Late night ambition...

I should be in bed, especially since I kind of feel like I am catching a bug. Granted, I have not been sick in almost two years, but I am blaming this on my busy schedule. Anyway, my mind is running (thanks to my recent purchase of the newest Fitness RX magazine). This episode features and entire guide to lifting, plus a 21 minute circuit. I have decided to commit to doing the 21 min circuit 2x per week, run 15 miles per week in some capacity, and start the training calendar. My goal is to at least do this for three weeks, starting tomorrow. I know my diet will improve, as it usually falls into place with a structured workout plan. My boot camp classes that I will be teaching start next Saturday, so I am hoping for some decent results by memorial day weekend! Here we goal!:)

Week 2... Dreaded Before Pics

Week 2:
 
Morning!! I didn't check in over the weekend due to the holiday, being busy, and just life in general… but I'll fill you in.
 
Thursday evening (which was basically my Friday seeing I was off on Good Friday), I taught my two classes at the Y (Kick and Pump, and PiYo). I blogged earlier that day, stating I had a plan to deal with my long days of teaching back to back classes. Well, I didn't plan too well, and didn't have time to grab something healthy to eat before my two classes. I came home, and once again was STARVING!
 
My husband was home, and since it was our "Friday" we kind of wanted to just get out of the house. We made a plan to go to our local pub down the road, and I figured I could at least get a salad (and possibly one glass of wine) J Unfortunately, by the time we got to the pub, they were closing (which is odd, because usually they are open pretty late). So, we made the treck to Applebees which is about 10 minutes from our house. Chris wanted to share something with me, so instead of my plan for a salad, we shared a trio (unhealthy bite- sized temptations). I also ordered a "skinnybee margarita" which actually only has 100 calories, so I was happy with that decision. The trio came, and we munched away.
 
The next day, I remembered my plan… I wasn't going to let a bad meal screw up my next day or next meal, or week for that matter. I had the day off, and was going to make it a good day.
 
I started my day with a 20 minute ab / core workout from the Turbo Fire collection. I was determined to get some cardio in by the end of the day. My husband was fishing, so I had the house to myself. I got caught up on some of my favorite shows, did some laundry, and before I knew it, it was 8:30pm! I was completely stuck on watching "Fashion Star" which ends at 9pm. I decided to finish the show, and get the treadmill ready for a good late, run. That is EXACTLY what I did… and I had such an amazing run at 9pm. I ran 4.5 miles, 45 mins. I felt amazing. I took a nice hot shower, tried out some new organic sunless tanner that I had purchased at Wegmans (it is funny how when you start becoming more conscientious about what you are putting in your body, you also become more aware of what you put ON your body).
 
Saturday was a wonderful day as well. I started the morning off with a 1 hour cycling class with a friend, and a coffee/ chat date with her after. I ordered a strawberry / banana 1/2 scoop protein smoothie at wegmans. Later that day, we went to Erie, PA to the mall to get my wedding band fixed. Chris and I were craving some salads, so we went to Ruby Tuesday's for dinner. We both got the salad bar, and I also got spaghetti squash (and took more than 1/2 of it home)!
 
Sunday was quite the day (started off great as far as evening), but I kind of picked here and there at Jelly beans, chocolate, etc…. it was Easter.
 
Monday- another "okay" day. Started the day off great, but neither Chris or myself felt like cooking a meal for dinner. I picked up a rotisserie chicken (not entirely bad), some red potatoes (not so bad), and garlic bread sticks (okay, THOSE are bad)!
 
Tuesday (yesterday) always seems to be great days, since I know I have to teach class later. Started the day off with my Shakeology, had a healthy lunch, and taught class. After class, I was motivated for a short run with one of my co-workers. We ran for about 20 minutes on the treadmill at the Y. Dinner was probably one of my better dinners: Egg Whites with reduced fat cheese (scrambled), 3 slices of turkey bacon, a slice of Ezekiel toast, and a green tea smoothie.
 
Recipe for smoothie: Steep 1 bag of (I use the Yogi brand blueberry slim for life green tea) in mug of hot water for 4-5 minutes. In blender, add: frozen mango (I get 100 % mango purree frozen bars, I use 1/2 the bar), 1/2 banana, ICE, 1/2 or 3-4 oz of reduced sugar vanilla yogurt, a splash of Trop 50 orange juice. Add tea water, and blend until smooth.
 
Today was weigh in!!! Current weight: 154.4. Loss of 3 lbs!
 
Tonight, I am taking a "before" picture (dreading this), but I know it is worth it, and helps me stay accountable! I am going to start teaching a 6 week boot camp class at the Y, and my new re-commitment, combined with that, I can not wait to see the results!
 
Don't forget to take some sort of "before" picture, even if it is for your own record

Day 2: Solutions to barriers

Day 2-

Good Morning! I am feeling quite tired this morning. Yesterday, I have to admit was a rough day. Not because it was my start to re-commitment. That part of the day was just fine. Things were difficult emotionally- personal stuff, and I didn’t get a good night’s sleep OR a chance to work out which really wasn’t a great start. However, the eating part (which is my biggest struggle anyway) was pretty good. I’ll give myself a 7 out of 10.

My meals yesterday:

Breakfast: Chocolate Shakeology with unsweetened almond milk (vanilla) and a ½ banana. (250 calories)

Snack: Special K Protein Bar/ Coffee with sugar free creamer (150 calories)

Lunch: Weight Control Oatmeal w/ ½ banana (I choose this “instant” brand because it has a higher protein count than others). 1 slice of Ezekiel cinnamon raisin toast with a few sprays of butter (290 calories)

Snack: Grapes & carrot slices with hummus (200 calories)

Dinner: Homemade Guacamole (1/4 of a guacamole with chopped red onion, cilantro, garlic salt, lime juice), black beans, reduced fat cheese, hot sauce, and non-fat plain greek yogurt in a whole wheat wrap (300 calories)

Dessert: (I am a sucker for dessert) 1 vitabrownie with natural peanut butter (100 calories)

TOTAL: 1290 calories

Today I have to teach TWO back-to-back classes at the Y tonight. This is where I really struggle because it completely interferes with my ideal dinner time. J I leave work at 4:30pm (I suppose I could eat a little light dinner at this time), my first class starts at 5:30pm-6:30pm. The next class is from 6:45pm-7:45pm. After my drive home from work, I am home around 8:30pm (wayyy to late in my mind for a dinner).

Here is today’s plan: I will have a 200 calorie meal around 4:45pm. When I leave class, I will carrots and hummus to munch on during my ride home. When I get home, I will have something really lite (Ezekiel toast or some popcorn).

1st Barrier solved! (FINGERS CROSSED- I’ll fill you in tomorrow on how it went)… Okay, so yesterday, you identified your “WHY”… today list some potential “road blocks” or “barriers” that would pop up that would prevent you from hitting your goal

Journey to re-commitment after a LONG winter....

 An out of shape aerobics instructor:

Yes, it has been one hell of a long winter. However, I am not one to make excuses for what has occurred this winter. November 2011, I changed my lifestyle, made really healthy changes (no dieting) just eating cleaner, counting my intake, and exercising more. I also began strength training. I went from 171 lbs to 138 lbs by July 2012. That is a loss of 33 lbs. I had never felt better!
 
This past winter of 2012/ 2013, my exercising continued pretty faithfully, but my eating habits slllloooowwly declined. I made one poor choice after another. I learned a lot about myself. When I want something that I know isn't good for me, I really can't just have one serving, or one "piece" of the "pie", or "slice of pizza", or "cake". Okay, maybe, only one slice of cake (I don't have a HUGE sweet tooth), it is more of the pizza, wings, subs, or chips that tend to get me in trouble. I think to myself… "crap, I ruined today, so what is one more slice?" I also say, "hell, what is the point of working out today? I already ate like crap"… Can you relate? Or am I completely alone on this? J yeah, total irrational thinking.
 
If I want to be honest, my current weight is 156.6 lbs (as of this morning). I am a huge believer in- not focusing ALL on the number on the scale, but checking how clothing fits, how you feel. Truth is, I do FEEL okay, besides a belly ache on the days I eat horrible J I can still run a 5K in pretty good time, and my strength is still in good condition. Clothing is a different story. My work pants are tighter, truth is, I want to wear yoga pants to work! The worst of it is, I teach aerobics (3 classes per week) at our local Y. All I can think is, HOW EMBARRASSING, they MUST be seeing my body changing… I am smack dab in the front & center in the mirror every week, all eyes on me! I am supposed to be setting a good example, right?
 
Every week, I go through a phase, where I do great a few days in a row, working out, eating clean… then I go through a few days where I completely (not just a little) BLOW it! I finally told myself, ENOUGH! I need the better days to out weigh the bad, and if I have a little "screw up", I refuse to let it ruin my ENTIRE day. See, there is a difference… I need to expect to have days that might not be perfect, but I need to watch how I react to that… and be careful about not letting it ruin my whole day.
 
So today, 3/27/13… starts my re-commitment, back on my journey to health and fitness. This girl has GOALS… (which I will define momentarly) that make re-committing totally and completely WORTH it.
 
I totally believe in creating a "WHY" goal. WHY is it so important to recommit? What am I doing this for? What am I working toward… Here are my WHY's:
 
1) Fit better in those work pants!
2) Get Healthy / and fit before considering to have a family/ pregnancy
3) Run my best 5K time
4) Set a good example for my aerobic students
5) Complete the Tough Mudder in July
 
Want to join me in this journey? Jot down some of your WHY's… and be sure to check in every day, as I will post up-dates, tips, progress, etc.

Clean Eating.... whhhhhaaaaa!?!?!?!

Clean Eating… whhhhhaaa??

Okay, don’t be scared. When I first heard of “clean eating” I seriously pictured myself munching on carrots all day long, putting green junk in a blender and gagging it down.  I almost said…. Heck no, I am not going to do that “clean eating crap”. But it is a LOT better than that. When you think of clean eating think: minimally processed foods, ingredients that you can pronounce & recognize, a lean diet (lean proteins, etc), water, you don’t have to give up coffee if you don’t want to, but maybe you could try to switch to green tea, but if you can’t- drink coffee! It’s okay!

Why I switched from WW to Clean Eating. Don’t get me wrong, WW is great in theory, you get a certain amount of points to consume per day, and you are encouraged to eat veggies and fruits, as well as your recommended daily water. The only trap that I fell into was, “oh I have 10 points left, I can have a slice of pizza”  OR I would want McDonalds, and I would only have a few spare points for the day. That grease was not going to help me when I did 50 crunches that night. Now that I eat clean, I can see my abs! Do I still have a cheat day? Yes, I personally allow myself to. I am human. This is completely up to you, if you feel you need one, or would do better without one. I recommend the first 30 days to try without so you an create the habit. It takes 21 days to create a habit, you know!

 

As far as WW, I didn’t use it properly, I always felt tired. Yes, I did lose weight, but I was still eating junk. I have seriously transformed my body and kept off 30 lbs for almost a whole year now. I value the Clean Eating lifestyle, because you can still eat yummy foods… just better versions of them. I have WAY more energy, have improved my metabolism, and I learned: the only way to actually see what your body is capable of is by eating the foods that it deserves! I am no longer focused on a target point system, but rather healthy meals throughout the day. Each body is different, and I have learned this is what mine needs. I suppose you could use WW and Clean Eating! Totally up to you!

So why did I do this? I heard wonderful things about it, and I didn’t want to just “look better”, I wanted to feel better too! I didn’t want to give up yummy stuff, but I definitely wanted healthier versions of yummy stuff. Here is what I learned: Our metabolism can slow down or speed up based on what we put in our body. Eating clean is one way to accomplish a change in our metabolism for the better, which is a VERY good thing.

Pages to check out: He & She Eat Clean, Jamie Eason Recipes, Chalenejohnson.com/blog

There is a Clean Eating Magazine (to be honest I have never used it)

2 books I love: PUSH by Chalene Johnson & The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno (the winner of the challenge gets their choice of 1 of these books).

Here is the easiest way to explain it:

1)             Consume 6 to 7 small meals per day (200-300 calories) WHY? You need to keep your metabolism going.

2)            Start your day with protein

3)            Eat more dark green veggies

4)            Consume Minimal Processed foods

5)            Drink plenty of water and avoid carbonated beverages (8-10, 8oz glasses daily).

6)            Minimal refined sugar, soy and dairy.

7)            0.7  Grams of protein daily times your body weight in KG (calculate your body weight in KG and multiply)

8)             Ask how it is prepared when ordering/ eating out

9)             Healthy fats (avocado, evoo, almonds & nuts)

10)       Figure out how much you take in and how much you put out (my fitness pal)

 

“You don’t have to give up meat, or bread! I suggest finding a sprouted grain bread. Like: Ezekiel (frozen organic aisle) 1 loaf can stretch a few weeks (for me at least as I don’t eat it every single day). Sprouts and sprouted-grain products are more readily digested than your typical store-bought loaf of whole-grain bread. In addition, their nutritional profile is high in fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. It is the cooked form of wheat that causes mucus congestion, allergic reactions, constipation, and bowel irritability. When wheat is sprouted the starch is converted to simple sugars and this has no negative effects on the digestive tract” (Reno, 2009).

 

Here are some more tips from Tosca Reno “The Eat-Clean Diet”

DO:

1)             Eat more- 6 small meals a day

2)            Eat breakfast every day, within an hour of rising.

3)            Eat a combo of lean protein and complex carbs at each meal.

4)            Eat sufficient (2-3 servings) of healthy fats every day.

5)            Drink 2-3 liters of water each day

6)            Carry a cooler packed with Clean foods each day.

7)            Depend on fresh fruits and veggies for fiber, vitamins, nutrients, and enzymes.

8)             Adhere to proper portion sizes.

AVOID:

1)             All over-processed foods, particularly white flour and sugar.

2)            Avoid chemically charged foods.

3)            Avoid foods containing preservatives.

4)            Avoid artificial sugars.

5)            Avoid artificial foods (such as processed cheese slices)

6)            Avoid saturated and trans fats

7)            Avoid sugar-loaded beverages, including colas and juices.

8)             Avoid (or do your best to limit) alcohol intake.

9)             Avoid all calorie-dense foods containing little or no nutritional value. (Reno calls them “anti-foods”)

10)       Avoid super-sizing your meals.

 

Resources: PUSH by Chalene Johnson (2011). The Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno (2009).

 

Pick up a weight, I dare ya.....

Go hard or go home… yes, ladies… I mean you…

To find me lifting a weight in my early twenties would have been a rare occasion. Here is what my workout “routine” (if you can even consider this a “routine”) consisted of: Leslie Sansone Walk Away The Pounds DVD’s, Occasional walks outside in the summer, 20 minutes on the Elliptical at the local “hole in the wall” gym that I got a free membership to for attending our local community college. When I was really motivated, I would go for a jog (but never in the winter), use 2 lb. dumbbells in the occasional aerobics classes at the gym, and sporadically attend Pilates at the gym.

I once bought one of those big stability balls and vowed to do 100 crunches every day because I read in an article once that Britney Spears did like 500 per day. Crazy, I know.

This was my logic, do what other people do that look good, even if it sounds ridiculous & continue doing cardio until you hit your goal weight, and then pick up those 2 lb. dumbbells to really start toning and getting some definition. There was NO WAY in heck I wanted to build “muscle over fat”, and get all “big”. All crazy myths I lived by, while never achieving anything besides hitting that goal weight (but feeling pretty crappy and lethargic all the time). How many times did the owner at the gym tell me during my annual health test, “women need to stop being afraid of strength training, it boosts your metabolism, and makes your cardio workouts more effective”. Obviously this went in one ear and out the other.

It wasn’t until this past year, when I wised up. Something must happen when you almost hit 30. Oh yeah, that’s right, you stop being so stubborn, and become more open-minded to learning again. If only I could go back to the owner at that gym, and say, “look at me now! I finally listened to your advice”. I don’t know if he’d be thrilled, or annoyed to know it took only 8 years for me to “get it”.

Here is the thing ladies… no matter what your goal is, to lose weight (anything from 5- 100 lbs.), to get some definition and “tone”, we need:

1)     Be open-minded to learning

2)     Dis-spell irrational thoughts and myths about “strength training”

3)     Commit to 2- 3 days per week of strength training (30-60 minutes)

4)     Identify the positives to strength training

5)     Put all of the above into action

 

I can’t tell you how to do #1 on this list; it is something that will need to come from you when you are ready.

With that being said, let’s start with #2: “Dis-spell irrational thoughts and myths about “strength training”. Here were some of mine:

a) Strength training will “bulk” me up and make me look “manly”.

b) I will build “muscle over fat”

c) The number on the scale will go up because muscle weighs more than fat.

d) Light weights + Lots of Reps= sculpted body.

NOW it is your turn: (use mine or write down your own)

a)

b)

c)

d)

I also can’t tell you how to do #3, or enforce it. I’d like to think I could all jump in to check on you at home or at the gym to make sure you are committed, but that may be going a little too far. I’ll trust you to believe that you have now identified this as important, and will put your goal into action!

What I can do though, is suggest that you get a calendar and schedule these workouts in as non-negotiable appointments. Don’t use the excuse of “I have no time” because I don’t care how busy we are, we can make the time (ie- cancel other events, or appointments that can wait, or rearrange things to squeeze in some time). Shoot for just 2 days per week (30 mins each to start).

Now we have #4: Identify the positives to Strength Training. And no, meeting a hot meat head at the gym is not one of them (well maybe, if you are single that is)… Here are the real positives:

a)     Strength training is scientifically proven to provide the most effective results for fat loss.

b)    As we get older, our metabolism slows down (sad, but true), the only way to combat this is through Strength Training. Guess what? We aren’t getting as much out of our cardio routines when that metabolism slows down, but if we are strength training, we are!

c)     “Though any strength training is beneficial, slow, controlled reps working to create momentary failure in less than 12 reps is one of the best ways to improve muscular strength and therefore reduce body fat”.

d)    Helps us become more effective with functional, everyday activity. Ie: Carrying groceries, carrying the baby, lifting boxes, moving furniture, going up or down stairs, etc.

(Johnson, Chalene. PUSH. 2011).

 

Okay, your turn, what do you see positive about strength training (now that you know some of your “past thoughts” were myths) :

a)

b)

c)

d)

And lastly, # 5: Again, something you will have to do on your own… but if Strength Training is something brand new to you here are a few suggestions on how to get started: Take a “pump” or “strength training” group exercise class. Ask about beginners. Set up a session or two with a personal trainer who can help develop a tailored routine for you, once you have learned the routine, you can do it on your own. There is a WONDERFUL at home workout program that I suggest if you have a few dumbbells at home (I suggest getting a 5 lb. pair for warm-ups, an 8 to 10 lb pair, and potentially there is a set at Wal-Mart that goes up to 20 lbs.). This program is called: ChaLEAN Extreme. The workouts are about 35 mins each. You will learn proper form, and begin seeing changes in your body quickly. You’ll be astonished at the lbs. you will be able to lift after a few weeks. A great book to use as a guide is PUSH by Chalene Johnson- where she will give you a routine you can do at home starting on page 211.

How I "Shake my Shake"

I never used to be a "drink a shake" type of girl. In fact, my experiences with shakes were disgusting to say the least. My second year in college I was working at Rite Aid where we sold "Slim Fast" . I thought, "what the heck, I'll give it a shot" and attempted to try and lose 10 lbs. I had to drink this nasty watered down shake for 2 meals a day, and that was a joke. It didn't fill me up & I believe I ended up gaining weight because I would binge from being so hungry at the end of the day.

My second and third attempts were not specifically a "let's drink a shake everyday" type of experience. I was working and going to school, and we had a gym in our town (that I could not afford a membership to) that sold some pretty decent shakes. I would do my workout at the "hole in the wall" gym, then drive to the nice gym to buy a yummy shake for a post-workout snack. They weren't too bad... they used "Myoplex Lite" and mixed things like blueberries and they even had an apple pie recipe in the fall. These were simply "once in-awhile" shakes. The shake did provide me with protein, and was lite in calories, however, it certainly was not a meal by any means. My third attempt was getting some shakes at the weight watchers meetings so I could use them when I had a sweet tooth. Again, not a meal by any means.

Finally, I discovered Shakeology that is produced by Beachbody. I wasn't specifically looking for a weight loss or protein shake, but I joined a weight loss challenge in the fall of 2011. It came with my package, and I thought, FINE! I'll drink it! (Definitely not enthused by the thought of it). After 1 week of drinking it faithfully for breakfast, I could not believe the difference. I had more energy, it literally filled me up that whole entire morning, I can't describe it all... but it was just this healthier feeling! It really kept me on track throughout the whole day. And guess what? I didn't have to drink it for 2 meals a day, ONLY 1. So here I was, losing weight, feeling better & I still had no clue what I was drinking, I just knew it was working, tasted yummy and I was feeling amazing. It was a month or so later, that I finally realized what I was putting in my body. I had NO CLUE!!! The shake was loaded with vitamins & minerals (enough for a daily multivitamin)! It also had the equivalent nutrients of 4 to 5 servings of fruits & veggies. There was 17 grams of protein & no artificial sweeteners. Fiber, and then all of these "super foods" that we can't even get from our regular health foods. You can read more about all these "super foods" and what they do for you here: www.myshakeology.com/brianapalmer.

So I continued on the shake, and then they came out with a "New Formula" with even more super foods and less sugar. The sugar is found in the shake is from the steevia plant and they reduced it from a significant 9grams per shake to 3 grams. The taste suddenly changed.. however, I challenge you to a taste test between Shakeology and MRM Veggie protein powder (which we do store in our house for emergencies when we run out of shakeology), and let me know your opinion. Shakeology still wins the taste test in my books. And if you have never had the old version with the 9grams of sugar, you would never know the difference. The reason the company did this was because, sugar is sugar no matter what form... and they vow that Shakeology is your healthiest meal per day. How could they stick by the vow, if they continued to give us 9 grams of sugar per serving. If we have more sugar, we crave more... so to reduce the sugar was the best thing they could do for us! In addition... the reason the company has not come out with a "Vanilla" version like other competitors is because they can not formulate the flavor of vanilla naturally like chocolate. They would have to add artificial items to get the taste to par with all of the super foods the shake packs in it. I thank the company for sticking to their guns.

Other shakes on the market that I will not mention.. but you may have heard about them through challenges they host as well are packed with artificial ingredients, cost just as much (may appear to be cheaper per bag... but remember, you have to drink 2 per day instead of 1 therefore will probably have to get 2 bags), and most do suggest 2 per day.

Shakeology is not only a great shake for weight loss but it can be an after workout snack (for those looking to just maintain weight).... or you can do a half a scoop instead of a full scoop. Use it for your own goals and health... not just for weigh loss.

PHEW with all that being said.. Shakeology is the BEST investment I have ever made in my health, and with the combination of clean eating (to the best of my ability) and working out... I have lost a tad over 30 lbs (most of which was done in 90 days).... and I am quickly approaching the 1 year mark of when I started my challenge, and I have not gained any weight back (with the exception of occasionally fluctuation 3-4 lbs). 

HERE is how I SHAKE my CHOLCOLATE NEW FORMULA SHAKEOLOGY:

8oz unsweetened (SILK) vanilla almond milk (30 calories)
8 oz water (YES I LIKE TO SHAKE A BIG SHAKE)
1 scoop or 1 single serve pack Chocolate Shakeology
Handful or 2 of Ice
4-5 Frozen Strawberries (??30 calories)??
1.5 TBSP PB2 or Just great stuff Powdered PB (30 calories)
1 TBSP Butterscotch FF/SF pudding mix (I know, artificial... but for now it helps me adjust to the new taste... eventually I'll eliminate this ingredient)> :)

Blend & Shake 2 cycles. Makes a 20-24 oz shake

YUMM!!