I finally got my schedule straightened out a bit, cleared some of my to-do list, and hit the gym.
I'm not a pixie-chick, so I don't use the pink weights. After a little aerobics warm up, I put on Marilyn Manson on my iPhone/iPod, kicked off my sneakers and hit the weights - hard. My warm up set of squats was 75lbs. I don't have a lot of upper body strength, but I'm still not a wimp... so I did some overhead presses with 20lb dumbbells. Then I noticed something odd: someone was copying me!
I honestly couldn't figure out if the person copying my workout was a man or a woman. Seriously, it was a toss up. No real figure, some makeup, a small frame, large-ish hands for a woman, but small hands for a guy. My inclination is that this was a man, but I wouldn't think that a drag queen would be particularly interested in weight training.
I always knew that my general fabulousness was inspirational, but I guess I need to consider my workouts as inspiration for the Lips crewe!
Labels: fitness
I have been focusing on my legs when working out in the gym. Mostly this is because I hurt my wrist when skiing.
Here's a photo of a leg press done with good form.
Labels: fitness
Today I'll be travelling out of town for business. This brings up challenges for the workout routine that I recently established. But I can't go excusing myself from exercise and healthy eating while travelling if I want to do well on the Body for Life Challenge.
So here are some ideas for exercise while travelling:
- Bring Yoga CDs and view them on your work laptop in your hotel room. You can do yoga in your pagamas at the beginning or end of the day.
- Old fashioned running or walking. You are practically guaranteed a sidewalk in any city in America.
- Do isometric exercises in your hotel room.
- Situps and pushups (also isometric), but I pull them out separately since you have no excuses for not doing them in any size hotel room.
- Instead of watching the TV in your room, venture down to the hotel workout room. They probably won't have much more than a few aerobic machines, but they'll probably have a treadmill and an elliptical trainer for use by hotel guests.
Labels: fitness
Everyday that you are dieting and weight training, you should consume protein. And sometimes a meal replacement shake is a good option. For those days, here's a treat: The Dreamsicle Shake. Taste's like an orange creamsicle.
Recipe: 1 cup of lowfat milk, 1 cup water, 1 scoop Biotest Grow Whey Nutrition, 1/4 scoop Tang, ice cubes and a blender. It's that simple.
Here's the nutritional breakdown:
Milk: Cal 100, Fat 2.4, Carb 11, Protein 8
Biotest Whey: Cal 120, Fat 2, Carb 2, Protein 22
Tang: Cal 40, Fat 0, Carb 9, Protein 0
Total: Cal 260, Fat 4.4, Carb 22, Protein 30Labels: fitness
Since I'm heading up the Body For Life Corporate Challenge in the office, I got asked the following question: I want to lose weight, so how many calories should I consume?
Although there are a plethora of equations and calculators available, they will all seem to converge if you start plugging in your numbers - at least, they did for me. Give these a try for yourself:
- The Zig-Zag method calculator is easy to utilize.
- You can also calculate your BMR, then consume fewer calories and, logically, you should lose weight.
- One formula is (10.2 x Your Weight + 879) x .52 = X calories on non-weight lifting days; (10.2 x Your Weight + 879) x .65 = X calories on weight lifting days. (credit)
Labels: fitness
If you are embarking on a weight loss challenge, measure the following:
- Around the largest part of your belly - A circumference larger than 40 inches for men or larger than 35 for women means that the person is at risk for Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 diabetes
- Hips
- Upper leg (thigh)
- Lower leg (calf)
- Chest (females: measure over breasts and again just below)
- Upper arm (biceps)
- Forearm (usually this just applies to men, women rarely change this measurement)
- Neck (usually this just applies to men, women rarely change this measurement)
Now that you have the measurements, figure out your waist to hip ratio. The ideal is 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men. Here's an online WHR calculator.
Labels: fitness
The following are essential food items for any person who wants a healthy eating lifestyle - and we have many/most of the following in our house at all times. This list is adapted from MWA forum, but it encompasses all of the SuperFoods lists that everyone else has. My list of superfoods makes for a Superfood Shopping List for a Super Household.
BEVERAGES
- Coffee, espresso - don't cut back, gear up!
- Oolong and Green Tea (but black tea is good too)
- Organic or Raw Milk (small quantities)
- Diet Coke with Splenda (MAS loves Coke Zero, but that has Nutrasweet)
- Talking Rain
- Protein Powder
- Eggs (whites, whole, Omega3)
- Free range turkey, chicken (fresh, whole meat, not pre-cooked deli cuts)
- Any and all kinds of fish and shellfish
- Buffalo, ostrich, elk, venison - anything free range and not particularly domesticated
- Tofu (firm and extra firm)
- Salmon burgers, soy burgers
- Low-fat cottage cheese
- Yogurt and kefir
- Oatmeal (Old Fashioned and Steel Cut)
- Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
- Beans (pinto, black, kidney)
- Brown Rice
- Farina (Cream of Wheat)
- Quinoa, buckwheat
- Whole wheat pasta
- Whole wheat bread with over 3g fiber
- Tomatoes
- Pumpkin, squash, zucchini
- Broccoli
- Green leafy anything (spinach, bibb lettuce, romaine, chard)
- Beans
- Bell Peppers
- Cauliflower and Broccoflower (a personal favorite)
- Cabbage
- Celery
- Onions
- Blueberries and any other berry
- Apples
- Grapefruit
- Lemons and Limes
- Bananas
- Watermelon
- Olive oil
- Nuts and seeds (walnuts, pistachios,sunflower seeds)
- Flax and flaxseed oil
- Avocado (whole or oil)
- Coconut (milk, oil) - use sparingly
- Natural peanut butter
- Mustard (yellow, dijon, cottage)
- Soy sauce
- Balsamic vinegar
- Salsa
- Hot sauces
- Curry paste
- Vegetable broth
- Pickles (any flavor but sweet pickles)
- Cans of tomato paste and stewed tomato
- Fresh ginger root, high quality cinnamon powder, high quality vanilla
- Raw sugar (turbinado), Splenda, stevia, high-quality maple syrup, high quality honey (use sparingly)
- Cocoa 70% or higher (use sparingly)
Labels: fitness
OK - I know that it is chiche, but I am starting a diet and exercise program. Specifically, I am doing the 12-week Body For Life Challenge. In fact, I'm attempting to organize a competition at work - the Seattle office vs the Colorado office. I took measurements and before photos today. I wont be posting those on this site until there is a beautiful after photo.
Today, I went to the Rust Gym that MAS joined. I got a membership too even though I have a lifetime, no dues membership at Bally Total Fitness. I joined Iron Works because it is convenient (to home), the people are nicer, and it is a real weight-training gym with trainers who know what the heck they are doing (unlike Bally.)
Anyway, since it is the first day of my diet, I should declare my goal and pick a fitness image that inspires me. The goals: let's say bodyfat percentage in the 20s, 133 lbs, and the ability to squat 135 again.
As for the fitness image that inspires me... this is actually very difficult. Finding a woman who has real boobs, is around 5.4, over 25 years old, and is over 115 pounds is unbelievably difficult. Not in real life, but oh buddy is it hard to find someone like that on the internet, TV, or in film.
The idea of a fitness inspiration is to look at a figure/shape that is somewhat plausible for your body shape -- a little out of reach, but not a complete pipe dream. The best I could do is find an inspiring Ms. Fitness contestant named Kim Dawson. She's a bit shorter, and she's about 120 due to her amazing (but not hulking) muscles. Of course, I am so fair-skinned that it might make more sense for me to aspire to be like Dita Von Teese!
