Beachbody Challenge 2013 - Week 3

My own Beachbody Challenge has started on Feb 1, 2013.
In the following 20 weeks - until beginning of summer in Germany - I want to move up a gear and keep my eyes on low-carb clean eating in combination with 4-5 times training a week.

Here´s my diary of Week 3: 

First, Sorry for my long absense, but as announced in my last post I was from Sunday Feb, 17th to Friday Feb, 22th in vacation for skiing in the alps.The weather was marvelous, the snow was gorgeous and we had a lot of fun in our lodge.
(I apologize for my incomplete meal diary, but the connection to the web was really poor!)

Due to the daily skiing – I burned rd about 1200 to 1600 kcal a day !! – I had to change a little bit my nutrition. I tried to eat also clean, but not to eat low carb, because I need this essential additional energy.

For sure, there was one or another cheat meal also included. I enjoyed every bit. :D

But unfortunately this little change in my meal plan came to a problem. I won´t say, that I fell completely off the wagon, but I´m struggeling with coming back to my clean eating plan. The craving for some candies is really high.

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As a consequence, my scale didn´t give me a reason to smile – I have a stagnancy….I don´t know, if the stagnancy of my weight is a result of a muscle growth in my legs due to the daily skiing or if my body is just confused!

The last days I rethink my nutrition and training plan. But I didn´t find any blooper.
So I “only” have to be patient – but to be honestly – that´s one of my biggest problems…..

To call back in my mind, in exactly 10 weeks I participate in my first 10K-competition! And only 3 weeks later there´s my second cornerstone of 2013: The wedding of my lovely co-worker Susanne. The last week of May I´ll be in vacation again for a trip through some different states of Germany. We´ll meet our friends of the above mentioned lodge again. We are really impatient for meet them again.

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But, as the quote of my personal trainer: NO PAIN – NO GLORY…. So I have to earn this pleasure. My biggest motivation is the imagination of a really hot body on the wedding and the trip through Germany. 

Friday - Feb, 15
Friday is Bootcamp Day. We did a real hard training, because after our training we got a little surprise (some nice canapés) due to the first anniversary of Bootcamp Ulm.

I rocked 704 kcal in 45 minutes.

Saturday - Feb, 16
After studying at the university I went home for packing my bags with the snow stuff for the upcoming winter holiday with skiing on a lodge in the alps.

Sunday - Feb, 17
- first day of skiing - 

Monday - Feb, 18
- Skiing -

Tusday - Feb, 19
-Skiing -

Wednesday - Feb, 20
- Skiing -

Thursday - Feb, 21
- Skiing - 

Beachbody Challenge 2013 - Week 2

My own Beachbody Challenge has just started on Feb 1, 2013.
In the following 20 weeks - until beginning of summer in Germany - I want to move up a gear and keep my eyes on low-carb clean eating in combination with 4-5 times training a week.

Here´s my diary of Week 2:

Friday - Feb, 8
As mentioned in my last post I got suddenly a massive cystitis with medical treatment of antibiotics. So I have to interrupt my training until Monday Feb 11, because antibiotics and sport do not mix - unfortunately!!! And therefore I have to cancel my participation in the bootcamp class. Stretching the legs and drinking a gallon of tea was the mission!

Saturday - Feb, 9
- forced break -

Sunday - Feb 10
- forced break - 

Monday - Feb, 11
As in Germany there is the 5th season - Carnival, there is no Zumba Class today. So I did another bootcamp class to re-push my body and my metabolism after the long time of compulsory break.
And what can I say? - I really loved to workout! 

Tuesday - Feb, 12
- Rest -

Wednesday - Feb, 13
After my cystitis I got a slight cold. But I didn´t want to wait longer until going back to the gym. So I used my meds and gone to the gym, because it´s only 12 weeks to my first cornerstone this year: 10K on May 5!  

The first training contained of 30 min running with 9 km/h speed to reach 4-5 km.
(max HR: 70-80%) I did 4 km in 32 min.... Not perfect, but a nice start.

Thursday - Feb, 14
Valentine's Day - Rest -
Exact to Valentine´s the postman gave me a long-awaited package from USA... it´s the silicon bracelet from Kelsey Byers with the following slogan: EAT CLEAN and if you turn around FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS. Besides this bracelet there was a really nice surprise in it: a picture with a personal dedication of Kelsey! That´s motivation pure!!!


From Feb, 17-22 I'll go for skiing in a lodge in the alps. That means, exercise the whole 5 days - without falling off the track of clean eating!!! Yiihaaw!

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 Isn´t it cute?!?

Stay healthy and enjoy the lovely sides of the winter!

Beachbody Challenge 2013 - Week 1

My own Beachbody Challenge has just started on Feb 1, 2013.
In the following 20 weeks - until beginning of summer in Germany - I want to move up a gear and keep my eyes on low-carb clean eating in combination with 4-5 times training a week.

Here´s my diary:

Friday - Feb, 1
In 50 min Bootcamp I burned 523 kcals.
(avg. heart rate: 148, 75% - max. heart rate: 178, 90%)

Saturday - Feb, 2
Is 'painting a room' also sport? :o) If not, then: -Rest-
I cooked the Jamie Eason Turkey Mealoaf Muffins from bodybuilding.com again - yummy!!(PDF) 

Sunday - Feb, 3
Brain Jogging with Study Stuff..... but physical: -Rest - I had in the afternoon a big craving for some sweets and cakes. So I baked the Low-Carb High-Protein Almond-Coconut-Cake (PDF).

Monday - Feb, 4
Although my bladder make some trouble (light cystitis), I did Zumba, in which I rocked 602 kcals. (avg. heart rate: 153, 78% - max. heart rate: 173, 88%)

Tuesday - Feb 5
- forced break - *

Wednesday - Feb 6
- forced break -*

Thursday - Feb 7
- forced break - *

* my light cystitis changed into a massive cystits.... To bring me back to health I took an short, but intensive antibiotic treatment. Therefore I have to interrupt my sport - heavy-heartedly...., because antibiotics and sport do not mix.

I´ll continue my sport on Monday, Feb 11.

Nevertheless, it´s a pleasure to tell you that I have lost 6 lbs since January 1st, so far.... :o)

Let´s go to Week 2 !!

My BEACHBODY CHALLENGE 2013

As announced and promised in my last blog, I´m happy to present you my new baby....... my 20-weeks Beachbody Challenge 2013 - from Feb 1 to Jun 20.

I was incited to this project from some other beachbody challenges on the web, which started recently or will start soon. In exactly 20 weeks there is the official beginning of summer (calendrical) in Germany. As I feel very comfortable with my current program, I´ll want to focus on my training - my nutrition and hydration is almost perfect.

In January 2013 I lost 2,3 kg (5 lbs)... that´s really incredible. Well, to be perfectly honest, I have one cheat meal due to an invitation to a pasta party! But the day after I came back on track and continued my own clean eating low-carb plan.

But I´m a little bit annoyed about my slackness of training. I did only 2 times a week my training. And with this Beachbody Challenge I want to discipline myself and raise the frequency to 4-5 times.

In the following 20 weeks I want to make some little, but essential changes in my training plan to get the most amazing beachbody I ever have. Every 4 weeks I´ll change the exercises intensity of Cardio and Weight training. As you read in one of my last posts, I joined a trial class of bootcamp - which I want to include in my upcoming training plan.

My training plan is as follows:

• Monday: 60 min Zumba
• Tuesday: Cardio (to train for the first of my cornerstones this year: 10K on May 5th) and Weight training (2-split Upper body)
• Wednesday: - Rest -
• Thursday: Cardio (to train for the first of my cornerstones this year: 10K on May 5th) and Weight training (2-split Lower body)
• Friday: 60 min Bootcamp
• Saturday: - Rest -
• Sunday: - Rest - or 1 times a month: 120 min Zumba Masterclass

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In the next 20 weeks I´ll post regulary the results of my training and the progress of my weight loss.
So I hope I can share my motivation with you and it will push me additional to train harder.
Tomorrow will be the first day of this Beachbody Challenge... :o)

What are your plans for getting the ultimate beach body 2013?

Stay healthy and train consistently.

You´re amazing!

W-O-W! I´m speechless..........

Today we reached the 500th site view on my blog!!!!

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When I started blogging I never ever thought, that this would take on such a scale in this short time since November 2012.

By starting on February 1st, I´ll do my own 20-weeks BEACHBODY CHALLENGE until June 20th. It´s the beginning of summer. More details will be provided in my next blog.

You´re all invited to follow and push me and train with me - whencever you are.:o)

Stay healthy and keep it rolling.

REVIEW: Funeral of a Carb Junkie - and Rebirth as a Protein Vamp

In my parental home and childhood I only had very healthy food. We bought a lot of foods and milk directly from a regional farmer, baked our own bread, had our own small vegetable garden and there was no sweets in our house.

Additional I did a lot of sports: 6 years of ballett, apparatus gymastics, aero wheel, badminton and advanced swimming. In my other spare time I was a very agile girl with playing twister or tag in my next neighbourhood.  

I was a really fit, healthy and lean girl. The word "overweight" was unknown.

When I got older and spreaded my own wings, I moved in my own flat. I ate everything what my taste liked. This paradise of sweets, chips, other unhealthy stuff (smoking) and unlucky relation ship in combination with no ambition of continuing the training weren´t without serious consequences: My sport level decreased to a less minimum.

via lifestyle.t-online.de

I gained weight (slowly but consistently), my skin looks unhealthy and sallow and I felt myself flabby....very flabby! I arrived in the doom loop... without any energy of doing some sports.

I recollect to a spontaneous rollerblade event a few years ago: The first half of these 20 km I got help by colleagues with pushing/pulling of my body .... the other 10 km I gritted my teeths and labor to the finish line. I gasped for breath while entering the finish, a restaurant. The other finished their meal at this time. My lung hurts as a 50-years-old chain smoker although I was just 22!!

This was a real remarkable point in my life. I was really sad, how far I ruined my own health and condition. And I figure out, that I have to change extremely something in my life.

I tried to change my entreched habits but when you do the same wrong things over a long period of time, you can´t change everything from one day to another. 

I bought a lot of fitness books and fitness magazines with their "ultimative plans for weight loss"... I tried a lot... really a lot! But no of them was right to involve it in daily business for a full-working lady like me.

I changed my nutrition from fast-food to "normal" food. But unfortunately I didn´t realize, that I ate too much carbs a day. At the highest point I ate 2-3 big rolls only for breakfast, some candys before lunch, a normal to big size lunch at the canteen, coffee with sugar, in the afternoon also cookies and also a warm dinner and -finally- some snacks in front of the TV in the evening.... that was round about over 3000 kcal a day!!!!

I was fixed at the sugar maelstrom: every time, when I ate a few days low-carb I got edgy and nervous and was really looking to satisfy my hunger for sweets and carbs.

Two or three times I get away from this addiction and feel astonishing changes: my energy came back and my gastrointernal system works also better. But the cut to low-carb was too quick, so I felt back into my old habits.

In October 2012 I reached a inacceptable limit on my scale, which I promised myself, never to pass.
I HAVE TO CUT THE RELEASE CORD!!!

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Additional to my many existing fitness books I dig the whole internet after right nutrition and training plan for me. But that was less easy than I had thought. The author A says: "Do this!" and the author B says: "No, try that!". After reading so many books and magazines I got really confused, what´s right or wrong.

Shortly before I gave up my research I found the amazing transformation of Kelsey Byers, the plan of Jamie Eason and a detailed customer review of Tosca Reno´s book: The Eat-Clean Diet. All three girls gave me the right portion of motivation and information for a complete restart. 

To keep trying and not to fail anymore I decided to create this blog for my own motivation.

I changed completely my nutrition (start to involve peux-a-peux clean eating and low-carb into my daily life), did a food diary (since 1st January 2013) for monitoring the calories and went regularly to the gym. Although my weight fluctuate, I feel today myself more healthier: I feel myself more lean, have more energy - also in the afternoon, and my skin looks even better. It´s getting better and better.... and I never want to come back to the point as a Carb Junkie!!

My goal is to loose 20-25 kg (40-50 lbs) and to shape and strengthen my body with low-carb clean eating and doing sport with consistence. I´m in the right way to my purpose.

P.S.: Here is a summary of my important links of my internet research:

• LABRADA - Goal: Burn Fat and Tone Up
• Manual of the LABRADA Lean Body Challenge Program 2013 (pdf)
• Templates of Training and Nutrition Journal of the Lean Body Challenge 2013 
• Manual of the Challenge Program of Kelsey Byers (pdf)
• Jamie Eason´s LiveFit 12-week Plan
• Receipes of Jamie Eason´s LiveFit

 
P.P.S: Some of you may wait for pics of me. I´ll post the traditional before-after pics, when I see huge results. I give you my word.

Stay healthy and keep your fingers away from candy :o) !! 

Dear Fat: Be Prepared to Die!

A few weeks ago, I told you in one of my last post, I met my personal trainer Timo asking for feedback of my training and nutrition plan.

He gave me the following advices:

NUTRITION:

• my nutrition plan is almost perfect

• instead of natural yoghurt and cereals I should use the metabolism effect on morning and strengthen it until midday with a low-carb/no-carb breakfast (e.g. protein shake)
  

• after 4 pm strictly no carb

TRAINING:

• my training plan is also almost perfect (1x fun training Zumba and 3x Weight/Cardio Training)

• instead of 1x Weight/Cardio Training I should do a short and high-intensive muscle-confusion training.....

• therefore: he invited me to participate in his boot camp. (link only in german)

I think, most of my readers will have now a picture of an 'camouflage drill sergeant with wearing combat boots and face paints' in their minds....or like Major Payne... (do you remember of this funny movie of the 90s??) :o)

via google-research, source: Movie "Major Payne"

Don´t worry...! :o)
 
Today I tried out -for the very first time- his "Winter Outdoor Boot Camp"-Class..... !!!!

And that was so incredible!! But here are my first impressions:

This Boot camp is a combination of cross-fit, strength-training, calisthenics, plyometrics, functional training and aerobic training...everything outdoor with no excuses of bad weather!!

After warm-up with a sprint , we did some stretchings and short exercises for the arms, shoulders, chest, legs, butt, abs,.....and for the finish another short sprint for to boost the heart rate one more time.

I started sweating profusely within the first five minutes of class as the tough instructor Timo encouraged us with a series of training exercises that had me gasping for breath.

Some of these 60 minutes of training was a real mental fight with the bastard inside of me, because I didn´t have enough muscles for making push-ups.

But I won´t give up, because I know, that I will feel a million times stronger and more resilient.
Hey, in this workout I rocked 547 kcals!!!

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If you are also considering taking your first bootcamp class, feel prepared and confident to dominate this intense workout by following my tips:

• Finding the Right Camp. First check to see if there are any starting requirements—like being able to run a 10-minute mile or do a certain number of push-ups in a minute, and what level classes are offered. Another tip: If you’re nervous about adding a boot camp fitness program to your workout schedule, see if you can pay for one trial class.

• Doing the Prep Work You don't have to be in peak condition for a boot camp workout, but you should have at least a base. 

• Hydrate one or two hours before class. Definitely bring water or a sports drink to class, but it's difficult to bounce around when your belly is full of liquid. 

• Enter with a good, can-do attitude. The workout will be challenging, but it's so important to continue to motivate yourself and keep your mind calm when your heart is racing and your muscles are burning. I try to smile and laugh to help release tension in my face. 

• Stay present, and listen to the instructor. If you concentrate on how much it hurts and how much you want to quit, you might forget the next sequence or next relay move. Actively focus your attention on the instructor, and you will distract yourself from the pain. 

• Remember your breath and your abs. Breathe through tough exercises, and simultaneously, be sure to contract your abs to protect your back. It may seem awkward and uncomfortable at first, but you will eventually train your body to breathe deeper while your abs are engaged. 

• Push yourself to stay up front. Be the first person in the relay race line; stand in the front of the room; and run towards the front of the jog line. Being last will make you feel lethargic and more prone to giving up. 

• Don't stop moving. If delayed onset muscle soreness usually gets you down, challenge yourself to move around rather than take mini breaks. My bootcamp instructor kept yelling at us to jog in place throughout the entire hour to prevent muscle soreness by sending fresh blood to the muscles. 

• Load up on electrolytes after class. Intense workouts and sweating cause you to lose essential electrolytes. Be sure to replenish them with an electrolyte-filled snack.

 Stay healthy and keep in progress.