The last week and days have not been pleasant for a few reasons and some more. Stuff happens, and then some more piles on, but ultimately it is only human nature to dig ourselves out, dust our behinds, survey the current situation, salvage what’s left and plan our next strategy. It may involve scoops of ice cream and wet pillows, or insane work hours or even solitary walks in the cold damp woods, but ultimately it is human nature to persevere, to survive and to come to terms with what life hands you – not always necessarily on a lovely piece of china.
Incidentally, never trust a Chinese fortune cookie, even with the famous addendum. It’s a whole load of crap that the Chinese wouldn’t in their right minds, dream of getting associated with. Yeah, I know 🙂
So I look around me and I see busybodies, ones who stay on their path, ones who make small side trips, and the few who look completely lost. You can tell by the way they walk around and do their daily business.
Regardless, the scope of this post is a lot more defined than random armchair philosophy. That doesn’t get anyone anywhere, unless the science of application kicks in. So yeah, I’ve hit a plateau, in a few facets of my life, but the most important one with respect to this blog is the one in my crusade against pounds. Since the grand finale, I haven’t dropped a single pound, an inch or even a fat point. Good and bad in different ways, but then, am sitting at a place that I didn’t really plan on staying long and two weeks is long.
What have I done about it?
For starters, I’ve changed the exercise regimen a bit since the last two trips to the gym.
1. I now hop onto the bike and do a random hill program for 15 minutes at level 4 (on a scale of 1-10). It is full of peaks and valleys and is quite fun. The calories expended are a nice number too.
2. I circuit various machines and do 3 reps for all leg and abs targeted ones. 2 reps for all upper body ones. The pounds I lift is pretty much consistent, upper body 40-45 lbs, and lower body 70-90 pounds. There is a faint stress and am pushing myself in the last set.
3. Then I row for 5 minutes. Thats all I can do. The calorie drop and exhaustion level’s quite worthy of it. I remember being able to do a 15 minute stretch or 2000 meters at one point in time with great gusto. Am hoping I can one day reach that.
4. I then walk over to the ellipse and do a 20 minute Interval program on it. I was a chicken before and would only stick to levels 4 and 6 and do it manually, but now I just hit the button and go. It increases and decreases the ramp angle, and varies the resistance between 4 and 8 and I occasionally think am gonna topple down and break the other leg too, but magically I go on. I sweat and am exhausted but feel quite good. The calories lost is a sweet number.
5. I have also started doing a small classical dance item at home, and two days ago jumped in to learn a new one being taught in class. I can’t sit or squat yet and I am definitely not in complete aramandi, but will get there. I should. I don’t see another choice.
Food: Pretty much the same. In fact I have indulged in half an Almond Joy after a stressful 3 hour drive across 22 miles today, and yesterday was spent stuffing myself silly with some fine chinese goodies. Not really good, and will need some work here.
Goal by end of February, which is in 5 weeks, is to reduce fat percentage by 3%. Don’t care for inches and pounds, it’s the percentage, and whatnot numbers that my doc’s gonna put me through at the physical, but this has to go down.
I originally wanted this to be a motivate-myself and jot down factors for motivation, but it’s turned quite long already, so well, next post, as in part 2.
You go girl. Go get those fat numbers down as well.
Do you spend an hour in the gym? everyday?
ps: Cheers, let your heart get redesigned as per you wish atleast mentally.
Marching towards my plan of losing 10 pounds by March, I lost 3 pounds last week alone. Well, I didn’t go down to gym even on one day. I thought for a little while the first day and I realized that I wanted to get the right pair, right shoes, right songs on my ipod etc. to go to the gym that was 15 mins drive and all this time could actually be spent working out. So essentially these days I walk in home as much as I can. I walk when I am on phone, or I am watching a TV show or listening to an audio book etc. And with regards to food, I realized I was buying stuff that I think that I enjoy but actually dont. A veggie burger was enough to fill me rather than a combo with onion rings instead of fries and chocolate milk shake 🙂 Truth is, I dont think I ever enjoyed more than one onion ring in a meal and more than the first two sips of a chocolate milk shake 🙂
Hello Rads…baavunnara?
Mee goals choosthunte muchatesthundi..all the best
Apple: lol, yesyes, doing well. 🙂
Saagar: wow! That’s awesome! Portion sizes and a little movement is really all it takes eh?! The realization on what is enough to fill you is such freedom no? 🙂
Sachita: Thank you! 🙂
No, not every day, I aim to go to the gym 5 days. So 4 – 1 hour workouts, 1 Pilates, and 1 dance.
Awww rads. Hope you bounce back to your real self soon.:–)
Two weeks of plateau must be killing!!
Try rotating your diet. My longest plateau was 10 days, and boy they were horrible.
Shift calories, eat more protein. Binge once a week, I see that works ;–)
But people have adviced me to not go below 1200 cal per day, as else body would think its starving and go into defense mode, will accumulate all calories.
Anyway, I have diff problem, no inches me losing. What to do? I am doing weights, in moderation.
whoa, girl power! ok lady power…..
once again on the workout regimen i found a gym buddy at work and decided to start going to the gym with her, but turns out she has parties lined up till this weekend, so coming monday it might be 🙂
You go girl!
-g
gauri: 🙂
Jaya: see, this is what happens when you buddy up. Sometimes it works against us. Go now, go today, why let go for FOUR days and wait till Monday!? she will catch up later! Be selfish, it’s your body no? 😀
max: excuse me? I am not a girl? I am. I am a lady too, but am so a girl! Yes, girl power! :p
SK: All bounced and up like Tigger! 😀
yes, 1200 is a must, I make sure I do. I read your MCC, you going great, keep at it. Result will come.
yeah,a nd do yourself a favor and don’t compare your inch loss with a grand mom of 3’s inch loss. Flab still is my middle name 🙂
this is such a coincidence, but my work out partner and i had a conversation on these lines today: she always does the elliptix on different inclines, at 4 to 6 manual resistances. I was encouraging her to do a 30 minute cross train routine, or the interval – and my rationale was just that if I could do it, anyone can 🙂
the one good thing i could do today is say no to greasy indian food in grand central, and got a cup of chilli with a very small corn muffin..but ate the chilli with one tbsp of sour creme…..nenu bagupadanu
by the way the above comment was from me aka disappointed
Jaya: lol, you got to eat, just need to remember to work the muscles too :p
It’s always hard starting something new. It gets better 🙂
Schmetterling: hey, that’s my line! 😛
Seriously tho’, I am in love with the ellipse. Speaking of which am off to go visit it now. 🙂