Jena's Journal.

[MissJenaKay]

7:05 Wake up

7:40
-- KASHI Go Lean Crunch!
-- Fat Free Milk

11:27
-- Vegetarian garden casserole :: soy meat, corn, squash, rice, pepper, tomato, a smidgen of cheese.
-- Macaroni and cheese
-- Mashed Potatoes.
-- Black and Blue Berry Lifewater

3:45
-- Burrito Bowl (the usual)

6:00
-- Apple
-- String Cheese

@ Allison :: I'm trying to work out a way the works for me to meditate. I'm also trying to find time between homework and stuff.

[Nokie173]

Just 15mins of meditation helps!!! I tend to do it before I sleep or in the middle of the day....

[MissJenaKay]

Okay. I'm getting really frustrated. I have not noticeably lost any weight at all. I don't understand why... I've been training hard and eating well for a little under four months and I've lost 2 pounds..... You're supposed to be able to lose two pounds a week.... I don't know what I'm doing wrong and I'm losing all motivation and I'm pretty close to just saying "screw it" and learning to live with being fat.

8:25 Wake up

8:28
-- 1 c Cap'n Crunch
-- 1/2 c Fat free milk

9:00 Workout
-- Dumbell Squats: 2 sets of 12 at 12lbs per DB
-- Lunges: 2 sets of 12 at 10lbs per DB
-- Hamstring Curls: 2 sets of 12 at 50lbs
-- Lower Back: 2 sets 12 at 70 lbs
-- Chest Press: 2 sets of 12 at 25 lbs
-- Rows: 2 sets of 12 at 30lb
-- Bicep Curls: 2 set of 12 at 20lb
-- Shoulder Press: 2 sets of 12 at 20 lbs

9:45
-- 12 oz fat free milk
-- 1 scoop whey protein (made this myself this time. I hated it.... the protein didn't mix in well... so it was chunky. Ew)

11:45
-- Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich

2:10
-- Lasagna

4:33
-- 1/2 a huge salad.

8:45
-- 1/2 of salad.

((By the way, I don't know if it's evident or not, but meals that are written without a drink... I had water...))

[Boss Man]

Maybe you gained some muscle.

Plus don't forget you weren't eating ebnough. Your body will respond to the added calories, by potentially thinking they're excess calories and converting them to a bit of Fat, simply because the body is not used to getting adequate amounts, but lower than adequate amounts.

Train and eat consistently and it can work for you, you just need to keep believing in yourself and don't let these feelings derail your chances okay .

[MissJenaKay]

Maybe you gained some muscle.

Plus don't forget you weren't eating ebnough. Your body will respond to the added calories, by potentially thinking they're excess calories and converting them to a bit of Fat, simply because the body is not used to getting adequate amounts, but lower than adequate amounts.

Train and eat consistently and it can work for you, you just need to keep believing in yourself and don't let these feelings derail your chances okay .

I'll try boss. But shouldn't body have gotten used to the calories by now? I've been eating like this for a little over two months...

Plus things like Cap'n Crunch aren't helping you.

The store was out of healthy cereal. The little store I bought cereal from is in the student center and they only had capn crunch, reese's puffs, fruity pebbles, and lucky charms. D:

[MissJenaKay]

9:15 Wake up (felt great to sleep in today)

10:05
-- 1 c Cap'n Crunch. :/
-- 1/2 c Fat Free Milk

11:28
-- Burrito Bowl
-- 2 c grapes

3:15
-- 8 fl oz Strawberry Milkshake

5:30
-- Manicoti
-- Mac and Cheese
-- Life Water

8:40
-- A Gala Apple
-- 1 String Cheese

@ Allison :: I know that I'm not eating perfectly but I'm eating much better than I used to, shouldn't I have seen at least SOME decent progress???

[MissJenaKay]

It really depends. If you're not eating enough or you're eating too much of the wrong things, then no, you probably won't see much progress. If you're building muscle without burning some fat, you won't see progress on the scales at all, but your clothes might fit a bit better.

I know it's frustrating. I spent years at exactly the same weight, and it's taken me a long time to finally get the scales moving again. But I never gave up because I'm fighting for life.

biggest issue is I didn't even see that happy little, "Oh, your body isn't used to the activity so it burned a bunch" right at the beginning. Which is what makes me sad. It's not like I've hit a plateau after losing some weight. I just can't seem to push it over the edge in first place.

[MissJenaKay]

It seems like a high percentage of your calories come from carb sources. Pretty much everything I have ever read suggests that carb management is the key to fat loss. Notice I didn't say weight loss, because its not what we're after, its fat loss. I don't want to lose weight I want to lose fat.

Can you alter your carb intake and substitute protien? I know it may be hard because you are at school and what not but can you replace some of your calories from carbs with calories from protein and healthy fats?

Here's the thing. Carbs are cheap. Cheap to grow, cheap to transport, cheap to store, blah, blah, blah. Protein is expensive (think meat) to buy, expensive to store, doesn't store for long, etc, etc, cruelty to animals, blah, blah blah. So here in north america we get carbs shoved down our throats and everyone gets fat. Some of us like me get really, really fat. And it gets worse, carbs from potatoes, yams, etc. get lumped in with sugar, which by the way is not even sugar anymore it is a new compound created by man called high fructose corn syrup - great stuff. We're not really even sure your body can process this stuff so to protect itself, it buries it in fat cells and makes you fatter to keep it there, nice.

Without going into too much scientific detail, which not because I know you can't understand it because i know you could, but because its not relevant, too much carbs basically results in your body not being able to process insulin (insulin sensitivity) and this causes your body to store most of your diet as fat. And worse, it doesn't understand how to use fat as fuel once its stored because of the never-ending supply of carbohydrates. So here we are.

So then, fuelled by television commercials that show skinny chicks running down the beach after eating special k and cheerios (which in real life they don't eat) we think we are "eating healthy" because there is some organization that puts a check mark on the cereal box because its "healthy". Not reality.

Think about your genetics. Mankind has evolved for thousands of years but obesity has become an epidemic in the last what 50. So you tell me what it is. The shift in our diets to carb based things like bread, pasta, high fructose corn syrup combined with a whole lot of not having to real do anything.

Having said all that, if you can't substitute some protein and healthy fats in for some of the carbohydrate, its likely that you are not going to see much, if any progress, with respect to fat loss.

You just can't out-train a bad diet Jena.

I can attempt to get higher protein levels and lower carb levels, I guess I'll be eating a lot of chicken breast sandwiches minus the bread. Other than that and cutting the rice out of burrito bowls, there's not really much of a way for me to cut out the carbs....

[MissJenaKay]

If you can, try to get a bit of protein each time you eat. Don't sweat the rice once in a while but definately ditch the bread and the lasagna has to go, if possible. If you absolutely must eat that stuff, see if you can manage to eat it immediately following your workouts to get the "reload" effect. Lifting weights burns up glycogen so eating carbs around workout time will help replenish the muscles as opposed to storing as fat so you can get away with it. But the bread you'll find around school will be full of hfcs and other genetically engineered garbage which will only harm us, same as the pasta in the lasagna, it just makes me shudder.

Eat as much green veggies as you possible can, even be ridiculous about it if you want. Get some kind of balsamic vinegary dressing and keep it with you and don't use the milky type of dressings. Broccoli, learn to love it.

Small changes - don't go crazy all at once, just incorporate changes nice and slow. But initially I think you will see some results. Learn to take measurements like waist measured at button - this is a good one, things like that as inches lost count too - even more than weight. Pay attention to how your clothes fit.

You'll be fine.

Okay, school is committed to providing us the highest quality food (healthy or not) that it can. Everything is made fresh with fresh and organic ingredients. Just so you know.

Is italian dressing okay?? It's either that or... well, I don't know, there are a lot of cream looking dressings.... Also, you want me to carry dressing with me??? What....?? Also, Broccoli, I love it if it's cooked. I just can't handle the texture... It makes me gag. :/ :/

Also, I have no way to measure. No measuring tape. Also. I have no privacy to do measurements without looking retarded. Also, judging how clothes fit... Sicne the washers and dryers here like to shrink clothes and stretch them out and do strange things to them... I can't really go on how clothes fit....

[MissJenaKay]

9:10 Wake up
9:15
-- 1 c KASHI Go Lean Crunch! Honey, Almond, Flax Seed
-- 1/2 c fat free milk

9:42 Workout
-- 31 mins on treadmill at 3.6(ish) avg (3.0-3.5 normally and then five one minute intervals at 6.0mph)

10:20
-- 12 fl oz milk
-- 1 scoop EAS Whey Protein

11:10
-- 1/2 Honey mustard Chicken Sandwich

2:10
-- Salad (about 14 oz) :: Spring Mix Greens, Spinach, Egg, Grilled Chicken, Beets, Broccoli, unsalted sunflower seeds, cucumber, mushrooms, balsamic vinegar.

4:30
-- Burrito Bowl (About 2 cups) :: Pork, Rice, Black Beans, Corn, Leetuce, Cilantro, Little cheese, little sour cream

9:06
-- 3 or 4 oz Chicken Breast
-- 2 c grapes

12:35
-- String Cheese

@ Allison :: It's not that I'm not willing to take suggestions. I take all the suggestions to heart and I think about them, I'm just afraid of trying to implement them. Then again, I guess that means that I'm not really taking them, eh? Sorry I'm so difficult and such for you guys. I try not to be. As for broccoli, I'll see what I can do. I don't even know if they have broccoli in the salad bar thing.. I'll have to check next time I go...

@ Brent :: I'll try to find a nearby store that would have measuring tapes. Since I live in Lincoln park, we're a little scarce in the way of stores, so I'd have to travel downtown most likely or it'd end up being a few mile walk. I apologize to you too for being so stubborn and difficult. I'm trying to work on attitude. And you know how you suggested I read 7 Habits of Highly Effective people? I'll try actually reading the book, having it here sitting on shelf isn't doing me any good. I've only read 16 pages... :/ Also, did you want to hear about the power questions and such from this week over PM??

[MissJenaKay]

I used to live there (: There are a few little quilt shops in the area that should have some tape measures for you. There's also a knitting place uptown, just off the brown line (I think), just off Clark.

DO you happen to know the name of the place? I'm not keen on getting lost and I have a horrible sense of direction. So I have to Google maps everything. XD

[MissJenaKay]

No I don't recall, but you can google it I'm sure. There are a couple shops in the area. That's actually one of the things I miss most about the city (:

Yeah,I'll find something. If I can't, I'm going home in a little over a week and I can get one back home.

Hey Jena, no need to appologize to me. Confidence goes through the world as she goes and appologies are after thoughts at best.

As far as the 7 habits goes maybe put 10-20min max in a day at that if you want but i would be focusing on the power questions first. But don't let your school slip because of it.

I was waiting to see how you made out with the power questions but I never got your message.

problem is that I keep forgetting I have the book. :/ :/

I'll send you another PM about 'em.

[MissJenaKay]

9:45 Wake up

10:07
-- 1 c KASHI Go Lean Crunch! Honey Almond Flax
-- 1/2 c Fat Free Milk

10:20 Workout
-- Dumbell Squats: 2 sets of 12 at 12lbs per DB
-- Lunges: 2 sets of 12 at 12lbs per DB
-- Hamstring Curls: 2 sets of 12 at 50lbs
-- Lower Back: 2 sets 12 at 70 lbs
-- Chest Press: 2 sets of 12 at 30 lbs
-- Rows: 2 sets of 12 at 30lb
-- Bicep Curls: 2 set of 12 at 10lb
-- Shoulder Press: 2 sets of 12 at 20 lbs

11:40
-- 10 oz Milk, ice, protein poweder
-- 1/2 Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich
-- 6 Baby carrots

2:48
-- 1/2 Burrito Bowl (from yesterday)

5:51
-- 6 oz grilled flank steak
-- 1.5 cup mashed potatoes
-- Oatmeal raisin cookie

9:20
-- 1 c KASHI
-- 1/2 c Fat Free Milk
-- Apple

@ Brent :: How do you manage to read a book more than once?

[MissJenaKay]

This book in particular I can read over and over again Jena because I am the author of how it ends, its beautiful. Its like a combination of groundhog's day and the Matrix.

Groundhog's day??? What?? Okay. I can never read books over because I always get bored because I remember the whole thing... Stupid memory.

[MissJenaKay]

It's a movie: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107048/

And I have the same problem with remembering books and movies, but I often return to a few select good books. As I get older, perception changes, and the way I understand books changes along with it. I think that's what Brent's getting at too.

Brent, I'm also really surprised you haven't brought up the movie "What the BLEEP Do We Know?!" If you haven't seen it yet, you definitely need to check it out: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399877/

I see.... I still can't stand reading a book more than once because I already remember everything that happens.....