So, to recap, here is my workout schedule:
Every morning 5:30: Bike 7.8 miles (if time allows and I didn�t get lazy in bed) or Tae-Bo if it�s yucky out
Noon: Stairmaster (level 7,8, &9) for 15 minutes (average 185 floors when done) This I changed in August to crosstrainer for 15 minutes to save the knees.
Evening: M, W, F,: Swimming, backstroke, 1 hour.
Evening: Tu, Th, Sat: 2 hour upper body/cardio workout at the gym. 15 minutes Stairmaster, 5 sets of 20 reps on these machines...back machine 130lbs, abdominal machine 80lbs, lateral pull down bar 50 lbs, Seated Butterfly 50 lbs, Seated chest 45-50 lbs, Leg curls 60 lbs.
Samples of what I eat:
Breakfast: two boiled eggs, or egg salad with lettuce, or � cup cottage cheese with 4 strawberries and a pkg of splenda, or an omlette with salmon & cheese or spinach & mushrooms.
Lunch: Usually a Taco salad with ranch. (if you make uncle Dan�s ranch dressing, you can make it with heavy cream and mayo instead of buttermilk and mayo, lots less carbs) or two hard-boiled eggs, or some lunchmeat and cheese sticks.
Dinner: Usually Chicken, steak, porkchop (any meat) and asparagus, green beans, or spinach.
Rarely I have legal treats.
If I snack, it�s on pork rinds, or pepperoni sticks.
Water Water Water - At least a gallon a day.
I've recently changed the vitamins I take so I'll list both plans...I don't really know if I'm doing this part right or not... Here's what I had been taking: Centrum Performance, Vitamin E 400 IU, Vitamin C 500 mg every 12 hours, Zinc 50 mg, Cranberry extract, Fibercon 2 tablets, Biotin 600 mcg, Atkins essential oils 2 capsules, Iron 18 Mg.
Here is what I just switched to taking: Atkins Basic 3 One with each meal, Atkins Essential Oils 2 capsules, Fibercon 2 tablets, Biotin 600 mcg twice a day, Flax oil 1 Tbsp. at dinner.
If I get depressed, I try to do something active...workout, or go for a walk, or clean the house. (I used to eat)
Well, I hope I haven't been too confusing. I'm not so great at giving advice, but I love to help any way I can. No one was there for me, and I struggled.
Please know that I�m not advocating what I have done as a cookie cutter plan for you. Everybody�s bodies are different, and we all lose at different rates. I had no idea that the weight would come off so fast, and I�d lose 100 pounds in 4 months and 21 days! If it doesn�t for you, please don�t get discouraged! Understand also, that the upper body weights listed were weights I had to work up to. I started at much less. I was very careful to listen to my body and back off to avoid injuring myself and having to stop altogether.
I think my change of attitude has really helped. I look at this as a way of life now, not as a short term fix. I walk with my head up and look people in the eye and smile as I pass. I don�t dwell on negative things when I can help it. After a while, with practice, it really helps.
I am only trying to keep a record of what I have done for those of you that want to know. I feel I have been very lucky, and also attribute my success so far to faith in God and prayer, and friends.
Bear with me on this website. It's my first ever, and I had a heck of a time pasting the text into this thing!
(updated 8/23/01)