dani's post- log

[dani0330]

Since completing my first W30 five weeks ago, my eating has fluctuated from mostly paleo to SAD and back again. I definitely find it much harder to eat paleo when I'm at school and living in a vegetarian co-operative dorm. I know I feel better when eating mostly compliant and exercising well, though, so this log is my attempt to stay as paleo-compliant as I can while still eating in the co-op and enjoying a social life.

 

Here is an outline of my thoughts on the matter, for my own future reference:

 

Dietary Structure:

- no dairy

- no sugar

- no grains, except quinoa and beer

- legumes and alcohol are okay in moderation (I do feel very able to moderate both)

- lots of vegetables, limited fruit

 

Objectives: 

- to reach a place in which my body- and self-image contributes positively to my social life instead of detracting from it

- to sleep well enough that I am able to bounce out of bed for morning workouts

- to eat in a way that allows me to feel clean, unrestricted, and positive

- to eat in a way that provides fuel for daily activities and difficult workouts without eating in excess

- to eat 3 sound meals a day, occasionally with 1 snack

 

Motivation:

- eating well makes me feel light, clean, and energetic.

- eating well = sleeping well = good mental health, emotional stability, and stress management

- eating well makes me feel good about my body

 

Challenges:

- free junk food at campus events

- delicious baked goods at home (in the co-op)

- pressure from friends

- pressure from lack of time or energy

 

and so the adventure continues!

[dani0330]

ran 3.2 miles in 35 minutes

breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled in oil; 1 medium sweet potato

lunch: soup with sweet potatoes, butternut squash, and white beans; quinoa

snack: 1 apple w/ PB; 2 carrots w/ baba ganoush

dinner: cabbage salad with PB and soy sauce dressing; white beans; roasted squash; a little cheese

 

feeling stressed due to other things going on.

very happy I ran a 5k+ (which was a fitness goal for October), especially because I wasn't even planning on running today. It was a beautiful run.

[dani0330]

run - quick hill workout, 15 mins

10 minutes of core, 15 minutes of leg work, 10 minutes of stretching

breakfast: soup and quinoa

lunch: mussels yum

snack: small apple w/ pb; more soup and quinoa

walked 1 mile to street festival, danced enthusiastically for hours, walked 1 mile back*

dinner: white bean salad; squash soup; corn chips and corn cob... oops 

 

*I'm counting this as exercise because my legs are exhausted!

 

• Achieved another fitness goal for October -- a 60-second plank
• Ate past feeling full multiple times, because the food is delicious, and it's so easy to fill up on beans. But it doesn't feel good afterwards.  
• I think I'm going to try to cut back on beans this week; from now on, I'll limit legumes to one meal a day.

[dani0330]

October 15
 
exercise 15-min interval run. had planned for a longer run, but my legs are very sore and tired today. that was frustrating. not sure what exercise to do tomorrow given how tired my legs are. Will probably focus on core.

 

food

breakfast: two large eggs sautéed with kale; 1 small sweet potato
lunch: spinach salad with onions, tomatoes, and pickles; topped with hearty serving of roast beef and honey dijon mustard
snack: apple with lots of PB (oops); 3 large carrots
dinner: bean and squash stew; mussels

 

feeling very stressed about an upcoming exam on Thursday. Anticipating the next few days to be rough -- less sleep, more coffee, and more stress than usual -- but hopefully acknowledging this now and preparing mentally will allow me to stick with good eating and exercise habits.

[dani0330]

last night, I stress-ate my friend's pad thai, lots of chips and salsa, and some popcorn. I've been treating corn as okay (mostly because the co-op often has locally-produced and/or organic corn chips that are a good snack and way to add variety), but maybe I should limit it.
 

October 16

this morning, I slept in and skipped my workout, because I stayed up until 1 am last night to work on homework. Needless to say, not a good day.
 
exercise none
 
food
breakfast: 2 large eggs sautéed in oil with kale; 1 small sweet potato; black coffee
lunch: sautéed kale and tofu; 10 mussels
snack: apple w/ PB; carrots
dinner: kale "chips"; cabbage salad with oil and vinegar; pinto beans; salsa and chips

 

felt stressed all day. it doesn't help that I stress ate last night, didn't sleep a full 8 hours, and didn't work out. I'm looking forward to things relaxing after tomorrow. I must add, though, that it's really nice that this is the worst things have been all semester. Last year, a normal day would have looked worse than this (i.e. less sleep, worse food, more stress-eating, and no exercise). I really feel that, although today was a rough and stressful day, I've made a lot of progress on my health and the way I take care of myself in the last few months. trying to stay positive. 

[dani0330]

October 17
 
exercise 25 minute run (3 run / 2 jog); 10 minutes core; 10 minutes stretching. It was appropriately tough and felt good, but I'm looking forward to going to the gym tomorrow.

 
food
breakfast: 2 large eggs sautéed in oil with kale, green peppers, and beets; 1 small sweet potato; black coffee; 1 apple
lunch: sautéed kale and tofu; carrots
snack: apple w/ PB; carrots
dinner: roasted potatoes and carrots; cabbage salad with oil and vinegar; chickpeas with eggplant; carrots and hummus
so much beta-carotene, I think I'm going to turn orange!

 

felt pretty good today. I was disappointed this morning when I weighed myself. I had planned to weigh in on the 1st of every month, but it was starting to really bother me, so I weighed myself this morning.   Since October 1st, I have only lost .2 lbs; I'm hoping to lose at a steady 2 lbs / month until at least January. I've been exercising almost every day (alternating between gym and running). I've been eating a lot, but almost exclusively wholesome, nutritious food. I'm hoping this weigh-in was non-representative because of water weight fluctuations and increased muscle mass. I should really measure myself for more accurate tracking...

 

Honestly, though, I think I need to eat less. And by eat less, I don't mean restrict myself. I don't mean not eat when hungry. I mean not eat past being full. Stress eating, emotional eating, and eating past when I'm full are problems for me. New goal: stop when full. This has been a challenge for me for a long time, and something I feel like I constantly have to fight for. It's tough because it feels like a constant challenge, as opposed to something I can "achieve." It feels kind of overwhelming. 

 

Besides weight and food thoughts, today was good! My run felt good, my energy dipped around 4 but was otherwise steady, I took my exam, and I'm feeling much more positive. Hoping to make good progress on the stop-when-full challenge next.

[dani0330]

October 18
 
exercise 1 mile jog; 10 minutes core; 20 minutes legs; 5 minutes core; 10 minutes stretching. total time: 1 hour
 
food
pre-WO: 1 HB egg

breakfast: 2 large eggs sautéed in oil with kale and beets; 2 very small sweet potatoes; 2 cups decaf black coffee;
lunch: sausage and lentil soup; carrots and hummus
snack: 1 small meatball; 1 small piece of chicken; herbal tea
dinner: cabbage salad with oil and vinegar and squash soup dressing; lentils with corn; quinoa

felt pretty good. a little stressed in the morning, but more relaxed now that the weekend is here! overate at dinner ... just kept serving myself more cabbage salad. I know there are worse things to overeat than cabbage salad, but it still doesn't feel very good. I think part of the reason I overate this time was because there was some really yummy-looking flatbread served with dinner, and I kept eating cabbage so I wouldn't eat the flatbread. oh well. here's to better eating this weekend.

[dani0330]

 not sure how I missed a day! yesterday, I had a great strength workout after being inspired by workout advice on this forum -- did some core and some heavy leg work, which felt awesome.

 

October 20

 

exercise rest day, because I'm sick. 
 
food
breakfast: 2 large eggs sautéed in oil with kale and beets; 1 medium-large sweet potatoes; lots of tea with a little bit of honey*;
lunch: sausage and lentil soup; carrots and hummus; flatbread  ; 1 small piece of chicken... very snacky :/

snack: 1 piece of chicken with salsa and beans; carrots; herbal tea

dinner: cabbage salad with oil and vinegar; roasted butternut squash!; quinoa; herbal tea

felt sick. blergh. I feel icky that I had the flatbread, but also not terrible because it was delicious, I had a few bites, and then I was done. I always make exceptions for myself when I'm sick, whether it's with homework or food rules or exercise. I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but I do feel like the self-care helps me feel better faster. Coupled with 20 hours of sleep in the last two nights and a mental rest day from homework, I feel like I'm going to be able to get back on the horse with vigor as soon as my body catches up.

 

Today, I met with a fellow student who is a certified personal trainer. She gave me some advice about nutrition and fitness. A lot of it was "conventional." I told her I don't eat sugar (except for honey today hehe), but she still gave me advice on portion control with desserts. It sounded like she was regurgitating all the conventional diet wisdom out there, and she kept talking about weight loss as the goal. Okay, well, weight loss is pretty much my goal, but it still made me a little uncomfortable, because I prefer to think about it as getting stronger and shaping up.  But she also had some great things to say. She suggested I buy a session with a personal trainer at our gym, and outlined what I should ask the PT. She also made some interesting dietary suggestions, including drinking warm water throughout the day and having lemon water in the morning.

 

*meh, the honey probably wasn't the best idea, and maybe was what set off other cravings, but I'm quite sick today and really appreciated that self-care. Not sure if that was "riding my own bike" (or whatever that phrase is) or slipping from my guidelines.

[amberino21]

Heavy legs is awesome!

Weight loss and fat loss are completely different things - stick to your own goals and keep up the heavy weights

I don't know about yours, but the pt's here aren't supposed to give out nutritional advice as they aren't taught nutrition as part of their certifications!

Lemon water will help with digestion...no idea about the warm water, I wouldn't do that for anyone! Cold water for me please

[pjena]

I consider honey medicine when you're sick.  It's great for a sore throat or a cough.  If it sets off cravings, maybe avoid it, but otherwise, put it in your tea and feel better soon!!!!!

[dani0330]

Thanks, pjena, that's a good point, and I did really enjoy it.

 

Weight loss and fat loss are completely different things - stick to your own goals and keep up the heavy weights

 

Such a good point! When I start thinking about weight loss, I think "sugar/grains/dairy is okay as long as it's a low-calorier option!" which is such a dangerous line of thought for me. When I think about fat loss, I know my body doesn't will burn fat more efficiently without sugar and grains, so I avoid them.

 

I'm afraid the honey messed me up. Or maybe it was the flatbread. But I had a really intense craving for granola this morning, and I ate some.

 

I'm not sure how relaxed I want to be post-WO. I am okay with eating cheese and/or bread every so often (once a week or so, I don't really desire it more than that, and it doesn't seem to bother my body), but I'm not sure how much space I want to give sugar. And the things that I do give space in my diet, should I plan certain meals that will include them, or should I wait for cravings or opportunities to arise and eat them then? Would definitely appreciate some advice on this.

 

Just stumbled across this, and will definitely be using it.

[dani0330]

Decided I need a break from paleo eating for a few days. I ate some bread earlier today. It was really delicious, and I think it may have been the answer to my recent snack attacks. I think I was snacking because I so desperately wanted what I couldn't have. Now that I've given myself a break (for the next few days), I feel much less driven to snack. Phew.

 

I think part of the reason I feel the need to take time off my eating plan is because I'm living in a house where so many people eat so many offroad things. I think it'd be easier to stick with this if I had my own kitchen and could stock is as I wished.  I do think I'll feel ready to go back to stricter eating in a few days.

 

Took another day off from exercise, today, too, because I'm still under the weather. Looking forward to getting back to the gym tomorrow for a fun interval run and some more core work!

[dani0330]

Back on board with enthusiasm, and feeling good! Woo!

 

Ate a lot of bread in the last two days, and an eagerly-awaited and much-appreciated few servings of yogurt + granola.   Now I'm totally back in the game, mentally.

 

Yesterday, I did an awesome interval run on the treadmill. I almost never run on the treadmill, but the interval workout I got off the internet had me pushing myself harder than I usually do!

 

Today, I did some legit arm exercises. I'm too wimpy and self-conscious to do the super heavy stuff right now, because the heavy weights side of the gym at my school is always dominated by super-buff guys whom I'm sure would totally judge me if I tried to lift over there. So today, I didn't "lift heavy" per se, but I did use much heavier weights than normal and did rows and squats in the floor mat area. Even though my workout today was shorter than usual, I ended winded and more exhausted than usual. Yay! 

 

I just learned my friend (a woman) is into heavy weights, and she offered to show me a few moves. I hope to work out with her soon; I think that will help me get over my fear of the heavy weights and intimidating dudes.

 

I ate way too much yesterday. I was like, constantly eating, and definitely past when I was full. Goal for the rest of the week: stop when full. this is so hard for me. any tips? they'd be much appreciated.

[amberino21]

Please don't avoid the heavy weights area because of the guys. Any decent guys (ie the ones there to train, not prance around like show ponies) shouldn't be judging you....they'll probably respect you more for being in the heavy weight section than if you stay in the other bit! Go hard, go heavy (but not so heavy that your form suffers) and you'll be fine

In terms of eating - were you eating mindfully, seated at the table, not preoccupied by other things? Eating at a reasonable pace, not wolfing your food down? I have to make the effort to slow down as I was in the habit of eating quickly to get something in during short breaks, or whilst doing other things. Taking the time to eat mindfully has made a huge difference, I actually notice that I feel satisfied and can stop more easily if I'm eating too much.

[dani0330]

Thanks, Amber! On Saturday, my friend is going to show me how to navigate the heavy weight section of the gym. I'll update after that, but I think I'll feel much more comfortable working out in that area after she does. So funny, about the men prancing around like show ponies -- it's so true!

 

You hit the nail on the head, with food. I'm often focused on the food, but I really wolf it down. I so often forget that I mean to eat mindfully until after I've eaten a lot!   I guess I'll just have to be more intentional about my eating. I also often snack while I'm working in my room. I should a) try to do more of my homework in the library or elsewhere and drink tea when I'm working in my room and I want to "snack."

 

These last few days have been rough. I'm frustrated, because I feel like I was doing so well for so long, and then all of a sudden, I seem to completely lack any willpower. For two months (minus one week or so), I didn't eat sugar or grains (among other things, but those are the two I have the most trouble with). Now, suddenly, I'm powerless around the omnipresent freshly baked bread and cookies in the co-op. I'm confused.  I think maybe it's because I've yet to figure out exactly how I want to eat post-w30? Maybe I should go back to no grains and no sugar, as that was easier. 

 

Another thought of the last few days ... I'm not sure how much headspace I feel comfortable dedicating to food and fitness. I feel so good when I'm working out almost daily and eating really well. And I was finally losing some weight! But I feel like it's begun to consume my life. I'm inclined to avoid socializing when it involves no-brakes foods. (Right now, next door, in the kitchen, people are baking desserts and talking and drinking and laughing ... I'm avoiding it because I don't want to be tempted by cookies and beer.) I don't have morning coffee dates because I want to dedicate that time to working out. I sometimes sit in class thinking not of the material being taught but of what my next meal should look like. (Though I think that cost is outweighed by the benefit my brainpower gets when I eat and sleep so well!) Between schoolwork, eating well, and working out, I have very little time for other things. I'm worried I'm not being appropriately social (as in, not enough to make me happy and socially healthy), but I so want to continue living healthfully and feeling so fantastic.* Help! 

 

 

*this is also why it's so frustrating to have hit a mental roadblock lately and to have had so much trouble eating on-track. it's like, I'm dedicating such a huge amount of my mental capacity to this, and I still can't get it right! Argh!

[amberino21]

Tbh, your life changes a lot when you start to dedicate time to eating well and training. We've lost lots of friends who don't get what we do or why we do it, think we're weird, get put out that they can't feed us (when we're just happy to see them and don't want food) etc. we've also gained a lot of friends who are in the same position and place as us, who understand that we might turn up with our Tupperware, who know that training often comes first....you just work around it!

Would I like more time to do nothing, be free to socialise in a "normal" way, go out for dinner and not worry about what I'm eating, stay up late partying etc? Sometimes I think I would, then I think about all the negatives that come with that lifestyle and I'd rather stick with what I have. My husband and I are in this together so it does make it easier as there's always a support network or someone to hang out with....

Perhaps training with your friend will be good for you in more than just a training perspective?

[dani0330]

Thanks for pointing that out, Amber. It's not necessarily a bad thing, then, that my social life is changing. It does feel a little alienating at college. I feel like people make inaccurate assumptions when they learn how I eat and exercise, and treat me differently because of it. But I'm sure I just need to find the people who prioritize health in the same way I want to. I think I already have found some of those people. (I'm lucky to have been randomly paired with an athlete for a roommate. She runs for the school, and the team does all sorts of workouts, and she's very kind and encouraging about exercise.)

 

I've been able to eat a bit better the last few days. I think I was a little unhappy and stressed, but I feel better now. I've been eating delicious, nutritious, and substantial meals with small amounts of bread and smaller amounts of sugar and minimal snacking, which feels awesome. There's a lot of meat in the house right now (which is pretty rare), so my meals have felt very satisfying.

 

Training with my friend this morning was awesome! Definitely one of the best workouts I've done in a long time. My favorites were the squats, because I felt so strong! Just for logging purposes, I'm going to write down what I did here. Later, I'll transfer it to a spreadsheet so I can keep better track of my progress. Please let me know how this workout looks, if you happen to see it. (not quite sure how to properly write these things down, so my notation may be incorrect.)

 

Bench press:

warm-up: 3 sets of 5 at 45 lbs

increase: 5 x 45, 3 x 50, 2 x 55

more sets: 2 sets of 5 at 55 (I think, I don't quite remember ... oops.)

 

Bicep curls: 2 sets of 13 at 10 lbs

 

Squats:

warm-up: 3 sets of 5 at 45 lbs

increase: 5 x 45, 3 x 50, 2 x 55

work-out: 10 x 55 (started to get pressed for time)

 

Chins: 3 sets of 8 with 70 lbs of help (how embarrassing  )

Dips: 3 sets of 5 with 70 lbs of help (also embarrassing, haha)

 

So excited for our workout next week!

[amberino21]

The workout looks good! If you could do 10x55lb squats, I'd go up for the shorter sets I'd usually do less reps at the end but a lot heavier weight...

No embarrassment needed!! You have to start somewhere, as long as you gradually get better. Chin ups are hard!

[dani0330]

Sounds good - thanks. Will increase weight next time. I think it might take me one or two more visits to the gym to figure out where I should be starting, weight-wise, but I'm looking forward to settling into a routine!

 

The last few days have been pretty good. (Not Saturday, which involved some sweets and some drinking.) Today, especially, felt awesome. I did 30-minute interval run that had me seriously huffing and puffing this morning, and then I ate well all day (except for the addition of some delicious bread). I think I'd like to reduce my sugar intake again, so I'll be limiting fruit and omitting bread for a little bit.

 

The warm/hot lemon water in the mornings has been lovely. It's a great way to warm up (my house is freezing in the mornings because the university hasn't turned on the heat in residential buildings yet), wake up (the strong lemon taste does the trick), stay healthy (vitamin C!), and ... ahem, move things through my system. 

 

Tomorrow, I'm headed back to the gym, where my friend will show me her other workout. I'm psyched! I'm going to bed early so I feel strong in the morning morning.

 

I'm enjoying feeling so positively about food+fitness right now. I've decided that my unofficial goal for November is to have my mom notice a physical difference in my body when I go home for Thanksgiving break.   I think my body has already changed since I last saw her (end of August), but maybe not enough to merit a comment. So basically, I need to work really hard this month. And I'm prepared to! Yay! 

[dani0330]

Workout this morning was tough, but not totally in a good way. It was tough on some of my muscles that are weak, so I "felt it" in places I shouldn't have, like in my back and neck. I think next time I might decrease the weight a little and work on form.

 

Overhead Press:

"warm-up:" 2 sets of 5 at 30 lbs

workout: 3 sets of 5 at 30 lbs

 

Deadlift:

warm-up: 2 sets of 5 at 45 lbs

increase: 5 x 55, 3 x 65, 2 x 70

workout: 2 sets of 5 at 70 lbs

 

Chin-ups: 3 sets of 6 with 70 lbs help

Dips: 3 sets of 6 with 70 lbs help

 

"Flailing around on a mat" for 10 minutes of abs -- will do better next time, when I have some structure to my ab routine. This time was just like, "oh, we're doing abs? Okay, um ... crunches! um... leg lifts! um..." etc

[dani0330]

Thinking more about eating ...

 

I think I'm going to cut out alcohol this month, except for on my birthday. I also will re-cut out grains except quinoa and occasionally brown rice.* If I am serious about looking good on Thanksgiving, these are necessary decisions. But without grains, my diet will become less varied and more expensive (though that cost will be offset by savings on alcohol). Cooking meat in the house is very difficult, as the rules are that I need to use certain cookware and be careful not to cook around vegetarians in the house who are upset by meat, so I've only been buying prepared meats. I know that's not as good as cooking my own, because I don't know what's in it. (I've pretty much only been buying grilled chicken and deli meats, and I'm sure those probably have hidden icky-s in them, but I think that's better that than no meat.)

 

I will need to buy more, and more varied, foods so I don't feel restricted and end up giving in to temptations in the house. I go to the grocery store every Monday. I've been getting enough sweet potatoes, avocado, lemons, and grilled chicken to get me through the week. This week, I also bought almond butter. Next week, I'll also buy coconut oil, but I'm not sure what else to buy. (I have plenty of seasonal veggies in the co-op.) Maybe to vary my diet, I'll buy shrimp, canned salmon, chicken prepared in new ways, meatballs I can freeze and eat later in the week. I'll also start buying lunch from the university occasionally so I can get other meats ... Any other ideas?

 

* I might make exceptions for both of these on Thanksgiving

[amberino21]

I'm sure your abs got a decent enough workout doing dead lifts

[dani0330]

The week was my most stressful yet this semester, and I only slept 4.5 hours the night before last. (Slept 12 hours last night to make up for it!  ) I'm a little disappointed to find that I can't hold up my good eating under stress. Will work on that in the future. If I have another super stressful week (which hopefully I won't!) I'll 1. recognize it, 2. think before eating, and 3. replace icky foods with stress-relieving techniques like going for a run, watching Netflix, or a deep-breathing exercise.

 

Now that the stress is over, things are much better. I went for a lovely bike ride today along the water; the bike path was cluttered with beautiful orange leaves, the sky was bright blue, and the trees were all sorts of wonderful colors. It was just what I needed. Have eaten very well today as well .

 

Last two workouts have gone well. I swear I'm already getting stronger, and it feels great! Must say, though... on Thursday, I went to the gym in the afternoon, at 5:30, and it was a bad idea -- it was so crowded! It was my first time doing heavy lifting by myself, and the weight side of the gym was completely full of men strutting around like show ponies, as you so aptly put it, Amber! They weren't very nice, either, and I kept worrying I was breaking some unknown gym rules (e.g. can you take plates from the racks of other sets if yours doesn't have the right weight plates? when you take a breather between sets, can someone else take your place? how do you know when someone's done??  )

 

Today was much better. I think my form is improving, because I stopped feeling it in the wrong places (back, neck) and started feeling it in the right places (abs, oh man! and shoulders). I need to make a spreadsheet for my weights; it's hard to keep track of everything.

 

Anyway, really enjoying my workouts now! As long as I go in the morning, when it's not so crowded, it's so much fun, and it makes me feel super strong and sexy!

[amberino21]

Boooo to men making you feel uncomfortable..

To answer your questions, from my experience..

If you want to take plates from another piece of equipment, it's fine if no one is using it. If someone is using it, ask if they need them first.

If you're between sets, no one should jump in without asking if they can "work in with you". If you're on your own, working in with someone isn't so bad... But they should always ask first.

If someone has their towel/belongings near a piece of equipment, it generally means they're still using it. When they're done, they should move it...We usually try and keep a look out just to see who has been using something before we want to. If they're not around, it usually means they're done - if not, we ask just to be sure

It can be slightly intimidating at first, but talking to people isn't so bad, and they should be polite enough to be nice! Ask if they're done, or if they've got many sets left (during a rest, not half way through a set)

So happy to hear that you're enjoying it! I'd get a little notebook to write down your workout and weights when you're at the gym. You can take it every training session and refer back to other workouts where you may have done the same routine or exercises.

[dani0330]

Gosh, two weeks later ...

 

Eating isn't going well. Been regularly eating desserts, yogurt + granola, lots of bread, pastries, etc. (though very little alcohol.) ugh. I'm wondering how to get back on track. I keep trying without success. There's so much tempting food here always. It seems like such a shame to not allow myself the fresh-baked bread that arrives twice-a-week or the local yogurt with sweet granola. I guess I need to get over that mentality.    Sunday is my birthday (21!), so I plan to eat sweets and drink alcohol. Maybe then I'll be ready to get back on the horse... I hope so. Regardless, I'm planning my second Whole30 for the month of my winter break, which starts in 5 weeks. It's much easier to eat compliant when I'm at home!

 

Working out, though, is going great!   I love feeling so strong. I especially love deadlifts. My least favorite is the shoulder press, (but I want to be able to do a handstand, so I know it's important I push myself to build strong shoulders), but I still enjoy it! I no longer feel intimidated -- more often, I feel strong and sexy when I'm at the gym, and I imagine that (no one is watching but) anyone who sees me thinks, "wow, she's working hard and looking good!" I've been consistently increasing weights. I know that's because I'm just starting out, but it still feels awesome. I'm logging consistently. Here's what I'm at so far:

 

Bench press: 60 lbs

Bicep curls: 15 lbs (2 sets of 10 reps)

Squats: 75 lbs

Deadlift: 80 lbs

Shoulder press: 40 lb (ugh so hard!)

Chins and dips: 3 sets of 7 reps with 70 lbs assistance (really hard to improve!)

 

Cardio hasn't been great the last two weeks, but I'm also okay with that. I've done a few long bike rides and a few longer runs, and that's it. I think it'd be more okay to avoid cardio if I were eating better. As it is, my diet is now carb-heavy, and I feel like it's important I include cardio to burn through those carbs / glycogen stores. eh. Getting back on the cardio train this week, because I remembered how good it feels after my Tuesday run.  It's hard when it's so cold! Brrr! (dipped down to 26ºF yesterday)