Wellness Plan: September 2019 Wedding

lizzieb2019

I'm in the process of creating a wellness plan for myself! Let me know what your wellness plan is and if you have any health tips!

I'll be updating this thread with my progress.

Starting Weight: 180 lb
Current Weight: 155.5 lb
Goal Weight: 120 lb

Health:

• Get a nutritionist
• Create a sustainable diet plan with the nutritionist
  
• Drink 72 fl oz of water every day
• Weight lift 3 times a week (using StrongLifts 5x5 app)
• Do cardio 5 times a week (Blogilates, running, and hiking)
• Walk 1 mile after each meal

Beauty:

• Set up an appointment with a dermatologist
• Get professional facials monthly
• Do Biore pore strips twice a week
• Do at home face mask once a week
• Do sheet mask for face twice a week
• Do sheet mask for neck once a week
• Do hair mask once a week
• Get a manicure every two weeks

Mental Well-Being:

• Meditate 3 times a day
• Practice mindful eating

ShesSoCold

This is A LOT if you don't do any of these things already. And dumping this much on yourself is a setup for failure. 

I'd start small. Start eating mindfully and working out 2-4 times a week, for example. Build on from there. 

lizzieb2019

ShesSoCold said:

This is A LOT if you don't do any of these things already. And dumping this much on yourself is a setup for failure. 

I'd start small. Start eating mindfully and working out 2-4 times a week, for example. Build on from there. 

I already do most of this stuff, so it's not that big of a change. The only things I don't do are: meditate 3 times a day and weight lift 3 times a week.

I just wanted to share my wellness plan and see what others are doing too, so we can all encourage each other to meet our goals!

climbingsingle

Lifting 3 times per week on top of 5 days of cardio AND walking a mile after every meal is too much. 

ei34

I’ve had a lot of success drinking tons of water.  Your weight in pounds should equal fluid ounces, so you’d aim for 155oz a day.  Most of the successful weight loss stories I know (myself included) it’s like 90% eating right 10% working out.  
I know you’ll be seeing a dermatologist and an esthetician, so they could weigh in better than me, but your beauty plan reads as a lot going on, maybe too much? I don’t know your skin type or needs to please ignore me if I’m wrong.  Like the Biore strips I think you’d be good 1-2 times a month.  Again I’d ask one of the professionals they’d know better than me.

lizzieb2019

climbingwife said:

Lifting 3 times per week on top of 5 days of cardio AND walking a mile after every meal is too much. 

I've had a nutritionist and a doctor tell me this year that it was recommended. I appreciate the concern, though!

lizzieb2019

eileenrob said:

I’ve had a lot of success drinking tons of water.  Your weight in pounds should equal fluid ounces, so you’d aim for 155oz a day.  Most of the successful weight loss stories I know (myself included) it’s like 90% eating right 10% working out.  
I know you’ll be seeing a dermatologist and an esthetician, so they could weigh in better than me, but your beauty plan reads as a lot going on, maybe too much? I don’t know your skin type or needs to please ignore me if I’m wrong.  Like the Biore strips I think you’d be good 1-2 times a month.  Again I’d ask one of the professionals they’d know better than me.

Drinking water is definitely important! I'm glad you've had success with it. It seriously helps!

I find that with my skin, the beauty plan I've laid out keeps my skin clean and fresh. What kind of skin care routine do you do? 

lizzieb2019

Progress Update:

I lifted yesterday! With the 5x5 StrongLifts app, I managed to do:

• Squats: 5x5 45lb
• Bench: 5x5 45lb
• Row: 5x5 65lb

FH ran on the treadmill while I lifted. I love it when we get to work out together!

I managed to walk a mile after lunch and dinner. Breakfast is probably only going to happen on weekends due to work in the morning, but never say never!

I drank 58 fl oz of water, and I did a sheet mask for my face before I went to bed.

I didn't meditate yesterday, so that's a priority for me today.

If you're doing a wellness plan, feel free to update your progress in here! I'm hoping to build a positive community where we can all encourage each other to meet our wellness goals.

MRDCle

My only thought on yours (other than this seems like A LOT of time to spend on this stuff) is do you KNOW your body can get to 120 pounds and still be healthy? I know personally if I get much below about 135 my body won't lose any more unless I do some unhealthy things.  If you've been there before, awesome, go for your goals! But If 120 is new territory for you I would hate for you to set yourself up for a goal that might not be attainable. 

lizzieb2019

MRDCle said:

My only thought on yours (other than this seems like A LOT of time to spend on this stuff) is do you KNOW your body can get to 120 pounds and still be healthy? I know personally if I get much below about 135 my body won't lose any more unless I do some unhealthy things.  If you've been there before, awesome, go for your goals! But If 120 is new territory for you I would hate for you to set yourself up for a goal that might not be attainable. 

That goal weight was set with a nutritionist and a doctor present, and I have been at a healthy 120 before, so I know it is doable. 

I know sometimes we can set unrealistic goals for ourselves and get disappointed if we don't see the results we want. Which is why I'm not so much focused on the number (although it would be great to be back at that weight again), but rather on the healthy lifestyle.

charlotte989875

Good for you for taking control of your health & wellnes. 

But damn, this all sounds exhausting! And I get up to run at 5:30 in the morning. 

lizzieb2019

charlotte989875 said:

Good for you for taking control of your health & wellnes. 

But damn, this all sounds exhausting! And I get up to run at 5:30 in the morning. 

Thanks! I'm more of an evening/after work runner myself. I just accomplished my goal of running a 10K two weeks ago. Now I'm training for a 15K. There's a 15K race in November that I'm thinking of signing up for.

I already do cardio about 5 times a week with running and hiking (I do pilates when it rains), but I know I need get some strength training in there.

What are your running goals?

short+sassy

Not that I've tried it (though I should!), but I've heard and have had a few friends find some weight loss success by dividing their food up into 6 smaller meals a day.  I've read that helps keep the metabolism more active all day.

Edited to add:  You're probably already doing this, but cut empty calorie, sugary drinks.  Even juice and smoothies!  No more than 6-8 oz./day and it's fine to have none.  Despite the advertising "hype", your body doesn't care if it is 1g of natural sugar, 1g of cane sugar, or 1g of corn syrup sugar.  It is all sugar and the body treats it all the same way.

I had a former coworker who started her weight loss journey, just cutting Coke out of her diet.  She took the longer term approach by making changes one step at a time.  She dropped 20 lbs. in a few weeks, just cutting out her Coke habit.  To be fair, she was well over 200 lbs. to begin with, so I wouldn't expect that kind of drop so fast in someone who starts at a lower weight.

lizzieb2019

short+sassy said:

Not that I've tried it, but I've heard and have had a few friends find some weight loss success by dividing their food up into 6 smaller meals a day.  I've read that helps keep the metabolism more active all day.

I've heard that as well! I do need to snack more. I usually pack carrots and hummus for an afternoon snack, but I'm not much of a morning snacker.

lizzieb2019

short+sassy said:

Not that I've tried it (though I should!), but I've heard and have had a few friends find some weight loss success by dividing their food up into 6 smaller meals a day.  I've read that helps keep the metabolism more active all day.

Edited to add:  You're probably already doing this, but cut empty calorie, sugary drinks.  Even juice and smoothies!  No more than 6-8 oz./day and it's fine to have none.  Despite the advertising "hype", your body doesn't care if it is 1g of natural sugar, 1g of cane sugar, or 1g of corn syrup sugar.  It is all sugar and the body treats it all the same way.

I had a former coworker who started her weight loss journey, just cutting Coke out of her diet.  She took the longer term approach by making changes one step at a time.  She dropped 20 lbs. in a few weeks, just cutting out her Coke habit.  To be fair, she was well over 200 lbs. to begin with, so I wouldn't expect that kind of drop so fast in someone who starts at a lower weight.

I agree that sugar intake is something watch out for! The body does take it all the same.

I don't drink soda (that was a new year's resolution years ago), and the only smoothies I drink are the ones I make at home with a cup of berries, almond milk, and a bit of almond yogurt in them.  

That SO cool for your former coworker who cut her Coke habit! What a difference it makes!

charlotte989875

lizzieb2019 said:

charlotte989875 said:

Good for you for taking control of your health & wellnes. 

But damn, this all sounds exhausting! And I get up to run at 5:30 in the morning. 

Thanks! I'm more of an evening/after work runner myself. I just accomplished my goal of running a 10K two weeks ago. Now I'm training for a 15K. There's a 15K race in November that I'm thinking of signing up for.

I already do cardio about 5 times a week with running and hiking (I do pilates when it rains), but I know I need get some strength training in there.

What are your running goals?

I ran a marathon is past May so now I’m working on speed. I’m trying to cut about 4 minutes off my half marathon time. 

ei34

lizzieb2019 said:

eileenrob said:

I’ve had a lot of success drinking tons of water.  Your weight in pounds should equal fluid ounces, so you’d aim for 155oz a day.  Most of the successful weight loss stories I know (myself included) it’s like 90% eating right 10% working out.  
I know you’ll be seeing a dermatologist and an esthetician, so they could weigh in better than me, but your beauty plan reads as a lot going on, maybe too much? I don’t know your skin type or needs to please ignore me if I’m wrong.  Like the Biore strips I think you’d be good 1-2 times a month.  Again I’d ask one of the professionals they’d know better than me.

Drinking water is definitely important! I'm glad you've had success with it. It seriously helps!

I find that with my skin, the beauty plan I've laid out keeps my skin clean and fresh. What kind of skin care routine do you do? 

That’s great!  You definitely know your skin better than me, I hope my suggestion didn’t come off as annoying!
I wash my face with warm water and Dove soap in my morning shower, and my daily moisturizer is spf 35.  In addition I do use stronger face sunblock on sunny summer days bc I have fair skin, but most of the year the moisturizer is sufficient.  Every night I cleanse and tone, and use a moisturizer at night in the winter months (my skin is seasonal- oilier in the summer and drier in the winter lol). 
I use a foaming face mask twice a week, I exfoliate twice a month, and use a Biore blackhead strip once a month or so.  I get facials once every 4 or so months. This is what works for me although again, everyone has different needs.

As far as diet, all the water as I’d mentioned.  I try to make vegetables at least half of lunch and dinner, and any snack.  Carbs (empty carbs) used to be a downfall of mine but since I’ve been careful about making my carbs fiber-filled (fruit, squash and sweet potato, quinoa, oatmeal) I’ve seen a difference.  My favorite foods are pasta and pizza and two helpful substitutes have been cauliflower rice with marinara or whatever sauce, and cauliflower pizza crust.  

ShesSoCold

short+sassy said:

Not that I've tried it (though I should!), but I've heard and have had a few friends find some weight loss success by dividing their food up into 6 smaller meals a day.  I've read that helps keep the metabolism more active all day.

Edited to add:  You're probably already doing this, but cut empty calorie, sugary drinks.  Even juice and smoothies!  No more than 6-8 oz./day and it's fine to have none.  Despite the advertising "hype", your body doesn't care if it is 1g of natural sugar, 1g of cane sugar, or 1g of corn syrup sugar.  It is all sugar and the body treats it all the same way.

I had a former coworker who started her weight loss journey, just cutti

ng Coke out of her diet.  She took the longer term approach by making changes one step at a time.  She dropped 20 lbs. in a few weeks, just cutting out her Coke habit.  To be fair, she was well over 200 lbs. to begin with, so I wouldn't expect that kind of drop so fast in someone who starts at a lower weight.

STUCK

Little things like this have worked for me, too. I only drink pop when I drink (socially) and years ago, I made the weird rule to never eat fast food alone. 

I had become so used to running through the drive through to grab something if I was hungry, but it wasn't reasonable for me to cut out fast food completely. I was going out to lunch regularly with my work friends and I didn't want my social life to suffer because of my diet. So I never ate fast food alone again and I did lose a bit. 

Now, years later, I can't remember the last time I had a fast food anything (other than like Subway). It never even crosses my mind as a possibility. If I'm out and hungry, I go to a gas station for a protein bar or a grocery store salad bar. But it was hard as hell at first!

lizzieb2019

eileenrob said:

lizzieb2019 said:

eileenrob said:

I’ve had a lot of success drinking tons of water.  Your weight in pounds should equal fluid ounces, so you’d aim for 155oz a day.  Most of the successful weight loss stories I know (myself included) it’s like 90% eating right 10% working out.  
I know you’ll be seeing a dermatologist and an esthetician, so they could weigh in better than me, but your beauty plan reads as a lot going on, maybe too much? I don’t know your skin type or needs to please ignore me if I’m wrong.  Like the Biore strips I think you’d be good 1-2 times a month.  Again I’d ask one of the professionals they’d know better than me.

Drinking water is definitely important! I'm glad you've had success with it. It seriously helps!

I find that with my skin, the beauty plan I've laid out keeps my skin clean and fresh. What kind of skin care routine do you do? 

That’s great!  You definitely know your skin better than me, I hope my suggestion didn’t come off as annoying!
I wash my face with warm water and Dove soap in my morning shower, and my daily moisturizer is spf 35.  In addition I do use stronger face sunblock on sunny summer days bc I have fair skin, but most of the year the moisturizer is sufficient.  Every night I cleanse and tone, and use a moisturizer at night in the winter months (my skin is seasonal- oilier in the summer and drier in the winter lol). 
I use a foaming face mask twice a week, I exfoliate twice a month, and use a Biore blackhead strip once a month or so.  I get facials once every 4 or so months. This is what works for me although again, everyone has different needs.

As far as diet, all the water as I’d mentioned.  I try to make vegetables at least half of lunch and dinner, and any snack.  Carbs (empty carbs) used to be a downfall of mine but since I’ve been careful about making my carbs fiber-filled (fruit, squash and sweet potato, quinoa, oatmeal) I’ve seen a difference.  My favorite foods are pasta and pizza and two helpful substitutes have been cauliflower rice with marinara or whatever sauce, and cauliflower pizza crust.  

Your suggestion didn't come off as annoying! My skin requires a bit of extra love and attention here and there to keep it looking good. Haha.

Ooh, Dove soap feels so luxurious on the skin! And YES sunblock! So many people don't apply it, but it's super important to include in your beauty routine. I have SPF 15 in my toner and moisturizer, and I never go for my lunch walk without an umbrella to keep the sun away from my skin.

Okay, as for cauliflower rice and crust: my FI HATES cauliflower, which is devastating for me because I absolutely love it. Whenever we go out for pizza, I always get cauliflower pizza crust. It's delicious.

I also found that eating out a lot can have major repercussions for my health and well-being (hello skin breakouts and goodbye waistline). So FI and I choose to eat out once a week for a "date night." I feel like it makes picking the restaurant even more special because we get to be extra selective with our date night restaurant choice every week.

I'm so glad you've found a wellness routine that works for you! Gosh, that is simply brilliant to identify a weakness for carbs and use that knowledge to your benefit.

I have a weakness for sweets, so I find that adding a bit of fruit here and there between meals helps fight that sweet tooth. 

MRDCle

All the skin care routines keep me thinking of American Psycho, haha. 

Right now all my health and wellness is shook up from first trimester exhaustion and sickness, but I'm hoping to get back to daily 30 minute walks and gym 3x a week in the next few weeks.

I need to overhaul my normal skin care routine because I'm having a heck of a time with my skin right now. Now it's shower at night, toner, moisturize, and in the AM just a quick rinse and my SPF moisturizer. Maybe I should add back in a morning actual washing? Who knows. Washing twice a day was really irritating previously but I gotta do something. 

lizzieb2019

ShesSoCold said:

short+sassy said:

Not that I've tried it (though I should!), but I've heard and have had a few friends find some weight loss success by dividing their food up into 6 smaller meals a day.  I've read that helps keep the metabolism more active all day.

Edited to add:  You're probably already doing this, but cut empty calorie, sugary drinks.  Even juice and smoothies!  No more than 6-8 oz./day and it's fine to have none.  Despite the advertising "hype", your body doesn't care if it is 1g of natural sugar, 1g of cane sugar, or 1g of corn syrup sugar.  It is all sugar and the body treats it all the same way.

I had a former coworker who started her weight loss journey, just cutti

ng Coke out of her diet.  She took the longer term approach by making changes one step at a time.  She dropped 20 lbs. in a few weeks, just cutting out her Coke habit.  To be fair, she was well over 200 lbs. to begin with, so I wouldn't expect that kind of drop so fast in someone who starts at a lower weight.

STUCK

Little things like this have worked for me, too. I only drink pop when I drink (socially) and years ago, I made the weird rule to never eat fast food alone. 

I had become so used to running through the drive through to grab something if I was hungry, but it wasn't reasonable for me to cut out fast food completely. I was going out to lunch regularly with my work friends and I didn't want my social life to suffer because of my diet. So I never ate fast food alone again and I did lose a bit. 

Now, years later, I can't remember the last time I had a fast food anything (other than like Subway). It never even crosses my mind as a possibility. If I'm out and hungry, I go to a gas station for a protein bar or a grocery store salad bar. But it was hard as hell at first!

WOW! Good on you for having the strength to change your life that way! And it is so not a weird rule to never eat fast food alone. I had to do something very similar when I was at my heaviest.

I used to go to McDonald's and eat like 20 Chicken McNuggets in one sitting. I also used to go to Dunkin' Donuts and get a dozen donuts to eat by myself. I was totally out of control.   

After I took a long look at myself in the mirror, I decided that I didn't like who I was and made a change. That's when I got into running and also chose to eliminate fast food out of my diet as much as possible.

I can't remember the last time I had McDonald's, and the last time I had a donut was about 8 months ago.

lizzieb2019

Progress Update:

I walked a lot yesterday! I walked to the bank and then to the nail salon to get a manicure.

I've started meditating 3 times a day.

Today my family and friends are going to Top Golf. I'm terrible at golf, but it will be a lot of fun with everyone there!

I will also lift tonight after dinner.

If you're doing a wellness plan, feel free to update your progress in here! I'm hoping to build a positive community where we can all encourage each other to meet our wellness goals.

ernursej

My wellness plan is just to listen to myself. I'm not successful when I limit food items/food categories or set myself large goals. At this point, I'm focusing on giving myself permission to just be as my mental health hasn't been on point and trying to get myself healthier in that category. I have a generalized anxiety disorder and recently, my previous successful strategies stopped working and I had to go on medications which I found difficult.

lizzieb2019

ernursej said:

My wellness plan is just to listen to myself. I'm not successful when I limit food items/food categories or set myself large goals. At this point, I'm focusing on giving myself permission to just be as my mental health hasn't been on point and trying to get myself healthier in that category. I have a generalized anxiety disorder and recently, my previous successful strategies stopped working and I had to go on medications which I found difficult.

Listening to yourself is so important! Not enough people hear what their bodies are trying to tell them. Good job making your needs a priority.

Keep focusing on your mental and emotional well being. Everything else in life will fall into place.  

short+sassy

My small improvement over the last couple weeks is I have cut way down on potato chips.  I LOVE potato chips.  I would have one of those small bags as a snack at work most days.  But haven't done that once either this week or last week.  Though I did have some chips at home, over the weekend.

I'm not making chips a "forbidden food".  Because that would be crazy for me, lol.  But I am trying to only eat them when I am especially in the mood.  Instead of just because they are a habit and a snack I like.

lizzieb2019

short+sassy said:

My small improvement over the last couple weeks is I have cut way down on potato chips.  I LOVE potato chips.  I would have one of those small bags as a snack at work most days.  But haven't done that once either this week or last week.  Though I did have some chips at home, over the weekend.

I'm not making chips a "forbidden food".  Because that would be crazy for me, lol.  But I am trying to only eat them when I am especially in the mood.  Instead of just because they are a habit and a snack I like.

Small improvements make a huge difference in the long run! And you're totally right: "forbidden food" is not a sustainable way of living. I'm glad you're not depriving yourself, and I think what you're doing is awesome.

Keep up the good work! 

lizzieb2019

Progress Update:

I've scheduled a mini facial for myself on September 22nd. I'm also looking into lash and brow tinting as well since my hair is so fair. Has anyone done this before? What are your thoughts on it?

I'm drinking a TON of water every day. I try to drink 24 oz in the morning, 24 oz in the afternoon and then 24 oz at night. I find that at night, I don't like to drink cold water, so I've been making myself hot, decaffeinated tea instead. I like ginger, chamomile, and green teas.

I'm also walking after lunch and dinner. During my lunch break, I usually walk about 1.5-2 miles after a bite to eat. After dinner, FI and I go for a mile walk where we hold hands and chat about our day.

It's raining today, so instead of running, I'll be lifting tonight and then hopping on the elliptical or bike for a little cardio.

I usually like to watch some TV when I'm on the cardio machines. I'm super into "Kakuriyo no Yadomeshi," "The Eternal Love," and "Justified" right now. What shows do you guys like to watch when you're breaking a sweat?

Also, I'm super happy to say that I've lost a pound this past week! I'm now at 154.5 lbs.

MesmrEwe

lizzieb2019 said:

Progress Update:

I lifted yesterday! With the 5x5 StrongLifts app, I managed to do:

• Squats: 5x5 45lb
• Bench: 5x5 45lb
• Row: 5x5 65lb

FH ran on the treadmill while I lifted. I love it when we get to work out together!

I managed to walk a mile after lunch and dinner. Breakfast is probably only going to happen on weekends due to work in the morning, but never say never!

I drank 58 fl oz of water, and I did a sheet mask for my face before I went to bed.

I didn't meditate yesterday, so that's a priority for me today.

If you're doing a wellness plan, feel free to update your progress in here! I'm hoping to build a positive community where we can all encourage each other to meet our wellness goals.

Your plan is spot on in with what you're already doing and in terms of adding in lifting 3x/week (Yes, when I was internationally competitive I did cardio/walking 5x/wk and only lifted 3x too! Give yourself two days of no lifting/cardio/hiking for your body to recover and optimize your results!)... 

There is one area that you may want to adjust sooner than later.  Focus on one part of the body, do not do squats on the same day you bench and get a  deadlift day worked in there because deadlifts literally can solve all of the world's problems! (and it's just fun picking heavy stuff up and setting it down because it's about mechanics more than the pounds - but most of all, deadlifts help strengthen key areas and balance the body that you'd otherwise miss just doing benches, rows, squats and accessory work)  Even if it means a guest pass to train for a couple hours at a power gym near you, work with someone who knows competitive lifting for strictly the learning form issues because bad form equals injuries (not all fitness trainers are good at judging form - some will land you in PT sooner than you can say it), you want to be lifting with good form for YOUR body not some textbook for a lifetime, not just through the wedding.  Also, do not look at the weight, lift based on resistance, 45 (the bar) is a good learn form weight, but there needs to be a lot more volume if you're working 5x5's, lift until the lifting is done for the day, not until you've got a number of sets, some days you'll do 12 sets of 5 working up, others, 15, some days 10, your body will be your guide not a sheet of paper.  It goes without saying, no smith machine, use the real deal or dumbbells (it is better for your body to work its own mechanics and working your stabilizers).. 

Also recognize with adding lifting in that the scale will be a bit wonky because muscle takes up less surface mass than fat in your body, so gaining weight may be gaining muscle while dropping fat so your tight yoga pants will look fab on your kiester with those squats, but that amazing look may not reflect on the scale, go off of looking great in the mirror as the guide.  You will not bulk, women do not have enough testosterone in our systems, tone is muscle - keep reminding yourself of this!  

lizzieb2019

MesmrEwe said:

lizzieb2019 said:

Progress Update:

I lifted yesterday! With the 5x5 StrongLifts app, I managed to do:

• Squats: 5x5 45lb
• Bench: 5x5 45lb
• Row: 5x5 65lb

FH ran on the treadmill while I lifted. I love it when we get to work out together!

I managed to walk a mile after lunch and dinner. Breakfast is probably only going to happen on weekends due to work in the morning, but never say never!

I drank 58 fl oz of water, and I did a sheet mask for my face before I went to bed.

I didn't meditate yesterday, so that's a priority for me today.

If you're doing a wellness plan, feel free to update your progress in here! I'm hoping to build a positive community where we can all encourage each other to meet our wellness goals.

Your plan is spot on in with what you're already doing and in terms of adding in lifting 3x/week (Yes, when I was internationally competitive I did cardio/walking 5x/wk and only lifted 3x too! Give yourself two days of no lifting/cardio/hiking for your body to recover and optimize your results!)... 

There is one area that you may want to adjust sooner than later.  Focus on one part of the body, do not do squats on the same day you bench and get a  deadlift day worked in there because deadlifts literally can solve all of the world's problems! (and it's just fun picking heavy stuff up and setting it down because it's about mechanics more than the pounds - but most of all, deadlifts help strengthen key areas and balance the body that you'd otherwise miss just doing benches, rows, squats and accessory work)  Even if it means a guest pass to train for a couple hours at a power gym near you, work with someone who knows competitive lifting for strictly the learning form issues because bad form equals injuries (not all fitness trainers are good at judging form - some will land you in PT sooner than you can say it), you want to be lifting with good form for YOUR body not some textbook for a lifetime, not just through the wedding.  Also, do not look at the weight, lift based on resistance, 45 (the bar) is a good learn form weight, but there needs to be a lot more volume if you're working 5x5's, lift until the lifting is done for the day, not until you've got a number of sets, some days you'll do 12 sets of 5 working up, others, 15, some days 10, your body will be your guide not a sheet of paper.  It goes without saying, no smith machine, use the real deal or dumbbells (it is better for your body to work its own mechanics and working your stabilizers).. 

Also recognize with adding lifting in that the scale will be a bit wonky because muscle takes up less surface mass than fat in your body, so gaining weight may be gaining muscle while dropping fat so your tight yoga pants will look fab on your kiester with those squats, but that amazing look may not reflect on the scale, go off of looking great in the mirror as the guide.  You will not bulk, women do not have enough testosterone in our systems, tone is muscle - keep reminding yourself of this!  

I'm definitely a beginner at lifting. Haha. We do have some trainers at my gym who help me with my form and goals a bit, but I should look into having a personal trainer to help me as I move along with my fitness goals.

I've started deadlifting, and you're totally right: it IS a lot of fun to pick up heavy stuff. Haha.

I have one of those scales that measures body fat percentage, bone density, weight, and BMI all at the same time.

I want to get my body fat down, so I'm more focused on that number rather than the weight I am. If I only get down to 140 lbs but have a body fat percentage of 21–24%, I'll still be extremely satisfied.

I'm not worried about bulking. I don't know why it's a concern for most women, because you're right: women do not bulk up easily.

Thanks for the encouragement and advice!

lizzieb2019

Progress Update:

I lifted yesterday. With the 5x5 StrongLifts app, I managed to do:

• Squats: 5x5 65lb
• OH Press: 5x5 50lb
• Deadlift:1x5 55lb

FH decided to do cardio while I pumped some iron. After lifting, I hopped on the bike for about 30 minutes and watched some TV.

I'm going running after work today, so I'm chugging water to make sure I'm properly hydrated!

One thing I've noticed is that my sleep quality and length needs to improve. I really need to start unplugging from technology around 9:00 pm. Do you guys have any sleep tips?

I've noticed that since I've started listening to my body more, I'm way more productive overall. I feel more focused at work and I feel like I'm constantly improving.

If you're doing a wellness plan, feel free to update your progress in here! I'm hoping to build a positive community where we can all encourage each other to meet our wellness goals.

lizzieb2019

Progress Update:

I lifted this morning!  

After working out and getting ready, I headed over to a local beauty school where I got a mini-facial for $20.00. The lovely woman who did the facial complimented me on my skincare regimen and mentioned she could tell I drink a lot of water. It really makes a difference!

After my facial, I got a manicure and my eyebrows threaded.

If you're doing a wellness plan, feel free to update your progress in here! I'm hoping to build a positive community where we can all encourage each other to meet our wellness goals.