1. Gym Motivation
2. Thigh Muscles
3. 25 Pounds
4. BMI
5. GLUTES
6. Bragging Rights
7. Bottle Opener Finisher’s Medal
8. Expensive Running Shoes
9. Focus
10. Proof I still Can!

Big Picture Goals: Run another 5K, Take a Great Vacation this Year, Retire by 55, Pay off the Car, Pay off the House

Goals for Today: Pay Bills, Balance Checkbook, Get Groceries & Gas, Post Up OWL PROWL Info, Get to the Gym

Gratitude: Today I’m grateful for Jas and my mom who facilitated retrieval of Thing 2′s forgotten flute in the middle of the night just in time for band class today! (I slept right through it but was wide-awake for this morning’s “OMG! I FORGOT MY FLUTE AT GRANDMA’S HOUSE!” moment bright and early at 6am!)

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So people ask me all the time:

       What did you do?

                      How did you do it?

                        How can I do it?

And I say the following canned response:

“I’m under a physician supervised diet and exercise program.
I eat between 800-900 calories /day on a normal day.
I work out, including strength & flexibility training,
most days of the week, if not all.”

It sounds so simple — maybe slightly less-than-healthy at times — but simple…

It’s not. It’s hard. It doesn’t always feel good. I’m hungry a lot, lol. My muscles ache more than they don’t. My hair falls out. My skin is loose. The metal in my body groans at me to just stop sometimes…
But I have to keep setting the bar higher to keep losing weight & gaining strength, speed, agility… To be the best me I can be. Why? MS. Age. Future Health. Etc…

…and that Physician Supervision? It’s a bi-annual visit where they check my status, tell me how amazingly well I’m doing, warn that my body will start to rebound whether I like it or not eventually… They do blood work. They check for issues and problems. Then I’m off to continue this path armed with their newest directive or tips, which are often less than helpful, lol!

So, I’ve had to do a lot of research to come up with a real plan – Attempting to make the most efficient use of my time, energy, and allotments is a 24/7 job and I don’t take it lightly. My time is valuable and none of us have enough of it to squander.

I try not to tell anyone how to do their thing, but I’ve been asked for specifics on more than one occasion, so I decided to share… For those who are curious

 ~ The Regime ~

Let’s start with the disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. What works for me may not, probably should not work for you. Please consult professionals before you jump on ANY band wagon, including mine!

Intake Goal: <900kc/day

This is a rough guideline. There are, of course, days where I eat over this amount and days where I eat way under — And there are days when I have a cupcake and nothing else until supper and others where I spend the evening out and drink more than my fair share of calories! But it’s a good idea of my intake on an average day.

• Breakfast: < 200kc: 1 Egg (hardboiled or microwaved or sometimes fried), 16 -32 oz coffee + 2tbsp Creamer, 2-4 Splenda
• Mid-morning Snack: ±100kc: Usually a Piece of Fruit (Usually a banana, apple, or orange, but whatever is in season or on sale is game.)
• Lunch: < 200kc: VARIES
  • Sample Option 1 – Tuna Packet (<100kc), Half Serving of Crackers, Croutons, Brushetta, or Chips (<100kc), Rockstar Recovery Lemonade (20kc)
  • Sample Option 2 – 1/2 cup of 2% Cottage Cheese + a Tablespoon of Tamed Jalapeños (<100kc), Fresh Vegetables or Half Serving of Crackers, Croutons, Brushetta, or Chips (<100kc), Rockstar Recovery Lemonade (20kc)
• Pre-or-post Workout Snack: ±100kc: Fresh Vegetables, Protein Shake (Must be less than 110kc) (They say protein within an hour before or after workout will help muscles ache less. Here’s to hoping! )
  • My favorite protein shake so far is My Bananas Foster KO – 1/2 scoop Banana Creme Quest Powder + 1/2 scoop Salted Caramel + 1/2 cup crushed ice + 1/2-3/4 cup cold water. Put all of it in a blender bottle or JAX bottle — ShAkE iT uP! and it’s pretty ok.
• Supper: < 300kc: VARIES WILDLY, but my portion needs to fall about between 300-400 kc. I shoot for lean proteins, vegetables, lesser carbs, but we all know that doesn’t always happen
• After Supper Snack (optional & infrequent): Cottage Cheese? Some Yogurt? Sometimes a Sweet Treat — My portion should not make me overshoot that 900kc cap for the day.
• Supplements: Vitamin D 5000iu x 4/day, One a Day multi x 1/day, Biotin x 4/day, B12 x 2 per day

Output Goal: >2500kc/day

This varies to fit the time I have available and I try to increase my strength goals by 2-5 pounds each week — But this is a good base for my bare minimum of activity if I expect to see any reasonable losses on a regular basis.

First the Music:

Note: I Jog/Walk. The slower songs sit at about 115 BPM, while the faster waver between 125 -135 BPM. They alternate so I have a run interval, followed by a walk interval cyclically until I’m finished.

I tend to zone out when I’m running or lifting – Slip into a state of hyperfocus that carries me through discomfort. Hey! I have a lot to think about and the rhythmic quality of my footsteps or the repetitive motion of the lift, plus the beat of my music makes it easier to sort stuff out in my ADHD mind.
(No, I’m not kidding. One of the side-effects of my MS is a very healthy dose of Attention Deficit. Medication does help, as does organization techniques and meditation, but insurance refuses to pay for the one medication that actually works for me… So the $500 per 30 pills means I have to spread it out. The last bottle I bought is nearing it’s expiration date, so that should tell you how few and far between I get to take it.)

Next, the Routine:

• Monday – BMR: 1650kc + Cardio Burn: 300-450kc + Strength Burn: 150kc = 2100-2250:
  • Strength: ARM DAY – Calorie Burn: 150kc:
    • Chest Press:
      • Set 1 – 35 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 2 – 30 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 3 – 25 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Lat Pull Down
      • 3 Sets – 50 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Bicep Curl
      • 3 Sets – 20 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Shoulder Press
      • 3 Sets – 20 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Seated Row
      • 3 Sets – 20 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Triceps Press
      • 3 Sets – 40 lbs, 16 Reps
  • Cardio – Calorie Burn 300-450kc:
    • 5 min warm up before strength
    • 2-3 Miles Distance Training for 5K in December after strength

• Tuesday- BMR: 1650kc + Class Burn: 200-300kc + Cardio Burn: 150-300kc = 2000-2250kc:
  • Strength
    • Group Class When Possible – Usually Pound @ the Y
  • Cardio – Calorie Burn 150-300kc:
    • 1-2 Miles Speed Training for 5K in December preferably outdoors

• Wednesday- BMR: 1650kc + Cardio Burn: 300-450kc + Strength Burn: 150kc = 2100-2250:
  • Strength: LEG DAY- Calorie Burn: 150kc:
    • Leg Extension:
      • Set 1 – 50 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 2 – 45 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 3 – 40 lbs, 10 Reps
    • Leg Curl
      • Set 1 – 60 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 2 – 55 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 3 – 50 lbs, 12 Reps
    • Thigh Adduction
      • 3 Sets – 55 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Thigh Abduction
      • Set 1 – 60 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 2 – 55 lbs, 15 Reps
      • Set 3 – 50 lbs, 12 Reps
    • Leg Press
      • Set 1 – 120 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 2 – 100 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 3 – 80 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Glute
      • 3 Sets – 15 lbs, 12 Reps
    • Calf Extensions
      • 3 Sets – 40 lbs, 16 Reps
  • Cardio – Calorie Burn 300-450kc:
    • 5 min warm up before strength
    • 2-3 Miles Distance Training for 5K in December after strength

• Thursday- BMR: 1650kc + Class  Burn: 150-250kc + Cardio Burn: 150-300kc:
  • Flexibility
    • Group Class When Possible. Otherwise yoga app!
  • Cardio – Calorie Burn 150-300kc:
    • 1-2 Miles Speed Training for 5K in December, preferably outdoors

• Friday – BMR: 1650kc + Cardio Burn: 300-450kc + Strength Burn: 150kc = 2100-2250:
  • Strength: ARM DAY – Calorie Burn: 150kc:
    • Chest Press:
      • Set 1 – 35 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 2 – 30 lbs, 16 Reps
      • Set 3 – 25 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Lat Pull Down
      • 3 Sets – 50 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Bicep Curl
      • 3 Sets – 20 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Shoulder Press
      • 3 Sets – 20 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Seated Row
      • 3 Sets – 20 lbs, 16 Reps
    • Triceps Press
      • 3 Sets – 40 lbs, 16 Reps
  • Cardio – Calorie Burn 300-450kc:
    • 5 min warm up before strength
    • 2-3 Miles Distance Training for 5K in December after strength

• Saturday – BMR: 1650 + Cardio Burn: 150-300kc = 1800 – 1950kc:
  • Cardio – 1-2 Miles Walk, Hike, or Bike

• Sunday – REST DAY – BMR: 1650 + Cardio: 100-200kc = 1750-1850kc:
  • Cardio – 1-2 Miles Walk or Hike

  ~•~

Only 35-40 more pounds to go. The end is in sight!
No. Defeat is not an option this time. It never was, really…  I just didn’t have the means before.
I remember telling an old friend that I truly believed anything was possible if I put my mind to it… But as I grew older, fatter, more worn, more tired — I just couldn’t. Now? I think I can again… and I’m not afraid — Not afraid to say “NO” and I’m not afraid to say “YES!” I’m not afraid of my opinions. I’m less afraid of repercussion. Less afraid of what you think. More confident. More able.

Everyday, I find pieces of 17-year-old Hollie, before the wreck, before hardship and disease, before adult life stood on her shoulders — and it feels good! (I mean, she’s the sauciest bitch I ever knew and if I’m gonna be trapped in here with anyone, lol, I’d want it to be that scrappy bit!)

~Hollie

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I knew it would happen eventually and they both knew what it was about, but our challenge came in bright and early Wednesday morning, the day both Mae & I were out sick. You see, our GS troop was challenged by my friend Jackie’s youngest. Mae and I thought long and hard about how we wanted this to go down.

First it was decided that anyone who still felt sick at the time of filming was to be left out for the moment. (That dropped me to the curb…) Then, I shot Mae the “badly dubbed Kung Fu” premise and she was sold. So it was on to them making signs so their intent was fairly clear, me filming each scene from multiple angles (cuz we were using the trusty iPhone), and then everything was handed over to mom for editing and dad for voice over.

Within 45 minutes, start to finish, we had one heck of an old-skool, Kung-fu style challenge video.

They in turn challenged me (is this a double challenge since I was ready challenged as part of the troop) & their grandmother. I promise to take care fo both challenges once I’m over this ick.