That's 16 and a half months of consistent workouts.
 |
| Bad lighting - apologies. Pic on the left is from June 2020. Pic on the right is from October 2021. |
I've changed a lot about myself in these last 16 months and this past summer I had a lot of people notice.
Many people in my immediate close circle know about my fitness journey and my "lifestyle change" as I like to call it.
But those who don't see me often? A few of them were pleasantly surprised. I was too, at the newfound attention!
And the same exact questions come up every. single. time.
"How do you do it?"
And,
"I couldn't limit myself like that with food"
But here's the thing.
Neither can I.
And I never did.
Let's back up.
When I first started working out, I started with very basic, compound movements.
You know, squats, deadlifts, lunges.
Arnold press, back rows, bicep curls, and tricep kickbacks.
That's pretty much it people.
No crazy movements. No intense workouts.
Just very basic movements.
But I did it every day - or almost every day.
And yes, I "watched what I ate" but I really just ate in moderation and stopped eating SHIT.
I still eat ice cream frequently. It's one of my all-time favorite desserts.
But since I kind of keep track of my macros, I generally know if I can include an ice cream snack or not.
My biggest issue it seems is eating ENOUGH GOOD/CLEAN FOOD.
The internal battle is real.
Keeping calories in maintenance but wanting to increase in order to build muscle.
I'm hovering around 112lbs-114lbs but I have to remember to keep the mindset that in order for me to gain muscle mass, I will need to be OK watching the number on the scale go up.
I have been itching to get heavier dumbbells for a while now but just haven't pulled the trigger yet. With COVID and everything that came along with it, it drove the cost of everything up. Anything home-fitness-related was just insanely priced if you could even find it.
I could not, in good faith spend over $100 on a pair of dumbbells.
I've been using my sister's (one) 20lb dumbbell for a couple of months now. Obviously only able to do unilateral movements with the one. I've totally enjoyed this style of workout though, as it allows me to work my core without doing any real ab workouts.
I desperately needed another one.
I found a set on Amazon for only $55. They are arriving tomorrow (Saturday) so I'm very excited to try them out.
We have plans tomorrow morning, so I will be doing an early morning workout. This means I won't be able to use my new weights, but I'll save them for my Sunday workout.
The reviews looked good, so I'm hopeful.
I will give my sister her 20lb dumbbell back and borrow her 25lb.
I used my 20lb dumbbell set for the first time today! (Monday)
Up until now, I've only had one 20lb to use. So I wasn't able to do both sides - a lot of unilateral movements, but I needed to increase the load.
Today I did abs and arms, so for back and shoulders, I was able to use the 20lbs on both sides. It was challenging! And it felt GREAT.
I'm up about 2lbs, I think. I've been hanging in the 112lb range for quite some time. For the last 4-5 days I've been coming in at 114. I'm NOT weighing myself every day like I was before, but I think it's fair to say I'm up a couple of pounds.
I'm actually fine with it. I'm going to be lifting heavier and doing more over the winter months, so I won't mind bulking a bit. I know now that I have the discipline and desire to cut when I want to.
I'm still obsessed with lifting weights, and I know I have to eat more and lift heavier if I want to change my body.
 |
| Slowly building my home gym, one dumbbell at a time. |
 |
 |
| I also picked up this fan! I have been keeping my eye on it (ALDI) for weeks. It was $14.99 for a while but I just didn't feel the need to have it. I had windows open all summer and it was awesome to have that breeze. I figured I'd get one if it was really bothering me. Well, I found it on sale today for $10 and just grabbed it. $15 isn't bad either, but...I dunno. Either way, I'm glad I waited! It's a great little fan! |
Finishing up week 70 and I've used my 20lb dumbbells a few times now and having two really does make a difference.
I did a full shoulder circuit using heavier weights and it was intense!
Arnold Presses using 20lbs on either side is legit a workout. But I made it through without having to drop weights but was definitely hitting failure/fatigue as the workout continued.
My weight has been creeping up...a little.
I'm not that worried about it and I'm ok with gaining a little as long as I'm mindful of what type of weight I'm gaining.
I'm being VERY mindful of what I eat to make sure I'm getting in the right macros. I'm not weighing my food out but I'm relatively conscious of my intake.
Never skip a Monday, amiright?
I started the week with glutes, using my new 20lb dumbbells.
Single-leg Romanian Deadlifts and I'M FEELING IT PEOPLE.
So 40lbs, single leg. I know, it's not much, but for ME? That's a LOT.
I keep my other leg kick-stand style, like 80% on one leg, 20% on the other. My goal is to be able to do ankle-by-ankle floating. But that's fucking hard right now.
I'm almost able to do a full pistol squat, although with terrible form.
As of last week, I've been using the 20lb weights for shoulders, back and I did some biceps as well.
2 upper body workouts and one lower body so far.
DOMS are for real, people!
I did a weigh-in and came in at 111.6. That's definitely a couple pounds lighter than I thought since I've been holding on to some weight for a few weeks now.
I'm now wondering if it was all water weight? I'm not sure.
My skin is breaking out all over the place and I think, no, I KNOW it's because I've been eating wheat. I just can't help it sometimes.
Except when I'm dying because of flare-ups.
So back to NOT EATING LIKE SHIT.
GOD.
 |
| Abs are made in the kitchen. I did not weigh any of this food, but I'm trying to go back to clean eating. Chicken, sweet potatoes, rice and avocado. |
 |
| October 29, 2021, weighing in at 114lbs today. Check out them #shouldercaps! I'm excited to see the progress. |
 |
| October 29, 2021 |
 |
| October 29, 2021 |
Completing week 72.
We had a birthday dinner for my Mom on the first, which happened to also be a Monday. I used it for my "rest day" since I had crushed 6 workouts the previous week. I also happened to have a hair appointment Tuesday afternoon and since I got color done, I can't wash it for a day or so. So I'm ending week 72 by taking a couple of rest days. I'm not mad about it.
I have been using the heavier weights for about a week now and I'm really feeling it in my back and arms. I now can use the 20lbs for Arnold presses, back flies, and lat flies.
So now I wish I had 25lb dumbbells. Ugh, it just never stops.
But, I have 25lb plates. So I've been using those unilaterally for some back rows and such.
Along with incorporating yoga, I've also now started doing weight ab workouts. Now those are a CORE BURNER I TELL YA.
Holy shit.
Here's to the next 4 weeks.
No comments:
Post a Comment