Training Day

Yesterday, I met with a trainer for the first time. She is a body builder and competes in figures competition. She had me start with dead lifts to get my overall body. We started with easy weights to get use to this lifting exercise. Next we moved onto pull ups.  I did not do to well with this. I barely was able to do one. We continued to train back, shoulders, and biceps. She kept increasing the weights I was lifting. I usually do 3 sets of 12-15 reps.  She had me doing 6-8 reps. So my weights continued getting heavier and heavier. I kept being told to :arch my back, squeeze your shoulder blades together, stick out your butt, and tighten your abs". There is a lot to think about to lift weights properly. I always thought I lifted properly, but I guess not. I have a lot to learn. After working out, my back was tired and achy. I thought I was going to be very sore today. I am sore but not as much as I thought. I can still lift my arms over my head. That is a good sign. I guess I am in better shape than I thought.

We spoke about different aspects of training and whether I can still do triathlons. If I do a lot of cardio exercise like running and biking, then my muscles will not grow. I will lean out but not grow bigger. I am very accustomed to running, so to stop will be difficult. I need to decide what is more important. I planned on running the Will Run for Beer road series that starts in January. But she said I shouldn't run more than once a week. What to do, what to do. I also planned another triathlon and half marathon next year. If I can get those races over by the beginning of summer, then I will have 3 months to really pack on the muscle. Can I do both? Maybe. I will do some of the runs at the beginning of the season but I might have to skip the tri and half. I guess I will wait to see how my body responds to the new schedule and lifting heavier. Wish me luck:)

I finally joined the Gym

I finally joined the gym today. It was really great. It was freeing.  It was so nice to work out without kids barging in. I made an appointment with a personal trainer who specializes in body building. I am excited to start a new program and a new chapter in my work out. Unfortunately, they did all my measurements. That, I will not post. But my next goal is to lose 10 more pounds by November to fit nicely in a tankinie. Slow and steady. I did buy a new belly button ring to start wearing again since my belly is getting smaller. My kids were fascinated watching me put it in.

I went on a run on Sunday and my knee is still sore, so I am not happy. But at the gym is a biking contest that I am going to try to do. Its a spin bike with a video that looks like your out on the rode. I want to try that on Thursday. So I am excited to meet with the trainer and get a bran new routine and get ready to go.

Keep Going

Last Saturday was the Pumpkinman and I was on fire. I had a great weight training work out on Sunday and ran 5 miles on Monday. On the 4th mile in, I started having severe knee pain, I walked it off and as soon as I started running again, severe pain. Great:( I thought. After half running and walking, I finally made it home. I iced, adjusted my knee, and took arnica. There was no pain to the touch. But it hurt walking. This reminds my when I was a kid playing sports, I had a lot of knee pain. There was also no pain to the touch and an x-ray and MRI showed nothing. Here it comes again. Its depressing being in the mood to run and you can't. So I took the week off of running and concentrated on weights instead. I had another great weight work out on Tuesday. Wednesday was such a busy day, that I didn't work out. Thursday was suppose to be back and legs, however, I woke up with alot of back pain that it felt like it was going to go out. So there goes another day of not working out. Friday I had a baby sitter so there was no excuses. But did I work out, nope. I did errands instead. By Saturday, I was so out of my routine that I did nothing and hung around the house all day. The kids were sick and Ella was really cranky. So I could use that as an excuse, but I was just being lazy. Why is it so hard to exercise after you have a day off or two. Your body needs to have that day of rest to recuperate and get stronger. But the more days I take off, the lazier I get. I can work out everyday whether I am in the mood or not, but as soon as I take off a day, it is so hard to get back into it. On Sunday, we got out of that house and it was a beautiful day to run. However, I didn't want to get a babysitter just so I could go for a run. I was trying to plan how I would do this and decided I would just run on the treadmill when I saw my training partner at church and she was going for a run. Her kids could come down and watch my kids and I would take Ella in a stroller. Perfect. God provides, all you have to do is ask. I was able to go for a run, just what I needed to get my motivation going again. Of course my kids were not happy when I got back. Since I was now in the mood to get things done, they had to clean their rooms and the playroom. So I am back on my mission to weight train. I will get my back and leg training in. Tomorrow is another day and I will finally join a gym.

Why do we gain weight and what to do about it. Part 1

Why Do We Gain Weight? This is the first part in a multiple part series of why we gain weight and what to do about it.

#1 Lack of Exercise

FOR LONG TERM WEIGHT LOSS, EXERCISE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO

A reduction in food intake jump started the initial loss of body weight, however, only an increase in energy expenditure (exercise) was necessary to maintain the reduced weight, even after food consumption returned to normal. The findings suggest that a continuation of reduced food consumption is not critical to maintain a reduced body weight as long as there is a sustained increase in energy expenditure.  Endocrinology August 2002 143: 3183

Exercise provides two major benefits that will result in weight loss:

First, exercise increases your metabolism. This mean that as your metabolic rate increases, you will burn more calories.  Your basal metabolic rate is your energy expenditure while at rest. When this increases from exercise, you will lose weight while you sleep.

Exercise also improves your insulin receptor sensitivity. As you consume more and more sugar (glucose rich foods), your insulin receptors become overloaded. Muscle and fat require insulin to be able to absorb glucose. If you are not moving and exercising, your body automatically starts making the adjustment to the insulin receptors. There will not be enough places on the cell for the insulin to attach, so the glucose remains in your blood stream causing many health conditions. As you exercise and decrease your sugar intake, your insulin resistance will decrease and you’ll have lower insulin levels, which makes it much easier to burn fat.  This will lower the amount of glucose floating in your blood helping also with chronic health conditions.

Below are some guidelines to consider when starting an exercise program that will help you be more successful with your journey:

1. Listen to your body. Exercise should not be painful. There is a difference between your muscles being sore and pain from an injury. If exercise makes you feel worse from over doing it, you need to stop or modify your program. Start out slow. As your energy and health improve, you’ll likely be able to tolerate larger amounts of the aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

2. Hire a personal trainer. It is always good to get the advice of a professional. A personnel trainer can give you the right program and instructions to follow to make you more successful. They will give you an exercise program that will work for you. Everyone is different. Depending on what your goals are, weight loss, body building, getting healthy, a trainer can modify any program to make your goals be attainable.

3. Stick with it. Starting a new program is exhilarating and hard. But change is good. The body needs constant change in exercise to continue to grow. This is called muscle confusion. If you stay on a stagnant routine, not only will you get bored, but your body will also. You can hit a plateau. If this happens, change it up a bit. Change it, don’t quit. The results will amaze you..

4. Do the right amount of exercise. Typically, you should exercise at least 30 minutes of a day to experience any weight loss benefits. Large studies have shown that 60 minutes a day would be better. Ideally the exercise should be continuous, but it could be split up into two 30-minute sections.  Anaerobic exercise consists of weight training. In order to keep your metabolism higher for a longer period of time, you need to have more muscle mass. This does not mean you need to be bulky, just tone. Aerobic exercise is jogging or biking. This will increase your metabolism but only for shorter periods of time. Aerobic exercise has many heart healthy benefits. A combination of weight training and cardio are the best to keep your body healthy and lose that unwanted weight.

5. Be sure to take one day off per week.  This allows the muscles to recuperate properly. The muscle fibers break down during exercise and grow during rest. It is be beneficial to take a nice walk and do some stretching on this day. Don’t stop moving but modify it on rest day.

6. Exercise at the right intensity. The first step of exercise is to start walking. There is little risk of injury with walking. Walking will make your heart stronger, strengthen your legs and back, and give you more energy. However, don’t let walking become stagnant. Mix it up a bit. Add a jog to the next telephone pole. Then walk again. Add hills to your walk. Add more mileage. Depending on if your goal is to continue to walk or wanting to finish a 5K, keep moving and increasing the intensity. Remember muscle confusion is important to grow.

7. Try running. Once you’ve achieved a baseline, you might try jogging to get added benefits. This does not require any special equipment except a good pair of shoes.  But be careful and don’t overdo it. Running can be hard on your knees, so alternate everyday.

8. Be smart. Exercise has many great benefits if done correctly. However, injury can occur if you are not careful.

9. If you are having certain muscles that are weaker than others [i.e. quads vs. hamstrings], you may need to be adjusted by a Chiropractor. This allows proper nerve flow to the muscles so they can function properly.

Pumpkinman Triathalon

I did it!!!! I finished the Pumpkinman Triathalon. It was a beautiful day. The sun was bright and there were no clouds in the sky. We made a lot of friends on the route. We started the day with a moment of silence in remembrance of 9/11. Then cheers went up after the National Anthem. There was excitement in the air. Triathaletes from all over the country were rearing to go. Everyone was nervous but exhilarated at the same time. We were ready. We trained all summer for this moment. Running 2-3 times per week, biking 1-2 times per week, swimming 1 time a week. All that training was ready to be used. We were scared, ready to start but waiting for our waves to get called.

The elites went first. Cheers rose up. Then the next heat, and the next. and the next. I was in the 6th heat. There were only 2 heats behind me. I was nervous about getting in the water, but I was ready. My last 2 swims were practicing putting my head in the water and breathing side to side. My goal was not to be the last out of the water. Our wave was called, "GO GO GO GO". And we were off. I stood to the right and back of the pack. Everyone rushed into the water to get out front. I stood back a little. With swimming in tri's, there are so many people that some don't pay attention to where they are going and run into you, cut you off, and/or kick you. I found my pocket where the risk for getting dunked was less.  I was in the groove stroke stroke breathe, stroke stroke breathe. The finish line was near. I made it out of the water in 14 minutes, much faster than my first year. Now the climb up the hill challenge. I started jogging and then hit the steeper section and I had to walk, most people were walking. I took a breathe and smiled for my picture, then continued panting.

The transition area went smoothly. I changed out of my wetsuit, socks, shoes, helmet, and glasses on and off I went. The bike was a little challenging. There were so many hills that my legs were burning. I needed to conserve strength for the run. It was hard to push myself through the bike. The last couple of weeks of bike training was difficult. I didn't have the drive to push myself. My thoughts kept going back and forth to push harder, I am good going slower, I'm tired, I can do it. Mentally it was hard to keep focus. I finally got my drive after Great Hill. I pushed and pushed after that. I think I was very nervous to ride Great Hill that I defeating myself in the previous sections. However, I rode the 14.25 miles in 53 minutes. I beat my time again from last time. Going through transition was easy, change shoes, take off helemt and go. I went out on the trail and started running. Oh No, I forgot my number belt. I had to run back and get my belt. There was some wasted energy. After biking and then running, your legs feel like bricks. I felt like I was running so slow and I kept trying to speed up. After the first mile, I met someone on the run and we chatted the other 2 miles. It made time go by much faster. We started getting into the transition area and I started breaking out, faster and faster, down the hill. My name was called as I came through the finish line. "Jody Ferreira from South Berwick, easily running on her home turf." I did it. I finished. I felt great, exhausted but great. My time for my run was 29:44 which was faster than all my 5K's. Overall my time was 1 hour 44 minutes. Not bad. I was happy. My training paid off. Later that night we went home and was looking at different series to run. Our challenge for next year is to do Will Run for Beer series and a half marathon. Maybe the Dempsey 100 mile ride and the Danskin triatholon. But for now, weight training and figure competition is next in site.
PS: I actually did do a weight work out the next day.

Thanks for the pictures Donna!:)

Food Combining

I feel great today. When I went on the scale this morning, I was not looking for progress. I just wanted to lose what I gained last week. To my amazement, I lost another 2 pounds plus the pound I gained. I am thrilled. My pants definitely fit loser. I went out Tuesday to TJ Max and bought a couple of cute shirts. They looked good but would look better in 5 pounds. I can't wait. My diet was perfect these last few days. I ate my normal eggs for breakfast. I made skinless buffalo chicken for lunch, and steak tips and salad for dinner. I do not feel deprived with my foods. I enjoy eating salad and have always since I was a kid.

I am training my kids to eat salad as well. They have a salad every night for dinner. (Evan usually asks for seconds.) Usually they eat a meat as well without rice or potatoes. I believe that we should properly combine our foods to achieve maximum digestion. We should eat protein and vegetables or carbs and vegetables and not combine protein and carbs. Based on the digestion system, the proteins and carbs are an acid or base. What happens when you combine an acid and base? They neutralize themselves out. Your body needs to make digestive enzymes to breakdown to the food. It is easier to break down proteins and carbohydrates if eaten separately. Fruits should always be eaten separately. This type of food combining will make it easier to digest your food.
I am trained in holistic nutrition and raw food. There are many theories of eating correctly. Some follow the blood diet others like bodybuilders believe in eating carbs and protein at the same time to get all their nutrients. I try to heal the body and eliminate the toxins in the body. That is why I chose this type of program. This is the simpliest and easiest to follow. I am trying to work with the kids diet now and teach them the lifestyle that I want them to continue into adulthood.

I know there are many that don't agree with this theory. I have been eating like this for the past 10 years. When I am home cooking, I eat a salad almost every night with chicken or steak on it. My salads are not a small side salad. I find the biggest bowl I can and load it up with lettuce, cucumbers, shitaki mushrooms, tomatoes, pine nuts, sometimes avocado, scallions, red onions, dulse flakes, kelp flakes, maybe an egg, and anything else I can find. But when I go out to eat, forget it. I make healthier choices, but salads are usually more calories than fish and potatoes. So I definitely do cheat when I go out. I am only human after all.

After a bad week, I am back

Labor Day Weekend ended an unhealthy stretch. My husband wanted to name this blog, "Sun, Fun, and Bad Influence", which meant him. He was a bad influence this week. He was in the mood for burgers every night. I thought, "I worked out hard, I can eat burgers". But with burgers comes beer and sweet potato fries. Not good for a healthy lifestyle. (I am going to say diet as in healthy food choices and the way we all should eat, not in strict, bland, boring, temporary way to eat to lose weight. Diet is shorter than typing healthy lifestyle.) But it was still my decision to eat it. He didn't force it down my throat. It was just what he wanted and I obliged. We started the weekend going out with friends and instead of choosing a salad, I chose fried clams, which I never ever eat it. The next day, we went to the Polar Caves and I had to have a bite of his ice cream. And we were so close to Hart's Turkey Farm. I couldn't have a salad there. The next day we went to Franklin Zoo and we had to go to Hooter's for the wings. But last night I chose perfectly. I didn't let his decision sway me. I wanted a salad with low fat sesame ginger dressing with chicken and that's what I had. After a week of not eating healthy, I am ready to get back to where I need to be. (By the way, Scott is also a healthy eater and is always supportive, he just happened to be in the mood for burgers) Especially after reading everyone's comments here and on facebook about how I am influencing them to get it together and stay on track. You are influencing me to get back on track. Thank you all for making me stay on target and not give up. Bodybuilding and  getting ripped is my ultimate goal. It will take a while and there will be a series of ups and downs depending on life choices. But overall, I will get there. With your help and the support and guidance of my husband and friends, I will get there.

On a typical day this is what we eat:
      Breakfast: 3 egg whites with mushrooms and onions and salsa
      snack: fruit
      lunch: chicken or turkey with vege
      dinner: salad with or without meat
      I drink water all day and a glass of wine at night.

Since this is my typical day, you can see that when I eat bad, I really eat bad. In the future, I will post some of my favorite recipes and more nutrition related topics. I am a nutritionist and need to start following my own advise. I started a book years ago about nutrition and raw food. I will incorporate a lot of that information here to help with anyone struggling to lose weight and eat healthy.

My exercise consists of 3 days of weights and 3 days of cardio. Yesterday, we went swimming and running. Today is back and chest of P90X and depending on the rain, biking. Since I am training for a triathlon that's this weekend, I am exercising more than average. If you have never worked out and want to start, just walk. You don't need any special equipment. Get outside and start walking. Soon, it will be cold out and you won't want to start. Live for today. Don't put it off till tomorrow.

Not a Good Diet Week

This week has not been very good for weight loss. The general public believes that if you work out only and don't change anything else that you will lose weight. That statement is definitely false for my body. Based on my experience from the past and this week, working out only does not do it. Exercise is great. It gets you moving, gives your body more energy, keeps your heart strong, build muscles, and strengthens your bones. But for me, it doesn't cause me to lose weight. I have been working out more this week to get ready for the triathlon next week. I have lifted weights, ran, biked, and swam and have not lost 1 pound. I actually gained a pound. Why?  I wasn't eating my 1200 calories. Usually I am really strict with watching my calories especially at the beginning of the week. I usually lose 2 pounds, then the rest of the week balances off. This week I couldn't get my diet on track. It started over the weekend by going out to dinner and then moved into Monday with a fabulous Jamaican dinner in our home cooked by the Lynx chef. (We won this in the auction that benefited Central School). Then I tried again on Tuesday and Wednesday. I made good choices like I usually do, but I guess I didn't make enough of them. So I need to get back into eating healthy, one meal at a time. So, I guess I can't eat the zucchini bread thatthe boys and I just made. It is my first time ever making this. I am pretty proud because I do not bake or cook.