Category Archives: Fitness

What I ate today: March 6, 2023

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Woke up late (after the alarm went off, I set it for another hour).

First up, warm water and 1/2 lemon. Then sardines with Solomon Gundy, little mayo, avocado and low carb bread I bake myself. Here is the recipe for the darker one and here is the one for the lighter one. I will gradually reduce the portion. Coffee of course, with a splash of unsweetened coconut milk and heavy cream, plus unsweetened Jouvay cocoa powder. This was about 8:40 a.m.

Had a second cup of coffee around 1 p.m., then at about 3:15 p.m. I had 1 baked chicken thigh, a smattering (about 1/8 cup) of some steamed veg (okra and pumpkin) and 1 boiled egg. I had carried avocado but as I was eating so late, and I intended to exercise at about 5:30 p.m., I didn’t want to be full. Well….didn’t reach home until 6:30 p.m.! Here’s why.

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21/03: The weigh in…

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First thing Monday morning I was at the gym to weigh in and get measured.

The results? Continue reading →

Gym episode 20/03: Last chance workout…on my own

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Damion Daniel was unavailable to train me on Sunday. Although I was accustomed to working out on my own all these years, I have come to rely on him pushing me to, as he told me, where my body has never gone before. Let’s see what I could put together for this “last chance workout,” still under his watchful eye as he was in the gym.

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Gym stories 19/03: In the home stretch

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I’d jumped on the scale at physio on Friday so knew that I’d lost some more. Would it be enough? Will I meet my target for the 40 days? These two final days had to count.

Not sure I was up for the hard workout today.

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Gym episode 18/03: Progress

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As the end of the 40 day challenge draws near, I can feel the progress I have made. And the reality is I have not had to do anything too drastic. Well except that the Christmas pudding is sitting in the freezer. Funny enough though, I haven’t craved it. THAT is certainly progress.

Exercise for today was the last of Bambi’s class at work. Like I did Monday, I carried my skipping rope and weights to continue working out after. Worked up a really great sweat.

This was lunch on Friday. The chicken was seasoned with only lemon rind, garlic and coconut oil. No salt. Yummmy!

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Gym episode 17/03: Back-to-back session

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It’s kinda rough having back to back sessions with the Trainer. He pushes me to go full throttle so I am spent at the end of it. But without a choice, I laced up my sneakers and headed to the gym…..and one hour earlier too! I must really like working with him. Those who know me well, know that I am not a morning person AT ALL.

This morning, I had to have steely resolve to get through the workout. Something had upset my sleep on Wednesday and I woke up twice during the night. Damion always stresses that the mind needs to drive my workouts. Mind, are you present?

Warm up went well enough.

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We did squats on the stationery machine (Smith?) “But didn’t we do squats yesterday?” is my retort when I have to do them on consecutive days. His usual response is “yeah…ok let’s go.” :?:? No sympathy. But it’s good for me.

The trainer had been putting me through a more cardiovascular workout this week so everything had to be done quicker to get the heart rate up. So yes, I huffed and puffed my way through the workout.

At the end of it all, I felt exhilerated, knowing that I was rather tired. It made it all the more worthwhile when I could fit into a jacket which I had not been able to wear in months. It couldn’t even button up back then. 🙂

I mark off my workouts on a calendar at work. Entering today’s session felt particularly satisfying. I can feel my body accepting the challenges I have thrown at it.

Gym episode 13/03: I want to make magic

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The heat was being turned up. We were coming into the final stretch of the 40 day weight loss challenge. One week from today, to be exact. Normally my Sunday workouts consist of calming yoga and tai chi. But when the Trainer is available for a rare Sunday session, you ditch those, but in favour of what? Continue reading →

Gym episode 11/03: Skipping

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I had kept forgetting that I had a skipping rope. So Thursday night I made sure to take it out and message Damion Daniel that I would be bringing it in Friday.

After my warm up, we did exercises inside. Can’t recall what we did (second note to self….do blog posts immediately after). He then took up a bar and told me to come outside. There is gym equipment out in the car park. No AC. Sun did hottttt. We did lat pull downs and the hated squats.

Next there were sprints, then skipping. I used to see my mother skip during training when she used to play netball internationally. Her knees went higher than mine. I also always remember my dearly departed friend Nelisa, who would always mention skipping as a good workout when she was motivating me to exercise even though I couldn’t afford to go to the gym back then. Her mom also played netball. Maybe that’s where she picked it up.

I was so engrossed in the training that it wasn’t until Damion looked at his watch and said he had to go, that I realized the time. I too had a meeting.

The time during the training sessions with Damion goes by without me realizing how long we are working out for. Well, that’s except if he is making me do the hated squats or lunges and I ask him “yuh doh have somewhere to go??”

Gym episode 09/03: No excuses

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Wednesdays during the 40 day challenge is usually when we go walking in the business park. That did not happen. If I didn’t exercise on Wednesday, I would only be doing 3 days for the week and my minimum is 4 days. Decision made….I would go to the gym.

But instead of leaving pronto and going straight, I idled at work then went to the bank. The result? I only had 15 minutes to exercise before I had to meet a friend for dinner. Yes….I carried clothes to bathe and change at the gym.

Busted my tail on the elliptical. Proud buck! Why? In the old days, I would have said since I only had 15 minutes, it didn’t make sense. Since I discovered High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), even 5 minutes is enough. Continue reading →

Gym episode 08/03: The opposite of the drop set is the pyramid! Eegad!

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It was with glee that I packed my gym bag Monday after getting the go ahead from my physiotherapist, Garvin Taylor from Grenada Physiotherapy and Pain Relief Centre.

Four p.m. was the gym time as my trainer Damion Daniel had to train at 5. Did my 10 minute warm up on the bicycle.

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My thigh was still a bit sore and I also had to pay attention to my back. But I managed to finish.

I can’t recall the first part of the session. Must have been upper body. The sprints outside consisted of one called “suicide” where you ran to a near marker, then back to the start then to a farther marker and back to the start etc. etc. It was for a very short time but I was breathless when I was done!

To finish up was pyramid exercises on the lrg extension and leg curl machines. I didn’t think too much of what a pyramid looks like and how that is related to gym exercises. I soon found out.
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