This week begins Stage 2 of Female Body Breakthrough! I hope you enjoy seeing the workouts. I also decided to start tracking my food again. I was just eating portions and following the 90/10 eating style and doing really well. However, last week PMS hit really hard. I was a real crabapple and my cravings were out of control. This isn’t an excuse. I was not eating the way I planned and I didn’t care. Some months I get horrible PMS and others I barely notice. I don’t think that had anything to do with me not tracking my food, however. I just feel more comfortable right now doing the tracking.
With how work was today, I decided to work out after lunch. Here was what I had:
Cashews while cooking.
Turkey burger with laughing cow (and hot sauce!) and sauteed broccoli.
The plate is a product I will be reviewing in a couple weeks or so 😀
Then it was time to work out. Here is workout A from the Define Yourself stage. The idea for these next 4 weeks is lower reps and heavier weights.
| Exercise | Set/rep/weight |
| Cable Wood Chop (high to low) video | 3 sets of 8 each side at 20# |
| Plank | 3 sets of 70 second holds |
| Dumbbell squat with offset load | 3 sets of 8 with 15# DB |
| Alternating dumbbell overhead press | 3 sets of 8 each arm with 10# DBs |
| Single-leg Bent Knee Deadlift (video) | 3 sets of 8 with 20# DBs |
| Assisted Chin Ups | 3 sets of 6 with band |
| Alternating Lateral Lunge | 3 sets of 8 each with 10# DBs |
| Two-point dumbbell row | 3 sets of 8 each arm with 20# DB |
Okay, this workout is much harder than stage 1. Yikes! The dumbbell squat with offset load just means that you do a dumbbell squat, but only hold a dumbbell in one hand. This makes you work on balance as well. Always good for me.
My chin-ups – or attempt at such = LOL! I used a band around my leg for assistance and really could barely get my chin to the bar – so I have a ton of work to do there. It’s much, much harder to use a band than an assisted chin-up machine. I remember back in the day when I could do 3 chin-ups by myself 😉
I was happy for my latte snack when I got back!
It helps with work, I tell you. It’s gotten frustrating at my job again. Like last spring. Seems like this cycle happens where there is not enough work, then too much work, then fine and the cycle repeats. We are now in the too much work cycle and the screaming emails are coming again. It’s kind of stressful, especially when you do your job like you always do. The blanket emails yell at everyone and it is discouraging.
A good lifting workout also helps get rid of that stress, too! Plus getting out of the house, which will happen after I press ‘publish’ 😀
Ugh – sorry you are in a not great stage with work. It is a bummer that your work is so cyclical! Too bad you can’t have just the right amount year round!
That’s the industry, really. You can’t predict it.
Oh the screaming emails would make me crazy. I guess you can’t NOT look at them? We’re in the same phase right now–working out harder on the weights and tracking our food. Only I don’t have the PMS excuse 🙂
I wish I didn’t have to look at the emails, but they usually include something about account information as well.
I like seeing your workouts, it’s good to see my rockstar lifting friend is back!
I hate screaming emails, I sometimes get them and don’t respond to them; mail me again when you have calmed down 🙂 You get more with honey.
I am seriously thinking about counting calories again. I’m growing and growing and have to admit I’m getting close to my heaviest weight again. Which program do you use for counting? I used fatsecret, it’s pretty good because it has a Dutch app too with Dutch measures and products.
I use My Fitness Pal. I like it and it has a matching app for my phone so I can track on the go.
I have used that for a while too but Fatsecret has more Dutch products in their database. The look and use of Myfitnesspal was better though. Thanks!
I SO SO SO HOPE THE FRAZZLE FADED when you exited the domicile!!
xoxo
Frazzle is better now – at least before I log in for the day at work LOL!
Awww you’d think your boss(es) would be able to understand the cycle and how these things work. But then again not everyone is a great boss and not everything comes across well via email.
I think you should email back and explain this. It might not make a difference but it could help.
Calorie counting / food tracking is something I hate but it definitely works. For some reason right now all I want to eat is a bunch of salted cashews… No idea why.
I love cashews. I have times where they can’t be in the house because I will hoover them. I am okay with them for now 😀
🙁 on work – sorry!!!!! So frustrating!!!! I hope you got out to enjoy & yes to working out to relieve the stress too!!! I know it helps me! 🙂
Don’t beat yourself up. It’s okay to have a day off from counting once in awhile!
The one thing I will say about my work stress vs. yours is that it must be very hard to let that go when you actually live and work in the same place. Most days as I walk down the stairs to my car I can feel the stress fluffing right off. It also helps that I do not work and live in the same city so I rarely run into work people when I’m on my home turf. Now if I could just figure out how to deal with the other stress in my life…
Whenever you use the expression “hoover” it makes me giggle. I have some things I will hoover as well – but only sometimes. The problem is I never know when the vacuuming will begin until the product is already in the house.
Yes, John has called me a fruit hoover. I do suck it up like nobody’s business LOL!
I am enjoying following your exercise program, Lori. In fact, I bought the book you referenced from amazon. I was just starting to formulate a plan when I feel on the ice. Now I’m facing another physical set back. Ugh! I will eventually feel well enough to begin again.
Can I ask, what camera do you use for your posts? Your pictures are always so crisp and clear.
Hope you feel better soon!
Don’t laugh, but I have been taking all of my pictures on my phone! I have a digital camera, but about 6 months or so ago I got a Nokia phone (my first foray into smartphone land) and I love the pictures it takes! I just can’t zoom with it.
I like doing offsets and usually include at least one in each workout. Unfortunately, I chose single leg deadlifts today for the first time in a month. Owww! 🙂
Hope the work levels out soon. As a former manager, I can’t imagine sending blanket screaming emails. I never even sent single screaming emails. There’s no need for that amongst adults. Pity every doesn’t get that. 🙁
Those single-leg deadlifts are killer, aren’t they?
Cammy – there really is no reason for these emails we get. There is always the apology that goes “Sorry for those of you that do the work – you know who you are” and then scream, scream, scream. What’s the point?
I know what you’re talking about regarding the ups and downs of PMS. You know what’s causing the crankys and the cravings but you don’t have the desire to do anything about it so we give in. Good thing those few days don’t do damage as long as we maintain our healthy habits the rest of the month.
What a great workout Lori. You’re so strong.