Hmm…. I’d be very hungry eating only that, but ig my activity levels are higher
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They absolutely are. On non-run days I shoot for 8k steps and struggle to get that. Desk job. You lift more than I do. Weight and volume. My two days a week on machines is the kiddie pool vs what I see in your log.
Definitely not an apples to apples comparison here. If I had your activity levels there is no chance I would be surviving on 1200 calories a day.
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Tuesday 10/15
A little something at home
DB Flat Bench
8, 8, 8 x 45, 10 x 37
Goblet Squat
2 x 20 x 35kb
DB Row
3 x 10 x 37
Cossack Squat
3 x 10 x 45
DB Lateral Raise
3 x 10 x 12.5
DB OH Tri Ext
3 x 15 x 21
Weights are a little weird because that’s how my DB plates work. Those things are so handy to have. Felt awesome to do even this though. No excuses when the DBs are sitting right behind the couch.
Felt a good amount of power and lifting ability, but ran out of steam quickly. My sinus are still giving me a lot of grief. I was feeling better for a day then my sinuses decided to take two steps back.
Hoping to get in sprints or at least an easy run in the morning. I have been trying to save my energy to fight this cold, but I want to get some movement in before the travel day. Makes sitting for hours easier.
Weather is rolling in tomorrow, hoping we can depart on our trip still. At least in the airplane. The little planes can’t handle weather like an airliner. Prepared to hop in the car and drive 20 hours each way if needed. Really prefer not to do that!
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Thursday 10/17
2 mile, easy run
Friday 10/18
Hotel workout
3 Rounds:
5 DB Bench Press x 40
20 DB Swings x 40
4 DB Snatch x 25
10 Bulg Squats x 40
Then, 1 mile run
Quicks something to get movement in. This felt way harder than it should have.
The weather completely socked us in Thursday. My little rental plane wasn’t going to make it through that storm in one piece. Ended up driving to Denver then hoping on a commercial flight to the destination. It was the best time/cost compromise. After driving what would have been our flight route, (and therefore through the storms) I am so glad I was in a car.
Saturday 10/19
Mountain Biking, about 20 miles
This was a blast. Tried two different bikes, 2 hours each ride.
Half the reason I came here was to be on a bike again. Turns out you don’t forget how to ride one. Some of the finer skills and the muscle endurance is gone, but that was expected.
Sore already. Mostly in the sit bones. Forgot how much those seats hurt.
I have been doing well at staying on diet. Only a couple hundred calories over each day. Keeping the protein up and minimal carbs.
Except today. There is a Sunday all you can eat brunch at an Italian place I found. Fully planning on going nuts there.
More riding on the docket after eating like an arsehole, so I can put it to good use. Might be the only meal today too, we’ll see how things shake out.
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This all sounds so good and happy, except the weather. I’m glad!
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@EmilyQ It was all so good. Felt awesome to be on a bike again. Might be dropping a few thousand on a new ones now.
We always have back-up travel options for flying little planes, because they just can’t handle much. First rule of General Aviation, of you want to get somewhere on time, drive.
Sunday 10/20
Gravel bike ride, 11ish miles. Mix of dirt, gravel and paved trails.
A gravel bike is a road bike with fatter, knobby tires and a bit of suspension. It was fun to try and felt so weird to ride a road-ish bike on a mountain bike trail. It was like driving a Subaru on a Jeep trail.
Monday 10/21
Easy run, 3.5 miles. Mix of pavement and trails.
Mostly pavement. I woke up at 6am naturally, just buzzing with energy, even after the bike rides. I laid in bed until 630 to wait for the sun.
I didn’t pack a headlamp, so I went trucking around with my phone flash light and a bright, half moon overhead.
The last 15 minutes or so was on trails, after it was light enough to not brain myself on a tree root. I am so not used to running in the forest. Every sound was jarring. I’m sure it was all squirrels, but try telling that to my over-active imagination.
We went to Bentonville, AR. Hence the mountain biking, so many trails there. One of the bike meccas outside of the Rockies.
They had really good riding, lots of short trails. It’s pretty awesome to see what they have accomplished with the lack of elevation change. I felt like a machine there. It’s 3000ft lower than where I live, so two deep breaths and I had my breath caught.
Cycling muscles had gone of course, but I could feel the muscle in my legs that I have put on. I had so much power and muscle recruitment ability that I never had before. I am also 15-20lbs lighter now than I was when I biked a lot. I was able to better keep up with my hubby on hills and sprints. Not keep up, because he also has more power, but the gap was smaller than ever before.
Love all of the progress and transferring ability.
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Wednesday 10/23
JN Essentials W6D1
Bench
3 x 6 x 115, 10 x 100
Circuit:
DB Step-ups
2 x 10(ea leg) x 30
Assisted Pullups
10, 10 x -90, 7 x -80
Laying Leg Curl
10, 10 x 45, 10 x 60
Cable Lateral Raise
SS
Cable Triceps extension
3 x 12-15 x 3rd/2nd pin
10 minute walk
This flew today. Kept moving, in and out in 45 minutes.
Normal gravity day, really pushed the bench and pull ups.
Laying Leg machine is new, that bugger is tough. Feel the hammies way better than an RDL, and better for my disc!
Thursday 9/24
Hill Sprints
8 x 20s
1 mile easy run
Legs were feeling some fatigue today. Likely some left over from biking and maybe from the gym.
Overall, just a bit tired today.
As a side note, I missed my regular weigh-in day. I weighed on before and after my trip, and dropped 2lbs. I’ll take that as a win for a trip. Still got to try BBQ, a steakhouse and a burger joint. I focused on meat and veg, avoided carbs other than the all you can eat brunch we went too. Probably one of the most on-diet trips I have had. I think I am figuring out how to stay more consistent and not eat like a child just because I am traveling.
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This is a big W, and being able to still ENJOY yourself while you do this too is awesome.
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Thank you, excited for this win! I was enjoying myself as well. I tried all the restaurants I wanted. I kept the food budget geared toward the dinners out. When I did eat a little extra, it was meat.
I have found if I order it, it’s getting eaten.
I focused on cutting things off before they started. Patty only at the burger joint, 1/2lb of meat at the BBQ joint, one taco (instead of four), lean steak with a plain baked potato, etc.
If it’s not on my plate, there is no willpower needed to stop eating.
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“Demand scales linearly with supply”. I’ve definitely observed that phenomenon, haha. I’ve also done a little bit of philosophical contemplation with hedonism as well. 4 tacos is a great example. That first taco provides SO much hedonistic delight. Does the second one provide the same amount? Most likely no: the “sound is muffled” as far a the taste buds are concerned: the first one will always be more amazing than the second. And so on with the third and the fourth. At this point, we’re more just eating for the comfort of the VOLUME of the food, rather than the actual pleasure the food brings. So, if nothing else, I compel myself to enjoy a VARIETY of cuisine, which can be regulating in it’s own way, either by pocketbook or availability of options.
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Love this analogy. I have absolutely been eating volume for the sake of volume. It’s been a shift to be okay, and really savor those smaller plates. Rather than my: look how much I can eat! Attitude.
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Yer bit the 5th is one is soooooo good. Just kidding, you make a very eloquent point.
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Saturday 10/26
JN Essentials W6D2
Incline BB Press
10 x 95, 10, 8, 8 x 85
SS
Cable Row
3 x 10 x 105
SL Leg Press
8 x 165, 8, 8 x 190, 10 x 165
Circuit, 3 Rounds:
Rear Delt flye
12 x 30
Machine Preacher Curl
21’s x 30
Leg Raise
15 x BW
Cable Hip Abduction
3 x 15 x 30
Tricep Push down
3 x 15 x 20
Seated Hamstring Curls
2 x 12 x 120
15 minute walk
Moving constantly, weights or reps increasing on most things. This still took over an hour, but that’s how only going 2x a week has been playing out. Fun day though, just felt nice.
Monday 10/28
Weigh-in
143.6, -3.4lbs since 10/14
These first few weeks are definitely the most motivating on a cut. Bye more water weight! Plus fat, this is the start of week 4, so I imagine I am getting past the water weight phase.
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Monday 10/28
JN Essentials W7D1
BB Bench
7, 6, 6 x 115, 10 x 100
DB Step-ups
2 x 10(ea leg) x 30
SS
Pullups
4, 4, 5
Laying Leg Curl
12, 11, 11 x 45
Hip Thrust (2 staggered, 1 reg stance)
3 x 12 x 135+band
Cable Lateral Raise
SS
Cable Triceps extension
3 x 12 x 3rd/2nd pin
15 minute walk
Oh my glutes were tired. Only made it through 3x of the hip thrust today. Actually just tired going into this. Weekend was pretty relaxing so I’m not sure why. I hope the low calories aren’t dropping energy already.
Bench moved well, all upper body did.
Tuesday 10/29
Conditioning/cardio
9 x 20s hill sprints
1 mile easy run
We have rain today. I had perfect timing and it only started to drizzle on me the last 5 minutes. 40F this morning as well. I’ve had to break out the running pants and jacket.
Photo updates.
Left is from July. Right was yesterday. Happy with my abs, they are starting to show more than I can ever remember.
Left from Aug, right from yesterday. Love handles seem smaller.
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Wow! Really progressing! You should side-by-side your Jan 1 pic.
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Amazing work!
And, FWIW, I’d say it’s not so much this:
as much as it’s just that you’re straight-up lean now.
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Holy crap girl, you are just spray tan away from a bikini model. Quality
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Thank you! I am my own worst critic. You are so kind to stop by and drop the L word. Even now I think I have too much jiggle. It’s nice to have a 3rd party perspective and allow my self to appreciate the gains.
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You charmer. You come in here and say the kindest things.
That would probably be better than my sunburn lines and reflective level whiteness everywhere else 
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