Yup...I went food shopping. I hefty grocery bill reminded me that I need to get back to the bargain hunter mentality I had during my last healthy weight loss. Thankfully, there's a GIANT and ACME very close to each other. Both with great deals ....and near my gym.
Oh yes...The gym. The place I have avoided with every ounce in my newly lumpy body. It was confusing...but really - I just didn't have a plan. Last night, I got off my couch and dug up my buried anally-retentive ways to make a plan - a plan for a lifitng new weight lifting. This would have me on a nice auto-pilot when I went to the gym. In typical nerd fashion, I calculated the number of exercises I wanted to do - machines and HILT - and how many days per week (6 days). At the gym - I wrote the names down of the machines I wanted to use, their target (upper, lower, core) and made a plan. Now here's the funny part....
I had this all-out, eye-of-the-tiger lifting plan - 5 mins warm up, 4-5 machines (15-20 reps with 3 sets), and 7 HILT exercises with 4 rounds. From previous experience (and my progressing age), weight training in a vigorous, high rep fashion goes a lot further than all cardio. The cardio is still there but not a center piece. The center piece is variety and consistency!
So - the wam-up and machines worked out (of course the weights are adjusted so I feel challenged and can still exert effort). The HILT? Dying by the first round - plank, push-ups, bicylcle, mountain climbers, V-ups, etc... (50 sec with 10 sec rest). Did one more round - Couldn't even think about round 3 or 4. My observation...
I lost sooo much upper body and core strength (the lower body HILT tomorrow will let me know more!) in the last 18 months. I was part of a fitness challenge at my old gym 2 summers and killed it with push up and chin-ups. Now...I'm back to square one. It was a much needed reality check.
I'm glad to do this route with the lifting - the progress is obvious (by how much I can complete in the HILT and the amount of reps and weight for the machines). Additional inspiration came when I got a pic of me from my last half-marathon...
So - I'm now baking chicken for a salad....and I loathe cooking. But it's easier than being low on energy or starving. I actually enjoyed it - It was pretty quick and turned out quite tasty.
For tomorrow - lower body HILT, a nice jog - a breakfast with egg whites, light english muffin, and yogurt with fiber one. Finally....options!