Muscle Is The NEW Sexy - Fierce Legs High Volume Circuit 1

DIY: HOMEMADE NATURAL FLAXSEED GEL

Exercise, Food & Weight

21/7/13
I have been exercising daily...consisting of weight training & cardio.  I came across a great website "Muscles are the New Sexy" and the host of the site is Roxie Beccles and she is a bodybuilder with a great physique, she used to be a ballet dancer.  She has some great information and has Youtube vidoes too.  I am currently following her 12 Week Transformation Program and I love it.  I am feeling muscles that have lay dormant for too long.  The emphasis is to lift heavy but doing it the smart way.  By using Superset (two forms of exercises completed back to back with no breaks) and Giant Steps (a set of similar exercises that allows for the increase in weight with the decrease of reps).  I completed 5 days of the program with 2 rest days on the weekend.  I love the intensity and look forward to the next session.

I have contined to drink plenty of water daily and have started retaking my BCAA Supplements to increase my protein intake and retain muscle after a heavy lifting program.  Because the weather has been so beautiful and hot! we have been having BBQs every weekend...sausages (my favourite), large salads (homegrown) and Spanish Cava.  I not feeling to bad about the alcohol and we only have 1 bottle to share.  I am determined to get in to shape within the next 16 weeks (Barbados holiday 9Nov13) so I will be making every effort to stick to my program. I usually eat by 11am (after my gym session) and finish eating around 8ish - so unknowingly, I am already doing Intermittent Fasting :) so I will adhere to these times in general and see how it goes.

All in all, I am losing inches and fat, they scale has not moved much, but it is not my motivation.  I have can button up my jeans but they are tight and do not fit my bum nicely...still a workin motion.

6/6/13

This morning, my back was less sore than usual :-). I normally have to ease myself out of bed and stretch since my pregnancy in April 2010. I slept on my back and felt quite rested. I had a slice of Allison Wholemeal toast with PB. Dropped Z off to nursery til 1pm then headed for the gym.
I did Melissa Bender's 15min HIIT session. Wow, it felt great..I haven't done this for 4/5 weeks and I now know why I loived it so much..the sweat was dripping off me
List:  high knees, mountain climbers, lunges, jump kicks, high knees, squats, burpees, pendulum s, jacks, skater 50sec/15 rest...   followed my planks, squats & hip thrusts 60 each as part of my Glutes Challenge.

I did 15mins run on the treadmill....I have got back into running again :-). I used to run a little and completed 3 full marathons in 4hrs and a little over. Then did 15 mins on stationary bike..lots of stretching too.

Post workout meal-cottage cheese & feta wrap with dash of waitrose Cesar salad dressing and lambs lettuce in multi seed wraps..delicious :-)

Taking Z to the Steam Museum later.

 2/6/13

I went out on my first bike and run combo this morning, the weather was beautiful and I decided to give the gym a miss.

June Challenge..Glutes....

These are a set of exercises I will be completing for 30 days.....Starting today :-)

http://bretcontreras.com/30-day-glute-challenge/.

I have been doing these exercises.. They are pretty challenging but I can see & feel some changes. I will continue to incorporate these into my Lifting regime :-)

One leg/foot elevated lift

Hip Thrusts

One leg/foot elevated lift

Hip Thrusts

Bulgarian Split Squat

Squat

Bulgarian Split Squat

Squat

27/5/13

Age: 40

Height: 5"6 / '66

BF% 30

Weight: 12st

MM%: 32.6

BMR: 1492

Calories: 1700 (IF)

Fast Day: 550 (twice weekly) - not completed

Exercise: Pilates (am), HIIT (15 mins) & Strength Training

Goal Weight: 10st

BF%: 23

28/5/13 - 12st TOM

01/06/13-11.12 - 31.1% bf

GOAL DATE: 1st August 2013

Update ** As the scale is likely to show an increase when Lifting. I have posted pictures of myself in a pair of jeans that I cannot get into at present. However by the 1st of August I will post a picture of me fitting into the same jeans...here goes :-) 

I'm expecting a drop in lbs but mostly inches/body fat. I think it is definitely more important to measure by how your clothes are fitting you rather than be a slave to the dreaded scale :-) 

Measurements:- 5 June 2013

Weight - 165lbs

neck - 13 inches

Waist - 31.5 inches

Hip (widest area) - 41.5

Lean body mass - 110.7

Fat on body - 54.3lbs

BF% - 32.9%

Based on BF% goal of 23%, my body weight should be 144lbs - lean body mass should continue to be the same as current or 111lbs

BMR 1460

Activity moderate (3-5 days) - 2176 calories to be consumed

29/5/13

Eating More Vegetables & Fruit

Today was Cardio Day with some light upper body Lifting.

I ate 30g of Oatmeal with 170g of Semi Skimmed Milk and 1 Banana mixed in..it was delicious..yum.

I did Cardio on the treadmill, followed by a fat burn on the bike...I sweated loads..then did some DB Flyes and Bicep Curls, Squats etc.

Considering I really was in two-minds about going today, I am glad I did.  I spent most of the afternoon gardening, planting some Kale and checking on my other veggies & herbs (Spinach, coriander, Cos lettuce, Salad Lettuce, mint, oregano, thyme.  I also pinned back my Estralia Apple Tree to the fence using the correct wires & ties this time.  I also planted a new creeping plant too, which will look gorgeous once it blooms.

My Peridontic appt was today and my dentist said that I had make good improves...it costs an arm-and-a-leg these dentist visits, next one in in August!

By the way I have discovered a delicious, diary, gluten free icecream, low cals and so yummy and only £2.88 a tub....bargain!!:-

 

30/5/13

Boredom will bump up your calorie intake

I had a delicious porridge breakfast & herbal tea. All set for the gym :-)  Lower body & Cardio...feeling pumped but a little tired.

Had a lovely post-workout meal..mixed raw crudities, rocket, cottage cheese/feta/Caesar dressing and a wholemeal pitta...yum.

3 hrs later, fruit salad with coconut Greek yoghurt...toast & butter which my little one chose not to eat...then 30mins later gazing out if kitchen window, ate FOUR Digestive biscuits!!!!! That's when I decided to brush my teeth to stop thinking about more biscuits!!!

3 hrs later dinner, similar to lunch but had pan-fried chicken breast on the side with a wrap bread instead...delicious.

I had already gone over my calorie intake but my hubby asked if I wanted anything from the shop, I said yes!!! Snickers bar, he bought the large size but I only ate one portion and stuck the ready in the fridge. I even resisted the Swedish Glace ice-cream. I'm proud of myself but could do SO MUCH BETTER. Tomorrow is a new day.

I took the pictures of myself in the jeans that do HIIT fit me anymore as part of my August Challenge. Will post tomorrow.

Update: Enough is Enough
28/06/13
That night was the turning point when I decided I was on a losing streak and every day was always a failure. My will to eat healthily and cut down on portion sizes was non-existent. This particular night I felt so low and just felt that everyday was going to amount to failure. I really didn't want to feel this low again. My lower back was very painful in the mornings, my baby belly was still lumpy and needed some serious work. I don't want to age prematurely and have bad aches & pains simply because I couldn't resist food or the thought of food. So tomorrow is a new day.

Update: 13/07/13
I have continued to drink lots of water, between 4-5 litres. I'm working out more specifically, weights, HIIT and monitoring what I'm eating between 16-1800 calories.
29/07/13 - 12.4
13/07/13 - 11.12

Food :)

Tomato & Fresh Basil Soup (Pea Protein added) & Toast 11:30
This was surprisingly very tasted with the Pea Protein stirred in, it made the Soup very thick plus it helped to boost the protein by 18g...perfect. 

Tilda Egg Rice & Quorn Chilli with Mixed Vegetables @ 2:30, 3:30 & 5:30
I made a large pot and served portions in a small bowl to control my hunger pangs.  It worked out quite well staggering this meal.  I had uncomfortable bloating and gastro pains from the Quorn Mince (this is something I will be noting for further reference).

 

Omelette with Red Pepper & Spinach - 400 cals

Scrambled Eggs with mixed Veg & Spinach - 157 cals

Cauliflower & Bacon with Cos Lettuce - 447 cals 

(next time will have 100g of Bacon to reduce cals)

One of my favourite Gluten Free Snack options  9Bar- 223 calories of pure goodness :)

Noodle & Egg Medley with fresh Coriander and Thai seasoning ...302 cals (Protein 12g)

Delicious Turkey Salad, a  Protein Post-Workout meal

Pan-fried and combined with freshly picked herbs & salad from my vegetable garden...yummy - 400 calories.

I made some delicious Protein Cheesecakes following this website. Great results and helped to cure those sugar cravings!!

http://mealsandmovesblog.com/2012/02/03/pumped-up-protein-cheesecake/

Ham & Asparagus Strata

4 English muffins, torn into pieces

2 cups cooked ham

2 cups fresh asparagus, cut up

4-6 oz Gruyère cheese, cubed

5 eggs, beaten

1/3 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups milk

2 Tbsp onion, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

• Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Spread half of the english muffin pieces on the bottom.
• Top with ham, asparagus and cheese cubes
• Top with remaining english muffin pieces
• In a bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, onion, mustard and pepper
• Pour this mixture over casserole dish, coating everything evenly
• Cover and chill for 2 to 24 hours
• Bake, uncovered at 325 degrees for 60-65 minutes

I will try this with wholemeal pittas instead, it looks like a quiche which I really enjoy eating.


Protein Pancakes
http://mealsandmovesblog.com/meals/protein-pancakeswaffles/


(I will be making these Pancakes in the next few days)..and here they are..yummy.  I added in the sugar with the egg whites to stiffen, then combined them with the rest of the ingredients.





Pilau Rice & Dhal Lentil Delight - packed full of protein - calories are around 450.



Mixed Salad Leaves & Beans with Feta Cheese and Sundried Croutons - delicious and fresh...herbs and salad/spinach picked straight from my Herb Garden




 
Homemade Gelato made with Frozen Cherries, sliced Banana, 1 tbsp of Almond butter, and just a splash of almond milk..
Sprouted grain sandwich with spinach, tomato, tofu, cucumber, avocado, caramelized onions, and lemon garlic “mayonnaise.”

Motivation

Dropping the Fat Tips

21st May 2013

You are in control, not the food - my daily Mantra



Eat slowy, put your fork down between eat mouthful...it really helps to keep you in the moment and appreciate the food your eating.

Drink a glass of water before and after each meal.

Bad Gasto Symptoms
Addictive foods cause cravings, and sometimes gas, bloating and discomfort. Observe which foods you might be addicted to, and substitute other foods or distract yourself to avoid them. It usually takes 3-5 days to completely flush addictive foods from the body to relieve cravings, making weight control significantly easier.

Portion Size does Matter
One of the easiest and most effective ways to control portion size, is to reduce the size of the plates, bowls, cups and glasses that we use on a regular basis. A smaller plate, containing a reasonable amount of delicious food, is often perceived as being more satisfying than an over-sized plate with the same amount of food. Research suggests that our judgement of what constitutes a reasonable portion is dramatically affected by the relative size of the surrounding dish ware. Read this recent article if you're interested: http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2013/04/19/portion-size-controlled-by-plate-size/

Oatmeal
In general, modern diets in many developed countries are too high in sugar, salt and fat. When we make a breakfast staple like oatmeal from scratch, we need between 2-6 ingredients (oats, water, cinnamon, milk, butter, syrup/honey). Here is the ingredient list of a popular brand of instant oatmeal: WHOLE GRAIN ROLLED OATS, SUGAR, FLAVORED AND COLORED FRUIT PIECES (DEHYDRATED APPLES [TREATED WITH SODIUM SULFITE TO PROMOTE COLOR RETENTION], ARTIFICIAL STRAWBERRY FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, RED 40), CREAMING AGENT (MALTODEXTRIN, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, WHEY, SODIUM CASEINATE), SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, GUAR GUM, OAT FLOUR, ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, CITRIC ACID, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, RIBOFLAVIN, THIAMIN MONONITRATE, FOLIC ACID. Need I say more?

Occasional Treats (homemade is best)
In moderation, everything can be part of a healthy diet, but especially when desserts are prepared at home, using whole, "real" food ingredients (like eggs, butter, flour, etc) they can be a memorable way to celebrate a special day. The key: deprivation is hard to sustain for long periods of time. Nobody should feel deprived of "treat foods", so serve them occasionally in small portions and enjoy, knowing that they can always be a part of your family's special days and celebrations!

Homemade Pasta Sauce...the real stuff

Many store bought pasta sauces contain additives like corn syrup and maltodextrin that are used to increase shelf-life or improve the "mouth-feel" of a product that is less fresh than its homemade counterpart. Homemade tomato sauce can be made in approx. 10 minutes, using fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and a few simple spices like salt and pepper (or paprika) for flavor. In addition, you can add basil, mushrooms or sauteed ground meat to make variations on your pasta sauce. Warning: if you make your own pasta sauces for a few months consecutively, your children may refuse to eat the kind that comes out of the jar.

What's in your Pasta?
quinoa pasta is higher in protein that regular pasta. Brown rice is higher in fiber, magnesium and zinc than white rice. In the last option, whole wheat pasta would be a healthier choice for most people than plain pasta as it is also higher in fiber. For people with gluten intolerance, there are some delicious pastas made out of quinoa, potato and soy, corn or rice.

Keeping an Eye on the Prize :)

Workout Days -  1900 cals
Non-Workout Days - 1700 cals
Fast Days - Mon & Thurs - 500+ cals

Starting Tuesday 21st May 2013

21May
Compound Lifting & Cardio
Ate healthy but ate a whole loads of biscuits, sweets and glass of wine. Not enough water!!

22May
Rest Day..will go for a 30min Walk later today
1700 cals

Breakfast 213cals/13g Protein/28g Carbs/4g Fat

Breakfast 213 calories
Tilda Wholegrain Pilau
6 Tbsp Liquid Egg Whites
20g Wild Rocket

Lunch 257 calories
Same as Breakfast (minus the Egg) but added in 33g of Feta Cheese.

Dinner 703cals/34g Protein/40g Fat/54 Carbs

Dinner 703 calories (packed with Protein)
Pan-fried Chicken with Sweet Potato Chips & Salad.
Fat content was high, will have to re-adjust for next time by halfing the quantities of Oils and dressing. Very satisfying Dinner. I cooked the Potatoes in my Philips Actifryer using 1/2 tsp of Olive oil, they can out great.

Dessert 456cals/8g Protein/18g Fat/63 Carbs

Dessert 456 calories
Mixed fruit salad with Coconut Greek Yoghurt (sprinkled with Chia Seeds)

This will need some tweaking, I did'nt really need this much and I added way too much yoghurt 130g - 60g would have been sufficient...this needs some tweeking.

Snacks
4 Brazilian Nuts & 4 Dried Apricots.

Water
Water intake was okay but could be better.

New Challenges - Now - May 2014

Learn to play guitar/ukelele
I have researched some good YT videos and learnt a few chords but I need to pick up from where I left off.

Dressmaking
I have a sewing machine and a great book regarding sewing etc.  I will be dusting off the machine and start sewing in the evenings....helps to stop the snacking also.

French
I did a module as part of my Degree and I was really quite good...I have been learning on and off for years, it is time to get to grips and stop messing around...plus we go to France quite often when Sailing.

Knitting
I have knitted two great jumpers in my lifetime..one was emerald green with baubles all over them and the other was a navy blue chunky cable knit jumper.  I started knitting again when I was pregnant and have not continued.  It is very theraupetic too.

Crochet
I have always wanted to learn..at the moment I am teaching myself, watching YouTube videos and bought some books. I have done a few samples..

Dropping the FAT!!11

Upon my return from holiday, I decided that I needed to consume more fruits,vegetables and water and cut out the excess emply calories.  I still have fat to lose (30%) at present and I really need to get back on track.  I have started IF on Sunday and all is going well...apart from the ice-cream at the beach after an afternoon stroll.  All in all I feel fine and have continued to increase my weight training and minimise the amount of Cardio, which wasnt much anyway (2 sessions per week).  I will include a swimming session to my workout regime.

19May13
I wasnt to sure about IF, everytime I plan to do it, I read conflicting messages about eating breakfast first thing in the morning.  I have read great posts from people that have found IF really successful. Maybe I should just do it for a month and not be swayed.

Anyway, I have gone back to Compound Lifting and have been lifting 25kg which has been quite intense.  I intend to up the weight each week and still throw in the odd HIIT on the bike occasionally.

I took some pictures this morning after my lifting session..I jumped on the scale first: 11.11st - 30%bf - 32.6% mm

11.11st - 30%bf  MAY13

11.11 - 30.7bf & 32.7% mm JULY13

Need to work on thighs, hips, waistline and abs. My upper body has always looked well toned and

JULY13

build muscle very easily.

May 2013

I gained 7lbs whilst on holiday in April and my stomach needs some serious work.  Also if I slimmed down my thighs and worked more on my booty (as you can see, its not that defined) I'd have a better physique. We received our new mattress last week and it has really helped with my posture and aches and pains when sleeping - Silent Night mattress :)

Post-Pregnancy Nov2010

MAY 13

JULY 13

 This picture doesnt look too bad. I have the shape but needs more dedicated and consistent work! Not bad for a 40year old :)


The picture below was taken early last year 2012...my waist and lovehandles have reduced down nicely...It is so important to take pictures to encourage you to stay on track and stay as healthy as possible.