Category Archives: Bowflex

Another pretty good day!

Despite a lot of stress today (could I have received any more phone calls???), I did not go off plan. Food was good, and I got in a good amount of protein. I did my strength training, albeit much later than usual due to the phone, and also walked to the post office and back (about 30 min). I was going to go easy on cardio today, since I jogged the previous two days.

Been working on medical transcription study, almost ready for my mid term. I want to be able to continue with real estate flipping, but need something to fall back on, especially in this market. I have my one house that I am holding now, and will sell it in a couple years. I hope to get another flip house sometime next year. So, 40 years old and a career change. The nice thing about the MT is that if I work for a national company, I can get health insurance for John and I.

This was my strength workout today:
Chest:
1 arm seated fly: 3 sets, 10 reps at 25 pounds
resisted punch: 3 sets, 10 reps at 25 pounds

Shoulders:
Rear deltoid row: 3 sets, 10 reps at 45 pounds

Arms:
Lying triceps extension: 3 sets, 10 reps at 25 pounds
Seated bicep curls: 3 sets, 10 reps at 30 pounds

Tomorrow is weigh in day!

Bowflex workout

Today’s workout:

Strength:
Bowflex workout:
Back:
Seated Lat rows: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 45 pounds
Rear Deltoid row: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 45 pounds
Functional lower back: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 45 pounds

Legs:
Seated Leg press: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 105 pounds
Seated leg curl: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 45 pounds
Standing Hip Abduction: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 35 pounds

2 more weeks of these routines, then in August I am going to create some new sets.

Bowflex workout

Today’s strength training:

Bowflex workout:

Incline Chest fly: 3 sets 10 reps 35 pounds
Tricep kickback: 3 sets 10 reps 25 pounds
Seated bicep curls: 3 sets 10 reps 30 pounds
Lying shoulder pullover: 3 sets 10 reps 25 pounds
Front raise: 3 sets 10 reps 25 pounds

Abs: – reverse crunch: 3 sets 10 reps

New clothes

Well, the Good Will shop got bumped up to today, since we needed to get our supplies earlier than expected! John dropped me off at Good Will while he picked up our stuff.

Shopping was a bit frustrating. Pants are a real problem. I can’t find pants that don’t gap a lot at the waist. I can use a belt, but sometimes the gap is so much that the fabric gets all bunched up with a belt. Anyway, I got a pair of size 12 shorts, and then 2 pairs of pants. One a size 10!! These went on a bit tight, but they are 10 petite, so the length was perfect. I should be fitting in those nicely in a few pounds (or another 6 5Ks LOL!). I also put on a pair of size 8. I could not believe it! Those were pretty snug, but I bought them anyway, since I will be in those in the fall when it is cooler. Couple pairs of incentive pants! I also bought a shirt. All this for less than $18!! And the shorts were brand new. Pretty cool.

Bowflex workout today:
Arms:
Seated Shoulder Press: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 30 pounds
French Press: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 25 pounds
Lying triceps extension: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 30 pounds
Standing Bicep curls: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 30 pounds

Chest/abs:
Bench Press: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 45 pounds
Ab Crunch: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 35 pounds

How I'm doing it.

I have been asked quite a few questions lately about how I am losing the weight. Keep in mind that this process started about 4 years ago, so it has gone through various permutations to get to the point I am currently at.

Food: I pretty much count calories.

I try to eat around 1400 calories per day. I have played with this a bit, and going lower doesn’t really help that much, so may as well eat more if I can, right? Some days it is 1350, some days 1500, but on average around 1400. I try to eat 50% of my calories from complex carbs, fruits and veggies. I shoot for 25% protein and 25% fat. Ideally, I would love to be at 40/30/30 – but I really do like to eat fruit and grains, so that is hard. I try to eat very little refined starches.

I eat 5 times a day. 3 meals and 2 snacks. I strive to have protein/carbs and fat every time I eat. I don’t really eat a lot of sweet stuff. I don’t use artificial sweeteners, if I want something sweet – I have the real thing. That way I have learned that I don’t need that stuff on a daily basis, but it really is a treat. So I am not wasting my calories on 100 calorie packs, or junk like that.

Cardio: I do cardio pretty much everyday. At least 30 minutes, and many times longer. During this warm time of year I jog 3x per week (3 miles), and then ride my bike the other days. In winter, I do exercise DVDs inside. Don’t belong to a gym, and no plans to currently.

Strength training: This is a very important part of my lifestyle. I own a bowflex and some hand weights, which is great because there is no excuse I can make for not using them! I currently strength train 4x per week. I do legs/back on Monday and Thursday; arms/chest/abs on Tues/Fri. About every 2 months, I change the exercises that I do for those body parts. It takes me about 20-30 minutes for each session.

The Mind: I do a *lot* of reading about health and weight loss. Not just diet books, but those on the science behind nutrition, weight loss and weight disorders. I also try to meditate. Learning to have patience with myself and to not expect perfection has really been a large part of my success.

So, this is what I do. And this is what I will be doing for the rest of my life. Am I perfect? No, of course not! I would say I am on plan around 90% of the time.
My lifestyle is doable, enjoyable and works for me.

Ah, the beginning of the week

Mondays are always fun, aren’t they? It is always the busiest day for me, so the rest of the week is usually cake.

I decided to run this morning (normally I like evening runs), since I was going to be tying up loose ends at my investment property before my new tenants move in at the end of the week. Well, I went to the high school track, and they had big equipment on the track, since the football field was being torn up. I did one loop around, and they started moving equipment around and I didn’t want to get hit! The one main road is torn up, so I went around some side streets and hit even more construction. It was really annoying, I have to say. I did about 2.3 miles today.
Then my lower body bowflex workout.

I also rode my bike to my investment property – 2 miles each way (maybe a shade more). That’s enough for today, I think!

Ate well.


Today’s stats:
Calorie goal: 1,400 • Consumed: 1,468 • Burned: 472
Net calories: 996
C/P/F ratio: 53/23/24

Bowflex workout

Today’s Bowflex workout

Back:
Functional Lower Back: 3 sets 10 reps at 45 pounds
Seated Lat Row: 3 sets 10 reps at 45 pounds

Legs:
Leg Extension: 3 sets 10 reps at 30 pounds
Lying Leg curls: 3 sets 10 reps at 30 pounds
Standing leg kickback: 3 sets 10 reps at 45 pounds
Seated Hip Adduction: 3 sets 10 reps at 30 pounds

Bowflex workout

Today’s workout:

Bowflex workout
Arms:
Seated Shoulder Press: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 30 pounds
French Press: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 25 pounds
Lying triceps extension: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 30 pounds
Bicep curls: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 30 pounds


Chest/abs:
Bench Press: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 45 pounds (increase)
Ab Crunch: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 35 pounds

Bowflex workout

Bowflex workout:
Back:
Seated Lat rows: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 45 pounds
Rear Deltoid row: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 45 pounds (increase)
Functional lower back: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 45 pounds (increase)

Legs:
Seated Leg press: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 105 pounds
Seated leg curl: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 40 pounds
Standing Hip Abduction: 3 sets, 10 reps each at 30 pounds

Weekend vacation

Leaving today for a weekend in Vermont. Kind of for my birthday and little mini vacation. Jazz festival going on.
We are going to bring the bikes and ride around downtown Burlington and along Lake Champlain. It is supposed to be pretty hot, low 90s – but I am looking so forward to this trip! Going to eat fairly well controlled, no pigging out or going overboard, that means packing some bars and my own snacks.

So, I already got done my bowflex exercise

Bowflex workout
Incline Chest fly: 3 sets 10 reps 30 pounds
Tricep kickback: 3 sets 10 reps 25 pounds
Seated bicep curls: 3 sets 10 reps 30 pounds
Lying shoulder pullover: 3 sets 10 reps 25 pounds
Front raise: 3 sets 10 reps 25 pounds

Abs: – reverse crunch: 3 sets 10 reps

And did my cardio: Hard Core Fusion from The Firm. That is one tough workout – 55 minutes. I think it is harder than jogging for 2 miles!

All that done and I am ready to relax!!