My Puppies (not in any way fitness related!)

I am posting this as I have a few folks that I want to be able to share these pics with! I should update on my health and fitness, but I have no time right now! I will say that I am working with a trainer and 5 uber fit women twice a week and getting our a##$# kicked, and now I am doing CrossFit about twice a week, too! Talk about a crazy workout - CrossFit is it!

So, here is my Maximus and Ruby when she first arrived at about 9 weeks old! Max is just shy of 2 years old at this time...

Now here they are today (or recently)...Those ears just got out of control - they were glued by the breeder, then grew out, and I could never get them reglued...she's destined for a life of flying nun ears, I think...Oh well, she's adorable and we love her like that! Max, well, he's had enough little sister and is pretty much ready to send her back at this point...

Anyway, thank you for indulging my dogs on my fitness blog...I am thinking it needs to change in focus - much more to talk about with life in general and not so much fitness or nutrition focused...Like Jammy Zin Karla and her many exploits! Coming soon...

6 Weeks Into the PN Lean Eating Coaching Program!

So sorry I have not been updating this regularly - I was SO excited to start the Precision Nutrition Lean Eating Coaching program on Nov 23rd, and then I had Thanksgiving, a funeral, and the holidays to travel for, and although I was "absorbing", and getting my workouts in as much as possible, it was a rough start to the program...In fact, I GAINED weight - just 2 lbs - in the first 5 weeks. I think I just mentally never committed due to the challenges that travel brought, and I found it impossible to get my kitchen stocked and spend the time needed to cook and prepare to be successful!

However, when I returned from MN for the holidays it was a whole new ballgame! I feel SO good now that I have been able to really dive in - getting my compliance MUCH closer to the 90% goal (for me) in the past week+...And the holiday pounds are already coming off, but even beyond that I am just feeling and looking more lean and healthy.

Yes, I did gain back a good 10 lbs from where I was at after the TT Challenge, and that is frustrating, no question about it. However, what I LOVE about the PN Lean Eating program is that it daily exposes us to new concepts, articles, books, thoughts, options, etc, where I am constantly thinking and learning and growing. Not just that, but I am COOKING! Really good, tasty foods!!!! So, where previous diets had been "4 oz ground turkey, 6 oz steamed veggies, 1 tsp EVOO", I am now enjoying Beef Stir Fry, and Turkey Sausage Casserole - yum (recipes included in the PN program)! Meals that my husband and I can BOTH enjoy, by the way - as fun as it was to prepare and eat completely separate meals for every diet I was on - NOT!

I am embarrassed to admit that I always sort of KNEW the PN principles, and I had the binder on a shelf for a LONG time, but I never really dug in and executed - the chopping of veggies and preparation scared me, I think! I can not believe how much more "livable" and "balanced" life is when you are eating actual food/meals...I can maintain this, I can say with confidence...I know it is early in the program - I have months and months of support and ADDITONAL growth left to experience, so it only gets better from here. I am eating veggies I've never actually purchased at the grocery store before, and am joining a Community Supported Agriculture Co-Op that will start delivering boxes of locally grown organic produce (and eggs!) each week...Me - the veggie "hater"! Turns out preparation is key...Who knew??!!

I highly encourage anyone thinking about the PN coaching program to not hesitate the next time it comes around. I am so glad I jumped in for the 6 month ride when I had the chance! Also, PN has updated and revised their Precision Nutrition program - if you pre-order now I think there is a $50 savings. The link on the right column of my blog will take you there...

Honestly, I am SO strongly convinced that eating is the crux of whether I am lean or not - the workouts just need to get done, and alot of options will suffice. But eating, that is the kicker for me - get it right, and leanness ensues...Get it wrong, and I suffer with extra bodyfat DESPITE all the hard work I put in at the gym...But if you can get it right, be lean, AND be balanced and happy - well, I've never been there before, but I can tell you that I am betting it is PRETTY sweet...

I am excited to move forward, and I'll try to post regular updates now that the frenzy of the holidays is past!

Karla

Update FAR overdue for 21 Day Challenge!

Wow, life has really thrown me for a loop! Work is crazy these days, and I have really lost the focus I once had with my workouts and nutrition...However, for the 21 day challenge, I really did well, and lost not 5 lbs, but 3 lbs, and felt much better about myself in terms of getting things back on track...However, things have degraded since then with my eating rigor, and so I am looking to get back on track and develop sustainable habits...

To that end, I am really excited to hopefully get signed up for the next Precision Eating Coaching Group! I think it is a 4 or 5 mos program, with homework, learning, coaching, peer support, and THAT is all good for me! I know what programs I do best with, and I think engraining the PN rules into my life and developing recipes and habits that support those rules, I can more easily sustain as a set weight and manage at that level going forward.

It is frustrating to me that I'd be SO successful in the TT Challenge, and really go beyond where I thought I could go, and then rebound so much! I knew there would be SOME rebound, but it's just been a struggle...I think taking a more moderate approach with PN coaching, losing weight slowly and with less pressure, that it will be easier for me to continue on that eating plan! Plus, a big element is practicing meals that both my husband and I can enjoy - eating separately every night as I've done on PAST eating regimens is not fun...So, alot of goals, and excitement about this coaching group given how I think it aligns with what has worked for me in the past - the trick is just to be paying ATTENTION when they announce that signup is open, and getting myself IN!

I'll definitely start to post a little more and let you know how I am finding the PN coaching...The rules are not new to me, it is just a matter of creating habits and enjoyable meals that I can continue to follow beyond the program!

21-Day Challenge/Mission Statement!

So, I was reading about a 21-day challenge today, and it made me think about how frustrated I am with my own eating and discipline right now, despite working my toushie off in the gym...I miss my uber-lean self, and want to take a step to head back in the right direction...To that means, here is my mission statement:

My health and wellness deserve a renewed focus in my life, and my body is craving the foods I know will nourish and strengthen me. I will use the next 21 days to kick off the healthier habits I want to instill in my life, and prove to myself that I can regain and maintain my healthy physique.

For the next 21 days, I will:
1. Workout each morning with 1 rest day per week
2. Prepare and bring my daily food to work
3. Follow a clean eating diet, with 90% compliance
4. Complete all New Rules of Lifting (Fat Loss 1)workouts
5. Have a massage to celebrate during the final 7 days
6. Plan healthful dinners for the week to limit grocery store trips and lazy eating
7. Blog about my 21-day challenge and my progress
8. Take and post before and after pictures to motivate me through challenges, and appreciate the progress I make in this short period.

My goal for these 21 days is to execute the above 100%, lose 5 pounds, and inspire others to start their own 21-day challenge!

That said - um, pictures? Really? Did I write that??!! Since the final day of my TT challenge/contest, I have really avoided the camera. It's funny how ANY extra weight feels HORRIBLE when you've been pretty lean! But, it's the great equalizer, and pictures don't lie...But, logistically I may have an issue getting pics taken/downloaded, so I am REALLY going to try to make that one happen, but am going to hit the others full force even if I am not able to accomodate that one.

I'll start my 21-day challenge tomorrow, and finish on Wed Oct 15th (yay - Wed I head out of town to MN for a family visit - it's perfect timing for feeling great around family I haven't seen in a while!). My trip is just one more STRONG inspiration to stick with my plan and my mission!!

Anyone want to join me? :)

TT Challenge Results!

Thank you to everyone who supported me in the 2nd Turbulence Training Challenge Competition - I won 2nd Place!!!! I am extremely happy, and so grateful for all the support I received along the way, on the TT boards, and from those close to me - it wasn't always easy putting up with my diet or training "needs" (which were of course of highest priority to me, and usually me alone!), and I really appreciate the sacrifices that others made (primarily hubby - thanks hon!).

It's really been an eye-opener for me to lose this weight and succeed in meeting my goals...In an effort this intense, with the pressure of a time period, there is always the "afterwards" that is a crapshoot! What happens AFTER the lights go down, and no one is asking me my weight every morning? Good question, and I'll answer it honestly.

For me, there was definitely a freedom that I went through, of eating, of relaxing more, of a lack of stress that translated into a better mood and easier life. It was the freedom of eating, TOTAL freedom, that I struggled to get back on track! Now, I didn't go eat donuts all day, but, if donuts were my thing, I probably would have...That said, I was shocked at how little my weight responded. There was water weight that did rebound fairly quickly once I was well hydrated, but beyond that I have only fluctuated a few lbs. I am now back to eating clean and quickly getting back down to where I was at. Once you are lean, I discovered, REALLY lean, it is hard to feel that layer covering up your muscles! Not acceptable!! I am looking to maintain at about 15%, which I think will be achievable and maintainable. My diet now looks similar to during the competition, but a few more clean carbs, and I get a cheat meal (and maybe 1-2 SMALL cheats during the week - we'll see how my body continues to respond!)! Much more maintainable for me...

I am working on a new workout program, just something new to change things up, although very similar to the concepts of Turbulence Training! It is the New Rules of Lifting (a book, available in most bookstores, but check before you go as they usually only have 1 copy!). Basic stuff, but focusing on building some muscle and shaking things up a bit to keep my body guessing. I'll go back and forth with Turbulence Training as well, as Craig is always putting out new programs that I know I'll be itching to try! Have to get some kettleballs as well - I have heard the workouts are addicting! See? I have workout ADHD - but that is okay, as long as I continue to see results by shifting between good programs and giving each program enough time to add value.

I have been EXTREMELY busy at work, with about 50% more work since a co-worker left, which is why I have not posted my results until today! The next TT challenge is started, but you have until Sept 14th, I believe, to start - that means to submit pictures and commit yourself. If you are thinking about this, PLEASE give it a shot! You will not regret it! I have gone back to visit the threads of old friends doing this next challenge, and it is HARD to stand on the sidelines for this one! The energy is there, and the folks participating WILL lose 5-25 lbs a piece, if they finish, I can practically guarantee it! Just FINISH!! See it through!!! If you want that to be YOU in those "after" pics, follow the link to the right to take TT for a 21 day test drive, get into the contest, and that could be you. Period.

Look at me - I am awaiting my $1000 check and lost 15 lbs that I never thought I'd be able to do, that I had STRUGGLED to do, for just about forever...I'm a different person, one who is now maintaining at their goal weight, instead of LONGING to reach their goal weight!

Okay, I am off of my soapbox! If you hit the TT challenge boards - say hi to all of my old friends!! They are experts and continue to lose weight and fine tune their bodies through these challenges...

What BodyFat Percentage Are You?

Wow, what a personal question, huh? I know that in the TT challenge I did and the forums I participate in, people regularly report their bodyfat % from various methods of measuring - scale, caliper, immersion, DEXA. It's impossible to compare, as every method gives different results, and the rational in my mind is mostly to measure progress and my own personal milestones as opposed to considering it "fact"...

Leigh Peele, author of Fat Loss Troubleshoot and Metabolic Repair Manual, has created a video/slideshow where she walks through how you can visually estimate body fat, and what she looks at when doing so. Of course it is an art, not a science, but it is an interesting exercise! Also, she talks alot about fat vs muscle and how 15% BF can look completely different on two different people and why.

Here is the link if you are interested in viewing this 25-30 minute video/slideshow...

Click here to view Leigh's blog and see the body fat video

I have her manuals, as I mentioned, and they were VERY thorough and very interesting - I'll have to do a full write up/review at a later date, but here you can find one done by a shrewd fitness friend, Skwigg: Click here to visit Skwigg's blog

Click here to learn more about Leigh's Fat Loss Troubleshoot.

End of the Turbulence Training contest soon! I am excited to see the finalists and have voting under way!!

Exercise Alone Doesn't Work!!

Ugh, my worst fears have finally been confirmed by research scientists! There's no way I can ignore this concept now that it is practically "fact"!!

Take a look at the article put out by John M Berardi, PhD, CSCS today...

Click Here for Article

People who trained 5 DAYS A WEEK for 12 WEEKS lost only **1 lb** on average!!!! These test subjects were working out using a Berardi designed weights program, and with a trainer and cardio coach each of those 5 sessions...Hmmm, can't question that they were likely expending a LOT of energy...But there was NO mention of eating as part of this test program, and so the assumption was that their eating remainded static/did not change.

1 lb lost - in 12 weeks...How mad/frustrated/sick would you be if you went from SEDENTARY to working out THAT HARD for 12 weeks, and lost 1 lb...Holy mother of treadmill-running rats - I would BLOW a GASKET (okay, "YELLING" portion of this post is over! :)).

Anyway, it's an eye opener, and something to think hard about if you are not seeing the results from your workouts that you'd like. Since my transformation/weight loss, almost everyone I talk to who has had a similar loss has said, "yep, once I focused on my eating, the workouts really started to have an effect!" - kind of backwards, but I get what they mean. Once you get your eating in line, you can see the results of your workouts!! And that's what it is all about, right?!

So, I am zoning in on an eating program to follow now that I have had enough "free time" after the contest! It will be very in-line with Precision Nutrition principles - as almost every clean eating diet is. I know I need to fuel my body, and eat the right foods at the right times to do so. That's what PN is about. I'll post what I come up with - then I'll have to give it a few weeks and see how it does in helping me maintain or lose weight (just a few lbs I've played with since the contest ended). If it works, great - if not, I'll tweak it until it does.

Thanks for stopping by - please let me know who you are and if you relate! It's so great to hear comments and feedback!

Karla