Body Revolution Day 2

Today I went to an all day art class in a town about an hour away. I had to get out early so didn't workout before going. I came home tired and that old voice started in on me to just not workout. To fit in an additional workout later in the week- yeah, ha,ha... that one is the one that ALWAYS gets me, but never happens. At 7:30 I decided that I made this commitment. I planned where I want to be in two weeks, a month, 3 months, 6 months, a year.... so I have to do my part today to reach those goals or in a year I will be right where I am. So I did it!

Workout 2 was a fun one for me. Workout 1 was shoulders, plank, bicycle crunches. Areas where I am weak. Workout 2 was biceps, back, lunges, deadlifts, and buttocks. I didn't have trouble with anything. It also doesn't have any tough cardio that pushes too hard. I think I need to up the weight on my biceps, because it wasn't pushing me. I used 5 lbs, so next time I will use 8 lbs. I was drenched in sweat again. Tomorrow cardio- ug, I hate cardio. But, when I did the Shred workout I could tell within a week how much I had built and was improving, so I will look forward to seeing myself improve.

My body feels so heavy. Like trunks. I can't wait to build the muscle and start losing the fat and get that good light strong feeling :) That will rock! And I can't wait to crunch up and not have a big ol roll in the way keeping me from going further. And can't wait to get a photo that I don't have to crop to make me look slimmer/less fat/hide my big ol booty. I am going to do this!

Meals:
Breakfast- Chex cereal

Lunch: ham and cheese roll up with mustard (no bread), carrots with light ranch dressing as dip.

mid meal: fruit and nut bar

Supper: omelet with onion and 2 slices bacon, with a little cheddar sprinkled on.

I need to work on my meals, but am trying to do better.

Body Revolution Day 1

Today is the first day of Jillian Michael's Body Revolution. My son left for basic training in the Army this morning so I had to put off my workout until the afternoon. I was so tempted just to put it off today, but had to "just do it" because I can't let day 1 not happen because of any excuse. It is time to stop the excuses and stick with my plans and press on toward the goal. So, I went up and decided that I could do it for just 30 minutes, that I wouldn't stop or half do it.

I could do everything except the plank and bicycle crunches. Whew, the plank is hard. I could only do about 10 seconds and have to rest about 3 seconds and do a little bit more. I did 20 bicycle crunches and had to rest and then picked back up. I was drenched in sweat at the end. It is pouring down rain with severe weather all around us so I don't think I will get my walk in.

This summer is my 25th wedding anniversary in July and my 45th birthday in August. Would it be horrible to say I want to look good and feel good and be a new me? I have planned out my workouts and broken my weigtloss goals down. My first one is to lose 5 lbs by Easter, which is in two weeks. We are going to Disney next week so in my plans I am not going to do Body Revolution next week, but do a circuit of jumping jacks, lunges, squats, etc. If they have a gym I might be able to do some of the Body Revolution weights, but I will have to see.

I am off with my eating today. For breakfast I had Chex cereal. I was going to have an egg, but my stomach was in knots waiting to take my son and I couldn't stomach it. I missed a mid morning meal as we were taking him. For lunch I had leftover grilled steak and half a sweet potato. I was still upset and starving so didn't take the time to make some green veggie. Tonight I will have the other half of the steak and sweet potato and will make some broccoli to go with it and try to get on track. For mid meals I have an apple and peanut butter and almonds.

Monday October, 22, 2012

I did my Firm upper body today. I am so tired all the time and lethargic. I could seriously take a nap twice a day and not feel rested. My Vit D was 18 after taking prescription medicine for it so I just completed a 2nd round of 50000 units a day for two weeks. I don't feel it has helped. Your number should be above 30 so the nurse said I was extremely low. I went ahead and set up a lung function test next week. I have been coughing for over four weeks. Then, I set up a complete physical. I want them to check my thyroid. My hair has been dry and falling out. I hope to get some energy and if anything is wrong figure it out.

I am having to detox sugar and diet Dr Pepper again. Hopefully that will also help with my feeling tired. The weather is absolutely gorgeous. It is the perfect weather for camping and hiking and just enjoying being outside.

New Challenge

I am trying to get started again. I went to the gym today (Monday) and walked. Working on fueling my body better and getting in water. I am going to go through a few rough days as I get the sugar out of my system. My group I am in has started a new challenge. This is ther 3rd week, but I am just starting today.

Breakfast- Kix cereal with milk (I know... sugar!)
mid meal- apple with peanut butter and a few grapes
Lunch- grilled pork chop, corn, green beans, lima beans
mid meal- skipped
Supper- taco salad

I went by the store and got eggs, bananas, and sweet potatoes so I can do better tomorrow.

This year has been so crazy. It started with me still healing from a compression fracture in my elbow. Dad was diagnosed with cancer in December so I was going back and forth to Atlanta to visit with them. I was doing really well with exercising and eating clean until Feb when I was visiting my brother unexpectantly had a massive stroke and died. After that I continued to go to Atlanta to see dad as often as I could, but just never got back on track. In June Dad passed away. Although he had cancer we were told it was one of the most treatable kind (lymphoma B) and it was a total surprise for him to not recover. I don't know.... I always find excuses and I hate that about myself. Then, in July I fell in the garden and my thumb came out of joint and  I tore the capsule at the joint and pulled ligaments and nerves. I am in my last week of therapy and have gained a lot of mobility, but still cannot hold a full glass or turn a doorknob and many other things. So, I have to take it easy.

I've home schooled all my kids until they start high school. My fourth entered 9th grade and we went ahead and put the last one in school also, starting 7th grade. So I find myself alone for the first time in 22 years, and 18 years of home schooling. It is a real adjustment. The kids started school last week. In so many ways I feel like someone who lost their job. Homeschooling and being a mom is all I've done for so long I feel I have to make a whole new life. I have tried to look at it as a opportunity to focus on me and do things I love like crafts, and sewing, and photography, and Bible study. Because I have had therapy on my hand three days a week and other appointments I haven't had a chance to get into a routine yet. But, I am planning to make daily exercise a priority.

For two weeks I am doing this:
Monday- Firm, walk/elliptical at night
Tuesday- Shred, walk
Wednesday- Weight machines, walk
Thursday- Tae Bo, walk
Friday- Firm, walk
Saturday- walk

I want to start the Couch to 5K in the 3rd week and hope my hand has more strength to add more weight for upper body. If not, I'll contiue to do what I can.

Clean Eating Foods

Some of the  clean meals I've had the last week:

Chicken Fajita salad: I grill tenderloins seasoned with either Greek or taco seasoning and cut into strips. I sautee onion and green pepper. For this one I had a box of mixed carrot/edamame/black beans in my freezer I wanted to get rid of so I steamed it in the microwave and added it. It was ok, but I wouldn't add it again. I love a fajita salad, though!

Grilled italian chicken, salad with cucumber and tomato, and sweet potato. I marinate the chicken in 1/2 bottle of light Italian dressing and then grill. It was very tender. To make the potato I poke and microwave one potato 6 minutes. They are so good!.

Breakfast cups. scramble up 6 eggs with salt, pepper, and about 1 tbsp milk. Pour into greased muffin tins. Add anything you would like- I added some ham. Bake about 20-30 min at 350 degrees- until the egg is set.

Taco salad. I used ground turkey, homemade taco seasoning, and black beans. Sauteed onion and green pepper. I am trying to cut out the cheese and sour cream so I used just a little.

Vegetable beef soup

My cheat meal: Chicken salad- I used grillled tenderloins seasoned with Greek seasoning. Bacon- Sams has a package that is chopped real bacon that is good to keep on hand. Cheese. Ranch dressing (not shown) For a non cheat meal I add cucumber, chopped boiled egg,tomato, omit cheese and use low fat dressing.

Firm Body Sculpt and Slim in Six Abs

I pulled the nail up on my toe over the weekend so couldn't do a full cardio workout. So, instead today I did the upper body portion of the Firm Body Sculpt tape. I also did the 10 minute ab video that goes with my Slim in 6 workouts.

I used to do the Firm tapes all the time. Back before I gained so much weight. I was doing these videos, the Windsor Pilates video, sometimes the Slim in 6 which uses resistance bands instead of hand weights, and I was walking 3 miles with a friend every day. Then, I got to swimming and worked up to 32 laps, which is 1/2 mile.

The Firm tapes are awesome. They combine cardio with weights. So many workouts for women are all cardio or don't encourage you to lift weights. With the Firm you can add weight and keep challenging yourself. Every time I have started over I can barely get through a workout.

I wasn't real thrilled with the 10 minute ab tape from Slim in 6. It is an extra tape, so I had never done it, but it was just ok, not super challenging. I think I will stick to the Firm Ab tape or Pilates or one that I've pulled out of Oxygen magazine.

I have to tighten up my diet this week and eat more clean. I got off at Easter and ate candy, chips, and icecream. Ok, the ice cream was LAST NIGHT! So, I am focusing on no sugar and really getting in my 5-6 meals and drinking a lot of water. I really struggle to eat every 3 hours. I get busy and forget. Going to set a timer.

Freezer Meals: Taco Meat, Chicken, and Vegetable Soup

 I found Jeannie-O patties on sale so I am flash freezing them so I can pull out what I need later. Not shown, I made up 8 patties of a mixture of ground chuck and ground turkey to make the family burgers.

 I had a little bit of fajita marinade in the refrigerator so I put it on some chicken tenders and baked them. These are good over a salad with corn and black beans. Or, I  sautee onion and green pepper and serve over brown rice.

 I sprinkled these tenders with Greek seasoning and baked. I eat them in a chicken ranch salad, over brown rice, or as they are to accompany a sweet potato and vegetable. I flash freeze the tenders and then freeze in a Ziploc bag so I can pull out just what I need and they aren't stuck together.

 I made up a spaghetti sauce with ground chuck/turkey. I put it in this jar to freeze.

 After making chili for tonight, taco meat, veg beef soup, and spaghetti sauce I had four servings of cooked meat left. I put in Ziplocs and roll to remove all the air and keep them in a bin in the freezer for ground beef. I add these to beef dishes like Shephards Pie, enchaladas, tater tot casserole.

The three tall containers have the vegetable beef soup. The small container has leftover spaghetti sauce that wouldn't fit in the jar. It is perfect for a lunch. The large rectangle is taco meat. Since it doesn't fill the container I will put a piece of wax paper over the surface so no air touches the surface to keep it from getting a freezer burn taste.