Bonnie's Journey to Fitness
It might be hard, but I'm proving it can be done at any age.
The weather in Chicago this past week, couldn’t have been better. We averaged temperatures in the 70’s … even hitting a record high of 83 on Thursday! Perfect for my long-distance walk training. Logged in 36 miles this week!
I complimented this with a kick-ass workout at TWR. Matt was my trainer and he had a great combination of cardio and weights. We started out doing something I dread, even though I know it’s a great way to warm up … to one wall you would do the high knees, than the butt-kicks, and than the skips. Next came the weights … he had 3 sets for each of us. For me - 20 lb, 15 lb and 10 lb. We started with the heavier ones first …. you would do 10 reps of the one-arm row, curls and than shoulder press. Followed by 20 dips. End this with a 4 wall run. Come back and you would have 30 reps with the 15 lb weights, ending with a 4 wall run. Finally, 50 reps with the 10 lb weights and the 4 wall run. You’re tired aren’t you? Well, buck-up, it’s not over. He than wrapped a band around our legs - just above the knees. With 10 lb weights, you would walk/squat sideways to the end of the wall while doing curls. Once you got to the wall, you had 25 burpees (yes, with band still wrapped around your legs and with the weights). Than you would repeat this going back. There’s more …. now we would walk sideways, keeping legs straight (still with band and weights) as we did shoulder presses. At the end we would do 25 mountain climbers (with a push-up between every 5). Than repeat this going back. Legs starting to get a little shaky at this point, but it’s not over. We went back to the beginning. Only this time we started out with the lighter weights. And at the end of each wall during our 4 wall run, we did 25 jumping jacks. To end this workout, we did 100 mountain climbers (with a push-up between every 10). Okay, now you can start breathing again. Thanks, Matt! Another great workout!!
As for my diet …. when I first started this journey, I found that I was spending way too much money on produce. And than the majority of it would go to waste. This is why I find it so important to plan out my meals for the week, and stick to it! Don’t try to buy such a big variety of veggies or fruits. I have core list I use. And I try to buy what’s in season.
I’m a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast & lunch. It makes it easier to stick to a plan. Breakfast is always oatmeal, with 1 Tablespoon of Almond or Peanut butter (gives me a little extra protein) and a cup of blueberries or strawberries. I eat a salad every day for lunch. One week it will be spinach and arugula. Another it will be spinach and romaine. Than I pick a couple of veggies to add in. Typically I like cucumbers (and you only need to buy one), green and red peppers (again, just buy one of each), and red onion (a thin slice goes a long way), and than maybe a tomato. My protein is usually a 3-4 ounce chicken breast. And I always end the meal with an apple. My 2 snacks of the day are typically baby carrots & celery, 2 oz of edamame, or a small handful of nuts or seeds (almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds). You can get these in bulk almost anywhere now - just remember to get them unsalted. My dinner is also planned - usually it’s brown rice or a whole grain pasta, with a veggie (like broccoli & cauliflower, asparagus or green beans), and 4-5 oz of protein (chicken, tilapia, and salmon are my favorites). If I need something sweet than it’s usually some strawberries. The trick is - plan ahead. And Saturday is usually the day I save as my “free” day. So if I want to join friends for dinner, or I want to have popcorn at the movies … I can do it without feeling guilty.
Here’s another great website you can use as a tool … http://www.nutrientrichfoods.org/index.html
So, another week over and a 2 lb loss with it. It may be slow, but it’s a steady weight loss.
