Working out for Weight Loss

Working out for weight loss is hard work. No matter your current level of fitness, weight loss workouts require increased physical exertion—pushing beyond whatever is “normal” for you. If you don’t normally exercise, you will need to begin exercise—a 30-minute walk a few times a week—which would be beyond normal for you. That may be all you need to do, until you reach a weight loss plateau.

And if that is you, talk to the hand. Because I’m working my tail off right now and I frankly don’t want to hear how all you did was “start taking the stairs at work,” and 20 pounds just fell off your body.

I’m totally kidding. I actually DO want to hear that. Just don’t tell me until AFTER I’ve peeled myself off the floor from my own crazy workout, K?

If, like me, you normally exercise a lot, you will need to incorporate something into the workout routine that forces your body out of its norm and into fat-burning mode.

For my weight loss plan, I am taking workouts I already do and adding weight, time and/or intensity.

~For example, if I normally do Jillian Michael’s 30-Day Shred, I will still do that, but use heavier dumbbells (adding weight).

~If I normally call it a day after doing 30-Day Shred, I may add 10 minutes on the elliptical or an evening brisk walk to the day (adding time).

~If I normally do a brisk walk for 30 minutes, I may add interval sprints (adding intensity).

It’s hard to record on paper, but every workout you see here, I pushed myself to failure—gasping, panting, grunting, sweating. Don’t be alarmed. In the fitness world, “working to failure” is a good thing. It simply means the point at which you physically cannot do one more thing. When you push your muscles to failure, they are forced to adapt, and that’s where the magic happens.

The other key to effective weight loss workouts is variety.  The best workout programs incorporate a combination of cardiovascular exercise, resistance training (like weights) and stretching. 

You may be relieved to know, my 3.5 pounds that sent me into a tailspin a few days ago came back off. Then 1.5 pounds came back on. Oh well. Gotta love daily fluctuations. The good news is, since starting my Fitness Initiative two weeks ago, I’ve lost 2.8 pounds and 5 inches.

(I’ll talk more about measuring inches in a later post, but just so you know, I measure in 5 areas: bust, waist, hips, butt, and each thigh.)

So, as far as I can tell, this thing is working. Thank you, Jesus.

Here is the same food log I posted last time, but I’ve added the workouts in, exactly where I fit them into my day. Notice, I work out at all different times of the day. Sometimes I split my workout into two sessions.

Brief random diversion: Just now, when typing the word “split,” I hit the wrong key, and my auto spell check changed the word to “spittle.” Which is also true: Sometimes I spittle.

I am a stay-at-home mom where every day is different. Sometimes I only have 20 or 30 minutes, so I do what I can in that short period of time. For me, I have to look at each individual day and figure out when I’ll exercise. And that means that I pretty much live in workout clothes and often shower more than once a day. I realize that may not work for you. The important thing is to look at YOUR life and make fitness a regular part of it.

(Though not noted, I do a 5-minute stretch at the end of each workout.)

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Day One

I cup coffee with flavored, non-dairy creamer (this is not something I drink all the time, but I’m on this kick right now. I usually have half and half with agave nectar)
Banana and Natural/organic peanut butter
Kathy Smith upper body (20 min) and abs (10 min), 10 minutes on elliptical
Turkey sandwich with veggies and mustard on whole wheat
Tall soy chai tea latte
½ bbq chicken breast, rice pilaf, fresh cucumbers, cauliflower, strawberries

Day Two

Coffee w/creamer
Whole wheat bread, almond butter, grapes
Salad with veggies, left-ver chicken, left-over rice
Tea with almond milk and honey
Lowfat vanilla yogurt, ½ banana
One soy-crumbles taco, small taco salad (the guts of a second taco without shell) and a few grapes
1 hour brisk walk pushing stroller
Almonds, grapes, tea with almond milk and honey

Day Three

30 min P90X legs and back (did not have time for full workout, so just did half)
Smoothie—frozen berries, almond milk, flax seed, Spiru-tein powder
Coffee w/creamer
Lynn’s Paradise Café (a great local restaurant)—black beans, brown rice, chips, mango salsa
½ cup coffee with half and half
1 small box junior mints (at theater)
½ turkey sandwich, small salad
30 minute walk/run
Tea, almond milk, honey

Day Four

No workout today–I AM SORE!
Coffee w/ creamer
WW bread, almond butter, ½ banana, a few grapes
2 slices turkey breast, a few pieces raw cauliflower
Large soy chai tea latte and blueberry yogurt (at coffee shop)
5 chicken breast strips (breaded in corn chips and cracker, lightly fried in 1 tbsp oil), yukon gold roasted potatoes drizzled with olive oil, fresh veggies and fruit
Tea with honey and skim

Day Five

1 ½ cups coffee with creamer
½ banana and smudge of peanut butter
30 minute walk/run
1 egg, 2 egg white omelet with peppers, gouda, 1 slice ww toast with thin slab butter and jelly
Q’Doba grilled veggie burrito (beans, rice, veggies, salsa, guacamole)—no tortilla, no cheese, no sour cream
Home made veggie pizza, with whole wheat crust and about ½ the cheese I’d prefer, salad

Day Six

2 cups coffee with creamer
Oatmeal, ¼ banana, 1 tsp peanut butter, flax seed, a little almond milk, honey
Handful of cheerios (to help me sustain my workout)
30 Day Shred (level 1), 20 minutes on elliptical
Can of Amy’s minestrone soup, serving of left over roasted potatoes
Apple and spoon of peanut butter
Tea with almond milk and honey
Chicken mozzarella ravioli, salad, 3 small homemade whole wheat bread sticks

Day 7

2 cups coffee with cream
Whole wheat bread, almond butter, 3 strawberries and a sprinkle of sugar
Bowl of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest cereal and almond milk
Ravioli and salad
30 minutes walk with sprinting intervals, 30 minutes elliptical
Smoothie (Strawberries, almond milk, almond butter, flax and Spirutein powder)
I cup mac and cheese

Day 8

2 cups coffee
1 Egg 2 egg white omelet with onion, peppers, spinach, gouda, 1 slice whole wheat toast with butter and jelly
1 hour P90X plyometrics workout
Smoothie (strawberries, water and spirutein)
2 soy hot dogs on whole wheat bread, small salad

(Went to Beth Moore conference and did not log food for dinner that night, breakfast or lunch the following day)

Day 9

No workout–at conference most of the day
Breakfast and lunch not logged
Smoothie after I returned from conference

Day 10

30 minute brisk walk
Cheerios with skim milk
Coffee and creamer
Q’doba mango chicken salad with guacamole (no shell, no cheese, no sour cream), handful of tortilla chips
Grande non-fat vanilla latte
Yogurt, cottage cheese, banana
Turkey sandwich on whole wheat, with lettuce and mustard
1 brownie (was baking for Elijah’s birthday and only ate ONE out of two dozen—which demonstrated an incredible amount of self-control!)

Day 11

Coffee
Whole wheat bread, peanut butter and banana
30 minute walk (pushing stroller with 35 pound kid), 10 minutes push-ups and crunches
½ turkey sandwich with tomato, peppers, lettuce, mustard, I can Amy’s split pea soup
¼ cup almonds and about 20 grapes
Japenese steak house: 1 sushi vegetable roll, 1 sushi avocado roll, salad with ginger dressing (also finished Rebekah’s salad), bowl of broth soup, green tea with sugar
Brownies warmed with ice cream on top (Elijah’s birthday)

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My fitness friend and faithful blogger Debbie linked up with me for Fitness Friday!  She is in the same boat as me…needing to lose some unwanted poundage.  Go see what she’s doing to work it off!

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Coming next week: I will talk about setting realistic goals and rewarding yourself for progress. I will also address a few questions you’ve posed in the comments about eating on vacation, and the benefits of almond milk over soy. You never know, I may even spittle.

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