Starting from Square One

Here's my first "Fit Friday" post, which recaps my fitness week.  I've divided this week's developments into The Good, The Bad(ass), and The Ugly.  For the most part, this week was really positive and a great start for developing my lifestyle changes of regular weight lifting, actual cardio, and clean(ish) eating.  Well, let's get started!!

The Good

Getting ready to lift some iron!  Can't forget the lipstick!

Regular Workouts:  I managed to workout 5 out of 7 days this week.  Even when I didn't quite feel like getting out onto the fitness floor I still made it happen.  I am using the Get Muscular workout from Muscle & Fitness Hers Sept/Oct 2011 issue (pg 36-38) and I'm really enjoying it.  It's a 4 day split, which is just perfect, as I work 5 days a week at the gym and Mondays are already reserved for ballet instead.  I hope to see some great strength gains in the near future!

Lipstick:  I have a theory that wearing a fun lipstick makes me more confident, and therefore I can handle more in the gym.  This week's workout lipstick has been Coralberry by Revlon, and it's done it's job of making me feel stronger.  I also tried Cherries in the Snow by Revlon one day, but it isn't a very good color on me.  I think I'd like to try a redder lipstick next, if only I can find mine.

Stir Fry:  Last night my friend Brigett, sister Veronica, and I made up a delicious (but cleanish) stir fry of multiple vegetables.  I also sauteed some tempeh marinated in a maple-cayenne teriyaki-like sauce from the latest Oxygen Magazine and cooked up some brown rice.  So good!

En garde!

The tempeh.  The marinade is soooo tasty.

Getting anxious to eat it!

The Bad(ass)

My New Nike Capris:  This week I bought a pair of Nike Dri Fit at my local Dick's Sporting Goods.  While they were more pricey than my usual workout attire, they were worth every penny!  They are super comfortable, make my glutes look great, and match my personality all at once.  I describe them as "I'm so strong that I can wear animal print" pants, and they certainly improved my confidence in the gym.  If this first month goes well I plan to treat myself to another pair since I love them so much.

Pain & Gain:  We pay-per-viewed Pain & Gain last night while we ate our stir fry.  What a weird but cool movie.  It reminded me a lot of Goodfellas, but had the added bonus of seeing hot actors lifting!  Definitely some funny moments involving fitness!

The Ugly

Everything wasn't sunshine and lollipops this week regarding the gym, so I have to admit a couple of "ugly" facts.

Pulled Hamstring:  Between swimming laps on Sunday and squatting pretty heavy on Monday I managed to pop/pull/sprain my hamstring.  This held me up from finishing my leg day, unfortunately.  BUT, I didn't give up and instead switched to back and biceps!  The leg is feeling much better and I was able to do all of my leg workout except squat by the end of the week.  I'll be back in full form on Monday for ballet and Tuesday for legs and calves, don't worry!

Weight Gain:  Despite great effort all week to eat clean, do cardio, and get sweaty, I still managed to gain 1.5 pounds because of my medicine.  Luckily, I went to the doctor this week and we're going to work up to changing my meds because of this rapid weight gain.  Hopefully things will be better on this front soon!

Well, life will always have ups and downs, and this week the positives certainly outweighed the few negatives.  Wish me luck on my journey to a better body and a stronger mind in the upcoming week!

Mirror, Mirror, On the Wall...

Rosie the Riveter: A vintage beauty and a model of physical AND mental strength

Not quite so beautiful or strong yet...

Once upon a time there was a young woman who lived with one foot in the past and one foot in the present, who longed to be strong and beautiful like the princesses she admired.  From vintage pinups like Marilyn Monroe and Rosie the Riveter to modern Amazons like Erin Stern and Jamie Eason, Scarlett knew that she needed build both her inner and outer strength in order to emulate such beautiful women.  This is her daring journey to find her own strengths and talents in the gym and in life.

This week I began my quest to become a fitter, healthier, and more determined me.  While I'm sure that this is a common start to any fitness blog, I am truly dedicated to making the necessary changes in my life to have the body, mind, and self-confidence I desire.  At 25, I am finishing graduate school and ready to move on with my life in all kinds of ways.  I have bipolar II, and, unfortunately, recent changes in my medicine has rapidly added over 15 pounds to my usually trim (though perhaps "skinny fat") figure, making me uncomfortable in many of my clothes and forcing me to really evaluate my physical and mental wellbeing.  Now is the time to strike while the iron is hot!  I plan to whip my body into shape over the next year, and hope that this blog will serve as a means to insure my dedication and hold me accountable!  I am considering entering a figure competition in the fall of 2014, in order to give myself a good amount of time, and hope that it will serve as further incentive to make the important lifestyle changes necessary to have a healthy and fit body, such as lifting weights, building endurance, and eating clean(ish).

As far as eating clean goes, I am a big fan of Tosca Reno's Eat Clean concept and adore reading Oxygen Magazine, but I can't say that I'm quite that hardcore.  So I have adopted what I have termed a "clean(ish)" diet.  I am trying to stick within the major principles of eating clean, but I want to enjoy my life and modify my eating accordingly.  I am also a vegetarian (for nearly 10 years!), so this blog will certainly feature recipes attempted from The Eat-Clean Vegetarian Cookbook, as well as veg-friendly recipes from Oxygen and Muscle & Fitness Hers.  I promise eating vegetarian and eating clean will be delicious and entertaining for both me and my lovely readers!

As far as workouts go, I like lifting heavy and am only reluctantly doing cardio.  Sometimes, there is just nothing better than the smell of iron and the feel of forcing out that last rep.  Blog entries involving workouts will typically take a "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" format, rather than just listing what I did in the gym today.  I will be evaluating my progress through my measurements and pictures, rather than by weight, since that's where the real changes will occur.  So, as ugly as they are, here are my starting stats...

Bust: 35.5"
Waist 28.5"
Hips 38.5"
Thigh 21.25"
Right Bicep (Flexed) 11.75"
Right Bicep (Unflexed) 11.25"
Left Bicep (Flexed) 11.5"
Left Bicep (Unflexed) 11"

Finally, I must acknowledge the inspiration behind the name of my blog, Lipstick & Iron.  There is a wonderful documentary entitled Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling that is absolutely incredible and inspiring and perfectly illustrates how vintage style and female strength can be combined, which is exactly my goal.  As an off-and-on professional wrestling student, I am pretty sure this is the greatest documentary of all time, but maybe I'm a little biased.  Either way, I highly recommend watching this entertaining film.  I can only hope that one of these days I'll be able to hold a candle to these legendary women.