Focus

I realized that I am not focused on the right things any more. And what I am focused on, I'm a little blurry with anyway.

What am I talking about?

Well I read some more of the Champions Body for Life. Very inspiring. Especially when you want to get super hot and fitness model like, not just fit in your old clothes (though it's good for that too! but the pictures! hot!)

Anyway, the thing I was getting frustrated with, is that I basically do the body for life thing right now. I eat 5 meals (not 6, but the same difference I figure) a day, and the TT workouts are really similar to the BFL, only they've got prescribed rep things (12, then 8 then 6 then 12 or something). The cardio is also HIIT. This is what I'm currently doing. Why don't I look like this:

(just one of the before and afters from the site)

Well turns out, I do know why. These people sign up and are FOCUSED for 12 weeks. Then they almost all keep doing it, but they know it's just a 12 week challenge and then it's done. Usually they do another 12 week thing after.

I am focused for about 4 days. Then I've got about 2 or 3 days not focused, then I'm back. And when I am focused, I'm not really, I just go through the motions. I haven't increased the weight on my workouts in weeks or done a real serious HIIT (though I seem to have lost my Garmin right now, big fat booooooooo to me!) I "jog" every couple days, for about 4 days, so what does that mean? 2/week. And I do about 2 strength things/week, though I don't push myself much. I know last summer I really was pushing myself with the strength stuff, and that's how I lost 20 lbs. Not pushing myself? = maintain like this summer...

SO I'm getting focused. I'm setting up a 12 week challenge for myself. Even though they recommend planning and getting ready and setting a start date, I'm not gonna, I'm jumping into this thing. I follow the START IMMEDIATELY way of thinking.

YAY! a 12 week challenge. Wow that's 3 months. So i'm breaking it down further into 3 4 week challenges. And I'm gonna focus and push hard. It's not just about maybe dropping some pounds. I'm going to make some serious changes. I know I can. I don't think any of the people from that site are even close to having the genetic advantages I have (I'm a crazy muscle building machine folks!). The thing they do have is focus and determination. Well lucky for me I think you can learn those things.

I'm not going to actually do the body for life workouts and stuff I don't think. I'm not really a fan of their strength exercises. They just say do 2 shoulder exercises from this list, do 2 back exercises. And they do and upper day and a lower day. I like my full body days all the time.

I think I'm going to keep doing the TT thing though. I really like the new bodyweight dumbell fusion thing that I'm doing now. It's super hard (well some things, spiderman pushups? google it) I know that some other things should be harder, but because I dont' have the proper equipment at home it's not (I'm not lifting heavy enough). Therefore, I'm going to either get the right equipment (I was just telling Angie that I think Walmart has adjustable dumbells for around $50) or else I'll go to the gym. (Since I'm paying for a membership through university still, plus side of not finishing a thesis?) I'll take a look at the workouts and probably only go 1 day/week to the gym, just to do pullups and chinups, and any cable things and maybe squats or other "heavy" things. But it's like I was reading, if you're only doing the same thing, your body with only stay the same. Even if it's something hard, like spiderman pushups, if I only ever do 10 of them, then just doing 10 is going to keep me the same, I need to do 11 next time, then 12. Then add weight or something. your exercises have to keep getting harder because our bodies adapt. Especially mine. I know this.

Using TT workouts should be a snap with this challenge. Each workout is designed to be done for 4 weeks. So each branch of my challenge will be a different TT workout. Even though I've done 2 on the workout already, I'll start with this one from scratch. And honestly, it's only 3 days of working out! (or 6 if you do only strength one day and cardio the next) My biggest problem is the eating. And here's the plan. I'll stick to the ok foods, and have none of the forbidden foods (common sense stuff, chips, fries, white rice, chocolate bars, cake etc etc) Except for 1 cheat day at the end of the 4 weeks! (you can have a cheat day every week on BFL but I have a hard time with 1 day and it usually carries over all weekend). I'll take pictures every week.

This first 4 week chunk will hopefully be my easiest. I've got a wedding this weekend and then 2 weeks. Then on August long weekend (end of first chunk) we're going to a ball tournament/camping thing. So that will be the biggest challenge. The weddings I will deal with. I know I usually eat lots of dessert and whatever there but it's not that big of a sacrifice. They're never really that good anyway right? Protein bars will be my substitute. (I've got some that are soooo good, they taste just like chocolate bars).

I can easily live without candy, crackers, white rice, white bread etc since I don't LOVE it. I can live without chips too because they make me feel worse after I eat them. Same with fries, though it's trickier since it's around so much more. One thing that will be tricky is cake and cookies, because these are brought out at celebrations and there's just a lot of focus on them. But I know that in 4 weeks, I'm going to eat nothing but cookies for an entire day so I can deal.

I'm gonna break it down further and look at each week as it comes. There's basically just 1 challenge each week, and it's on the weekends. But when you think of it like just having to "sacrifice" 1 day each week, it's not so bad.

I feel like I'm really rambling. Basically I'm doing a 12 week challenge made of 3 month long challenges, broken into weekly challenges. Piece of cake.