PeakFit Challenge: Week 4 Completed!

I’m a little disappointed this week.  I didn’t lose any weight so its only 2lbs in 4 weeks.  Fully aware that I have to be in more control of my diet, I’m still a little disheartened because on Nutella Monday, I had this horrid epiphany about my calories that day (I had been doing really well until I saw the jar) and have been trying to stay disciplined since.  I tell myself that it takes one day to knock out 7 days of consistent effort so not to feel too crappy about it, but as the first month of PFC closes, I’m really mad at myself — not at the program, at myself.  The last week just makes the hammer really hit the nail: it’s all about the diet.

Trying to take the more positive end, I do think my body is changing.  I’m pretty sure I lost about an inch around my waist (but when I started it was embarrassingly big) and I definitely think my butt is smaller and tighter.  I value having rest days because I realize my back doesn’t hurt or bother me as much during the week either.  In addition, I’ve started adding extra challenges like weighted gloves and increasing the weight I use during workouts.  The next month there’s a big shake up: only one rest day!  That should have some affect, right?

In other news, my husband dropped another 2 lbs.  Seriously?  Hi God, it’s me, and you’re clearly a man.

Sarcasm aside, the week has been really great starting out with a bang: Pure Strength 2.  It was the first time I did it, and I sure sweat more during that workout more than its predecessor.  I’m still struggling with doing pushups correctly.  I finally found a good video online to really help me place my arms/hands in the right location relative my shoulders and that’s been helping, but it also has been reinforcing the fact that — oh, right, I’ve been doing that wrong for almost three decades and I don’t know what muscles I built up doing that but it definitely was not the pectoral muscles.  The next day I got to try out Pure Cardio with my nifty, new weighted gloves.   Wow, that was a nice change!  I really liked that add on from that workout just helps me intensify it.

With those two workouts out of the way, I started my double Cardio Strength 2 series, worth Core Dynamics/Dynamic Flexiblity in between the two circuit workouts.  Cardio Strength 2 is definitely a “Mommy!” workout and I’m very hesitant to go heavier than I have been during the workouts (8 and 12lbs for light and heavy respectively).   That said, I think I enjoy it more than Cardio Strength 1 if anything for the fact that the first cardio sequence does not include sumo burpees.  Also, for some reason I enjoy the mountain climbers to plyo jack pushup in block #4 of Cardio Strength 2 to the mountain climbers to $%^#$%^ evil ski hops of block #4 of Cardio Strength 1.

I got my much needed rest day (though I ended up getting so delayed that I didn’t get to do a yoga workout like intended), and I ended the week Cardio Interval Burn.  Actually, I used the warmup and the first two ascents of the Anytime, Anywhere workout to get my body warm before I had to drop off my husband at the train station.  That last ascent is VERY deceiving and VERY tough early in the morning, but it sure got my body ready for Cardio Interval Burn.  The interval workout was fun and I sort of wish I used my weighted gloves during that workout as well (I was turned off since the warmup includes speedbags).  I did manage to keep my calories within reason that day though by the end of it I was d-y-i-n-g.  A small treat of Pinkberry to the rescue (it’s ok — I had a coupon).

So, one month down.  Here are my goals for the next week:

• Try to hit 1200-1300 calorie intake.  It’s hard, but its probably why I have a big belly.
• Use the weighted gloves in the cardio driven workouts to increase the intensity of my cardio workouts.
• Incorporate more yoga workouts during the week.  I doubt having more yoga will hurt Michelle Dozois’ rotation.
• Despite needing to write my dissertation, try to walk around more regularly.

Seems simple enough.  We’ll see how I do…