the week it was raining a lot, and I didn't want to run in the rain, which led me to consider dropping C25K and focus just on 30 Day Shred. This may still happen, but for now I have managed to keep on top of both goals. My ultimate commitment is to the 30 Day Shred for the next 22 days, but I would like to be able to find the time to continue to do both.
On Saturday, my 1.5kg weights arrived and boy do they make the 30 Day Shred much tougher! I started using them on Sunday and it has really made the workout much more challenging, but also much more rewarding. I did find a lot of aching initially, especially on Saturday after having started both the 30 Day Shred and Couch to 5K, but it has subsided.
Towards the end of the week I was getting frustrated that my endurance levels did not seem to be developing as I progressed through the shred, but on Day 7 I really noticed a difference. I'm finding that my endurance during 30DS is much better on days when my cardio for the day has just been walking, and also when there has been a significant break in the time between each work out. On days when I've been pushed for time, however, I haven't had the luxury of this break, but I definitely notice a difference.
Walking and C25K have been my main sources of cardio this week, especially after finding out on Sunday that rebounding on my mini trampoline burns fewer calories than I had expected. The walking, for the most past, has been in order to get from A to B more than anything else, but on non-C25K days I might start walking instead, if the weather is nice. Of course, if it's horrible outside I will rebound instead of doing nothing.
So far, I haven't had a rest day and I'm a little worried that I might be doing too much, but I'm a bit like a dog with a bone when it comes to goals; I want to stick to them and stay focused. It's not always been easy to fit cardio and the DVD in every day, but I have managed it, even on days when I've been busy. Of course, I am still unemployed so I do have more time to work out, but I do intend to work out a routine for when I do start working.
Foodie Finds
I mentioned last week about trying to avoid eating my exercise calories back, but there seems to be a bit of confusion over whether I should be doing this or not. Like I said, I work out every day and tend to burn 350-500 calories a day from working out. My daily intake of calories is usually around 1200-1400, meaning that most days I only take in around 800 calories. I'm worried this is really bad for my body, especially as I've noticed I haven't lost any weight this week. Of course there could be a number of factors involved (hormones, muscle gain from the 30 Day Shred etc.) but I am wondering if I should be increasing my calories more to make up for the ones burned from working out. I have found, however, that I don't feel I need those extra calories. I always eat when I feel hungry and I've just been trying to eat the best things possible to satisfy that hunger. I have never felt hungry. Advice on this would be much appreciated. Should I be eating those extra calories back or is that counter-productive?
Another issue that came up this week was a worry about lacking protein. I've been pescatarian (I don't eat meat but I eat fish), since I was 11 and while I know I get enough iron (I eat a lot of vegetables), I've been examining My Fitness Pal and wondering if I get enough protein. As a result I've been making a conscious effort to keep my eye on my protein levels and add more beans, peanut butter, yoghurt, cheese etc. into my diet.
I have also been adding more carbs into my diet. I have been kinda avoiding eating bread and other carbs for the last few weeks, but (and I know this is like Nurtition 101), they really do keep me more full. I've been adding brown rice to my evening meal, quinoa or low-calorie wraps at lunch time and occasionally bread at breakfast. My energy levels have definitely improved, plus I've been avoiding eating anything after dinner which I think is down to this too.
One goal for the future, however, is to stop stealing other people's calories. You know how other people's food has no calories? Yeah. I am definitely guilty of stealing a spoonful of my dad's pudding or a bite of his chocolate bar. Sure, this is much better than eating the whole thing myself, and it helps me feel like I'm not depriving myself, but I rarely track these extra calories and I know I need to either track them or stop stealing them!
Foodie finds this week? We made Thai Fishcakes on Tuesday which were delicious, and I'm really into 70% Dark Chocolate, roasted chickpeas and Blackcurrant squash (again!) this week. I always drink a lot of water (I always carry a bottle of water with me, even from room to room in the house!) and I like to drink squash throughout the day so I get water and also a sweet treat.
What I've Learned
- If running gets hard, slow your pace down. This sounds blindingly obvious, but my best friend is a heptathlete and she gave me this bit of advice. It's definitely made C25K a lot easier!
- Try to keep my cardio at least an hour away from 30DS for maximum endurance
- It is possible to squeeze an hour long work out in even on a busy day
- Walking burns more calories than rebounding, but rebounding is a good option on a wet day
- I need to stop sneaking extra calories in that I don't track
- Big, satisfying, and calorie-dense meals are often better than small meals with lots of snacks.
- I might need to eat back more calories to lose weight
- It was easy to think of excuses for not going C25K along with 30DS (rain, difficult to stick to two goals, no time etc.), but I am so proud I stuck it out.
Next Week's Goals
- Hopefully find some weight loss, and if not, change something
- Finish Level 1 of 30 Day Shred (tomorrow is Day 9) and start Level 2 on Sunday
- Continue to fit in an extra 30 minutes of cardio every day
- Stick to Couch to 5K
Don't give up running because of the weather! If you're going to start running, you're bound to have run in the wet sometime. I've found, it's always a bit grim when you start out, but once you get going, running in the rain is strangely enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteThere's a group on MyFitnessPal called Eat More to Weigh Less, or something like that, who have some great insight into how many calories you need to give yourself to fuel yourself, while still losing weight. It's mostly aimed at people who've plateaud after a large loss, but it works for people who haven't got huge amounts to lose too. It might be worth you checking out if you're worried about how much you're eating.