Hello again, strangers!
OK, so I didn’t manage to beat my overall distance covered from last month, but I did pretty well! 119.3 miles vs. May’s 152.8 miles. Breaking that down, it was:
- 74.3 miles of cycling
- 11.2 miles of running (just have not felt up for it lately…
) - 1.6 miles of swimming (heehee)
- 25.4 miles of hiking (i.e. cross country walking)
- 7 miles of walking (not counting walks <1mile, such as to the shops etc.)
My barbell lifts personal bests to date:
- Barbell Squat: 95lbs (previously 65 lbs)
- Deadlift:130lbs (previously 108 lbs)
- Pendlay Row: 90lbs (previously 75 lbs)
- Barbell Bench Press: 70lbs (previously 55 lbs)
- Overhead Press: 65lbs (previously 50 lbs)
I managed the first 4 weeks of Strong Lifts 5×5, then had to pull out of that (at least for the time being). Because I’m on a calorie deficit, I think the rapid increase in weight for the lifts was too much for me to keep up with. Instead, I’ve started with New Rules of Lifting for Women – Week 1 is done, and whilst it was hard work, it was manageable! I continue to mix in the odd run, some nice countryside cycle rides, punching heavy bag, and lovely yoga 
I swim a couple of times a month, so I’ll try to keep that up.
I had a look at my local gym (Mike’s Gym, “Suffolk’s no. 1 Powerlifting Gym”, ulp…) as I really need a squat rack to use. It’s fairly small, but really well equipped, and just down the road. However, because it’s a powerlifting gym, the majority of regular customers are big, muscly grunting men, and at the moment, I think that’s a little too intimidating for me. Plus, there’s no pool (which is a big thing for me if I’m paying a monthly set fee). So I’ve not decided yet – I’ve got a couple of gyms I want to look around near my new work place (3 weeks to go! hang on, I haven’t blogged about New Job. Should do. Later.), so we’ll see.
I’m also finally into a healthy BMI range (24.98!) at a weight of 155lbs (11stone 1). So, so pleased with this. That’s a total loss of 19lbs since the start of the year. Plus, I fit into all my clothes now, and I even got rid of quite a few as they were REALLY too big.
So that’s:
- Weight: 155lbs (May was 160lbs)
- BMI: 24.98 (no record for May)
- Body fat (estimate): 26% (May was 26.6%)
- Waist: 30.5″ (May was 33″)
- Hips: 37.5″ (May was 40″)
Intermittent Fasting continues to go well – some days are harder than others, but overall it is a lot easier to keep on top of my calorie intake by “skipping” breakfast. It has taken incredible will power, but it works out really well for me.
I’m still calorie counting (some might call it obsessive, I call it diligence) with MyFitnessPal. One thing that has become clear is that I need to plan better for my macros and my vits & minerals – especially since being of a (mostly) lactose free diet, I need to up my calcium intake significantly. Other than that, things are going well!
And finally: I like my own back now. Please excuse the underwear, but really it’s necessary to be able to appreciate my awesome back.
