Still plugging along!!

"Cake? None for me, thanks!"

Dang, I'm Hot!!

Hi everyone!!

Well, don't quite know what happened, but I managed to gain 3 pounds this time around. Actually, I do know what happened, so here are my "Official List of Excuses!!"

1. Missed a couple days of walking and working out and the days I did walk, I kinda half-assed it. Gotta sweat ladies!!

2. Since all the other folks in my office and on my team gained weight too (yay!) it is probably some kind of virus that is making us all retain water.

3. It is getting colder outside, forcing our bodies to store more fat for the coming winter months.

4. There might just be something to all this "over 40 metabolism thing"...

But the really crazy part of all this is that I lost another dress size is spite of it all! I am now officially (that means the clothes fit) a size 20! So two months, 12 pounds and three dress sizes!

Not bad! But I gotta do better! Don't want to do it, but maybe there is something to the writing down all you eat thing! I have definitely stepped up the exercise, since my body has obviously gotten used to my routine already!

Grant, my online personal trainer, sent me some more tips on lifting and I thought I'd share them with you!

Ok, now that you have had to reflect on my email,- and regret your decision to contact me in the first place-lol, I'm anticipating you may have a couple of questions. When do I add weights and how much? I'm glad you asked that question!

Use the following guidelines: when you are able to do the scheduled number of sets and reps in a given exercise, increase the weight by the smallest increment possible, e.g., on the bench press if you can do all 3x15 with the weight of the bar only, add a 2.5lb weight to each side and use that until you can again do 3x15, then take the 2.5lb weights off and use two 5lb weights and start the whole process over again, and on and on. You will probably reach a point that you think you will never get beyond, but keep at it and you WILL eventually get to the next level.

Machines are a little more difficult, because the weight increments are usually in 10-20lb increases. In this case, again increase by the smallest amount of weight you can but you will probably have to reduce the number of reps you do because of the large increase in weight, e.g., on the wide grip pulldown, the lowest weight is probably 20 lbs and the next jump would be 40lbs-that's a pretty big step so instead of doing 3x15-or 12 or whatever was specified, do 3x12, if that is still too much try 3x10 until you reach a spot where you can do at least two full sets and have to struggle to finish the last 2-3 reps of the last set.

Make sense? By going in small increments and slowly you are less likely to injure yourself or to over train and get mentally and physically burned out. The mental part of lifting is very important, it's not just about beating your way through the next weight plateau, mentally push yourself along the lines that focus on the muscle that you are using to lift as well as the lift itself.

For instance, when you are doing triceps kickbacks really concentrate on the contraction of the muscle all the way through the range of motion and also watching yourself in the mirror to make sure that you are moving the weight in a steady and controlled method-no swinging the weights and basically just flailing away-I'm sure you've seen some people doing that from time to time in your gym. Another thing, do not worry about how awkward you may feel when you first start doing and exercise or how much weight you are doing compared to what others may be doing-you have your own schedule and your own pace, concentrate on that-focus, focus, focus.

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY, my guess is that you will be pretty sore in the beginning-maybe even a little sore at me too, HAHA-that is to be expected and with time it will become less and less intense (but it ain't never gonna go away, so get over it!!). Having said that however, as I said in my email, if you feel pain that is not muscle related stop the exercise immediately and let me know-ankles, knees, hips, elbows, necks, etc. Remember death is nature's way of telling you to slow down when you don't listen, and my way of saying "na nanny boo boo". And we don't want that now do we?

Isn't he a sweetie! Well, til next time.....oh wait! I got some new pics of the kinda new me! Thanks to Michele for taking them and putting up with my overly vain self! You can do it!

Cya!