Heart beat

What one year of maintenance looks like...

What one year of Maintenance feels like...

This last year has been mentally challenging and all about finding balance. But as you can see towards the last 6 months things have been evening out. 

Here is to next year's graph looking more like a heart beat and less like an earth quake!

Strong Lifts 5x5 App Review

TLDR: Despite being limited to the StrongLifts 5x5 program, this app is one of the best workout apps I have used. It does what it is designed to do and does it amazingly well.

I have been following the Strong Lifts 5x5 program for over a month now and using the app to help track my progress.

The basic premise of the program is that you work out 3 times a week, alternating A and B workouts. Each workout consists of 3 exercises and you complete 5 sets of 5 for each.

Workout A:

·         Squat

·         Bench Press

·         Barbell Row

Workout B:

·         Squat

·         Overhead Press

·         Dead-lift

Each time you perform an exercise you add 5 pounds. In the space of a month I have gone from squatting 45 lbs. (bar only) to 115 lbs. (bar + 70 lbs.).

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When I started the program I was looking for something simple that would let me just lift and I definitely got that with this program and app. I enjoyed New Rules of Lifting and Strong Curves, but was craving something where I didn't have to think so much. I just wanted to turn on the app and go.

That is the beauty of the strong lifts app. It is designed for the strong lifts program and performs pretty flawlessly. I have only had one hick-up with the app since I started where it didn’t calculate my days properly, and other than that it has performed perfectly.

The basic app is free but there are packs that you can purchase to make it even easier. I bought the power pack so that means I have access to all the extras. If you want to see a full list of features click here.

The app works fine without the additions, but it will definitely make yourself easier if you have some of them, specifically the warm-up sets and plate calculator. These two additions really help me to just get to work and not have to think too much about what I am doing.

The biggest limitation this app has is that it is built solely for use with the Strong Lifts program, and you cannot customize it in any way. This is only a limitation if you don’t read the description as it is pretty clear that this is all the app is designed to do. 

Squat Bar Placement

I had been struggling with finding a comfortable bar placement for squatting and this video really helped. I finally was able to squat comfortably today!

http://youtu.be/jQ0iN8Oc0cI

Let Go.

One of the hardest parts about maintaining weight vs losing weight is the constant balancing act.

I have stayed between 145 and 150 lbs for almost a year so I guess that means I have been successful at maintaining, but it has wreaked havoc on my mental state.

When I was losing weight, it was easy. I had one goal, one direction to go. But now I’m in the middle not wanting to go up or down. I feel like I am constantly fighting between not eating enough and eating too much.  Not working out enough or working out too much.

I tried to stop logging my food and exercise in June and that lasted about a week maybe a bit more before I couldn't stand not knowing. Between June and October my logging got progressively more focused and more intense. I was analyzing everything I put in my mouth and the numbers were driving me crazy.

So two weeks ago, I put it all down. My FitBit, my heart rate monitor, and MyFitnessPal (although I do check in daily to see how all my amazing friends on there are, but I have not logged anything).

I stopped thinking about the calorie count, and just kept doing what I was doing. And guess what… my weight hasn't changed. And my mental state is 100 times better. 

My second year of maintenance will not be as much of a balancing act as my first!

Give yourself a break!

I was beating myself up the last few days about a variety of food/ workout/ body related things and generally bringing my self down.

So I made this to say...

You worked your ass off for two years.... Give yourself a freaking break!

 

Trust

When we talk about relationships with other people, trust always tops the list. 

But what about your relationship with yourself. 

When we make a promise to ourselves and we break it, why do we not hold ourselves accountable in the same way we would other people. 

Just imagine the things you could accomplish if you just kept all those promises to yourself. 

Own your success!

I read an article once about a successful business women who would always down play her success when she would meet up with her oldest friends. Her fear was that celebrating her success would sound like bragging because her friends had more modest lifestyles.

The point of the story was that holding back in this way is not the best policy either. It is not giving your hard work the credit that it is due.

I am definitely guilty of downplaying my successes, especially when it comes to my weight loss. I didn't tell many people that I was trying to lose, and I get kind of uncomfortable talking about it and usually make it a very short conversation. I used MyFitnessPals to talk about these successes, but rarely shared them with the world outside.

But I am not doing myself and my hard work by doing this. I should own my success and talk about it, because I did work very hard to get here. My success can serve as motivation to other people, but not if I don't talk about it.

This is one of my personal goals: be more open about what I have achieved and don't down play my hard work.