Adriana's Journey

[adriana]

it's time to change this intro since Arianne never made it here

i'm still 43 years old, still a single mother of 5, living in Israel, which we all love.

i started this new lifestyle on september 1, 2002, topping in at over 240 lbs. the exact number is unknown since the scales that i used at the time were not good (this i found out about 5 months later).

regardless of screwy scales, i lost 28 pounds of fat on Body for Life, Challenge 1. i really got into eating good, working out great and just enjoying life.

after C1 i just kind of did a few different things for about 3 months, not really losing much fat, but gaining a lot of strength and endurance. my blood test results were awesome in January and i'm very, very happy with my overall improvement in all areas of my life since sept 2002.

now....... for the newer news, which is journalled as i go along. i am peri-menopause, meaning that my body is wacked out with different affects on a monthly basis. this has become frustrating and tedious, to try to figure out what's best for me without having to do more meds (i take a daily anti-depressant and extra iron).

i'm going to do a CKD plan now...... cutting back on carbs which are making me bloat like a hot air ballon. i'm going back to basics with workouts, 3 weights sessions per week and 3 cardio sessions per week. i'm going to see where all this takes me.

my goals are simple: to feel great, to gain strength and endurance, to loose fat, to keep my blood flowing and healthy

in my own words: ONWARD AND UPWARD

adriana

[adriana]

i completely changed my lifestyle on september 1, 2002 and i must say that i'm super happy with the decision and the results so far.

i started out at 240 pounds (i'm 5'1") and i'm down to 210 pounds. i've also gone down 2 entire clothes sizes. my blood test results from two weeks ago indicate that my insides are now normal again; cholesterol down, triglycerides down, HDL cholesterol (the good stuff) up, iron good.

this is what i'm doing to keep up the trend:

thursday's meal plan :

Meal 1 - 1/2 cup (dry) oatmeal, 250 grams cottage cheese, 10 almonds

Meal 2 - 4 egg white + 1 egg omelet, small baked sweet potato

Meal 3 - 4 oz baked chicken breast, small potato, tangerine

Meal 4 - 1/2 cup (dry) oatmeal, 250 grams cottage cheese, banana

Meal 5 - 200 grams tuna salad, 2 cups mixed grilled vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, green cabbage, carrots, onions, eggplant)

thursday's workout :

lower body workout today. i was sick yesterday with a stomach flu and was afraid that i wouldn't be able to do a lot today. i was wrong

leg presses - 4 sets 80 kilos x 10
1 set 90 kilos x 6

leg extensions - 3 sets 17.5 kilos x 10

leg curls - 3 sets 25 kilos x 10

abductors - 3 sets 37.5 kilos x 10

adductors - 3 sets 35 kilos x 10

abs:
regular crunches - 4 sets of 12 reps, with a 3 second hold at top

hanging leg raises - 2 sets of 6 reps (it's still hard for me to hold myself up !)

lower back:
hyperextensions - 3 sets of 8 reps

cardio:
10 minutes on the pesky stairclimber (first time using it today)
35 minutes on the elliptical

i had planned on my spinning class tonight, but i don't want to push it since i was so sick yesterday. i'll just rest this evening.

[adriana]

scheduled rest day for me from the gym. well, it wasn't scheduled at the beginning of the week but circumstances beyond my control (stomach flu) made it that way since wednesday.

i feel a lot better today, but still a bit weak and tired from all the bathroom trips . i'm not pushing my luck at the gym. my plan is to be 100% tomorrow and start a new 6-day workout schedule.

friday's meal plan :

Meal 1 – ½ cup (dry) oatmeal, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, 10 almonds

Meal 2 – 4oz grilled turkey breast, 2/3 cup brown rice

Meal 3 – ½ cup (dry) oatmeal, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, tangerine

Meal 4 – 4 egg whites + 1 egg omelet, 2 cups steamed vegetables

Meal 5 – 5 oz baked chicken breast, stuffed bell pepper, various fresh Israeli salads


==================

a bit of a change for friday.... i went ahead and did my upper body workout at home with 5 kilo dumbbells: all of the exercises were done at a super slow pace because i don't have heavier weights and i wanted the workout to be effective nonetheless.

shoulder presses 3 sets 5 kilos x 10

lateral raises 3 sets 5k x 10

front raises 3 sets 5k x 10

one arm rows 3 sets 5k x 10

bent-over flyes 3 sets 5k x 10

concentration curls 3 sets 5k x 10

alternating bicep curls 3 sets 5k x 10

triceps kickbacks 3 sets 5k x 10

triceps extensions 3 sets 5k x 10

stretches before and after. a nice workout

[adriana]

Saturday is rest day for me and the family. it's our Shabbat and we spend as much time together as possible. friday night meals are with all 5 kids and their father. it's my favorite time of the entire week.

i'll be taking it real easy today since there is a horrible storm outside. we might go bowling, if everyone gets up at a reasonable time. that should be fun.

last night i put on a t-shirt that i bought two summers ago. i bought a few size *L* by mistake. i was either an XXL or even XXXL that summer !! i'm a horrible shopper at times since i hate shopping. i couldn't get the L shirt over my chest then !

anyway..... i wore one of those *L* shirts last night everyone stood with their mouths wide open. no one could believe that in 6 months i could fit into these smaller shirts. talk about being pumped now !!!

so here i go on with the great food for saturday :

Meal 1 - 1/2 cup (dry) oatmeal, 250 grams cottage cheese, 10 almonds, 1/3 cup 3% milk

Meal 2 – 2 hardboiled eggs, 3/4 cup mixed baked beans, red cabbage salad

Meal 3 - 5 oz slow cooked turkey neck meat, baked sweet potato

Meal 4 - 1/2 cup (dry) oatmeal, 250 grams cottage cheese, banana

Meal 5 – 4 oz grilled turkey breast, garden salad, apple

[adriana]

today starts a new week for us here in israel. we have our weekends on friday and saturday, by the way.

i can't believe it's actually the last week in february already..... actually, i can't believe it's my son's 19th birthday at the end of the week, so what's another week or month, right?

on that note, i plan on making this one AWESOME week for my workouts and food plans !!

Workout:

upper body

* barbell bench press 3 sets 26 kilos x 10
* wide-grip lat pulldown 3 sets 27.5 kilos x 10
* dumbbell incline press 3 sets 7 kilos x 10
* machine lat row 3 sets 22.5 kilos x 10
* dumbbell shoulder press 3 sets 4 x 10
* cable curls 3 sets 6.25 kilos x 10
* cable pushdowns 3 sets 10 kilos x 10
* i'm going to try two push-ups !
a bit different on the push-ups - i did 2 x 10 and 1 x 5 of "assisted" push-ups. i put the weights bar of the Smith Squat machine about 2 feet from the floor and used that to push up against. the last 5 were killers! i'm really happy with this

midsection

* regular crunches 4 x 13
* hyperextensions 3 x 8-10
* hanging leg raises 2 x 6/7

cardio

morning - 5k on treadmill + 10 min. on stairstepper
ran out of time on the treadmill and i did 4.28k (2.65m) -- the stairstepper was a challenge !!

evening - spinning

Meal Plan

Meal 1 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/3 cup 3% milk, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, 10 almonds

Meal 2 – 4 egg whites + 1 egg omelet, banana, ½ cup mixed beans

workout

Meal 3 – 5 oz grilled turkey breast, baked sweet potato

Meal 4 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/3 cup 3% milk, 250 grams cottage cheese, apple and/or orange, green tea

Meal 5 – 150 grams water-packed tuna, 2 cups steamed mixed vegetables


this should be the beginning of a great week

[1more]

Adriana congratulations on the progress so far, thats fantastic
Keep up the good work and the new improved lifestyle changes!

[adriana]

thanks for the encouragement !! i really appreciate it

adriana

[adriana]

we're expecting one of the worst storms in years here....... it should be rolling in later in the day and it's suppose to dump tons of rain on us.

well, we complained for a few years now that we have no water so this should at least shut us up for one year.

i'm amazingly not tired nor sore from last night's spinning. it was my first time in a regular class; i had been in the beginners classes up until now. i did hold back a bit at the end though, the moment i realized that today is legs

Workout:

legs

* leg presses 4 sets 85 kilos x 12
1 set 90 kilos x 6
* adductors 3 sets 37.5 kilos x 10
* abductors 3 sets 37.5 kilos x 10
* leg extensions 3 sets 17.5 kilos x 10
* leg curls 3 sets 27.5 kilos x 10

midsection

* regular crunches 4 x 13
* hyperextensions 3 x 8-10
* hanging leg raises 2 x 6-8

cardio

morning - 5k on elliptical
30 laps in pool

a great workout this morning ! i was able to really hit the muscles with proper weights and form. the elliptical was also really good today; i did the 5k (3.10 miles) in 40 minutes, a new PB !


evening - 5k on treadmill


Meal Plan:

Meal 1 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 3% milk, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, 10 almonds

Meal 2 – ff yogurt, apple, 1 cup 3% milk, 2 slices lite whole wheat bread, 40 grams cooked tomato salad spread

workout

Meal 3 – 5 oz grilled turkey breast, ½ cup brown rice, 1 cup steamed broccoli

Meal 4 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 3% milk, 250 grams cottage cheese, apple, 10 almonds

cardio only

Meal 5 – 150 grams water-packed tuna, small garden salad


i'm plugging along with my plans and i will make this another fantastic day

[adriana]

we're not used to this kind of weather. high winds, lots of hail and rain, rain, rain. jerusalem is completely shut down today because of the snow. strange, to say the least! i'm so glad we don't live there anymore

i'm hoping that the gym will be empty today. yesterday it was too noisy, with not that many people either. the music was too loud and it made everyone talk louder.

i had a great day yesterday though.... exercise and food are right on track, making me one happy camper

Workout:

upper body

* barbell bench press 3 sets 26 kilos x 10
* wide-grip lat pulldown 3 sets 30 kilos x 10 (increase of 2.5k)
* dumbbell incline press 3 sets 7 kilos x 10
* machine lat row 3 sets 22.5 kilos x 10
* dumbbell shoulder press 3 sets 4 kilos x 10
* cable curls 3 sets 6.25 kilos x 10
* cable pushdowns 3 sets 10 kilos x 10
* push-ups (my own *assisted* version) 2 x 10 this was hard today !

midsection

* regular crunches 4 x 13 getting too easy, time to start adding stuff
* hyperextensions 3 x 10*
* hanging leg raises 2 x 8*
* - up by 2 today

cardio

morning - 5k on treadmill
12 min. on stairstepper*
* up by 2 min today

evening - spinning


Meal Plan:

Meal 1 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, 10 almonds

Meal 2 – 4 egg whites + 1 egg omelet, apple, 2 slices lite whole wheat bread, 30 grams cooked tomato salad spread

workout

Meal 3 – 5 oz grilled turkey breast, baked sweet potato, 2 cups mixed steamed vegetables

Meal 4 – 3/4 cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams cottage cheese, apple, green tea

cardio only

Meal 5 – 240 grams water-packed tuna, 2 cups mixed steamed vegetables

this is a 39p/40c/21f balance, 1750 calories (right on the *low* border - this is a whole LOT of food !!)


i have to go grocery shopping today -- fruits and veggies have just about run out!



this will be a FANTASTIC day !!

[adriana]

half of the week is complete and i'm feeling real good. the rain and cold are not letting up at all today. maybe tomorrow we'll see the sun

i feel very good about my workouts this week and my progress overall on this Boot Camp program of mine - Dave Draper is a slave driver . 1-1/2 weeks are behind me and 1-1/2 weeks are ahead of me. i know i'll complete this phase of my training with shining colors !!

Workout:

legs

* leg presses 4 sets 85 kilos x 12
1 set 90 kilos x 8-10
* adductors 3 sets 40 kilos x 10 *
* abductors 3 sets 37.5 kilos x 10
* leg extensions 3 sets 17.5 kilos x 10
* leg curls 3 sets 27.5 x 10
* an increase of 2.5k today

midsection

* regular crunches 3 x 15
* cross-crunch 3 x 6
* hyperextensions 3 x 10
* hanging leg raises 2 x 8

cardio

morning - 5k on elliptical
30 minutes swimming (about 30 laps)

evening - 5k on treadmill


Meal Plan

Meal 1 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, 10 almonds

Meal 2 – 1/2 avocado, 2 slices lite whole wheat bread, 120 grams water-packed tuna, green tea

workout

Meal 3 – 5 oz grilled turkey breast, baked sweet potato, 2 cups steamed broccoli

Meal 4 – 3/4 cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams cottage cheese, apple, green tea

cardio only

Meal 5 – stir fried with 2-3 cups of various vegetables & 5 oz turkey breast

this is a 39p/41c/20f balance with 1450 calories. too low. i'll probably add an apple and 125 grams of cottage cheese before bed, if i don't pass out before then.

this is going to be a GREAT day


a bit of a change today with the workout and cardio. my meeting ran over this morning so i had to bump the workout to late afternoon. i did the legs workout + 5.4 miles on the treadmill. no elliptical or swimming today. boy am i sore now!

[adriana]

what a beautiful day after so many days of rain and clouds!!

and we're off ...........

Workout:

upper body

* barbell bench press 3 sets 26 kilos x 10
* wide-grip lat pulldown 3 sets 30 kilos x 10
* dumbbell incline press 3 sets 8 kilos x 10 *
* machine lat row 3 sets 22.5 kilos x 10
* dumbbell shoulder press 3 sets 4 kilos x 10
* cable curls 3 sets 6.25 kilos x 10
* cable pushdowns 3 sets 11 kilos x 10 *
* push-ups (my own *assisted* version) 2 x 10
* 1 kilo increase today

midsection

* regular crunches 3 x 15
* cross-crunch 3 x 6
* hyperextensions 3 x 10
* hanging leg raises 2 x 8

cardio

morning - 5k on treadmill
12 m on stair stepper

evening - spinning

i was all geared up for today's workout and the minute i saw it raining again all the excitement left me. why? who knows! i pushed myself through a good weights session, but the cardio workout was completely lackluster. i just did 70 minutes on the treadmill for 3 miles. yuck -- all this rain is getting to me



Meal Plan

Meal 1 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, 10 almonds

Meal 2 – 4 egg white + 1 egg omelet w/sautéed onions, small baked potato, green tea

workout

Meal 3 – 5 oz grilled turkey breast, baked sweet potato, 2 cups steamed cauliflower and carrots

Meal 4 – 3/4 cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams cottage cheese, apple, green tea

spinning

Meal 5 – 240 grams water-packed tuna, 2 cups mixed steamed vegetables

this is a 42p/39c/19f balance, 1820 calories -- PERFECT !!!


progressing day by day, just like i want to

[adriana]

oh man, what a long week ! i've been pretty use less around the house lately so today and tomorrow i'm taking off from the gym and just doing home things, for a change. my kids will be happy that when i get some laundry done.

so....... no workout for today and tomorrow. but that doesn't mean my nutrition gets push aside, no, no !!

Meal Plan

Meal 1 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, 10 almonds

Meal 2 – 2 slices lite whole wheat bread, 120 grams water-packed tuna, apple, green tea

Meal 3 – 5 oz grilled turkey breast, baked sweet potato, 2 cups steamed broccoli

Meal 4 – 3/4 cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams cottage cheese, apple, green tea

Meal 5 – stir fry with 2-3 cups of various vegetables & 5 oz turkey breast


i'll check the macronutrient breakdown and calories a bit later.

onward to a great weekend !! (our weekends are friday and saturday )

[adriana]

sunshine and warmer weather -- couldn't ask for a better day

after working through that horrible funk i was in i'm raring to go. i sat down yesterday and read a whole lot again, especially on cutting. it's time.

it's time to get back into this with the strength and determination that i had before, and then some !! it's time to do it and make it work again. i lost 14 kilos (30.8 lbs) of fat before and i can do it again!!!

=====================================

new starting weight:
96 kilos (211.2 lbs)

new mini goal:
loose 10% of current body weight, fat ONLY ! -- 86.4 kilos (190 lbs)

workout plan:
i'll start posting it tomorrow since today is my official rest day
slight changes -- ended up starting on thursday, march 6th instead. i needed some time off to re-group for a new 12 week stint !!

calories:
slight changes -- going back to a 2-3 day calorie cycle instead of a weekly calorie cycle. it worked real good for 4 months and there's no reason why it shouldn't work again, especially since i've been stuck for about 4 weeks:

day 1 - 1700 calories
day 2 - 1700 calories
day 3 - 1600 calories
day 4 - 1600 calories
day 5 - 1500 calories (rest day)
day 6 - 1800 calories
day 7 - 1700 calories
repeat cycle

macronutrient balance:
sticking with as much as possible of a 40% protein/40% carbs/20% fat balance. this keeps me happy

======================================

Saturday Meal Plan:

Meal 1 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, 10 almonds

Meal 2 – 4 egg whites + 1 egg omelet, banana, 2 slices lite whole wheat toast, green tea

Meal 3 – 5 oz grilled turkey breast, baked sweet potato, 2 cups mixed steamed vegetables

Meal 4 – 1/2 cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams cottage cheese, apple, green tea

Meal 5 – 240 grams water-packed tuna, garden salad


this is a 43p/37c/20f balance, 1800 calories ----- hey ! i'm getting pretty good at figuring this out even before i punch the numbers into fitday.com !!


fat be gone !!!

bring on more muscle and strength !!!!

[adriana]

and i didn't get enough done !! yikes. i hope tomorrow is more organized and productive.

i also didn't start my new weights routine because i'm having a bit of a problem with my lower back. i'm going to see the doctor tomorrow to see what's going on. the pain is running down my right leg and into my ankle. good thing i didn't bowl with the kids yesterday or else i just might be bed-ridden for some days.

at least i can keep eating real clean and keep myself busy with that part of my program.

Meal Plan:

Meal 1 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, 10 almonds

Meal 2 – 4 egg whites + 1 egg omelet, banana, 2 slices lite whole wheat toast, green tea

Meal 3 – 5 oz grilled turkey breast, baked sweet potato, 2 cups mixed steamed vegetables

Meal 4 – 1/2 cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams cottage cheese, apple, green tea

Meal 5 – 240 grams water-packed tuna, garden salad


this is a 43p/37c/20f balance, 1800 calories

yes, it's the same menu as saturday...... life is sometimes too hectic to make it even more complicated. i love this food

if, by some miracle, i wake up feeling better i will start my workouts tomorrow. it's good to have lots of hope and faith !!

[adriana]

a great day so far, especially the fact that it's almost over with and i'm feeling a whole lot better than i was earlier

i woke up with my back completely out of wack and i limped to the doctor. he gave me a shot of an anti-inflammatory med and sent me on my way. i feel great now !! thank god for chemicals.

i didn't workout today cause i didn't want to push my luck. but he said that i should be able to go back to the gym tomorrow if i wake up painless.

i'm keeping a close watch on my food since i barely moved these past few days.

Meal Plan:

Meal 1 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, 10 almonds, green tea

Meal 2 – 5 oz chicken breast, 1 cup rice, garden salad

Meal 3 – ½ cup oatmeal + 1/4 cup 1% milk, 250 grams 1.5% cottage cheese, banana, green tea

Meal 4 – 120 grams water-packed tuna, baked sweet potato

Meal 5 – 5 oz grilled turkey breast, garden salad

this is a 37p/43c/20f balance, 1600 calories -- i'll have a couple fruit if i see that i'm hungry with these low calories


tomorrow is a new day and this gym rat is looking forward to waking up feeling great !!