NO EXCUSES!

No more excuses. I know I haven’t posted an entry in a little while, and I have been doing some lifting, but nothing to be proud of. I have been making excuses not to lift or workout, and I have become comfortable lazing around the house doing very little. My boyfriend and personal trainer has a job and has been working much more. When he isn’t home to train me, well, I don’t train. Now I have found my solution.

There is always an excuse to sit around and do nothing, so instead of coming up with new ones, I have decided to find a solution. Jamie Eason, my wonderful Role Model has a great video on Youtube for anyone that wants to work out and thinks they can’t.

Excuses:
I don’t have a trainer
I can’t afford to go to the gym
I don’t want anyone to see me workout
I don’t want to leave my house
I don’t have any weights/equipment

Well here is the solution, work out at home or on the road with little to no equipment.

If you have enough room to lay down and spread out as well as stand and do a jumping jack then grab some comfy workout clothes and a deck of cards and burn off that last little bit of fat with these Plyometric excercises.

This routine does not fill the spot of my normal work out with my trainer but it will help me be active while he is away. The more active you are on your own the more likely you will succeed with others.

What you need:
A deck of card
An area long enough and tall enough for your person
Workout clothes
A piece of paper and pencil

On the paper you want to write down the Plyometric routine you are going to do.

Jamie Eason’s Routine:
Squat Jumps
Jumping Jacks
Jumping Lunges
High Knees
Mountain Climbers
Butt Kicks
Push Ups
Jumping Jacks (again for a rest)
Bicycle/Crunches

Repeat until card deck is done, for best results go through deck three times.

Thank you, and I’M BACK!

Fact #2

Me after 
HighSchool

Everyone needs a role model!

Role Model: A person who serves as a model in a particular behavioral or social role for another person to emulate.

     As a child my role model was my mother, she was everything to me, still is.

      When I was a little older I wanted to be a Power Ranger, the Green one to be exact. 

     In my teenage years I wanted to be like Pink or any other woman with a big mouth and success.

     Now instead of finding a role model to help me find what I want to be I have decided to find out what I want to be and if a role model emulates my desires I will be delighted to find them.

Corporate Communications, 
Competitions and Modeling

     I am going to College for Advertising and Marketing; I want to be successful in the business world.

     I have lost over 40 lbs since High School and have been working hard to understand what healthy is and how to be fit.

     Weightlifting is really important to me and I want to be able to complete my goals, such as; back squatting my body weight by Thanksgiving and overhead squatting my body weight in early 2011. I also want to have visible abs and sustain them to show off during Swim Suit/Beach season next year.

My Role Model 
Jamie Eason

     It was not too difficult to find my role model; she even looks exactly like how I would love to look. I am a 5’2” blond, Caucasian female with a desire to be fit through weight training and to be successful in the business world.

     Jamie Eason is a beautiful and successful woman who has inspired me to become the best I can. She did not start out looking the way she does now, she was not always fit, she was not always successful but she has pushed herself and made her self the amazing person she is today!

     In the strong words of my role model; “This is your life. If you are not who you want to be, change it!” – Jamie Eason

     When you need more Work Out advice than I can give, or Nutrition Information from a professional or even just a little more Motivation to help you achieve you goals then check out Jamie Eason's Official Website.  

      From now on when I have a tip or fact that I believe has positively helped me or that could help my followers than I will also link the fact to one of Jamie's blogs links. With these links you will have more of an opportunity to expand your knowledge to achieve your goals!
- The Hottest Geekette <3

Progress for Week 5 (August 29th – September 4th)

Sunday:  I am going to do this!

AM-> Went for a (13min) run!

     (Well it was more of a hyperventilating jog/walk from my apartment to the park down the road. The plan is to do this run every morning until I can run it without having to walk intermittently just to finish. Then I will up my distance and then my speed.)

PM -> Lifted for approx 45 mins
   
      Sumo Dead Lift(45lbs)x5, x6, x6, x5, x6
      Front Squat(NA)x6, x6, x6,(25lbs)x5, x5, x5, x6
      Push-ups(Inclined)x8, x8, x7, x8
      Curls(25lbs)x10, x8, x8

114.5 lbs at the end of the day

Monday:

AM -> Stretched in the morning for approx 10 mins.

PM->  Helped my friends move, loading and unloading a truck.

Tuesday:

AM->  Unable to go for a run because I am in Toronto about to help another friend move to Ottawa

Wednesday:

Exhausted from all the driving and helping people move, I went to Belleville to visit my friend who came fown from BC to visit.

PM-> Walked to the grocery store and went for another walk later that night

Not enough or proper exercise but I did at least try to stay active during our heat warning!

Thursday:

WENT TO THE FAIR!!!!!!

Friday:

TBA

Fact #1

There is always a reason to quit, there is always a reason to start and there is always a reason to fail!

Last week I failed. I hate to admit it but I need to. I didn't lift for over a week, when I did lift I sucked. I am very disappointed in myself, which if you do not know is a hundred times worse than a parent being disappointed in you.

I thought, 'Hey, I've lost some weight, my boyfriend thinks I look better and it's my week off!' All of my dedication was gone, all of my 'give-a-damn' vanished and I failed! There will always be a reason to fail, whether you are trying to quit smoking, loose weight, accomplish any goal; there is always a reason to fail! Get past those reasons.

I had a migraine, I was tired, I didn't want to, it was my week off, I had ever excuse I needed to give up and to fail. Then I went to Boston Pizza with my boyfriend in a new outfit that showed off the little progress I had made. I have lost a few pounds, I am trimmed up, but I am NOT were I NEED to be. We also had a waitress that was a little overweight, and a few girls sitting at tables close to us and I realized that I don't want to look like that. I know I can make myself look great, I can get visible abs and a well defined back to show off. I will look great is my new dress!

We watched the fights, had a great night and I was inspired. I want, no...I NEED to look amazing because I know I can look amazing. I have goals, I have the means to achieve them and with my brand new Under-Armour Sports Bra from Sport Chek I have started again.

It is never to late to start! Starting and stopping is less bad then never starting at all, so please get out there and achieve your goals! I am going for a run!

~<3~

Alrighty, went for a 10 minute terrible run! I ran/jogged/walked to the park down my street and back in a hyperventilating mess! I didn't do well, I wanted to quit before I started, I couldn't find my I-pod to help me go, but I went! That is the important part, I went. I did what I set out to do and I am planning to go for a run every morning until I am no longer a hyperventilating mess!

Progress for Week 4 (August 16th – August 20th)

Week 4 -

Instead of lifting, I sucked. I sucked hard core. I no longer have a set schedule because I'm not working 8-4 Monday to Friday and I can sleep in. I am excited to have time off and not do anything and unfortunately that allowed me to really suck at my lifting.

I am appalled at myself and will be getting back on track. I am going to work on my routine and make sure I can do it alone without any help and really start making some amazing progress. I will be posting pictures of my stomach from here on out and I will really be pushing myself to achieve my goal.

One small tip, I will write it up much better in a later post. is that, lifting and working out is MUCH easier when you have a routine. Don't allow yourself to think just because you have a vacation from work means you have a vacation from life. Lifting is part of my life, a small part that I am hoping will grow but still a part of my life. It affects my moods, my health, how I feel about myself and I know it will make me feel and look better if I can just stick to it.

If you are following this blog PLEASE actually follow me, let me know. The more people supporting me, the more people I am 'reporting' to and the more motivation I have to succeed!

Hottest Geekette <3 Trying to get Hotter!

Tip #3

Don't put ANYTHING in your tea and try to replace all warm beverages with tea such as Green Tea.

   During the cooler seasons it is so much easier to put on weight. One of the many contributing factors is the beverages we drink. Earlier I discussed liquid carbohydrates and how your body can not properly handle liquid carbs. In fact your body should turn carbohydrates into energy and you should intake just enough of them to get you through the day so that you use all of that energy, when you have liquid carbs your body stores everything as fat.

   In my previous tip I suggested no liquid carbs such as juice, pop and Frappuccino (a sugary coffee drink from Starbucks) because of the amount of carbohydrates that you are consuming that will negatively impact your goal of becoming healthier, leaner or in better shape in general. I have noticed a large fail rate for myself in the colder seasons in the last few years. If I am training it isn’t getting me anywhere better and if I’m not then I am actively putting on a lot of pounds that start to become visible long before my family’s Christmas meal.

   A great suggestion given to me a year ago was to replace most/all warm beverages with sugarless green tea. Hot chocolate may taste great and a cup isn’t the end of the world but when is a cup just a cup? Drink green tea with nothing in it, cut down how much you put into your coffee and enjoy your winter without expanding your waist.

   Winter has a lot of other contributors to your waist that I hope to touch on in the coming weeks to help all/any of my followers who want to stay slim and trim during the cold season of food, hot chocolate, booze and a limited level of activity.

Progress for Week 3 (August 9th – August 13th)

**My workout book is missing so here is my brief info until I find it**

Monday:

Lifted - UPDATES TO COME

Tuesday:

migraine, day shot

Wednesday:

Lifted - UPDATES TO COME

Thursday:

rest day

Friday:

Biked to and from School, then got kittens

Tip #2

When eating a meal or snack, make sure you do something unrelated for 20-30 minutes before you get a second helping.

Many people eat too quickly and over consume during every meal.

It takes your body a while before it realizes its full, if you could feel the exact moment that you had consumed enough to no longer be hungry, you wouldn't get to that point where you have managed to eat until feeling sick a few minutes later.  When I started controlling how much I ate, I realized I still feel quite hungry after a meal, and that is where I would previously have eaten a second or third helping that I really didn't need.

If you give your body some time, however, it will realize it is full, and that feeling of hunger will stop.  I have discovered that taking a drink of water between every mouthful lengthens the time it takes to finish a meal enough that you will be able to feel when you are getting full, and that doing so will stop you from eating more than you need, and that waiting 20 - 30 minutes after finishing a meal before going back for more can go a long way to changing the amount of food that you consume.

One other suggestion I have heard is to do the dishes right after every meal.  It not only helps you keep your home clean, but it keeps you busy during the time it takes for your body to realize that you are actually full.

Progress for Week 2 (August 2nd – August 6th)

Monday:

Holiday and recovery from weekend.
Plan: Cut out Alcohol, liquid sugar (exemption to Coffee for now), junk food.

Tuesday:

Have to go to the Clinic, was unable to bike today

Wednesday:

Biked to the school and back.

Thursday:

Warm-up = 50 jumping jacks and 5 mins of stretching
Backsquat-[NA]x8,x8,[20]x8,x8,[35]x8,x8,x6
Stiff Legged Dead Lift-[40]x7,x8,x3,x3,x8
Bent Over Row-[30]x10,x10,x10,x9
Over Head Press-[30]x7,x8,x7


Friday:

Friend came down from Ireland - Took a day off. :(

**Post Picture (Not Naked) of my first week of training.**

Tip #1

Cut out liquid carbs/calories and replace all drinks with water or sugarless teas.

     When I first became concerned with my weight, the summer before my first year of College, I asked a friend to help me get into shape. I started lifting with him, though irregularly, and slowly changed my diet. One thing he said to me that I had a hard time believing was that I should cut out all liquid carbs. Water is what hydrates you, he said, and Tea gives you something different when you are cold or bored.  What else do you need?

     After about two months of only drinking water and green tea (and maybe milk before or after my lifting session) I noticed an amazing change. With even this small change to my diet and the irregular training I was still seeing progress. 
     I was no longer drinking pop at lunch or juice in the morning, and I didn't have a hot chocolate or ice cap every time I went out to coffee with friends, and I wasn't drinking any sugary alcohol.  I felt better and, even more importantly, I looked noticeably better as well, quickly dropping some of the weight I had put during the previous year or two.

A pound of fat contains 3500 calories.

The AVERAGE Beer has approx. 100 calories per glass (12 oz) and approx. 10 grams of carbohydrates (depending on brand of course)

1 Cup of Apple Juice has approx 117 calories. And unsweetened Apple Juice has 59 grams of carbohydrates. 

1 Can of Pop has around 170 calories.

Did you know that a 16 ounce Frappucino can contain 500 calories or more! That’s 1/3 of a typical female’s daily calorie intake for a fat loss program. -Tom Venuto

     What does all of this mean?  If you have a glass of juice in the morning, a can of pop at lunch, and a fancy coffee drink with friends in the afternoon or a beer in the evening, you are consuming around 400-800 empty calories a day!  That means about a pound of fat a week can be added or dropped just by NOT drinking those.

     Cut down on liquid calories, or cut them out all together and you will see a positive improvement to your physical state. This will not get you your desired body, you won't be able to see your abs, but it will bring you one step closer to achieving your ultimate goal.

     Nowhere in our history have our ancestors had access to large amounts of liquid calories. Alcohol may have been around as far back as several thousand years BC, but even that is a blip on the evolutionary calendar of humanity.
     As a result, our genetic code has never developed the physiological mechanisms to properly register the caloric content in liquids the way it does when you eat, chew and swallow whole foods. -Tom Venuto

Watch how much you normally drink per day, do you have a juice in the morning, a pop at lunch or a frappucino when you are out with your friends? Can you substitute all of these drinks with water or tea (with no added sugar)?  You will be better off if you do.

Progress for Week 1 (July 26th – July 30th)

Monday:

Did my first low intensity bike ride with my boyfriend from our apartment to the school and back. Hoping to do it again Tuesday night after lifting.
The ride was quite easy, I just need to remember that the road isn't safe but the bushes by the sidewalk aren't either! 

Tuesday:

Warmup -
      50 Jumping Jacks
      30 Jumping Twists
      2 sets of 10 Body-weight Squats
Workout -
      BS-[20]x8 x8 x8 x8
((which means I did 30 back squats in sets of 8 with 20 lbs.))
      FS-[20]x -hurt side, couldn't continue these-
((Front Squats, should have done 20 lbs with approx 4 sets of 8))
      BOR(SUP)-[25]x8 x9 x8 x10
((Bent Over Rows with a Supinated grip, lifting 25 lbs in 4 unequal sets))
      OHP-[25]x8 x8 x8 x8
((Over Head Press with 25 lbs and 4 sets of 8))
     Situps(Inc)-[NA]x10 x10 (assisted)
((Incline Sit-ups assisted by instructor with 2 sets of 10))

Cool Down -
      Bike to school and back (aaprox 20 mins)


Wednesday:

Walked home from work...had a bad day...promise to do better tomorrow :(

Thursday:

Biked to school for the first time
Biked home from school
Walked to the Grocery Store

Friday:

Biked to and from work.
Didn't lift because of impromptu nap
 *Went to the Zoo Saturday, walked for approx 3 hours


**Post Picture**
117 lbs as of the weekend

How to achieve my Goals:

Start a blog that I must update every week on my progress with information about my lifting and biking.

Take pictures of myself once a week/month to view my achievement or lack of.

Start an exercise plan to follow and blog about.

Cut out unhealthy and unnecessary foods from my diet.

Learn to cook healthy food and expand my taste buds.

Stick to plan and make Goals with Deadlines.