Workin' It with weights

Ok, some of you asked about my nutrition/fitness plan in my last post... and some of you emailed me... so I'll start from the beginning...
I have been a on fitness 'journey' ! Working out like I never have before in my whole life!! Working out like I never thought I could... eating like I never have... here's the best part... I've liked it... alot.
Now I have always had to watch my weight... its very easy for 5..10lbs to creep up on me. But like most other women I cut carbs/calories/fat, did some kind of aerobics... step, hi-lo, walking until I lost it.
Which then I would slip back into old habits and have to start all over.
Well in Dec. 09 I decided it was time to lose the 10lbs I put on that year... and I started up with the usual... only, not having worked out in a year I started mighty slow... 15 t0 20 min. of aerobics for 4 or 5 days... working up to 30 min. then to 40 min.
My eating was cut back, its always been clean and whole foods, but my portions were to large... and after 1 month of that I didn't have great results... so I added some light weights... high reps... thats been known to help 'tone up' right? I mean... I'm 36 now.. everyone has warned me.. its not as easy to lose now... you're losing muscle tone every year now... your metabolism is starting to suck now.....
Fine... another month of aerobics, clean eating, low fat, light weights....
dropped 3lbs... that came back on somedays... ha!
and had no muscle tone what so ever.... at 36 10 extra lbs looks alot worse than 10 extra lbs at 26.... not to mention.... didn't I used to have a higher ass just a couple of years ago????????????!!!!!!!! Crap!
Then one day... looking for motivation in the book store at the magazine rack I saw this lady...... Tosca Reno.... the great inspiration.... can you believe she was overweight? ever? She started working out in her 40's!!!!!!! and now at 51 she looks amazing.... I was floored.... her website is http://www.eatcleandiet.com/ check it out for her story and then get her books!

After reading about her and seeing her articles in Oxygen Magazine I was convinced that lifting weights... really lifting weights was what I needed to do to get the body I wanted.

Oxygen magazine is a great monthly inspiration I look forward to!

So following one of the diets in this magazine and one of the workout plans I dropped 10lbs without stressing. And started to see a tiny bit of muscle...

Then I discovered Muscle and Fitness Hers.... a bit more hardcore training... this is where I found my current nutrition and workout plan... the plan is for people who want to lose fat and gain lean muscle.

Its a 8 week plan... weeks 1-4 the training is: 4 days of weight training with 3 days of cardio for 30 min each time, leaving a day in between your cardio.... I love it.... I am almost done with the first part of this plan, I haven't lost anymore weight... BUT I'm really seeing some tone and muscle starting to build... and I'm down like 2 sizes.... I'm amazed. The nutrition plan is simple...about 1600 calories, 180 grams of lean proteins, 40 grams of healthy fats, 140 grams of complex carbs.... I am almost done with week 3... one more week... then I switch it up... the plan changes quite abit on week 5-8. I can't wait to see what happens then. For this plan in detail get the current Hers magazine.

In addition to the plan I'm taking, ofcourse a multi-vitamin and Tonalin CLA.

I started Cordygen5 today... its for endurance during cardio training.

I take Juggernaut Pre-workout on weight lifting days... Its working well. I started it this week and was able to increase my weights and have TONS of energy.

For a protein supplement I like GNC's Amp Wheybolic Extreme 60... getting in 180 grams of muscle building protein would be impossible without this stuff... and its so good!!! I have a scoop in my oats in the morning and a scoop and a half post workout shake of this stuff.... sometimes I add a few peaches. I always make it with green tea.



This stuff is sooooo yummy... BSN Dessert. A mix of whey and casein protein taken an hour or two before bed to help nourish and build muscles while they rest.

This is a great nightly treat!!! Makes such a thick creamy shake! just add water...

Dieting has never been better.

Well, thats what I've been doing... plus I just added 2 days a week of yoga too... and I cut out ALL alcohol... martini's, wine, all of it... I could still have a glass or 2 of wine but I've stopped wanting it for now. something has completely killed the craving for it. Now I'm the chic at the bar with club soda and lime that the bar tenders hate... haha.. The Bald Man tips well enough so they don't get to mad though.. plus he still like his cocktail on the weekend.

.... so, 10lbs lighter, 2 sizes smaller and starting to see muscles I forgot I had... I'm addicted. Its the muscle thing... weight loss was boring to me... sure I lose, look a little better... but with muscle, the transformation is driving me to want more... plus I like how you get to eat when you're building muscle.
Here's to hoping weeks 5-8 go as well as 1-4 have so far!

Then after that... I need a trainer... lucky there are some buff competitors here in Knoxville that train!

God Bless you ALL... and good luck for those of you who wrote me wanting to know what I was doing.

I am so thankful I found this way of fitness and nutrition. God has given us amazing bodies that can be shaped so nicely with a little work!