Drop Set Upper Body Workout

So today I was much better. I ate better. Still not perfect but better. I have 5 more days before heading out for Christmas vacation. I will be working very hard to eat almost perfectly. I will eat something not too perfect for lunch Saturday but other than that I will be on my program! Look at me go!

My workout today was upper body (mostly back and shoulders) in drop sets:
Widegrip Lat Pulldown - 12 warmup (75), 90 x 8, 75 x 8, 60x 8 (2 set)
Seated Cable Row - 12 warmup (60), 70 x 8, 60 x 8, 50 x 8 (2 sets)
Abs - Hip Lifts - 2 sets of 20
Rear Delt Squeeze - 3 sets of 15 x 85
Standing Shoulder Press - 12 warmup (20) , 20 x 8, 15 x 8, 10 x 8 (2 sets)
Side Leaning Lat Raies - 12 warmup (12), 15 x 8, 12 x 8, 10 x 8 (2 sets)

20 minutes HIIT elliptical

Great workout!

Meal 1: Cheerios w/ protein powder & 1/2 banana
Meal 2: Sweet potato & 1/2 cup yogurt w/ cinnamon
Meal 3: Bagel dog! Yummy! & coleslaw 1 cup
Meal 4: 1/2 cup cottage cheese & 1/2 apple
Meal 5: Protein shake w/ 1/4 cup oatmeal
Meal 6: 4 oz pork chop, mashed cauliflower - tasty!

So other than the bagel dog I did pretty well. I felt much better today about the way I ate and my workout. I'm going to chat with some friends on the phone now and get ready to head to bed.

Progress!

“The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

“Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.” ~Mark Victor Hansen

One More!

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.” George Bernard Shaw

Drop Set Lower Body Workout

Today I ate fairly well. 5 meals instead of 6. All good and healthy but Meal 5 was a little larger quantity than usual. Tomorrow will be better.

My workout today was hams and glutes in drop sets:
Horizontal Leg Press - alternate leg jumps - 15 warmup, 75 x 8, 55 x 8, 35 x 8 (1 set)
Romanian Deadlift - 12 warmup, 105 x 8, 95 x 8, 85 x 8 (2 sets)
Straight leg deadlift w/ cable - 12 warmup, 62.5 x 10, 57.5 x 10, 52.5 x 10 (1 set)
Superset w/ Bulgarian Split Squat - 12 warmup, 20 x 10, 15 x 10, 10 x 10 (2 sets)
Ab curl on decline - 4 sets of 12 x 10

This kicked my little behind so I had nothing left for cardio. It was my plan but I couldn't muster up the energy for it. I was really wiped out. I don't know if I got enough food today. I was hungry all day long - before my morning snack, before lunch, after lunch...

Food:
Meal 1: 1/2 cup oatmeal, 5 walnut halves, 1/2 egg, 3 egg whites omelette w/ zucchini and mushrooms
Meal 2: same but 1/4 cup oatmeal, no nuts, 1/4 cup blueberries
Meal 3: salad w/ 1 T balsamic vinaigrette, 4 oz pork loin chop, 3/4 cup wild rice
Meal 4: 1/2 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 apple, cinnamon
Meal 5?: banana
Meal 6: rotisserie chicken breast, no skin, hummus, tomatoes, 1 pita

Gotta get to sleep fairly early! Tomorrow will be another great day.

Funny pickup line from the gym for today: I was supersetting as mentioned above and this guy and his friend asked if I was using the cable. I told them yes. Then someone else later asked them if they were using that cable and they said I was. Then they said I should put my name on it. I said it was already on there. Can't they read it? He said he couldn't read it. What is my name anyway? LOL! Good line and quick but not quick enough. I just had to ignore him but I give him props for his creativity and quick thinking on his feet! :-)

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence." Vince Lombardi

Remember to sleep

I must remember to sleep enough. Last night, for example, I didn't sleep enough. Tonight will be a different story! In bed at 10pm at the latest! Speaking of sleep, I need to figure out my ideal necessary sleep time so next week I have a project for myself. I will be going to bed at 9:30 each night and seeing what time I wake up naturally and that will be my new sleep budget! LOL! Budget...that's funny!

Food today:
Meal 1: 1 cup Cheerios w/ 1/2 c milk and 1/2 scoop protein powder
Meal 2: 1/2 cup yogurt, 1/2 an apple, 1/4 scoop protein powder
Meal 3: 1 pork loin chop, 2 cups salad, 1 T balsamic vinaigrette, 1/2 cup mashed potatoes
Meal 4: Think Thin creamy peanut butter bar
Meal 5: 1 cup Cheerios
Meal 6: Caesars Salad w/ 8 shrimp (recipe below)
Meal 7: TBD

My workout was Gina's 2nd Circuit Workout! It was funny and quick to do.

I'm going to make some zucchini loaf tonight and also maybe some apple fritter muffins too. We'll see. I'm also going to relax with a little crochet to just pass some time while my goodies are baking.

Today was a good day and I'm grateful for all the good that exists in this world and particularly in my life. Thank you, thank you!


"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." by Scott Adams in The Dilbert Principle (Collins)

Caesar Salad Dressing

1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 T white vinegar
1 T grated Parmesan
2 anchovy fillets
1-2 garlic cloves
1 T lemon juice
1/2 T Worcestershire
1/2 T olive oil
water

Blend all in blender until creamy. With the blender on, pour water in top hole and continue to blend. Add water to desired consistency. Pour over romaine. This is pretty tangy so if you like things sweeter, you may want to add some stevia. Enjoy!

Broiled Shrimp

pressed garlic
paprika
cayenne
olive oil
(salt if desired)

Mix ingredients together to make a paste. Marinate shrimp for about 5-10 minutes. Broil 2 minutes on one side and 1 minute on the other.


Yummy! Enjoy!

Thanksgiving is over...Bring on Christmas!

I dropped off my houseguest yesterday at the airport. Thanksgiving weekend was really great. My friend came to visit from Dallas. We had a great Thanksgiving, very filling and coma inducing. It was delish.

Now it's back to eating right, working out and taking care of myself as this exciting season gets under way. It's going to be a great end of the year and 2010 is going to be really fantastic! I can't wait!

Get ready...here we go!