Exercise Journal

Brandon and I joined Planet Fitness (a gym near our house).  We began working out in the 30 Minute Express Circuit every day.

• Description of Circuit:
• 20 stations alternating between stair stepping/walking and weight machines. At the end of the 30 minute circuit you have accomplished:
• 10 minutes of weight training (upper, lower, and abs)
• 10 minutes of aerobics by either using stair step or fast walking around area.
• Only a 15 second break between each
• At the end of the 30 minutes:
• Sweating
• Heart Rate Up
• Out of breath

Journaling beginning 6/6/2011 to coincide with 20 carbs per day dieting:

• 6/6/2011 DAY #1
• 30 minute Circuit
• Increased weights on all machines except incline bench.
• Incline bench - 12 reps done without a break - VICTORY!!
• Thigh machines
• Inside
• Outside
• Glutes machine
• Obliques machine
• Abs machine

Example of Counting Carbs

• 6/6/2011 Day #1
• Breakfast (6 carbs)
• 3 eggs scrambled
• 1 Tbsp Bacon crumbles
• 1 oz shredded cheese
• 2 Cups Coffee
• 5 Tbsp Creamer
• Lunch (2 carbs)
• 2 chicken thighs
• 2 cups salad
• 1 Tbsp Ranch dressing
• Snack (3 carbs)
• 3 Beef Sticks
• Dinner (1 carb)
• Sliced roast beef
• 1 cup salad
• 1 Tbsp Ranch dressing
• 6/7/2011 DAY #2
• Breakfast (5 carbs)
• 3 eggs
• 1 Tbsp bacon crumbles
• 2 cups coffee
• 5 Tbsp creamer
• Lunch (2 carbs)
• Hamburger (no bun)
• 1 Packet Heinz Ketchup
• 1.5 cups of Romaine
• 1 Tbsp Ranch Dressing
• Snack (0 carbs)
• 1 cheese stick
• 1 meat stick
• Dinner (5 carbs)
• Bob Evans 3 cheese omelette with bacon
• Bob Evans side of green beans

New Beginning...

So I went to the doctor - I have to be accountable to someone and stepping on the scale in his office once every four weeks will be the ultimate motivator!  So we have established the basics:
I have:

• Excellent Cholesterol: 135 (anything below 200 is considered good)
• Perfect HDL/LDL ratios
• Fantastic Triglycerides
• Blood Pressure the same it's been my entire life 120/70

Basically all the blood chemistry's are exactly where they are supposed to be EXCEPT for:

• A1C was 8.5 (it should be below 6.0)
• Glucose was 124 (fasting 12 hours it should have been between 80 to 120)
• Weight 298 (should be 145 but doc will be happy with 175... so would I!)

I explained the diet we were doing last Fall and how it seemed to work great for two months and then all weight loss stopped even though I was exercising more and doing more than I'd done in a LONG time. So that was discouraging, then the Holidays came and blah blah blah.  I gained back the pounds I lost but didn't gain back more.
THE PLAN from the Doctor:

• The New Atkins for a New You
• Weight train intensely to get heart rate up within 20 minutes.

Over the last two weeks we have slowly reduced the number of carbohydrates we consume in a day.  I found in the beginning I dropped too quickly and was very sick. So I stuck to no more than 60 carbs per day for that first week.  Didn't watch them the over the weekend, then, watched them closely through the next week, dropping down to 40 to 50 carbs per days. This past weekend, I didn't watch the carbs at all. Rod and I spent time working on our meal planning and snack planning for this week.  We're going to drop to 20 carbs per day starting today and when the weekend hits... no more carb boosting... we'll maintain the 20 carbs.
Exercising:  Brandon and I joined a gym on May 28.  They have the exact workout that my Doctor wanted me to have.  30 Minute Workout that combines 10 weight machines with 10 aerobic steps/walking with only a 15 second break between - I am sweating and totally out of breath at the end.
I hope when I go back to see the Doctor in four weeks that he will see an improvement on the scale and in my A1C.