New Week with New Rules!

Have you ever done one of those resistance training programs that seems deceptively simple while you're doing it but later has you groaning at the slightest normal daily movement? Well, New Rules of Lifting for Women is definitely one of those programs! I did my second workout yesterday (started with the first one last Thursday) and today I am really feeling it! Yesterday's workout was deadlifts, shoulder presses, lat pullovers, lunges, and swiss ball crunches. That doesn't seem too terrible, does it? Then why am I so sore???

For the first 8 weeks you alternate between two full body workouts, working out three days a week. You aren't really encouraged to do much additional cardio while doing this program and after asking Lori what she thought (Lori being an experienced NRLFWer with helpful videos of some of the exercise on her blog), I decided to cut back on my running for the first week or two, and see how that goes. I am still doing my usual biking and walking and a long run on Sunday.

The harder part for me on these kind of programs is the nutrition. Trying to get the amount of protein this particular plan recommends in on a vegan diet is complicated, not so much that it is hard to get enough protein, but because most vegan protein sources are also either high in fat (nuts, tofu, soymilk) or high in carbs (beans, whole grains), so it's not so cut and dried as picking a portion of carbs and a portion of protein. But I am going to do the best I can - and may use some eggs or salmon from time to time. Most important to me is to continue to eat whole foods and lots of fruits and veggies!

So, my fitness goals for the next 12 weeks are:

• get stronger
• lose some weight
• improve my shape ( = fit into my clothes better or need to buy new clothes!)
• be ready for half marathon training in September (= keep running but don't get injured!)

I'll keep you posted on how I do on these goals - wish me luck!