New workout clothes, and new(old) program

 So this week I've done some soul searching.  Like what do I really want as goals, and what do I really want to do for workouts.

And while I've got lots, and I mean LOTS of workout DVDs I have almost no desire to actually do them. Oh, I'll do one here and there, mostly if I want to take it easier, or a cardio one. But to actually, say, do a Cathe rotation, or a Firm rotation, I've got about a 5% desire to do that.

Now, lifting weights, this is what I'm drawn to.  So that's what I'm going to do.  The hard part was to figure out what program I want to do.

I literally spent hours looking at all the programs I've got, either in book form, or online. I really thought about doing one called Up and Down Mass by Jim Stoppani.  Its a very solid program.  I also looked at a few other programs by Jim Stoppani, but a lot of them involved either equipment I don't have at my home gym set up, or going back and forth between moves that again, is harder with my small home gym set up.

Then I looked at my books Strong Glutes, but well, while yes, I want to build a butt, I also want to do more than just that. I also looked at my New Rules of Lifting, and New  Rules of Lifting for Women, but I'm not feeling those programs.

Then in a Facebook group I belong to, Thinner Leaner Stronger, after the book written by Michael Matthews,  they asked if anyone was starting soon.  Now I've done the first phase of the program a couple times, and actually liked the program.  One time I quit cause we moved and another I just flaked out. 

So this weekend I'm doing a reread of this,

 The Thinner Leaner Stronger book and going over the workout program.  Right now I'm going to lift 3 days a week just to get back into it. And I'd like to spin 1 to maybe 2 days a week. Then as I get back to the swing of things, move up to 4 days of lifting. And there is a really cool group of ladies all starting with in a week of me starting, so we are going to cheer each other on as we go though this journey. That's going to be really nice to have women cheering each other on.

And cause I can I ordered these.

I mean look at them!  Are they not the best!  I sure think so.

I'm also going to enjoy a little bit of a splurge eating wise, this weekend.  Hubby is off going to Tenn. to help his sister move back to Iowa.  So I'm babysitting the 2 girls alone which I'm very thankful for playpens, and the movie Lilo and Stitch😁  Maybe tomorrow we might watch Moana or Encanto.   Then I'll read my book, and set up a fitness planner.  Look for pictures in my next blog.  I think I'm both gonna go back to something I've used before and add new things to it

I've also set up a new food tracker Cronometer. I've head really good things about it, that its a little more accurate than My Fitness Pal.  I need to add more of my recipes to it cause that will make tracking much easier.

And on Sunday, the dreaded measurements and starting pictures will be taken. 😭  But then I hope in 8 weeks I'll see a big change, or at least a change in the right direction. That's the plan and the goal anyway

So, I had a colonoscopy today

 Obviously I'm home now.  😂  It went very well, and my surgeon, Dr Wehling, was great and told me everything was clean, he could see what he needed to see and I'm good for 10 years! 💖

Now, yes the prep wasn't great, but to be honest, it wasn't horrible. I mean, not really horrible.  There are so many worse things out there.  This is the prep I did.

A container of Miralax mixed in a sports drink, as long as its not red cause you don't want to have red staining for the surgeon to see in your colon cause that's not a good thing.

And you take 4 laxative tabs.  Then every 15-20 min you drink your miralax until its gone.

And about 3 hours later, you start um "going" if you know what I mean LOL.  

But its all done, and lets hope that in 10 years they invent something like a tricorder from Star Trek and just scan my tummy 

Hopefully he doesn't say "she's dead Jim"   😂

So now, I get to rest a little today cause they did say to take it kind of easy today.  I might go down after I take a nap, and vacuum my gym cause my cats decided to have a fight and there is fur everywhere. And tomorrow back to clean eating, and workouts!

Someone make me get up LOL

 Today, its the day off from the grandkids.  We babysit our 2 granddaughters, but typically we have Wed off.

And so far, I've not gotten much done LOL.  I have a load of laundry ready to get thrown in but its still sitting in the basket in my bedroom lol. And I need to clean out the fridge and make room for new stuff. 

I also want to steam clean a couple areas of the carpet where Charli the 2 1/2 year old, has done her makeup, and the carpet's makeup lol  But well, that's so much work.

I did manage to get the bills paid so I did do something today.

Oh and I ordered this

I ordered a size B6 instead of the usual A5 cause B6 is bigger. This will be my lifting log book.   Gonna write out my workout and keep track of what lifts I do,  how long it took and how much I lifted.   I wanted the bigger size to have more room to write  cause I do have a bullet journal I could have used but its the A5 size and I do think the B6 will suit my needs(wants) better. 

I love butterflies.  I mean they are such a symbol of transformation, which is what I want to do. Transform myself from a chubby person to a fit and healthy person.

So maybe I need to get myself up and do something.  Get than laundry tossed in the washing machine, clean out the fridge and order some fresh fruits and veggies from Capital City Fruit.  Their stuff is always so good.

Starting a 12 week challenge tomorrow

 I made a video about it on my YouTube channel

Here's a link to the video if you are so inclined to watch

My YouTube video

I'm still trying to figure out all the details, or at least enough to get me through the first couple weeks.  Better get them figured out cause well, tomorrow will be here in a very short period of time LOL

But mainly the first couple of weeks will be a break in period.  I'll lift weights a couple times a week and hit my  Peloton once a week.  I'm also going to keep up my meditation, esp. my sleep meditation cause it really does help me calm my brain down and help me fall asleep faster.  

And I'm going to SLOWLY change the way I'm eating.  I have to go baby steps cause otherwise it sort of overwhelms me and I just end up thinking "screw this" and quit.  But an extra serving of fruits here and a serving of veggies there for a couple weeks and then bump it up works pretty well. 

Then after the first couple weeks I'm going to bump up the workouts to 4 in a week.  Probably 3 lifting workouts and 1 spin class.  

And if I feel like it around week 6 or so I might try for 5 workouts in a week by adding 1 more cardio workout, either a spin class or something else.  I have some kickboxing workouts, and every once in a while, I have the urge to do a good old step class.  I use to LOVE step aerobics.  

So I should probably get my fitness planner out, make out some goals to hit, maybe even go through my Peloton classes and figure out a few I want to do.  Better get it done before the Coke a Cola 600 comes on.

New workout wear!

 And I needed new stuff to workout in like I need to walk on flaming Lego's but who cares.  I always feel better in new stuff and like a kid with new shoes that light up when they run, I'm sure I workout harder in new stuff 😂

Anyway, here's the first order that should be here in a day or two.

The Onyx pants are for my middle daughter Neeise.  She wanted to try this brand, Constantly Varried Gear out and I splurged on her a little bit.  The rest, all mine!

Then today, a surprise drop.

I wanted a matching bra, but by the time I got to the site, they were sold out already.

I'm going down a size in the shorts.  Mine that are size large still fit but if I lose much more inch wise in my belly they won't fit, which isn't a bad thing when you need to lose weight.

Not much else going on.  Cool, rainy and dreary today.  Reminds me more of a fall day rather than a spring day.  I guess I can say its not snowing so there is that LOL

So I found this bullet journal!

 So I was going through my planner supplies, and I have QUITE a stock of planner stuff, and I found this

Its from Archer and Oliver.  Had it for a while.  Better get it used. So I started to use it

I made this

And yes, I put my measurements in, but until I get some big changes, you guys don't get to see them lol

And then a daily log in cause well, I like checking in daily.

Yes, my handwriting is horrid, but its always been not great and I'm to GenX to give a crap about it at this point in my life. 

But this is what I'm tracking right now.   I need to get better at tracking my macros.  I'm um, only doing a full day about once a week 😬  I'll get back to tracking 5-6 days a week

And yes, I try to weight myself several times a week  I find it better for me to keep on top of what that dang thing says.  Cause if my "day to weight" happens to be say after a day I've eaten more salt, I'm going to look like I'm up in weight, but if I weight 6 days a week and see I'm up one day, but down 4 days and steady one day that means I'm down for the week as a whole.

I'm also thinking I'm going to go back to lifting on my own rather than doing STS.  I just don't think STS will get me to the goals I want to hit this year.  I want to deadlift 300lbs at least this year and doing STS will not get me there.  But lifting heavy on my own will.   I really want to see how much muscle I can put on, and how strong I can really get.   While its never to late, its better to get after it in my early 50s rather than wait till I'm in my 70s, right?

I also am going to get my YouTube channel back up and going again.   I need to keep my videos a little shorter cause well, my internet SUCKS and a 10 min video will take 6 hours to upload, but I could do a 6-7 min video and it might upload in 4 hours.  And maybe someday the company that put up an internet tower literally just off my property, will turn it on, and I can switch to it and I'd have better internet. Seems like its been forever since I watched them put it up. I mean, I can see it from my kitchen window. I watched it be put up  It just needs to get turned on and see if I can sign up for new, faster internet.

Springtime Colds, Planner Peace and a Change of Plans

 So, my precious, wonderful granddaughters both decided to share their colds with me.   I mean, who knew when a 2 year old sneezes full on in your face, she was just sharing.  Sharing is caring, right?  😬

So I've not been sleeping cause well, I can't breath LOL.  I mean my nose is so stuffed up.  And I cough up so much crud after I lay down for a while.  UGH.   I'm getting over it, FINALLY but its been a go for a few days.   I could easy not do this for a couple years and be quite happy.

So I've been not happy with my fitness planner for a while.  I just have trouble finding planner peace with my fitness planner. I've gone through so many, and I have a feeling for me, I will not actually find true planner peace with a fitness planner.  I might just flip flop around between a few every so often when I feel like it

And right now, I'm feeling like making a bullet journal for fitness.  For now, that is.

I got these 2 from Notebook Therapy and I'm going to make one into my fitness planner

This one 

And this is what the edge of it looks like

I mean, this is so pretty!

I also got this one

And the edge

Its not quite as pretty but I still like it, even if the silver doesn't show up as much,

One of these 2 is going to be my fitness bullet journal, and I better pick quick cause I'm going to be making it tonight and tomorrow.

Now, I know I posted that I was going to restart STS , but being sick this week it had me thinking.  I'm not sure I'm ready for STS right now.   I think I need to start with something a little um, easier LOL.  Like maybe Cathe's Lite , or maybe her Perfect 30 or Band series she put out the last couple years.  I mean, I've been rather lazy for a while now, and I'm not some 25 year old anymore.  I don't recover quite as fast as I use to.   I hate to have to admit it, but well, the truth is out there. I do think if I got myself to a certain level of fitness and get my eating under control, I'd probably notice I'd recover quicker and better.  And maybe sleep better too. 

So I think I'll take a step back from intensity, and take 6 weeks or so to break myself in to regular workouts.  And I want to get back on my bike again.   If I did 2 weight style workouts, 1 spin and 1 treadmill walk/run, and actually keep in my calorie range, I know I'd lose inches.

Now I just need to do it.  Cause plans are worthless if you don't actually implement them.