Happy New Year! (Progress Pics)

Happy New Year!

Did you accomplish the things you wanted to in 2012? I sure did! It may have taken longer than anticipated, but I wouldn't have it any other way. For me, slow and steady is the way to go when it comes to weight loss. I'm so excited that I've survived the holidays without reverting back to my old habits. I indulged on special occasions, never felt deprived, and had a great holiday season. I was a few pounds heavier after Christmas, but it only took a week of clean eating (no starving!) to get rid of the excess.

I'm really excited to see what kind of progress I make in 2013. Here are a few of my goals:
1. Continue keeping my good habits of eating Paleo and training 5-6 days per week.
2. Be able to deadlift 250lbs, and squat 200lbs for 5 reps.
3. Win my fight February 23rd.

Those are just a few of the things I want to accomplish in 2013, but right now my focus is on the task ahead, training for my next fight. I really want to finish this one with a bang.

Something else I'm extremely excited about for 2013 is coming up in four days...INVICTA FC IV! Joseph and I decided we weren't going to get anything for each other for Christmas so we could go see it LIVE! I can't wait to watch so many fighters I admire fight live, and even meet a few of them. I know this is going to be an awesome experience. It's going to be a nice little getaway for Joseph and I, something we've never done before, and it will be a chance for me to learn and grow in MMA.

What are your New Year's Resolutions? Are you setting the bar high? Don't be afraid to set a goal and really go after it!

Progress Pics 12-8-12

77 Days until my next fight! This will be my first fight back at 135, and I'm very excited. I've been eating a mainly paleo diet and focusing on lifting heavy. I'm starting to finally get some width to my back, and even though my weight's about the same, I'm getting leaner. I'm going to start working on leaning down for the fight starting in January. I currently have 15 pounds to go and I'm eating pretty much as I want as long as it's paleo. And I'm not denying myself holiday treats!

Now that the semester is almost over, I'm going to try to make it to boxing practice more. I've also started to train other people, so I'm getting a head start on my goals for 2013. But that's another blog post entirely :)

The Hell of a Shark Tank

Shark Tank: n. A training technique used by Mixed Martial Artists in which one person grapples and or spars with no breaks while their teammates rotate in every one to two minutes for as many rounds as there are team members.

The shark tank is hell.

The first time I did a grappling shark tank I think I had to grapple ten men, most of them at least 40 pounds heavier than me, and I cried through about half of it. I did the whole thing, but I cried like a baby.

That was an extreme case when my body was already exhausted form two-a-days and I trained with a lot of people who didn't know how to adjust to training with people of different strengths and levels.

Still, the shark tank is pretty much a cardio nightmare no matter what, because the people you're sparring/grappling are always fresher than you. You are frustrated and your arms hurt. You hate it but you know it's going to make you better. My coach makes sound effects to make things more frustrating and makes you laugh right before your teammate throws a kick right to your gut. It's a good time had by all.

After I got home from practice today (which consisted of circuits and shark tanks) I ate two egg muffins and a pumpkin smoothie, a couple dates and some cashews. It was a weird meal. I was starving. Then I showered and passed out for two hours in bed with my cat. I had planned on doing homework all day. Shark tank had other plans. 

I've been craving eggs a lot, so I had eggs again for dinner, with two paleo pancakes I made up that tasted like banana bread and and three pieces of bacon.  And a candy cane. Christmas made me do it.

Giving Thanks and Stomach Aches

Happy (Late) Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful day and/or holiday weekend surrounded by the people you love and plentiful food. I hope you all have plenty to be grateful for. I know I do. I was so excited for Thanksgiving and to see family and friends I haven't seen for too long. I started out the day running a 5K Turkey Trot with my best friend Jaclyn, who goes to college a couple hours away and is busy becoming a fantastic nurse, so I hadn't seen her for months. An old teammate of mine, Sarah, and her boyfriend Mitch also came to town and ran with us. It was chilling and my legs were killing me from lifting legs the day before, but I kept up with Jaclyn's jogging pace (she's a cross country runner) and finished in 26 minutes and some odd seconds. Then I hit the gym and worked upper body before the festivities began.

We went to my Mom and Dad's house for Thanksgiving dinner. I got to see my grandma and grandpa on my Dad's side, my brother and his girlfriend (they're having a baby!) and I got to meet her grandma and grandpa as well. It was a nice time. Pictures from my childhood were broken out, which is not a pretty sight, but I've learned to laugh at it now that I'm so sexy (kidding, ish). The women-folk talked about babies, since a new one's on its way, and further convinced me that I will not be ready for a mini-me for some time.

After my parents' we went to Joseph's Mom's house. His nephew was there, and he is so adorable I just want to squeeze him. Which I often do. We watched shows about tattoos. His family is awesome. We also got leftovers at both houses. Double awesome. Plus, his sister gave us an entire Oreo pie. It tasted awesome, but now I'm craving sweets again like a mofo and I must stop.

I ended the night with two bottles of wine. Shame on me. I have such a low tolerance for alcohol these days, those two bottles were too many. I never drink.

Thanksgiving also turned out to be a learning experience for me, because it was the first time I had eaten anything non-paleo in about a month. My body was not a fan of it. I had half a cappuccino mid-morning with Joseph and had to give him the rest because I felt like my stomach was tying itself in knots. I didn't feel too terrible after lunch, just sluggish and blah. By the time I went to bed I was a tad drunk so I felt pretty good. The next day not so much. It wasn't even a hangover, I was just crabby and bloated and felt like crap. I still kind of do. It's been hard to get back on track the past two days. We're short on groceries and I've been short on time. I'm planning on going back to 100% paleo tomorrow though. I'll either get creative with what I have or I'll go a little hungry. Whatevs.

How did your Thanksgiving go? Are you suffering from holiday food hangover?

How I Plan to Keep Losing This Winter: Part 1

I told you in my last post about my progress over the last month and a little about what I've been doing to get there. I've been feeling great and extremely motivated, but the hard part is coming. THE HOLIDAYS. Not to mention my 21st birthday shortly after. Winter has always been my diet downfall. During summer it's warm and lovely and I am the queen of sweat and fresh foods. Winter comes and all I want to do is stuff my face and go into hibernation. Not the case this winter, no sir! I am on a mission and I have a plan to not just maintain my weight loss thus far, but to continue to lose so I can meet my goal weight by February! You want in on the plan, eh? I thought you might....

MY DEVIOUS PLAN TO KICK WINTER WEIGHT GAIN'S A$$:

1. Stick to my freaking workout schedule. This is a pretty obvious one, but with all the festivities around the holidays, it's easy to start skipping a workout here and there, and eventually stopping going all together because you think you're too busy. DON'T DO THIS. Make working out mandatory, do it and get it done before your important plans and feel good about what a badass you are.

2. Gain control of my sugar cravings BEFORE the season gets into full swing. I've already done this part. I finished my 21 Day Sugar Detox two days ago. No sugar of any kind, real or artificial. I lost six pounds and feel more in control of my cravings. That's NOT to say I don't crave sugar any more, but my cravings are so much more manageable.

3. Don't say yes to EVERY treat I'm offered. Just because it's the holiday season doesn't mean you should have a treat every time they're around. A random Tuesday at work is not a good reason to engorge yourself on gingerbread men.

4. Make healthy dishes to bring to parties. I love pumpkin pie. I do NOT want to skip pumpkin pie. So I offered to bring dessert to my family Thanksgiving dinner. Little do they know it will be a paleo pie, grain-free, dairy-free, the works, and according the recipe it is just as good as the real thing. I will be doing the same thing for Christmas get togethers.

5. Indulge in the things I really LOVE, but don't forget MODERATION. There are some damn fine cooks in my family. If you think I'm totally going to skip out on all the delicious treats they'll be packing, you're high. The key is BALANCE.

6. PLAN PLAN PLAN. I've got an intense workout and maybe a 5k planned for Thanksgiving morning. I'll be killing workouts all week and keeping my diet pretty tight so I can indulge a little bit guilt free on Thursday. Same thing will go for Christmas parties and my birthday. Most days I will keep on my normal, healthy diet, because too many treats and days of slacking WILL add up.

My next fight is scheduled for February 23rd, and I'll be fighting at 135 pounds, so I've got approximately 15 pounds to go. It will be essential that I control myself this winter. You could join me and get a head start on getting ready for bikini season! Just a thought... ;)

Do you have any other tips to prevent holiday weight gain? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Holy Legs Batman!

So, after a CRAZY week at work and computer troubles, I'm finally getting to post this!

Monday I annihilated my legs. I wanted to get in a killer leg workout this week, since next week I won't be lifting because I have a fight on Saturday (possible news on an opponent coming soon!)

So, if you're looking for punishment, give this a try.

The key to a good lifting workout (in my opinion/experience) is to choose a challenging weight, for whatever number of reps you're doing. If you don't, you're wasting your time.

Leg Workout 8/6/12

Leg Press 15, 12, 12, 10reps
Sumo Squat w/ Dumbbell 3x15reps
Single Leg Deadlift 3x12reps each leg
Leg Extensions 15, 12, 12, 10reps
Squats 15, 12, 12, 10reps
Leg Curls 3x15reps
Calf Raises 3x12reps

As if that wasn't enough pain for my legs, I decided to hit the track after.

Track Workout 8/6/12

Warm Up:
400m run
stretch

Bleacher Set:
5 minutes stair running
5 minutes stair climb with glute extension

Track Set:
400m run
4x100m sprint
400m run
4x100m sprint
400m run
2x100m sprint

That's probably not a ton for seasoned sprinters, but I haven't done that much sprinting since high school track, and I'm learning to love it again! Sprints definitely rev up my fat burning and have made my footwork faster.

Workin' It Out!

Today's Workout:

"Push" Group-

DB Bench Press 3x12reps
superset
Decline Push Ups 3x12reps

Single Leg Squat 3x12reps
superset
Incline DB Flyes 3x12reps

Decline DB Press 15, 12, 10reps
superset
Triceps Pressdown 3x12reps

Cable Crossover 15, 12, 10reps
Superset
Tricep Bench Dips 3x15-20reps

Sprint Workout-
1 mile warm-up
6x100m sprint
8x stair run (up and down = 1)
10 tractor tire flips

Sweated Buckets!

Injuries and Sickness

Did you miss me? I had a rough weekend...starting on Thursday.

Injuries are a common part of MMA. When your'e training hard preparing for a fight, there's almost always something, bruised, broken, or hurting for one reason or another, but that just part of the sport-you have to fight through the pain. But me? I get worse injuries at home than I do in practice half the time. Thursday evening, just before I was supposed to leave for practice, I was chopping an apple for the baked oatmeal I was making for breakfast the next day, with our brand new chef's knife, all thrilled with how smoothly it cut...then one quick slip and a chunk of my middle finger was gone! Luckily Joseph had just gotten home because I panicked, and he jumped to action getting a CLEAN towel on it, something that did not even cross my mind. After 20+ minutes of bleeding, not getting into the clinic, and visiting two different emergency rooms, I got a tetanus shot and a band-aid for my finger. And it wasn't even a cool character band-aid. Hmph.

The first couple days trying to work with my finger were horrible, and I woke up the next day with a really bad cold, so the hotel I work at being sold out really sucked. I rested as much as possible when I wasn't working, and by Monday the cold had started to go away and my finger had scabbed over some so it was a little less sensitive.

I returned to boxing at GYAC with Coach Carlos Duncan. I had had to stop going for a weeks because I couldn't afford an extra drive to Galesburg three times a week, and I was anxious to get back, despite still having a good amount of pain in my finger and having a hard time breathing from my lingering cold. I wrapped my finger up tight and went for it.

Boxing class usually goes as follows:
1.7 mile warm up run- I pushed the pace as much as possible even though it was hard to breathe through my nose
6 x 3min rounds of jump rope-this went pretty well
20 minutes of push-ups, crunches, burpees, etc.
6 x 2min rounds of heavy-bag work- since I couldn't put hardly and pressure on my finger, I focused on keeping my punches fast and moving around a lot

Even though I encountered a few obstacles over the last several days, I'm glad they happened now and not closer to my fight. I'll be healed and 100% healthy soon, and ready for war!

Crossfit

I've been thinking about trying Crossfit for a long time. I've seen so many athletes who credit Crossfit for their superior strength and conditioning, many of them MMA fighters. After watching tons of videos on youtube studying some of the exercises I was unfamiliar with, I did my first Crossfit workout on Tuesday. Since I live over an hour from the nearest "Box" I had to go it alone, but luckily the workout was one I didn't need too much help on-just some strength, cardio, and stamina.

The "WOD" (workout of the day) for Tuesday, July 24th:

9 rounds for time of the following-

Squat Clean, 7 reps

Burpee Box Jumps, 8 reps

Since I'd never done squat cleans before (I'd done hang cleans, so the movement wasn't totally unfamiliar) I just used the bar so I could focus on form. It was a little rough, but I felt like I started to get it down after the third set. I had upper body work today and running, sparring, and grappling to do after, so I did seven sets, and was beat! I soaked my whole shirt and definitely felt like I got a cardio workout.

Training later I was a little extra tired, but sparring felt good nonetheless. I'm definitely improving and gaining confidence. My team is awesome and I'm progressing so well, I can't wait to get back in the cage.

Four Weeks Out

After a weekend without training, I'm dying to get back in the gym! I was so relieved to have the day off, as work this weekend was stressful and tiring and I need to catch up on sleep a bit. I woke up rested and determined to work my a$$ off tonight, and get back on my meal plan 100%.

I'm especially excited to lift tonight, because for the first time ever, my boyfriend Joseph will be joining me and starting his lifting plan (designed by yours truly). I've been trying to convince him to start lifting and eating properly almost since we started dating. I don't know exactly what made him change his mind, but I think the other guys at the gym helped convince him. Part of the reason he's never wanted to lift is because he has a very physically demanding job, a construction-type job in which the heavy machinery...is Joseph. Combine that with 110 degree heat index most days and you get one exhausted man. Still, I think eating the right foods will help his energy level a lot.

For me, tonight I will be working my shoulders, arms, and abs, one of my favorite groups to train. Really I just adore lifting in general. It makes me feel like a badass when I can push around a heavier weight each week, sometimes surprising myself with my progress. Anyway, here's the plan, although I often get a burst of extra energy and add in more when I get to the gym:

Front Shoulder Press: 3 set of 12 repetitions
superset with
Front Barbell Raise: 3 sets of 12 repetitions

Barbell Curl: 15 reps, 12 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps
superset with
Overhead Tricep Rope Extensions: 15 reps, 12 reps, 12 reps

Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 12 reps
superset with
Reverse Crunch: 3 set of 30-50 reps

Skullcrushers: 3 set of 12 reps
superset with
Close Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 15 reps

Plank: 3 sets of 30-45 second holds
superset with
Knees to Chest Crunch: 3 set of 30 reps

I prefer to do supersets because it keep my heart rate up and I get done faster. I keep my rest periods super short, under a minute. For those who might not know, a superset is when you do one set of one exercise and follow it immediately with one set of another exercise, then after minimal rest go back to the first exercise and repeat. It's like a mini circuit.

After lifting, we will probably run. I need to work on my speed, so my goal is to let Joseph set the pace (because he's much faster than me) and go as long as I can at that pace. I'm hoping for at least two miles at an eight-minute mile pace. That might not sound fast, but normally my long runs are at least four miles at a ten-minute per mile pace. I need to start pushing that pace and then add mileage.

I also hope to work on some body conditioning, combinations, and takedown technique. It should be a good night :)

Frugal Fitness: Part 1

How to Make Your Own Medicine Ball (and how not to)


I've wanted a medicine ball for ages. Even on Ebay, the suckers aren't cheap, but they're so valuable when it comes to working out! So when I heard about making them yourself, I kind of thought, "DUH, why didn't I think of that? It's so simple!" Well, I found out that yes, it is pretty simple, but there are still mistakes to make, so I'm going to share my experience with you :)

Supplies:
1 ball- a basketball is recommended, I ended up using a volleyball I had but never used. Cost: FREE (if you already have one) or a cheap basketball is about $6 at WalMart

1 roll duct tape- bonus points if its funky colored. Cost: $3.50

Sand- I got mine from my construction worker boyfriend, so it was also FREE. But I'm sure it's not to costly to buy play sand at WalMart or Menard's.

Exacto knife or razor blade- again, I already had this on hand, so it was FREE. A few dollars at WalMart if you don't have anything sharp that works.

Measuring cup or other cup for pouring sand- had around the house, FREE

Step 1: Cut a v-shaped slit in your ball of choice.

Step 2: Pull back flap, and begin to fill with sand. As you fill, shake the ball a bit and pack sand with your hands so the sand will settle and fill the ball nicely.

Step 2.5: Ball rips in half, get new ball, repeat steps 1 and 2, move on to step 3.

Step 3: Tape slit closed.

Step 4: Cover entire ball with duct tape, making sure the slit is securely closed.

Optional Step 5: If you are going to be sweating when using your medicine ball, which you ought to be, it will get slippery if you just leave it duct taped. To add grip, add strips of the tape that hockey players put on the sticks to make the grip better. I didn't feel like hunting this down so at this point, I'm taking my chances with a slippery ball.

A helpful tip:
DO use a sturdy ball.
DON'T attempt to use a playground ball, it won't hold up to being filled with sand.

My ball ended up weighing 15.2 pounds. I think I will get a basketball soon and make a slightly larger one as well. Overall, this ball cost me about $6.00. I could make probably make at least 5 more for the cost of one at a sporting goods store. WINNING.