Live To Win!
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Starting Over
April 21, 2019
Well the saying above says everything about me.
WoW! 2015 is my last post. I feel ashamed. I made all these promises to myself that I would be accountable to my website and I have done nothing in almost four years!
Several things have happened since I have been gone from this site. I lost several of my adorable cats to illnesses that came with age. My husband did get two promotions during this away time. He is now a Captain within his law enforcement agency. So there have been some good times, and some heart breaking moments.
As far as training has gone, I got lazy and put myself on the back burner. Not good! There is a Body for Life competition and support group starting up. I am going to see if I can still get into the group and should know something on Thursday, April 25th. I need to start getting back on track and this would be a huge incentive for me. Crossing my fingers.
I have come out of the closet and have now confessed my love of gaming! I am talking about MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing games). I am currently playing; Star Trek Online, Guild Wars 2 and The Elder Scrolls Online. Some can be played on consoles (think Xbox and Playstation), but I prefer to play on my PC. I actually have a website for Guild Wars 2 and The Elder Scrolls Online .
I am also President of a gaming community called Valhalla’s Halls Multi-Gaming Community We have such wonderful members from all over the world. I am Kira Zeran, which is the name I go by in the gaming world. It is something gamer’s do I guess to give another dimension between real life and gaming life.
Gaming is a great way to meet people. You are not judged by your appearance or your wealth. They accept you as you are. They get to know you by your personality. It is a genuine friendship. Some of these people I have known for over 9 years! We know each others ups and downs, and are always there to lend support.
So I guess you could say I am a gamer and athlete, the latter in development. My goals at this time are to embark on this wellness journey. I want to drop some weight and tone up by weight training. I would really like to race in 2020. The thoughts of running my first half marathon at Walt Disney World, Orlando, is still a goal I want to achieve. I know this is all attainable. I just have to focus and do my best to stay injury free. I have a great support system and the equipment to make it happen.
I will use this website as it was intended to be. A place to journal about my life as I reach goals I have set and the journey to reaching a balance between growth and achievements.
I want to leave with a story I read in a daily devotional on YouVersion:
Once there was a child that was enjoying playing in her sandbox. Her father decided to take her to another place that she would enjoy even more. She cried as her father picked her up to leave the sandbox. She couldn’t understand why he would make her leave.
Her father tried to reassure her that everything would be just fine and he was taking her to somewhere better. Those tears quickly dried up as they pulled up to a beach with endless sand and beautiful water. The little girl laughed and screamed with excitement as she ran around the beach and played in the water.
So many of us have become comfortable or just plain scared to leave our sandboxes because we cannot see what lies beyond. Sometimes God has a breathtaking beach waiting for us but we are crippled by fear and refuse to step out of the sandbox.
Well, it’s time for me to leave my sandbox………..
Moving it forward…..
June 14, 2015
The statement above is one I have been asking myself for way to long. I have not been doing what I need to do to be closer to who I want to become. I have been doing just the opposite! I started this blog to hold myself accountable on my journey to a better life…… physically, mentally, and spiritually. I need to lose weight and have procrastinated to the point I have gained weight. Mentally the only reason I am not stressing or going out of my mind is because I have changed my sleeping pattern to staying up all night and sleeping during the day (so peaceful at night, but so wrong to do!). Spiritually is probably the only area I have come close to making some changes. I have been reading my daily devotionals and Bible readings on YouVersion. However, I can’t say that I am really grasping what I am reading. It is like I am just going through the motions, which really does not bring me closer to God, my higher power.
So where do I begin? I always answer this with one baby step at a time. Getting back on track and/or making changes in your life requires small steps to adjust to the changes. That is not to say that some people have not had to make drastic changes overnight or in a short time frame. I just lost my mother-in-law about 5 weeks ago. The moment of her death, life changed, especially for my husband. Some changes are sudden, but when you have changes that you can space out, one day at a time is the best thought process to put into action.
So that is what I am doing. Taking it one day at time….baby steps along the way, to get back on track. I am going to use the fantastic treadmill I have, eat clean as often as possible, read my bible daily, and journal here about my feelings, my workouts, my regrets, my accomplishments and all. This may be boring reading for some, and I accept that. This is for me and anyone out there that may relate to starting over or are on a journey to a better life.
If you have a blog about getting back on track with life’s goals, let me know and I will follow you. It’s great to have a support system! Wish me luck as I get off the bench on this journey I had started awhile back. It is time to move forward and get my life back on track.
Workouts 5/25 – 5/31/2014
June 2, 2014
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Well this week didn’t start off well. Sunday was my rest day and as I stated in my last post I lost 2.5 lbs. Monday (Memorial day) was suppose to be my leg day and I procrastinated all day til the day was over and the workout was not completed 😦 Therefore, I told myself that tomorrow (Tuesday) was going to be a bitch because I was going to have to add the missed workout on top on the days workout planned! So Tuesday is going to look like a long workout because, well, it was! On my weigh in on Sunday, 6/1, I lost 1 lb. God, the pounds coming off are moving so slowly!!!!!!!!!! I need to remind myself not to put a lot of value on the scale and to go by how I feel and I can definitely say I feel stronger. I feel it but I can’t say I see the results yet. I guess the weight loss would be one of the results that is paying off, but my diet is also a big part of that. I am eating really clean. Drinking lots of water!! Fruits and veggies have become my friend. I can say I have cut out sugar and pretty much decreased my sodium intake substantially. You can do all the training you want but if you don’t eat right, you will never see the benefits of your hard work in the gym. Exercise and nutrition go hand in hand. Got to do them both!!! So here is my workout for the week. Pretty much the same as last week with some few changes.
Oh, by the way, after completing this weeks workout I will have completed Phase 1. Next week I enter Phase 2 which bumps me up to training 6 days a week!!
Sunday: Day Off
Monday: Procrastination Day!!!!!! Zippo done
Tuesday: Legs (missed workout from yesterday!) Back/Biceps ( 3 x 10 – 15 reps, 45 sec rest between sets)
Legs: 6:40 pm
Leg Extension
Plle Dumbbell Squat
Dumbbell One-Legged Deadlift
Lying Leg Curls
Seated Calf Raises
Standing Calf Raises
Legs Completed: 7:17 pm
Back/Biceps : 7:23 pm
Wide Grip Seated Rows
Wide- Grip Lat Pulldown
Seated Cable Rows
Smith Machine Bent Over Row
Alternating Dumbbell Curls
Incline Dumbbell Curl
Alternate Hammer Curl
Back/Bicecps completed: 8:10 pm
Wednesday: Chest/Triceps (3 x 10-15 reps, 45 sec rest between sets)
Pushups (modified)
Incline Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Flyes
Decline Dumbbell Flyes
Decline Close-Grip Bench to Skull Crusher
Lying Tricep Press
Tricep Dumbbell Kickback
Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension
Cable One Arm Tricep Extension
Cardio: 40 min on incline trainer
Thursday: Legs (3 x 10-15 reps, 45 sec rest between sets) ( Almost didn’t get done was tired and irritated)
Leg Extensions
Plle Dumbbell Squats
Dumbbell One-Legged Deadlift
Lying Leg Curls
Seated Calf Raises
Standing Calf Raises
Friday: Shoulder/ABS (3 x 10-15 reps, 45 sec rest between sets)
Seated Dumbbell Press
Back Flyes with Band
Front Dumbbell Raises
Arnold Dumbbell Press
Side Lateral Raise
Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raises
Crunches
Lying Leg Raises with Stability Ball
Oblique Crunches (Floor)
Saturday: Day Off
The first four weeks are done!! I made it through Phase 1. In the original workouts there are lunges and hyperextensions for the back. Since I have bad knees (5 surgeries) and a bad back (Double low back fusion) I have to side step these exercises and look for alternate movements. Go to bodybuilding.com and look up Jamie Easons LIVEFIT workout for the EXACT workout plan.
Workouts 5/18 – 5/24/ 2014
June 2, 2014
This week went well. At my weigh in I lost 2.5 lbs. Yay!!!! Made it through week 3 of my program. This week was tough because it had me weight training five times during the week. There were moments of procrastination, but I pulled myself together and got through it. Once again the workouts below are 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps. I have a home gym and this is where I train. Some of the exercises had to be modified since I didn’t have the equipment. You can find this workout on bodybuilding.com, Jamie Easons LIVEFIT program.
Eating plan is still the same. I try and stay between 1200 – 1500 calories. On days I am not training I stay closer to 1200. The coconut water, to me, is not very tasty. I’m still drinking it because I know it is good for me, but I drink it fast to get it down. Some of you might like it. I’m just struggling with it. Chia seeds are my favorite. The fiber content is great and I love sprinkling it on yogurt.
So below was the workout for this past week……….
Monday: Legs/Calves (3 sets x 10 – 15 reps) (45 second rest between sets)
Leg Extensions
Wide Stance Barbell Squat
Lunges
Dumbbell One – Legged Deadlift
Lying Leg Curls
Seated Calf Raise
Standing Calf Raises
Tuesday: Back/Biceps (3 sets x 10-15 reps) (45 sec rest between sets)
Wide Grip Seated Rows
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Seated Cable Rows
Hyperextensions (back extensions) on stability ball
Alternating Dumbbell Curls
Incline Dumbbell Curls
Alternate Hammer Curls
Wednesday: Chest/Triceps (3 sets x 10-15 reps) (45 sec rest between sets)
Push Ups (m0dified, my upper body strength is still not the greatest right now)
Incline Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Flyes
Decline Dumbbell Flyes
Lying Triceps Press
Tricep Dumbbell Kickbacks
Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Cable One Arm Tricep Extension
Cardio: 30 min Treadmill, 15 min Bike = 45 min Cardio routine
Thursday: Legs (3 sets x 10-15 reps) (45 sec rest between sets)
Leg Extensions
Wide Stance Dumbbell Squat
Dumbbell One-Legged Deadlift
Lying Leg Curls
Seated Calf Raises
Standing Calf Raises
Cardio: 30 min on bike
Friday: Shoulder/ABS (3 sets x 10 – 15 reps) ( 45 sec rest between sets)
Seated Dumbbell Press
Back Flyes With Band
Front Dumbbell Raises
Arnold Dumbbell Press
Side Lateral Raise
Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise
Crunches
Leg Raises With Stability Ball
Saturday: Cardio Day
01:06:00 walk/jog on the incline trainer
Weigh In: -2.5 lbs
Workouts 5/11 – 5/17/2014
May 24, 2014
Sunday: Day Off
Monday: Chest/Ticeps
Pushups
Dumbbell Bench Press
Flat Bench Dumbbell Flyes
Pushups
Standing Dumbell Extensions
Triceps Pushdown
Cardio: 40 min walk on treadmill
Tuesday: Back/Biceps
Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
One- Arm Dumbbell Row
Seated Cable Rows
Underhand Cable Pulldowns
One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl
Standing Bicep Cable Curl
Cardio: None
Wednesday: Legs/Calves
Lunges
Leg Extensions
Wide Stance Dumbbell Squat
Leg Curls
Standing Calf Raises
Seated Calf Raises
Cardio: None
Thursday: Shoulders/ABS
Seated Dumbbell Press
Dumbbell Front Arm Raises
Side Lateral Raise
Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise
Exercise Ball Crunch
Air Bike
Cardio: None
Friday: Off Day
Saturday: Cardio (Long Day)
01:05:00 X9i Incline Trainer
Sunday the 18th was my weigh in date. Down 1/2 lb. I guess it’s better than nothing. I have to learn to quit defining my journey in weight loss by the scale. Such a bad habit and one that is hard to let go. I’ve been told to judge my progress by how I feel, how my clothes fit and do body measurements. The scale is the worst thing you can use because of body fluctuations. Plus with all the weight training I have to remember I am gaining muscle and muscle weighs more than fat. Also fluid intake, especially for women, can mess with your weigh ins on the scale.
When I am doing these exercises above, I usually go 3 sets x 10 – 15 repetitions. I keep a journal of my workouts so when repeating the same exercise next week (if that is what the plan calls for), I have an idea of the weight to start with. Sometimes I go up in weight, and other times I stay the same. I’ve actually had to drop my weight down to finish off a set a couple of times. Just depends on the muscle group (like my shoulders are weak).
My diet has remained the same. 1200-1500 calories is what I am shooting for in a day. I take multi-vitamins, Calcium, Fish oil, baby aspirin (for my hear) and Osteo Biflex for my joints. I also take EAS Betagen with Revigor to aid in muscle soreness and recovery. I use Body Fortress Whey Protein, which is easily found in the grocery store, Wal-Mart, or health food stores. This works for me. I just started drinking coconut water and put Chia Seeds in most of what I eat. I can’t tell a huge difference right now because I just started and will keep you posted on what I think about the products.
I can see by what I have posted that I need to increase my cardio. I will try this next week and see if it helps at all. Next week will be challenging as the workouts are 5 days a week instead of the 4 I have been doing. Til then stay safe and stay strong!!
