Jamie Eason Live Fit Day 3

So, day 3 down, an odd sort of day. I started off by making protein pancakes using 3 egg whites, one scoop of vanilla whey, a teaspoon of cinnamon and a handful of blueberries, then topping this with a runny paste made from a half scoop of chocolate whey, a tablespoon of almond butter and a dash of coconut milk. It looked totally yummy, it even tasted yummy, TO START WITH!!! About half way through it I was struggling, I not only missed my usual porridge brekkie but this stuff was really getting sickly! I don't know how on earth I'm supposed to eat 5 of these egg whites, even dressed up as some sweet dessert, let alone the three measly eggs I used for this creation. I had to leave the last couple of forkfulls! Here's the pancake anyway...

Blueberry & Cinnamon Protein Pancake with Chocolate Nut Butter Topping!

As a consequence of this mega-pancake over-stuffing affair I wasn't hungry again until over 4 hours later, which is longer than the recommended 2.5 - 3 hour eating intervals. Hmm. But after that I did pretty well, some chicken with cabbage & apple then later some beef stir fried with broccoli, mushrooms and a large tomato with a very small potato. This egg white thing is the hardest concept to get my head around and I don't know how to overcome it! Then I think, well I'm only 5 ft 2" so maybe I only need maybe 3 or 4 egg whites compared to a taller woman. I'm trying to excuse myself from these damn things!!! Oh and did I mention that I'm expected to eat 5 more of the damn things before bed too? How please?

My comment yesterday about being glad the weight was down was probably misguided. On this first phase of the program we are supposed to be building a good muscle base and therefore TRYING and EXPECTING to gain a few pounds. So losing some was not good and I made more of an effort to get in all the meals and have carbs with each one and have done the same today. I will do my best not to worry if the scale goes up, I will use my clothes to judge if I'm getting pudgy or if I'm defining my shape with muscle. Won't stop me weighing in though ;-)

Tonight's workout was also not as planned. First up was the leg press, which I was looking forward to, due to my smugness from pressing nearly 300 lbs a few days ago. But I started with just 180 lbs and as soon as I started to push, my IT band at the top of my leg felt pulled and painful. So not a single leg press was done tonight. Disappointed. I managed most of the other exercises on the program ok, apart from the leg curl, as I don't have equipment for that. So instead I threw in 3 sets of lunges and 3 sets of Romanian deadlifts, no problem.

So altogether a fairly successful day, even if slightly modified from what was required. Tomorrow I finish the first week's training with shoulders and abs, then it's 3 days rest. It's New Year's Day tomorrow so I'll be having the folks round for a slightly reduced rerun of Christmas dinner, but no starters, no pudding and no chipolatas! So just Sunday lunch then really ;-)

As an aside, I have to mention this lady, Deb Arbs, pictured below. She's spent a couple of years TOTALLY transforming her body, and I'd like to share her results with you too. And can you believe she's 50?! I know! Amazing. And a totally nice gal too. Check her out at www.debarbs.com. The reason I mention her is because she posted this on the Jamie Eason Live Fit facebook page, and says that although this is not the program she has followed, she has checked it out and believes it is a really great program to get results. Here's to that.

Deb Arbs on Facebook

I wish everyone a great 2012, let's see what we can do!

Janice

Jamie Eason Live Fit Day 2

Another successful day on this new program is almost over. Today I've been a little sore on the front delts and in the centre of my chest, which is a good sign that yesterday's workout has hit some muscles hard and now they're building me some new bits on top!

The best news was this morning, the scale had dipped slightly, so I took a picture of the scale just to prove to myself that those lower numbers do exist and the scale isn't actually stuck! I've had a good day eating today so I'm hoping the scale will be the same tomorrow and that this wasn't a fluke!

Today's routine focussed on back and biceps, and as I had to take one of the cats to the vet in the middle I did it as a true split routine, back first then biceps an hour later. After last night's lesson when I realised that doing the split routine was so intense on the first muscle that the second half of the workout was SO much harder than it would be if done when fresh, I was glad of this break! Even still, three biceps routines in a row was very tough and I had to drop the weights as the routines went on, or I wouldn't have been able to complete the reps.

Only 2 more days of training on this week's plan, so you could say I'm half way through the first week already, it wasn't so bad! I won't speak too soon though... It's legs day tomorrow. Still, I'm looking forward to seeing if I can leg press the same 135 Kg that I did last week on my first attempt ;-)

Janice.

New Year, New Challenge!

Ok, so it's not quite the New Year yet, but this is definitely a new challenge... today I started the Jamie Eason 12 week Live Fit Trainer program. What is it you ask? Well, it's a 12 week (duh!) prescribed program of lifting weights and eating clean. You can find all the details by clicking here but here's a quick overview:

• Phase 1 - 4 weeks - introduces lifting weights, concentrating on 2 body parts per day in a split routine, for 4 then progressing to 5 days a week. Eating clean with suggested meal ideas and allowed foods list. This is the phase you're trying to build some muscle to work with.
• Phase 2 - 4 weeks - lifting 5-6 days a week and introducing some cardio back into the program but cut carbs slightly. This is the phase you're really getting the muscle packed in and sculpting your body, ready for the next phase.
• Phase 3 - 4 weeks - lifting 6 days a week plus cardio some days too, but the emphasis is on carb cycling (one week low, the next high), and although you may lose a little muscle on this phase you will also lose more fat to reveal those lovely muscles you built in the first 2 phases.

So that's it - simple! Follow the lifting routines, eat as required, total new bod! Gosh, sounds as easy as downing a bar of my favourite chocolate. Oh, except that's out for 12 weeks now.

As for the start of all these faddy (ha ha) programs (hopefully this is not just a fad!), I was required to take some 'before' pictures, so here is my slightly embarrassing set of front, side and beehind photos. I'm hoping that keeping myself accountable by looking at this picture regularly I will remind myself why I am doing this, and in moments of weakness I hope I can push through. So here I am...

Eek, I hate to even look at it myself but like I said, I hope for improvement. The tummy and love handles have to slim down as I know there are abs there just DYING to peek out, and overall I just want to get my body fat percentage down and muscle mass up slightly. I've been doing weights kind of randomly now for just under 2 months so I've already developed my arms & shoulders and the legs a little too. Just the rest has to follow now!

So that's me now, day 1 done - the lifting routine was actually tougher than I'd imagined, focussing on chest and triceps, but by the time I'd got to the triceps routine my muscles were already spent, so I found them really hard to complete! I think I'll probably have a little soreness tomorrow. As for the eating, I've done well, porridge with seeds, dried fruit and 2 egg whites for breakfast, a sweet potato protein bar then a turkey muffin, a protein shake with fruit after the workout and now I'm just about to grill some chicken and have some mashed swede with it. Lovely!

FYI starting weight this morning was 111 lbs dead. I have taken measurements but I won't bore you with them all now, I'll just (hopefully) wow you with the change in them over the next 12 weeks!

Janice. x

The results are in

So as I said in my last post, I've been feeling that as I take control of my new weight lifting lifestyle, I could feel my trousers getting looser, so a measure-in was due.

So this morning, before any porridge could pass my lips, out came the tape measure. And (drum roll....) I was right! The trousers really are getting to be too big for me, and somewhat unfortunately, my bras are also not as full as they used to be! I have lost a further half inch off both hip and bust measurements since the last measure about a month ago. But what I found interesting was that I have gained half an inch on my thigh, all solid muscle you understand though ;-)

In the weight department I have been consistently at the top end of the 111 lbs for a few weeks but this week the scale has been nudging towards the lower end of the same, so over the next week as I continue the new regime I am hoping to make the 110 lbs mark, even if it's 110.8 I'll take it!

Today as I was writing an email to a pal also trying to eat clean and lift weights, I was telling her my typical daily food intake, and by writing it down it actually told me a couple of things... One is that I love FLAVOUR! And by flavour I mean spicy, hot, tongue-tingling flavour. The other note was that this taste sensation might be causing me to fail on my quest for eating clean. For instance, with my lovely clean chicken salad I'll add a drizzle (ok a large dose) of Nando's piri piri dipping sauce. And with my beautiful oven baked salmon and stir fried veggies I will add a sweet chilli sauce to add some moisture as well as flavour. So my next question... How to clean up my meals? What can I add to my meat or veggies for flavour that will also provide some sort of sauce to make the meals less dry but just as tasty and more importantly cleaner? Does such a method of cooking exist or do I accept that it should be plain old chicken and dry veggies I have to settle for? Help please!

Hoping for more good results next week... Until then take care and any suggestions gratefully received!

Janice x

Changes are afoot

I don't know where time goes but it seems it's 10 days since I updated this blog, so let me see what's happened in the meantime... For a start I know last time I raved about Nancy Reinhardt's Get Fit Challenge. This has since come to an end, not on my part because I'm still fully committed to trying the heavy weights and eating clean thang, but Nancy has actually had a change of heart and closed down the challenge group altogether! I can understand her reasons, for a start she's had people posting misinformation on her page, and seeing as her page has her name at the top she doesn't want this information being associated with her as it's not the advice she would give. Secondly I think she is a little worried about setting challenges, people going and doing the workouts and getting injured, then suing her, which is a sad but fact true, especially in America I think. Nancy still lives on and gives advice and motivation on her own Facebook page so I am still following her and she'll be there if I have any questions, but the challenge is over for her.

Not for me! The past week I have managed to get in a workout every day apart from Wednesday, alternating through the different body parts each day in the weight training, plus a couple of sessions with Tracy Anderson, then adding just a couple of cardio sessions to the score. I am really pleased with what I'm seeing in the mirror in terms of my arms and shoulders shaping up, since I posted the last picture of my 'guns' the shoulder and top of arm area in general has improved again. Even when I just move my arms around I can see the definition between the various muscles, which is quite amazing to me. I've done weights before, maybe not so heavy but nonetheless I never had results like this before, so it can only be the combination of the heavy weights and the clean eating that has enabled this transformation to occur.

Speaking of clean eating, ok I admit I had a bar of chocolate last night and today I opened a box of fancy biscuits for everyone at work to share and I had 3 (they were only small honest!). But the good news is I know that short term blips are not going to completely ruin everything I've worked for so I'm not going to flip out about it. I'll just do better tomorrow and the day after. In terms of other progress, the scales have definitely been hovering around the lower end of the 111 lbs mark, and I can't be certain but I do feel like my smallest pair of work trousers are getting looser, so I think a little measure might be in store for me this weekend, just to see if anything really is happening size-wise. Another thing that I also noticed yesterday was that my chest bones seem somehow more prominent, like the fat layer on my chest has got thinner or something. Might just be me seeing things though ;-)

So, target for the next week is more of the same. Go for 3 sets of 10-12 reps of each exercise, putting the weight up if this is on the easy side. I am following the Men's Health Muscle Manual, which I think came out this Summer. I know it was written for men but the exercises are all the same for us girls too. It shows you in pictorial format all the dumbbell and barbell exercises you can do on each body part, so I just pick 3 or 4 for each muscle and go for it. Usually i do 2 body parts per session but occasionally I throw in a full body workout, doing one set on each muscle. It's nice to mix it up, keeps your body guessing.

I think I'm going to have to rename this blog, it's not ALL about Tracy Anderson anymore, she still plays her in my life but i have to step it up a notch as i wasn't seeing any further change with her workouts and I'm slowly finding my way into the weight training arena and loving it! Hoping to bring new pictures and improved measurements to this blog soon! Janice x

6 week Challenge - Week 3 Summary - And the challenge just got bigger!

So another week has gone by, another week for me to grow my workout strategy and to really get stuck into something solid. I know the title of this blog is 'Transforming Janice... The Tracy Anderson Way' but as you may have noiced I am slowly digressing from purely Tracy's Method to involving myself in more weights-based training and less of the lovely little fairy Princess' method. This is not to say I'm falling out with it cos I'm not, every time I do it I love her routines, I love the way she giggles through the cardio and has a no-messin' face through themucular structure work, it tells me when to enjoy it and when to knuckle down to business. So that still stays, just not quite in the quantities it was around before.

So as the title today says, this 'challenge' just got bigger. I was originally aiming for the end of November to see what I could do for myself, but now I've joined forces with over 375 other women in a 6 week challenge starting today - it's called Nancy Reinhardt's Get Fit Challenge and if you're interested you can join in yourself via Nancy's Facebok page. Click the picture, add her as a friend then ask to join the challenge group.

Nancy Reinhardt

So anyway, last week I decided (with the wisdom and evidence that Nancy presented me with) that lifting weights together with eating clean was the right way forward. So that is what I've been doing for about 5 days now. I've done weights at home mostly but also went to the gym once - but I realised that they've only probably got one or two weights machines that I can't replicate at home, so it's probably not worth he £5 they want per visit.

When I did my arms/shoulders weights last week I could see the difference in the miror so I took a snap via my iPad and this was the result (below). I like the shape of the deltoid and the bicep, so hoping that this will develop further if I continue. Most of this shape did come from my Tracy Anderson workout so I have her to thank for the most part of it. Cheers Trace. My triceps were still sore 2 days later so I know I did some good work in this session.

So that's the plan then, continue the weights, eat REALLY clean, follow Nancy's advice and take any tips and advice I can about getting the most out of my workouts.

Janice.

6 week challenge - week 2 summary

Wow, is it 2 weeks since I said I'd challenge myself to get stuck in and try to lose more body fat and tone up more? The last week has flown, but mainly because I have been doing just that - getting stuck in!

Since last week, when I'd decided I needed to add more weights to my routines, I've been trying out a number of workout techniques and reading up on lots of information to try to define my new fitness routine in more definite terms. The workouts I've done this week include good old Tracy Anderson but with ankle and wrist weights added, a Body Pump and a Body Combat class at the leisure centre, some free and machine weights at home, part of the Tonique workout (which is way harder than you can ever imagine!) and also a 20 minute video by a man named Hamelin D'abelo (sorry if I've not remembered the name correctly). So my conclusions from all this are as follows...

Body Pump - very good for toning, but each 'track' targets one particular muscle or set of muscles and there are NUMEROUS reps, so this is good for light toning and not building significant muscle.
Body Combat - good for a cardio blast as lots of jumping and turning and lunging and ducking etc, in between all the punching and kicking. Not going to build me much in the way of muscle but pretty good for getting the sweat on.
Free/Machine Weights - I do really enjoy doing this, it's like my little escape into my own world of 'challenge Janice', seeing if I can squeeze one more rep out etc. I definitely need to do more of this and I am reading Tosca Reno's Workouts for your Best Body Yet book to make sure I get to know all the exercises I need and do them correctly. I did 3 sets of each exercise with 8-15 reps of each.
Tonique - I would highly recommend this if you want to target buns, thighs, legs. Lots of squats (LOTS), lunges, etc and most with hand weights thrown in. I think this is a good addition once or twice a week to give cardio plus toning all in one go. Similar appeal and effect to Body Pump, but not so static.
Hamelin D'abelo toning video - this video got my muscles feeling fatigued and achy, so it definitely  works. Not sure it's enough for where I want to go in terms of building proper muscle though. May throw it in now and again.

On the diet side I printed out Tosca Reno's 'Food Tracker', which is a chart with 6 slots for each day, where you write your Lean Protein, Complex Carbs, Healthy Fats, Supplements and Drinks each meal, to make sure you are remembering to each the right stuff! The link to this chart can be found by clicking on the picture below if you would like to keep track too!

Earlier in the week something Nancy Reinhardt said hit me and hit me hard - I was listening to a little video she'd made for a previous fitness challenge she'd run, and she said it was important to not only eat clean but to eat 5-6 snack sized portions per day. SNACK SIZED. OMG, yes, SNACK sized, not your regular lunch and dinner portions PLUS clean snack, but ALL SNACK SIZED portions. This was a major revelation to me, and I think this immediately gave me a renewed energy for eating right, not just eating clean, but eating mean! So I've done very well this week, ditching the wrap around the chicken salad for lunch and leaving myself just lean protein and salad, then still having my nut butter wrap or seeds & fruit for one snack and my 1 scoop protein shake for the other snack. But the thing that I actually saw this week was that I was slightly more hungry when these snack times came round, I was not just eating them because it was 'time' to.

So as a result off all these trials and revelations the scales have tipped in my favour this week and I am 1 pound down. Nancy would not want me to talk about my weight on the scales and rather focus on the fit of the clothes or how much extra I can lift, but it's a hard habit to break. I'm trying, honest! On a note that Nancy would like, I had to put a belt on these jeans today, they're too embarrasing to wear without now. When I bought them early this year they were tight fitting ;-)

So, a successful week, I was on the ball all week, I said no to (most) temptations that weren't clean, and I'm getting there in finding my new routine.

Nancy is starting a 6 week challenge group of her own, with over 300 people also saying they're in (including me), so I'm hoping the extra help, tips, motivation I get from that starting next weekend will keep me going and going.

This week... more weights (starting with Body Pump tonight), a bit less cardio and lots of good clean food. That's a plan.

Janice.

6 Week Challenge - Week 1 Summary

So, just over a week ago I decided I would give myself until the end of November to really try to uncover what I need to do to make this diet & exercise 'plan' REALLY work for me. I've already been through a few phases of discovery, changes of tactics but after a week of really thinking about this and making a few changes I do feel like I'm getting somewhere.

Before I go on I have to say that I don't like to call the eating part of what I'm doing a 'diet' as such, I'm not about dieting as a concept at all, what I am about right now is finding what works in terms of giving myself  the right nutrients, proteins, complex carbs, healthy fats in the right amounts to find a prescription that works for me. Following Tosca Reno's Eat Clean principles seems to be giving me the best combinations of all things 'good' so I am continuing on with that.

For the exercise part of things, I am still committed to doing Tracy Anderson's Metamorphosis Continuity program, albeit with a little variation. I have decided that to be able to tone up more noticeably I'm going to have to accelerate my results by using writs and ankle weights whilst performing Tracy's Muscular Structure moves, without losing good form of course. I know that later in the Metamorphosis program Tracy says we require wrist and ankle weights (they're no longer optional) so I figure I will just go there sooner than I'm required. I've also started lifting some weights. I did a session at home on Thursday, which left me unable to go down stairs or sit down with any control in my legs for 2 days solid, so I definitely worked that one! And Sunday I went to a Body Pump class for the first time, which involves using a light bar with varying weights on the ends, depending on the exercise being performed. All round though I felt fatigue in all the major muscle groups, so I think that may become a regular addition to my routine too. And after all the pumping iron, I even got back home and did one of Tracy's 30-Day Method 10 minute dance cardio routines, as I had loads of energy left and also with the added benefit of loosening off the muscles a little. I think it worked as I'm not as sore after the Body Pump as after the home weights session where I didn't do any cardio afterwards. The clever Nancy said to do cardio after and I think she's damn right!

So, the plan for this week - PLAN AHEAD! I find that if I plan my meals and take things out with me I do much better in terms of choices, so that's this week's little extra goal. Keep up the weight training together with Tracy's lovely method and see where it takes me!

Janice

Revelations and Modifications...

I don't know about you but sometimes I feel like I'm going along, doing my thing, minding my own business, not really thinking what I'm doing, why I'm doing it, or whether it's right for me. Take for example this exercise routine I've been doing for some 5 months now, the Tracy Anderson Method. Basically you do half an hour of muscular structure work per day and half an hour dance cardio per day (when you can get yourself motivated to do both if you're me!), both 6 days a week. Since I started the program, in combination with starting to eat clean(er) over the past 2 months I've only lost a grand total of...... wait for it...... 4 pounds! In a more impressive 'ta-da' moment though I have gone down a dress size, sometimes 2 sizes, so that's the good thing.

But what I am now is what I think is only a slightly shrunken version of myself  6 months ago, I have much better shoulders/arms than before and in shadowy light I can see my abs right from the top in a line right down to the top of my legs now, so that's good too. But there's still not much to report (apart from general shrinkage) in other areas. So I've been looking for 'something' to change up.

Nancy Reinhardt, before and after. Wow!

I've been following Nancy Reinhardt on Facebook, she's made an amazing transformation, she was 200 lbs after having 5 kids and decided to eat clean and lift weights and now she's 122 lbs, has an amazing toned body, and is still working at it. She's just started her own coaching service for diet and exercise, she's like an expert! I was telling her that despite some improvements, I feel stuck now, that nothing is really changing. I hate admitting the Tracy Anderson Method might not be quite enough for me but there you go, I've said it!!! Don't hate me!!! Maybe I'm just impatient??? So anyway, Nancy said that if I start lifting some weights I'll definitely see another change, the new muscles I create will be burning fat harder, which will in turn help me get smaller and maybe lighter again. She said she was 'stuck' on 130 lbs for a couple of months but during that time still went down 2 sizes, just from building muscle and losing fat. So it's clear it's not all about the numbers game (weight), it's about the size and shape you are and how you feel and look. 

So anyway, after taking on board this advice and realising that lifting some weights and gaining a little more muscle is what I want and need to do, this is my new plan...

- Still do Tracy's MS 5 times a week and always use wrist and ankle weights if she's not using free weights

- Do Tracy's dance cardio 3 times a week, 20-30 mins

- Do weights at home 3 times a week after Tracy's MS and before the cardio (if doing that day). Nancy said do the cardio last so that's what I'm doing!

- Do a class at the local leisure centre of Body Pump and/or Body Combat once/twice a week - a good combination of cardio and muscular work.

- Continue and improve my eat clean lifestyle, including lots of protein and more water

I did some weights last night and boy do I know about it, as the day goes on my legs are more like jelly when I go to sit down - just think going to the loo, not even funny! But it's a good sign - it means I did some real work with my muscles!!! I haven't been sore AT ALL doing any of Tracy's stuff, so maybe that should've told me something a long time ago.

I really hope this brings a change in me, I'm excited to find out. I know Tracy doesn't want us to use weights as it will 'destroy all her work redesigning my body', but I think her method WITH weights can surely only attack things from a deeper place, accelerate progress and give more visible results. Add some free weights and other exercise to it and hey presto, toning in action! 


So I admit, I do like a little bit of muscle, not too much (think Jodie Marsh - NO!!!) but a bit is good.

I just hope I can stick to this plan now... wish me luck! 


Janice 

6 Week Challenge Day 3 - Self-sabotage - or is it?

So it's day 3 of my 6 week eat-clean, exercise-well challenge and well, things are not as cushy as I'd hoped. I've done so well the past 2 days, felt totally committed to this thing, eaten (almost) all the right things, done the workout etc. So when I stepped on the scales this morning and saw the pound that I'd lost had magically re-appeared, I was not so happy. What does a girl have to do to succeed at this thing? Ok, I can probably put the extra pound down to two things - one, the not so successful tea I had last night - vegetarian sausages with sweet potato chips (french fries), only the fries burned in the oven so I ended up making some frozen mash, lazy and not so good for me probably. Then, I was hungry later on so I had cottage cheese on a Ryvita cracker an hour before bed, which if I think about it I could've done without, or done with half of one, I just needed a tiny snack really. So ok, I can maybe explain away the pound.

But what did I then do? I thought, well, if I can't keep even a pound off I might as well just have whatever I want as this is obviously not working. So I had 2 defcaff coffees with sweetener (not so clean) and 2, yes 2 gingerbread biscuits coated in dark chocolate on one side. Now in my head this was spelling disaster for the day so I was almost tempted to carry on the silliness and have chocolate when I got home etc. I didn't. And I had a healthy tea. So one point to me.

But what kept going through my head when I was thinking about all these extra lovely treats I could have was this - I don't feel too bad in the body I have right now, so I can just continue with the odd treat (or 2) and I'll just stay like this. So is this the classic self-sabotage creeping in at the first sign of success, or am I just actually quite happy with my lot and so maybe my heart isn't in this 100%?

I'm sat here now with 2 gum-shields in (don't laugh), with whitening gel in them, not just in the hope that I'll give my teeth a refresher on the whitening but also so I don't get stuck into the chocolate. Now you're only supposed to keep these things in for an hour, the gel is quite strong, so in about 10 minutes I'm on my own, on the loose again! Can I do it? Can I resist? Do I want to even? I think I do, I think I'm just feeling a little deprived and can probably get back on track if I set my mind on it and just do it!

What's hardest I think is doing this on your own. Yeah you might have support and help from people via this blog or the odd friend may ask how you're doing (not that I've bothered telling anyone yet!), but actually it's just me, in my head and in my body, doing this. Or not. So I have to only rely on myself to get through this in the end. I have to keep in mind the rewards at the end though. I WILL feel more confident in my body, in my clothes, in my head. I will be able to exercise better, harder, faster. I will feel GREAT! So that's my motivation now... keep my eye not on the present so-called hardship (my god how hard can it be not to eat chocolate, we are so spoiled in today's society!), but focus on the future rewards.

End of lesson to myself for today.
Learnings: I may have self-sabotaged slightly today, to prove to myself that I can't do it, but actually I can, I've done it before, and today's 85% success rate is not too far off 100% is it? So onwards and upwards... here's to tomorrow!

Janice.

6 Week Challenge Day 1

Subtitle - Metamorphosis Continuity 1 level 5 day 2

Ok, so I know it's been a month since I wrote anything on here, and it's not because I've been absent or not sticking to the plan or anything, just be cause... I'm lazy I guess! That's not a real excuse I know.

So I have so many things that I've been trying, in this effort to gain a healthier lifestyle, from new books to new recipes, new friends to old, I've been continuing my journey, honest! But one thing I notice is that I do a lot of reading on the subject of healthy living, whether it be people's comments on Facebook, shared recipes on health websites, blogs, e-books... you name it I'll read it. But then what's the point of reading all about it and KNOWING all about it if I don't use this information to my best advantage???

So last night I was reading (yes, again, reading) a blog of a fellow Facebooker, she's called Lamis (you can find her new blog here) and she's been having trouble making the grade too, wanting to de-bloat, and shift a few last pounds to give herself that body she desires in her head. So I commented on her blog, saying that I thought it was great what she was doing, to keep it up and that I would definitely follow her progress. I also commented that it might even inspire me to start my own challenge with myself, to give myself a kick up the backside, to put in place and use all this knowledge I have on myself. So, having slept on it, I have decided that is what I am going to do. It's not the first time I've set myself a challenge, I did a 21-day Eat Clean Challenge a few weeks ago, which shifted 4 pounds and got rid of the breakouts that I really shouldn't be getting at 40!!! And since then I've kept to my new weight (111-112 lbs) and kept up most of the habits of that 21 day challenge. These good habits include having ground flaxseed, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and wheatbran in my porridge every day, eating more protein and switching to wholegrain products instead of white pasta/rice/bread. The things I have not succeeded in keeping up are leaving the goddam chocolate alone (SO hard!!!) and trying to combine protein with complex carbs at every meal. I'm exercising enough I think for what I want to do, although even if I don't do cardio some days I do need to try to make the muscular structure work for sure, Tracy Anderson says that it's very important to keep going with that and I can see why.

So this new challenge will last until the end of November this time (about 5-6 weeks), which is quite long but I think to keep up good habits you need to practice them often. The challenge will involve:
- Eating Clean 95% of the time. I will allow myself 1 square of chocolate per day if I feel I need it and 1 other alternative (for example I can't find wholemeal wraps in the supermarket so I'm using 50-50 wheat & white ones). I will eat fruit after most meals to satisfy my sweet tooth and I will eat every 3 hours and include a good portion of protein at most meals.
- Exercising 5 times a week, with cardio at least 4 times. The cardio must be a full half hour.
- Noting my results on here at least once a week, more if news to report.


When I write it down like that it sounds very do-able, like it's not too different from what I'm doing now. But even now I'm about to post this I know I don't like to put pressure on myself by saying I'm definitely doing something, as I know I may panic that I can't do it and will just crumble in no time, so I'm going to need some good willpower and some good mates to help me keep on it. I also have to make myself accountable on here, if it's on paper it's real.

So, that's it for today, the challenge is on. Week 1 starts today. Wish me luck...

Janice.

Re-focus

Recently I've been struggling to get in the almost-daily workouts and have also stepped somewhat away from the eating clean principles, allowing chocolate to creep back into daily life and partaking in offers of ice cream and other non-clean non-essentials. My workload has increased so the workouts have been shorter or non-existent too, all adding up to a slip-sliding-away feeling. Not good. Last weekend I decided I'd see if how I looked in reality matches how I thought I looked in my head (mirrors can play nice tricks on you if you hold yourself at the right angles!). So to do this I decided to put my TAM Continuity Dance Cardio dvd on the TV, whilst simultaneously videoing myself performing the moves on my iPad right next to the TV. I wanted to see how good (or bad) I was at the moves as well as how my body looked, as I thought I'd been doing ok and was considering entering a maintenance phase, reasonably happy with the scales and the mirror image. Well, let me tell you all was not well in the world after this crazy experiment! After reviewing the video I not only saw that my body is quite a way from being acceptable (in my head) but worse, even though I thought I was performing the same moves as little old Tracy, I certainly wasn't giving it half the energy she seems to bounce around with, which was a surprise to me. I workout in one of two areas - the lounge which has a carpeted floor, or the conservatory/dining room which has Italian stone floors, both areas of approximately 8ft square to work with when sofas, furniture and other non-moveable items are taken into account. This is not really a lot of space so maybe the reason I wasn't putting as much energy into it was that I can't easily move back and forth as much as our Tracy, or that when I kick I have to be sure there's not a cat or a sofa in my way, I'm not sure really. I was a bit lost and dismayed to be honest, and started questioning whether Tracy Anderson's Method had actually done me any favours at all??? I know my abs are way more visible than they were 6 months ago so that's good, and my arms are nice and defined and I'm quite proud of those, and yes I now have a little dent where those hip flexors are developing, so again good, but the rest of me, hmm, not sure. Was this 20-30 minutes of cardio really worth the effort? Was the half hour 'waving my arms around' (as hubby calls it) really doing much? Before the video incident I'd been to a Body Combat class at the leisure centre and definitely gave it some energy, and felt it for about 3 days afterwards, whereas on Tracy's program I've probably only felt sore a couple of times ever. Maybe I'm just not doing it right. The day after the class I had also lost a little more weight (which only lasted temporarily - see first paragraph!). So for the past week I've been questioning whether to continue my journey solely with Tracy Anderson and the Metamorphosis Continuity program I'm following, whether to mix it up with other workout dvds I have such as TurboFire or P90X, or whether to just go to classes at the leisure centre, which force me to do a full hour and work hard. I think I am going to stick with Tracy's mat work as the abs and arms I've gotten myself have definitely come from that, but maybe for cardio I will mix the Dance Cardio up with some cardio workouts from the TurboFire dvds and also go to the Body Combat class once a week. And as for eating, I realise I cannot just pick up anything I want, I have to admit that I'm over 40 now and as such things like 'just' a bar of chocolate are not something that sit quite so easily (apart from on the muffin top). So I have to renew my vigour for Eating Clean, keep reading Tosca Reno's book and try to follow the protein plus complex carbs rule as much as possible. And cut the chocolate again. So that's where I'm up to, I thought I had come to a happy medium place where I could live with this body and have the odd treat now I'd lost a couple more pounds but the reality is that I'm still yearning for more. So more is what I am going after. I want another 3 pounds off (after these 2 that have crept back on!) and I want less muffin top and more leanness! Help, this could be hard work!!! Started eating well again today, Body Combat tonight then tea already planned - salmon and stir fried veggies, so we'll see how I go... Janice.

Day 82. Eating Clean Rocks!

I know, I know, I've not posted on here for a few weeks, and I really have no excuse so I won't say I was too busy (which I wsa), too tired (I have been until more recently) or I'd given up (I haven't). I'm back though, and I promised to be more regular again.

So the title says it all really, I'm now just 7 workouts and a rest day away from the end of my Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis part 1, aka 9 days away from starting Continuity, her continuation of the Metamorphosis series where I hope she'll continue to come up with some innovative moves to challenge my body. I'm sure she will.

Second part of the title also speaks volumes - for over 2 weeks now I've been 'Eating Clean', which basically means that I'm having meals every 2.5-3 hours, trying to make sure I combine protein with complex carbs for most of those meals, and leaving off the sugar and simple carbs such as chocolate, processed foods, white bread etc. And guess what? So far it's worked! I've lost 4 lbs in the last 16 days, which I never thought possible with just a few simple changes. The biggest change I've made is leaving out my daily chocolate fix of a few pieces or the equivalent of a small bar a day I guess. It's not been too bad and I have had one or two pieces of chocolate on about 5 of the days so I'm not totally going cold turkey, I am allowing the odd little taster. Anyhow, the scales are now reading under 8 stone for 5 days out of the last 7, so that's darn right amazing to me. I haven't been 7 stone anything since I was about 28, which is SO long ago!!! Yey!

So what rules have I followed for this? Well, basically I've been reading Tosca Reno's 'Eat Clean Diet - Recharged!', which I got off iTunes for £4.99. I think it's about £12 in the online shops so quite a bargain too. And that's it! I thoroughly recommend trying it, it's the best thing I've done in ages.

I recently started emailing a lovely lady in Canada after helping her out with some missing videos and she has turned out to be the most endearing and gorgeous girl I could've imagined so I thank her for all her kind comments and encouragements, it's nice to have support and a good friend to boot, no matter where we all live! Thanks Shan!

So, short and sweet today, but hopefully onwards and upwards. Only 8 days until the big measure and weigh-in and until I have to post pictures of myself again. Heck! Best stick to this eat clean and workout schedule or I'll still look pretty much the same! Might have to doctor the photos a bit if I do (only joking!).

Janice.

Day 47 and a half?

I guess I'm writing this now I've come to an understanding with myself. Let me explain...

Recently, the past couple of months, I've been having trouble getting to sleep, therefore not getting enough sleep on work nights and as a consequence finding my eyes closing whilst sat at my desk at work - not good! I've tried going to bed a little earlier, no change. I've tried a can of coke to keep me awake, it worked but isn't really a long term solution! I have found out though that my under-active thyroid is being given too many drugs to balance it out - the dose I've been taking for 9 months is now too much for me to cope with, hence the unusual symptoms. So I've now changed my dose but it can take from 6 weeks to 3 or 4 months for me to feel the benefits of the new dose, so I'm stuck a little in a groove that I can't immediately see a way out of.

So, in short, I've decided to modify my TAM programme, having Tuesday and Wednesday night off from exercise each week instead of just Wednesday, and also to try to have one day during the week when I sleep in and just get up when I wake. This will all take some adjustment but I have to give it a go for my own sanity!

I saw a good quote at the weekend, which I am trying to keep in mind now...

"It's not about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning how to dance in the rain".

I don't know who said it but they're a genius. I just have to get through this, I get it now. It's not permanent, it's just a nasty phase mother nature has inflicted on me. A test. I can do tests, surely.

So that's where I'm at. I'm on an enforced day off, hence day 47 and a half, it won't be officially day 48 until the day after tomorrow.

So, sleeps gods, come get me tonight please and make me fresh for Thursday, it's gonna be a big time hot workout!!!

Janice.

Day 32 - In for the long haul

Yesterday I took myself off to a Body Attack class, as recommended by a fellow TAM buddy and as talked by other friends who take the class. Before I went I expected it to be a really good workout, incorporating jumps, steps, runs and a few toning moves. What I actually got was all these things but the speed at which these jumps, steps and runs happened was quite unexpected. The jumping jacks were on speed, the steps were double time and the runs were back and forth so quick I sometimes couldn't even keep up! Why am I writing about a Body Attack class when I'm supposed to be documenting my journey with Tracy Anderson? Well, doing this class actually showed me that although the class was rough and ready, I did actually keep up with it throughout, and this showed me that not only has Tracy's cardio element increased my fitness level to something I never thought I was capable of, but I can actually go harder and for longer than the required 30 minutes of cardio, if pushed or if I put my mind to it.

After that revelation last night, I had another revelation this morning, my lowest weight for 10 or 11 years, 8 st 0.8. The clever scales also told me that in the last couple of months I've lost nearly 5 pounds but my muscle mass has only gone down by 1 pound, so this means I must've lost 4 pounds of fat, so that's good right?! I can tell this is the case just by how my skin around my middle feels, there's a little less to grab hold of!

So, today I'm realising that things are still slowly happening to my body, and after the earlier down period this week, thinking nothing was moving, things suddenly are again, so I just have to be patient, stick with it, take enough rest and enough food to keep me in good form, and just wait and see what lies in store! It's quite an exciting prospect, to see what happens next and how far I can take this, with a little help from my beautiful guru, Tracy Anderson of course!

Janice

Day 29 - Regrouping

Today, no in fact most of this week, I've been struggling to get into the method. I feel stuck. I feel like I'm on a straight running track, with the finish line so far in the distance it might as well be on another planet. This track is so straight that it signifies a constant in my life. But the constant is not something I wanted when I started this so-called 'Transformation'. Tracy Anderson told me that every 10 days when I measure myself I will be amazed, that if I followed her cardio and muscle structure routines to the letter then I would be miraculously transformed into a lovlier, more toned and slimmer version of myself. I'm currently a bit miffed because this has so far not happened to me. Yes when I measured myself after the first 10 days I seemed to have lost half an inch here and there, but since then? Nothing. No weight loss, no inch loss, and due to this lack of visual result (plus my 40th birthday celebrations involving eating lots more chocolate than is good for me) I have not budged an inch or a pound since then.

Speaking of my birthday, here is a nice picture of myself before I went out for a lovely curry with my friends from work. I was happy at the weekend but now not so much.

So for now I feel disappointed. I feel that I have either let myself down by not pushing myself as hard as I could, by not following Tracy's diet plan, by not believing in myself. So here I come in the hope of regrouping (with myself?!) and hopefully getting refocussed on the task in hand. So let me look for some positives...

Ok, so first of all I have lost 2-3 lbs since I started this journey a couple of months ago.

Second of all, I have been so busy lately that I guess I'm bound to feel tired and unmotivated, I just want to relax at the end of a hard day, not do an intense workout. This is out of my hands until I finish this busy period, by the end of next weekend hopefully.

Thirdly, what is third? I guess for a while there I was very motivated and did start to see changes in myself visually and also mentally, from the extra confidence that comes with feeling good about yourself.

Ok, so those are the good things I have learned. Now how to move forward in a positive manner and get back with the program...

So I guess my main downfall diet-wise has been chocolate the past week, I think I should forego all chocolate for 2 weeks and watch the difference. If I can do it for 2 weeks then who knows.

I need to not put pressure on myself to follow this program to the letter and not feel disappointed if I don't. So far I've only missed a small handful of workouts, nothing that's going to totally screw me up, so get over that and move on. I accept I am a busy girl and can't always do everything all the time.

I think I should also step up the cardio and twice a week aim for 45 minutes to an hour of cardio instead of the prescribed 30 minutes. I am going to do this by starting to go to Body Attack class, which is quite high energy from what I've been told, and also I could use my running machine to either run or do Tracy's treadmill workout. I've just read this paragraph and I'm not sure if this is putting too much pressure on me by placing impossible targets on myself again??? I'll have to see how this works out.

So all in all, the plan is to stress less, eat better, move more. Whoever would've thought it was that simple? People could make a fortune writing diet & fitness books on this. Oh yes that's right, they already do. I just took a while to discover these things for myself.

I think I need little reminders around the place to keep me in check. Might print out some Tracy pictures, some motivational words or other propaganda to leave in my bag, in my drawer, coat pocket etc. Little reminders.

Right, I'm even boring myself now so I shall go and put all the chocolate away, then I shall make a delicious salad for tomorrow's lunch and let's see how we go. Who is with me?

Janice.

Day 27... thinness is a state of mind

A strange title today. I often notice that if I'm 'thinking thin' then that becomes a reality, it's as if the thought Gods up there know what I'm projecting and they give me what I want. So, the other day I went for a Frappucino (and how lovely it was!) with a friend I met through this Tracy Anderson Method Facebook site, and she said 'Oh my god, I thought you were a size 6!' in reply to my musings about whether I'm properly a size 8 yet or just in some shops where they do generous cuts. She told me she'd just got into a size 4, that really is TEENY TINY! So I thought, well, I wonder what it would be like to get very comfortably into an 8 and then how it would feel to fit into a size 6 pair of jeans... I wondered for a couple of days then decided to go and try some on!

I only went to one shop, Next, and took 2 pairs of skinny jeans into the changing rooms - one size 8 petite and the other 6 petite. I put the 8 on and to my surprise I easily buttoned them up, thought, hmm, I wonder... So on went the 6 and after a little tug to get these oh-so-skinny- jeans all the way to the top of my leg, I actually fastened them up! And I even tried sitting down on the changing room bench and they didn't pop open or dig too uncomfortably into my still-wobbly bits! Wow! How had this happened? I'd never even thought I may get into anything size 6, I'd only just stopped buying 10's as a matter of course as these seemed to be hanging off me or falling down lately. So imagine this, Janice in a pair of size 6 jeans. There is definitely a transformation afoot! Thank you thought Gods.

I definitely won't be squeezing myself into those jeans tonight though, I will need lots of room for expansion as I'm going out for the last of my birthday splurges - a lovely curry with a dozen people from work. I've fake tanned my arms and legs so just need to do the hair and paint the nails and I'll be ready for the last marking-the-40-occasion outings. Can't wait!

Ciao for now...

Janice

The other side... And bikinis

Yes it's official, I'm the other side of 40 now, some might say the wrong side but I'll call it the better side, the side that I'm going to carry on improving myself with a little help from little blonde bombshell Tracy Anderson.

After a night of exciting encounters at a ghost hunting evening followed by a relaxing day opening my birthday gifts and being treated to a home cooked dinner, I failed to do my cardio and my muscle work yesterday, but I'm not beating myself up, I'm allowing myself that one!

Today I've worked hard not only doing my TAM but also starting wallpapering the dining room and conservatory, and there's still lots to do tomorrow too. Pat on the back for me.

The last thing I'll mention today is bikinis, and I don't mean the sort you pull on for the beach, I mean the sort I've been wearing since I can remember - those lines in my skin where a bikini should sit but are really where my shape folds when I lean forwards. Well the good news is that I've noticed the lines are getting more faint, which I think means my muscles underneath are stretching into new longer leaner shapes and are pulling the skin tighter with them. Very pleased! Also when I get a cross light on my abs they are definitely more pronounced, so more incentive to keep going with the little blonde bombshell that is Tracy Anderson. Bring it on!

Janice

Day 21... Cupcake Time!

Wow, it's day 21, which means that today I start sequence 3 of my 'Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis Omnicentric Workout Series'.

That might be a mouthful to say but I tell you what's a real mouthful - this giant cupcake my husband has just presented me with, for my birthday tomorrow! It's not ideal Tracy food plan material but it is my 40th birthday so I have to say what the heck and I tell you now I have already had a slice and it was oh so yummy!

Having said that I am not planning on eating the whole thing to myself but sharing the love (& cake) instead. I will allow myself a piece a day for the next three says but after that it has to go! I'm sure the gannets at work will polish it off for me if I give them the chance.

So as today is the first day of sequence 3 that means it's also measurement day :-( Not a day I look forward to as I don't want to be disappointed but I think I will have stayed the same if not lost a tiny bit around the beehind again, we'll see shortly when I get changed and get the tape measure out.

Another transformation that I have undergone since the last photo is that I have had a new hair do. It's now shorter in a choppy bob with dark blonder highlights. I like it and I have had so many nice comments that I have to think I should've done this years ago. Actually I did do it a couple of years ago but I just never went back to get it cut so it grew out. I always do that. I won't this time. New me.

So I shall fill in the rest of today's blog once those all-important measurements are in...

(2 hours later...)

Ok, so the good news is that my arm, bust and waist measurements have all gone down by a quarter inch each, the other measurements have stayed about the same. So not too bad I think!

Just done 1st attempt at sequence 3 of Omni, I LOVE IT!!! I really think this will be the level to boost the results even more. The arms & abs moves are more intense and I love all the new leg rotations, I can even balance on one knee & one hand when required on this level, I must be getting better!

Tonight I may lose some weight in an involuntary manner - I'm going ghost hunting to a spooky Tudor house called Smithills Hall in Bolton, a few trips to the loo may be required, before AND during!

So, just time to go and pick out an outfit - what do you wear for the company of the spirits???

Until later... and next time I post I'll be past the post, 40-wise. It's coming...

Janice.

Day 18

Where did the time go since my last blog? I can't believe I'm on day 18 already, that means I've only 2 more goes at sequence 2 of Meta Omni then I'm onto the next round of weird and wonderful positions and repetitions! How Tracy comes up with all these variations I do not know. But I love her for it...

So, progress. Well the diet, which is not really a diet at all, goes in fits and starts. Mostly due to me hankering after chocolate, lovely dark Hotel Chocolat in particular. I'm not going at it like it's going out of fashion or anything but I just have to have a piece. And maybe another one to keep the first company. I should move them out of reach, say into my hubby's tummy, but I just can't, it's too good to 'waste' on him! Other than that though I am eating oaty clustered cereal for breakfast with oat milk, usually 100g of chicken breast and a salad for lunch then salmon & stir fried veg or similar in the evening. Oh, plus pineapple and raspberries for snacks/afters. So overall I'm doing good I think. The weight is now hovvering around the 8st 1.8 region, rather than about 8st 4.6, which is what I was about 2 months ago. So going in the right direction. My jeans fit better too, tonight I'm wearing a pair that I couldn't even get into when I bought them a couple of years ago, then I managed to fasten them after losing about 6 lbs, and now I don't even have to undo them when I sit down, they're even sat on my hips not high on my waist. So more progress I feel!

I've been so tired the past couple of days I haven't put in 100% effort on the workouts but I'm determined to get more sleep to fix this. Plus I'll be 40 in ... (counting) ... 5 days so I'm putting in a good last push to see if I can't get down to 8st 0 dead or below before then. I'd love to be able to say Happy Birthday To Me, From Me!

Another way I might lose a last few ounces is by going on the ghost humt / paranormal evening the night before my birthday - I'm sure I'll be mildly cacking my pants before hand, and if anything does jump out at me on the night, well, that'll be another half pound gone, say no more. Spare pants packed.

So, until the next installment I shall go and plan my new hair do - due the day after tomorrow. Inspiration gods please start smiling on me...

Janice. x

Day 13

Going to the spa with your friends is one of the best ways of not only relaxing, but also fixing those niggling injuries you inevitably get when you take on a fitness program. Yesterday I went to the spa with a sore calf muscle and sore oblique muscles - I used the steam & sauna rooms, the crushed ice rubbed all over my body and the very warm spa pool (complete with jets you can stand in front of and get pelted!) and came out with - no injuries! What a great day! Must remember that next time I pick up a niggling injury - what a good excuse to go to the spa eh girls?

I'm now onto day 3 of sequence 2 of Meta Omni and although I'm finding some of it quite hard, especially the floor exercises where you have to balance on one leg & one hand, I think it's great that it's so different from sequence 1. And it really has stepped up another level.

Not been too disciplined with the food this week, had pizza after the spa (it was my pre-birthday girlie treat day), and have had chocolate most days, not loads of the stuff but enough to disappoint myself, so I think a bit of a push and some effort is required now to get another pound off before my birthday in 10 days time. Did I say birthday? 40th birthday - eek!

Tomorrow I go and see about teeth whitening - there's no stopping me trying to improve myself these days! And next week it's new hair-do time. Mid life crisis? Maybe!

Nighty night.

Metamorphosis Day 10

I know it says day 10 in the title and I know this is my first post but better late than never to start blogging my Tracy Anderson Method Metamorphosis transformation hey!

I started TAM (let's just call it that, we all know what I'm talking about!) in early April 2011, I found myself staring at all the exercise DVDs in the supermarket and Tracy's Mat Workout DVD ended up in my trolley! As soon as I started it I knew she was different. So I bought the 30 day method book & dvd, and wow, what a creative and inspiring little lady she is! Soon followed the Total Cardio DVD and within a month I'd ordered myself the full Metamorphosis Omnicentric DVD Set, all the way from America. I waited 3 weeks for it to arrive, doing a combination of all 3 of her other DVDs in the meantime, loving it all the way.

So today is day 10 of my metamorphosis into something newer, better, slimmer, more toned and more fabulous hopefully! I'll be 40 in 2 weeks so I think this was my way of trying to cling on to my 30's and my youthful(ish) looks just that little bit longer, before the 40's really kick in!

So at day 10 I stand, having taken my measurements on day 1. Tracy wants us to take measurements every 10th day so here are my results to date:

Starting measurements:
Bust: 35.5"
Rt Arm: 9.8"
Waist: 29.5"
Hips: 36.25"
Rt Thigh: 20.75"
Weight: 8st 2.6

And day 10 measurements:

Bust: 35"

Rt Arm: 9.75"

Waist: 29.75" (why has this gone up!!!)

Hips: 35.75"

Rt Thigh: 20.25"

Weight: 8st 1.6

And I really hate this picture but I will share a picture of me at day 1. I'm hoping day 90's picture will be MUCH improved from this.

Me in my 'disco pants' on day 1,
trying me on a typical Tracy pose...

So for the bright ones amongst us that means I've lost 1 pound and over an inch. Not bad for 10 days eh.

I took a sneak preview at sequence 2 Omni after my workout tonight, seeing as I'll be starting that tomorrow, and I have to say I'm looking forward to it because it definitely looks a lot harder (which means results hopefully) but also I'm a bit scared because she does a lot of moves where she's resting on one arm, which is not good for my bad shoulder. I'll try it and see...

So for now I think that's day 10 wrapped up... will write some more when I have anything useful to say!