A Plank a Day Challenge: Day 10 of 30, 2:00 minutes! New PR

I decided to take on the plank a day challenge for 30 days. I have never held the plank position for more than 90 seconds at one time so I am wondering if I will really be able to hold it longer than that as time wears on.

Recap:
(1.17) Day 1 – 30 sec: Pretty Easy. I did two sets to help prepare for what is to come
(1.18) Day 2 – 40 sec: Almost forgot about the challenge already. Ended up doing the plank at 11:00 at night just before bed
(1.19) Day 3 – 50 sec: Still hanging in there. Feeling strong like this is doable.
(1.20) Day 4 – 60 sec: Doing okay. Hubby got down and had to show off by holding plank way longer than my 60 seconds.
(1.21) Day 5 – 70 sec: Almost forgot about my challenge already. Had to get out of bed and did alright.
(1.22) Day 6 – 80 sec: Thought I would change it up and start my day with this challenge. Dismal failure. Lasted 30 seconds, then 15 seconds, than another 15 seconds. Going to attempt to revisit this challenge tonight. Starting t think I should have added 5 seconds a day.

(1.23) Day 7 – 90 sec: I did a 2 hr bike ride first thing this morning and then worked chest n tri’s at lunch. Did not look forward to my 90 second plank after dinner. Anyhow, got down on the floor and had my hubby time me so I couldn’t see the clock. I swear he set the timer for 2 minutes or more. I did survive the 90 seconds, and I literally felt my body temperature increase and start perspiring with each passing second.

(1.24) Day 8 – 100 sec: With sore tri’s and chest and a belly full of pizza, I grudgingly took on day 8 of this challenge. It is amazing the gamut of emotions that can go through one’s mind in 100 seconds. 0-30s, felt pretty good… I think I can do this…. 30-60s, okay not so bad…. 60-70s, okay I am starting to sweat and my body is beginning to shake… 70-80s, why the heck am I doing this I am screaming in my head… 80-90, still screaming at myself and convinced I am going to have heartburn from the exertion, 91… 92… each second felt like forever… 99, 100… held it. Officially a new record for me. What will 110 seconds bring tomorrow?

(1.25) Day 9 – 110 sec: I am proud to say that I was able to hold the plank position for 110 seconds. It did not feel much harder than the night before (which was hard) and knowing that tomorrow I will hold for an even 2 minutes, made tonight a little easier. I’m setting up an oscillating fan for tomorrow though.

(1.26) Day 10 – 2:00 minutes!!! Whooohooooo!! Yes, held it for the full 2:00 minutes. Not going to tell you how tough it was — too stoked at the moment.

A Plank a Day Challenge: Day 9 of 30, 110 seconds and holding ;)

I decided to take on the plank a day challenge for 30 days. I have never held the plank position for more than 90 seconds at one time so I am wondering if I will really be able to hold it longer than that as time wears on.

Recap:
(1.17) Day 1 – 30 sec: Pretty Easy. I did two sets to help prepare for what is to come
(1.18) Day 2 – 40 sec: Almost forgot about the challenge already. Ended up doing the plank at 11:00 at night just before bed
(1.19) Day 3 – 50 sec: Still hanging in there. Feeling strong like this is doable.
(1.20) Day 4 – 60 sec: Doing okay. Hubby got down and had to show off by holding plank way longer than my 60 seconds.
(1.21) Day 5 – 70 sec: Almost forgot about my challenge already. Had to get out of bed and did alright.
(1.22) Day 6 – 80 sec: Thought I would change it up and start my day with this challenge. Dismal failure. Lasted 30 seconds, then 15 seconds, than another 15 seconds. Going to attempt to revisit this challenge tonight. Starting t think I should have added 5 seconds a day.

(1.23) Day 7 – 90 sec: I did a 2 hr bike ride first thing this morning and then worked chest n tri’s at lunch. Did not look forward to my 90 second plank after dinner. Anyhow, got down on the floor and had my hubby time me so I couldn’t see the clock. I swear he set the timer for 2 minutes or more. I did survive the 90 seconds, and I literally felt my body temperature increase and start perspiring with each passing second.

(1.24) Day 8 – 100 sec: With sore tri’s and chest and a belly full of pizza, I grudgingly took on day 8 of this challenge. It is amazing the gamut of emotions that can go through one’s mind in 100 seconds. 0-30s, felt pretty good… I think I can do this…. 30-60s, okay not so bad…. 60-70s, okay I am starting to sweat and my body is beginning to shake… 70-80s, why the heck am I doing this I am screaming in my head… 80-90, still screaming at myself and convinced I am going to have heartburn from the exertion, 91… 92… each second felt like forever… 99, 100… held it. Officially a new record for me. What will 110 seconds bring tomorrow?

(1.25) Day 9 – 110 sec: I am proud to say that I was able to hold the plank position for 110 seconds. It did not feel much harder than the night before (which was hard) and knowing that tomorrow I will hold for an even 2 minutes, made tonight a little easier. I’m setting up an oscillating fan for tomorrow though.

A Plank a Day Challenge: Day 8 of 30, 100 seconds

I decided to take on the plank a day challenge for 30 days. I have never held the plank position for more than 90 seconds at one time so I am wondering if I will really be able to hold it longer than that as time wears on.

Recap:
(1.17) Day 1 – 30 sec: Pretty Easy. I did two sets to help prepare for what is to come
(1.18) Day 2 – 40 sec: Almost forgot about the challenge already. Ended up doing the plank at 11:00 at night just before bed
(1.19) Day 3 – 50 sec: Still hanging in there. Feeling strong like this is doable.
(1.20) Day 4 – 60 sec: Doing okay. Hubby got down and had to show off by holding plank way longer than my 60 seconds.
(1.21) Day 5 – 70 sec: Almost forgot about my challenge already. Had to get out of bed and did alright.
(1.22) Day 6 – 80 sec: Thought I would change it up and start my day with this challenge. Dismal failure. Lasted 30 seconds, then 15 seconds, than another 15 seconds. Going to attempt to revisit this challenge tonight. Starting t think I should have added 5 seconds a day.

(1.23) Day 7 – 90 sec: I did a 2 hr bike ride first thing this morning and then worked chest n tri’s at lunch. Did not look forward to my 90 second plank after dinner. Anyhow, got down on the floor and had my hubby time me so I couldn’t see the clock. I swear he set the timer for 2 minutes or more. I did survive the 90 seconds, and I literally felt my body temperature increase and start perspiring with each passing second.

(1.24) Day 8 – 100 sec: With sore tri’s and chest and a belly full of pizza, I grudgingly took on day 8 of this challenge. It is amazing the gamut of emotions that can go through one’s mind in 100 seconds. 0-30s, felt pretty good… I think I can do this…. 30-60s, okay not so bad…. 60-70s, okay I am starting to sweat and my body is beginning to shake… 70-80s, why the heck am I doing this I am screaming in my head… 80-90, still screaming at myself and convinced I am going to have heartburn from the exertion, 91… 92… each second felt like forever… 99, 100… held it. Officially a new record for me. What will 110 seconds bring tomorrow?

100 seconds, with helpers

100 seconds, with helpers

The Zone Diet

The “Zone Diet” has to be the first diet I ever really tried and stuck with. According to WebMD, the “Zone Diet “offers more than just claims about weight-loss. By retooling your metabolism with a diet that is 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrates, The Zone diet authors contend that you can expect to turn back encroaching heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Another much-touted advantage is better athletic performance. Sears doesn’t come right out and claim he has found the cure for heart disease or diabetes or discovered how to win athletic competitions. Instead he provides glowing anecdotes from people who have taken The Zone diet to heart.”

I started following the Zone Diet my first year living on a mountain resort as a snowboard instructor in the late 1990s. Hey, it did Jennifer Aniston a body good so it was going to do the same for me. My life was all about 30/30/40. The Zone Diet took a lot of work to get the right balance of protein/fat/carbs and I found that I was able to stick with the diet 75% of the time. Basically, I always fell of the wagon at night-time when it came time to eat what everyone else was eating. Many a night my diet was abandoned for McDonald’s french fries or a tasty burrito.

I was able to memorize the perfect 30/30/40 breakfast of cottage cheese, fruit, and almonds and ate that for years, mostly because it didn’t require any thought. To be honest, I don’t even like cottage cheese and fruit all that much. I have no idea how I ate it for almost 4 years. Trying to obtain 30/30/40 often left me counting calories constantly. Did I lose weight and keep it off while adhering to the Zone Diet? Yes, I lost 15 pounds when I started the diet and kept it off for 4 years while I stayed on the diet. Did I spend a lot of time trying to figure out what I could eat and how much I could eat? Yes, I felt like it was taking over my life to the point where I dreaded the holidays with my extended family.

Why did abandon the Zone Diet philosophy? I ended up abandoning the diet because I joined the Army. I ended up putting on 10 pounds during Basic Training because I got to eat and eat and eat. It was awesome. Why have I never chose to get back on the diet? It was too much work. Now days, I need to be able to cook one meal that my whole family will eat and I will not deprive myself of french fries if that’s what is on the plate.

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