oh the pain!

wednesday's are my day off work, and what do i decide to do? meet with my personal trainer, ryoko, for a 6 a.m. workout! we didn't go too hard core, but she definitely pushed me...8-9 on a scale of 10. we focused on strength training as it helps burn fat. i worked my triceps, biceps, abs, quads...it was a good session. all i could think about was the pain i would feel the next day...i was convinced i'd have jelly legs. i was wrong. my arms and legs are totally fine...but my ABS are killing me! every time i laughed, i would end up clutching my stomach because of the pain :P


my goal is to do 2 strength-training sessions (3 would be ideal, including the session with ryoko), plus additional days of fat-burning cardio. i thought that increasing the intensity and speed of the elliptical machine and treadmill would burn fat faster, but it doesn't. i need to travel at a slower pace, but still get my heart-rate up using additional resistence.


since 80% of weight loss is what i eat, i'm also making reasonable changes to my diet. i try to stop eating after 8 p.m., but if i do get peckish, i have an apple or orange...something that i like but is also good for me (as opposed to the crap i would eat before). the white/brown rice combo's been working really well for the 3 of us. priscilla and i went out for lunch yesterday and my usual fare would be something like a burger and fries with a coke...instead gabe and i shared a turkey sandwich with dill potato salad and i had a glass of water. i'd say that's a step in the right direction :-)


i've also been eating breakfast at home...currently it's oatmeal crisp w/raisins...and because i'm not hungry when i get to work, i've stopped my trips to starbucks and tim hortons. i have kashi granola bars in my desk for a mid-morning snack, and i also pack along some fruit for the afternoon. to replace my coffee fixation, i now drink green tea throughout the day.

i will also pat myself on the back because i said no to several treats this week...timbits, candy, chocolate, pop...oh so many temptations. i will admit that i had a cupcake this morning, but after consultation with another "dieter", we found out the baker made them specifically "reduced fat"...less butter and sugar than a regular cupcake :-)

all-in-all, an excellent week! i'm looking forward to my friday night workout!