Fit, Sexy, Super-Wife

Scary Stuff

2010-10-09T18:31:00.003-07:00

I started to decorate for Halloween the other day. When we returned from our vacation we found this branch in our front yard. Our magnolia tree sheds a lot of stuff but usually not something of this magnitude. Fortunately, my hubby came up with the idea of keeping this little twig around and using it to decorate for the holiday. What a genius. This is why I married him.
After some brainstorming, I decided to buy some of these fake crows and a little Spanish moss.

And WHA LA:

This project is not finished. I need to add some color to it. I plan on buying some pumpkins and putting them on the ground and maybe a small one or two on the platform in front of the tree. Any suggestions???

Speaking of SCARY/CREEPY stuff.....

My hubby is pretty anti-shaving while on vacation. Since he has to shave for work everyday it is his chance to be a rebel. Plus I like a little scruff on his face. This vacation was longer than usual so things got a little out of hand:

So a day after we got home, I was taking a nap and he decided to go shave. He crawled into bed with me and LOOK AT WHAT I WOKE UP TO!!!

We definitely had a good laugh over this one. How was this ever so popular??? Maybe he was trying to copy our new Greek friend, the mustache kitty we met while we were there:

I hope you are having a great weekend!

Back from Vacation

2010-10-07T07:46:00.000-07:00

We went to one of my dream locations. Can you guess where?

I'll be posting more pics from the trip soon!

Yay!

2010-09-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

The dress fit!
We had a great time at the wedding. I got to meet one of Frankie's friends from college and his girlfriend. They are a really awesome couple. We had a blast hanging out with them all weekend.

Now its time to rest up before work. I had too much alcohol and not enough sleep. =/

One Week

2010-09-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Until I have to fit into this dress. I wore it to my cousin's wedding on 02/28/09, three weeks before my own wedding. I tried the dress on two nights ago and somehow I feel that it just didn't fit the same. Hmmm, hopefully due to evening bloat. Or the more likely reason: I am 4 pounds heavier than I was back then. I am going to try to do some extra cardio this week, even though my knee is killing me for some reason. Ugh, I wish my hair was still this long. Boohoo.

Key West

2010-09-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

I'm back from an AMAZING weekend at the Keys!

First shot of the trip:
Me (Kristina) and Cristina:

Our tourist moment:

While renting scooters:

Cristina calls these the "Ralph Lauren photos":

Sunset cruise:

The foursome:

Now back to the hard workouts and meal plan. Two weeks to a wedding and 2 and 1/2 till our next vacation!

Dairy Overkill

2010-07-31T04:08:00.000-07:00

I started my Friday with 20 minutes of HIIT on the elliptical machine.

I was at work all day and had to continue eating soft foods. My protein choices were very limited. By the end of the day I was suffering from a dairy overdose.

I let this cereal soak in the milk for a half an hour:
Greek yogurt and fruit:

Cottage cheese with some balsamic glaze and pepper, slice of double protein bread:

Same as 2nd meal but I felt a little wild and added some organic honey:

Once I got home I said to my husband, "If I eat another serving of dairy today I am going to die." I made a yummy salad and scrambled eggs:

I don't know how that big spoonful of cottage cheese ended up on top. =/

Not So Bad Day

2010-07-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

Yes, I woke up at the crack of dawn and spent half my day at the dentist. Then I went into work because I was worried that an urgent care doctor was incorrectly dosing one of my patients and I wanted to get it straightened out. Then I got home only to clean the house and find a horrible smell under our kitchen sink (ugh, we'll have to look into this). BUT I had a wonderful workout tonight so the day doesn't seem so bad after all. See what those endorphins can do for you????

I was just googling some fitness stuff and I came across this picture. Have you guys ever heard of Amanda Carrier? I hadn't. I love that the googled site had a candid, non-airbrushed pic of the fitness model/actress.
So I looked up some more pics of the beauty.

Its times like these that make happy to be a brunette (although a lot of the time I wish I was a blond).

So here are Wednesday's eats:

Chicken breast on top of lettuce with a few olives and some parmesan cheese. I used only red wine vinegar as the dressing.

LOOK at what I RESISTED! One of my patients gave me a red velvet cupcake. The pic is deceiving. This thing was HUGE! I thought about bringing it home to my hubby but I didn't want him eating this junk either so I ended up giving it to my co-worker to give to her son (kids can run these things off).

I grabbed a Luna Bar as a quick snack/meal. This new flavor is awesome. I LOVE it! (I try not to eat these kinds of things too often):

Dinner:

Today I had a big bowl of Kashi Go Lean before my dentist appointment because I knew I wouldn't be able to eat afterwards and I would be starving! Well, I was right. This is embarrassing but: two weeks ago I had a crown done on my left side and it has been killing me since. I have to have a root canal on it on Monday. Today I had a crown and 3 fillings done on my right side. Luckily, no major pain on the right side but the crown is very thin so the dentist told me not to eat much with it. Ummm HELLO!?!?!? I don't have a third side to eat with. So it is "soft foods" till something gets resolved.

Between 3:30 and 7:30 I had a Greek yogurt, a banana, a very ripe peach and a few grapes. I also had one slice of double protein bread (which took forever to eat).

MY CROSSFIT WORKOUT ROCKED MY SOCKS:

8 rounds of the following:

(7) Thrusters (with an Olympic bar-65lb)

(12) Plie Squats (using a 30lb kettle bell)

(16) Ball Passes (with stability ball)

(5) Push-ups

I was so beat after this one. I decided to walk it off (1/4 mile). My legs were shaking. Probably partly due to the workout and partly due to my lack of energy/nutrition/sleep/velvet cake.

So for dinner is made this soft meal.

Soft food sucks. I ate this in 5 minutes and felt like I had nothing in my tummy. I did enjoy those 5 minutes though.

I am off to bed. Have a great night!

Hectic Week

2010-07-29T03:47:00.000-07:00

This week has been CRAZY!

I just worked three 12 hour shifts. I have today off but I am spending 1/2 day at the dentist, literally. Then I work 3 in a row again (thankfully not all 12s).

Just to catch you up on my workouts:

Friday: Crossfit
Saturday: Crossfit
Sunday: Palates, abs, some thrusters
Monday: HIIT
Tuesday BFL-style Upper Body
Wednesday: No workout (got called into work unexpectedly)

Today I will try to Crossfit if I am able to after all this dental work. =(

Motivating Website

2010-07-23T08:02:00.001-07:00

Have you guys ever checked out The Skinny Website? This blog is centered around celebrity weight, diet, exercise, and body gossip.

But my reason for visiting it is completely different. Since I like a more muscular and toned build on a woman, I don't find much of that on this site. I also don't really care about who has gained or lost weight recently.

What I do care about is the FASHION and the MOTIVATION to look put together. I love getting ideas on what to wear and how to make an outfit look just right. I get motivated by certain celebrities to be more girlie and really think about how I can make an outfit look stylish.

For example, here are some recent pics of Carrie Underwood that were taken on her way to the airport for her honeymoon. Her outfit is really simple but somehow she looks so put together. I love the jelly ballet flats. I wish I could pull off cutoffs.

How cute is this dress that Alessandra Ambrosio is wearing? So simple and casual but she rocks it. I don't think I could ever pull of those shoes.

I don't particularly like this dress that Ashley Greene is wearing but her vixen look is pretty motivating. She is definitely pulling off some sex appeal at this red carpet event. Her legs look amazing.

Gisele Bundchen motivates me to be more girlie. Its something about those Brazilian women, they always embrace their femininity. Again, this dress is not my favorite but can you believe this picture was taken AFTER she had her baby? It is no wonder she looks so great since most of the pictures of Gisele on this website are of her leaving the gym.

I think Kristin Cavallari looked great at this red carpet event. I am loving the hamstrings.

Her hair and makeup looked simple but beautiful Love it!

I also love this little jacket she has on over her dress. What a cute look.

Here is a prime example of that I am talking about when I say looking "put together". Kelly Ripa always looks photo ready. She always looks classy (even in the pic where she is not wearing a bra, I won't hate on you for it Kelly, you go girl!). She dresses up all of her outfits with just the right accessories. I especially love the outfit with the striped skirt.

The website even features some eye candy here and there.

Just kidding about the last one, hehe.

What I don't like about the site is the immature celebrity bashing in the comment sections. You can tell a lot of pre-teens visit the site. Like poor Jessica Simpson. I love her. Sure, she really needs some style help but I think she is beautiful even though she is not as skinny as she used to be. I wish people would be more sensitive about what they post.

Check it out, maybe you'll be motivated by some of the looks!

Have a great weekend!

Tired and Malnourished

2010-07-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

***Boring Post Alert***

You've been warned.

So the last two days sucked. This week I am doing a day of overtime so that means three 12-hour shifts in a row. Tomorrow is the last of the the three, thank goodness.

Yesterday, I woke up so sore I could barely walk. I decided that since I was working so many days in a row that I would sleep in and skip the gym. Here are my meals for the day:

Meal 1: Greek yogurt with fresh peach and dry oats:
Meal 2: Kashi Go Lean (not pictured)

Meal 3: Not a typical meal for me but I had to grab something quick:

Meal 4: Double protein bread and no-salt added cottage cheese:

Meal 5: More Greek yogurt with a small banana and dry oats:

Meal 6: I had an O:You guys are probably sick of seeing these cottage cheese sandwiches, haha. But this time I mixed it up a little. I love them with avocado and tomato, but the avocado was just adding way too many calories to my day. I know it is good fat, blah blah...but I get enough of that in my diet. So this time I cut out the glorious veggie (or is it a fruit?) and added some spinach and a thin slice of sweet onion. Man, the onion made this little beast spectacular. Its amazing how such a tiny amount of an ingredient can turn a meal from bland to heavenly. I must confess I skipped my workout today as well. My legs still haven't recovered from those dang thrusters and lunges! I actually got up for the gym. I decided to lay down on the couch "for 5 minutes"...which turned into over an hour. Tomorrow I will not let the snooze button defeat me.

Here comes the malnourished part. We were so busy at work that I hardly ate a thing all day.

Meal 1: Breakfast at home, Kashi Go Lean and a tiny amount of fresh peach:

Meal 2: The only think that I could get my hands on in the pharmacy:

Meal 3: I opened my lunch bag at 9:45pm while driving home and scarfed down some boiled egg whites and steamed broccoli:

Meal 4: A handful of almonds and a bunch of watermelon that was cut up in the fridge.

Bedtime. Sigh.

Week in Review

2010-07-19T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hello blog friends. I got a little off track with my workout and diet routine this past week. Not much, but enough to motivate me to work harder.

Last Wednesday I had a super-wife day. My hubby was working and we made plans to take our nephews to the Magic Kingdom the following day so I had a lot to do. It started with a good breakfast of Kashi Go Lean and 1/3 of a banana:
I then spent hours at the dentist getting a crown. Yes, it was complete torture. My appointment lasted for hours and I was out by noon. I ran to Home Goods to return a pot for our little palm tree house plant (the size was off). I came back to the house and mowed the lawn and hedged a bush. I could barely eat but I got these down:

I did some house work for about an hour and had this meal, chewing only on my right side:

I went to the mall and bought myself a new shirt for Disney and a tie for my hubbie (there was a great sale at Express). I then went to the gym and did a 20 minute HIIT session on the stair master. I went to Publix and picked up some groceries, came home and made a homemade meal for my hubby. Pasta with chicken breast and tomato sauce with red and green peppers:

Pretty successful day overall!

Thursday we spent the day as planned at the Magic Kingdom. The boys had a blast. Lets just say that this was definitely a cheat day.

Here are a few of the meals I had between Friday and Sunday:

Sunday night I made a simple dinner with gnocchi, baked chicken breast and broccoli:

On Monday I decided I wanted to start eating cleaner. I want to cut out most sugars and salts, as I did during BFL. My tooth was in agony all day so I didn't eat much/enough but here goes:

Meal 1: Greek yogurt with a small banana and dry oats:

Meal 2: Leftover baked chicken breast with broccoli and hot sauce:

Meal 3: Greek yogurt with nectarine and dry oats:

I also had some watermelon right before and right after our crossfit workout.

I did 10 rounds of the following:

-10 thrusters using a 55lb olympic barbell

-15 push-ups

-10 hanging abs

After the workout I wanted to walk 1/4 mile doing 20 lunges and 20 steps. This was practically impossible. I did 6 rounds of 20 lunges followed by 100 steps and then walked the rest of the 1/4 mile loop. My legs felt like jello.

It was a nice clean start to the week.

Still on Track

2010-07-13T03:16:00.000-07:00

I am still on track with my 10 week plan to the Keys! I will have to post my workouts tomorrow. I am off to the gym to rip my leg muscles apart and hopefully get in 10 mintes of HIIT afterwards. Here are some of the meals I've had over the last week:

Have a great Tuesday!

Breaking the Diet Rules

2010-07-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Hmm...I am feeling pretty bloated. I didn't think I ate a lot today but seeing it all in pics makes me think I might be over-doing it. It is definatley different than my BFL diet so I think I will need to step it up a notch.

For example, here is breakfast, not paired with a protein:
Here is my second meal, with sugary fake fruit (granted my mouth was completely numb from the dentist, I was starving and I was out and about running errands, so it was this or frozen yogurt):
I had a pretty intense Crossfit workout once again.

12 rounds of the following:

-(10) jump squats

-(5) bent over rows in a deep squat position with 45lb Olympic bar

-(5) overhead press with 45lb Olympic bar

-(5) bicept curls with 45lb Olympic bar

-(15) crunches using a 20lb kettlebell*

*Starting position consisted of me laying down, knees bent with feet on the floor, both hands on the kettlebell and the kettlebell on the floor behind my head. I would crunch up, bringing my knees in towards my chest and the kettlebell over and past my knees. With each rep I would barely let the kettlebell touch the floor and I would tap my toes on the floor. I did half the sets using the 20lb kettlebell and half using a 25lb plate.

It was past 4pm when we finished the workout and I was starved. I ate a tiny slice of bread with some almond butter and Simply Fruit jelly:
While I was preparing this beast:
A few hours later the hubby prepared a snack:
I had 1 whole egg and a bunch of veggies dipped in a sauce made with Dijon mustard, vinegar and honey. Again, notice the lack of protein.

Dinner was leftovers:
I also had a pudding. Ugh, it was sugar-free and only 65 calories but it is not something I would have ever eated during BFL. I also had about 30 almonds throughout the day. Um, you would think someone handed me money each time I ate one. It is my crack.

Its time to get a little more serious. =)

The next two days are work days, which meals BFL-style upper body tomorrow and lower body on Thursday.

Start of Week 2

2010-07-05T19:05:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July weekend!

Here's a little recap. I worked all day on Saturday and here are the pics of my meals:

I used both Saturday and Sunday as rest days. After my Week 1 workouts my body needed it. I was beyond sore on both days. Like, cannot sit on the toilet sore. So I figured missing Saturday's HIIT session wouldn't do too much damage. Muscles need their rest.

On Sunday we visited my hubbie's family. The weather wasn't pretty so we stayed inside most of the day. We had a great time. Sunday is my "free" eating day but I never go overboard. All day I grazed on fruit (maybe a little too much). I had a few crackers with cheese and some olives. For dinner we had grilled grouper and salmon, my brother-in-law's coconut rice, salad and sauteed veggies. Pretty healthy overall. I might have had some ice cream cake for dessert, hehe.

Well, Week 2 started today. The hubbie and I decided to do Crossfit early on in the day so I had a small breakfast to hold me over:

My Crossfit workout consisted of the following:

10 rounds of:

-(10) pushups

-(15) squats holding a 30 pound kettlebell against my chest

-(10) knee tucks with exercise ball*

-(10) upright rows (using 30 pound kettlebell)

*Your shins rest on the ball while you are in a plank position. You contract your abs as you pull your knees in toward your chest, stabilizing your body so that your legs stay on the ball and you maintain a straight line.

It was a great workout!

After the workout I needed some protein:

And Aunt Flo wouldn't let me miss out on some worthless carbs. Jello pudding with a huge spoonful of Lite Cool Whip:

Meal 3 was more leftovers. I am sure you are sick of seeing this one:

For dinner we made some homemade turkey chili with quinoa:Between meals I had some nuts and berries today, as well as 1/2 banana.

I might have to have another pudding. I am still thinking about it. Ahhhhh, go away Aunt Flo! That woman makes me so weak.

Tomorrow is another crossfit workout!

Friday

2010-07-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I thought I was sore yesterday. Today was a whole new experience. I woke up feeling like someone beat me in my sleep. I dragged myself out of bed nonetheless. I did BFL-style legs at the gym. Some of the major exercises I did were leg extensions, leg press and deadlifts. By 4pm I couldn't bend over. It took me 30 seconds to pick up my pen from the floor.

My first meal of the day was an EAS Myoplex Lite shake.

Meal 2- 1 slice of double protein bread with almond butter and a small serving of cottage cheese:
Meal 3:

Meal 4- Very small serving of grilled chicken breast with hot sauce, oatmeal with a teaspoonful of cocoa powder:

I find that if I cook the oatmeal fully, let it cool a bit and then add the powder on top, it tastes a lot better than mixing it in while it is hot.

Meal 5- Large pieces of broccoli with a teaspoonful of low sodium soy sauce and teriyaki chicken:

What I forgot to mention was that between meals 4 and 5 I binged on about 20 cherries. Ugh, I couldn't help myself. They were amazing!!! But I did feel a little (lot) guilt creep on. What can you do? My body is going through pure shock right now, it is a wonder I haven't completely lost my mind yet. =)

I Can't Move

2010-07-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Today was exhausting to say the least. I woke up around 9am and started my first workout of the day shortly after- mowing the lawn. The hubby and I figured it would be best to do it first thing. Well, little did we know it would be 100 degrees outside anyway. I was drenched and beat.

I was starving once we finished the yard work and enjoyed the usual, Greek yogurt topped with goodies:

I was still hungry afterwards so I had a tiny bowl of raw broccoli with a drizzle of balsamic glaze:

Again, I was starving for my next meal about 3-4 hours later. I had a piece of double protein toast topped with 1% no-salt cottage cheese, 1/2 of a small avacado, a few slices of tomato and a drizzle of the balsamic glaze. This might not sound very good to you but trust me it is FAN-TAS-TIC. I also had a small amount of grilled chicken topped with hot sauce and a few blackberries. Do those puppies look hormone packed or what? They are the biggest I've ever seen.

You might need some close-ups:

Today's workout was crossfit once again. I didn't think I would have the energy to do it but I didn't want to skip a day of working out so early in my master plan.

I did 10 rounds of the following:

-(5) reverse-grip jumping pullups*

-(10) jumping squats

-(10) laying leg raises with kettle bell**

-(12) lunges with dumbell bicep curls (10 pound dumbells)

*By reverse grip I mean with your palms facing you, so that your biceps do a lot of the work. During the first few sets I was able to jump up into the pullup and very slowly let myself down. The more sets I did, the faster I fell.

**I layed on my back and held a 25 pound kettle bell straight up in the air without moving it and raised my legs from the ground until they were perpendicular to the floor. I kept my legs as straight as possible and crunched my abs to get them off the floor and slowly lowered them down.

Dinner was very yummy. Teriyaki chicken, yasmin rice and beet salad:

Later for "dessert" I had a half of a banana topped with some almond butter:

I did experience something crazy today. I don't know whether it was the first time ever, BUT it was definately the first time in a looooooooooong time. After the workout, I got a few cramps in my gluts. What the heck? All those jumping squats and lunges worked my buttocks to the max. I guess they decided to get back at me.

Well, tomorrow is leg day at the gym and then a 12 hour shift. Hopefully I can walk tomorrow.

Have a wonderful Friday!

Day 3

2010-06-30T19:57:00.003-07:00

I am EXHAUSTED! I can barely wait to crawl onto bed.

Here are some of my meals for the day:

Breakfast consisted of double protein toast topped with almond butter and fresh strawberries and scrambled eggs (1 whole + 3 whites):

My second meal was 0% Greek yogurt topped with some goodies:

As a third "meal" I had a snack before my workout, about 300 calories worth of almonds. I know, I know (bad girl).

For dinner we went to Ruby Tuesday's. It is a rare occasion that the hubbie and I go out to eat but we were too lazy to cook after our workout. All I wanted was the salad bar and a piece of grilled chicken. I decided on the Chicken Fresco (modified of course). The BBQ grilled chicken came in a close second but I thought that it would be much unhealthier because of the sugary sauce. Looking at the nutrition facts once I got home, I realized I was wrong.

The menu describes the Chicken Fresco as:

"A fresh, all-natural grilled chicken breast topped with vine-ripened tomatoes, lemon-butter sauce, and a splash of balsamic vinaigrette. With steamed broccoli and white cheddar mashed potatoes."

I ordered it without the lemon butter sauce and substituted the white cheddar mashed potatoes with the low-carb sugar snap peas.

According to a nutrition fact website, the original meal would have been 811 calories. I was kinda shocked by this number. They listed the chicken fresco breast (without the sauce) as 426 calories. With the broccoli side dish (103) and the sugar snap peas (82), my total came to 611. Honestly, from the taste of the meal (very bland due to my modifications), I find it really hard to believe they could pack all those calories in it. But, where there is a will there is a way.

I also had the salad bar. I topped my plate with lettuce, raw spinach, mushrooms, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, onion and beets. I used a low-fat vinegarette (25 calories x 2=50).

Pretty big meal huh? Well, I had worked up an appetite with my crossfit workout.

My plan was:

10 rounds of the following:

-(15) deep squats with shoulder press (10 lb in each hand)

-(10) knee raises on ab machine:

Source

-(10) burpies

Well, this turned out to be a little more than I could handle. I did the first round as planned and then did 7 more rounds of 10 deep squats with shoulder press (10 lb in each hand), 10 knee raises and 7 burpies. Eight rounds, not too shabby.

I am not sure whether you guys know much about crossfit but you go directly from one exercise to the next. This is not a take-your-time leasurely workout. So it really gets the heart pumping.

This was me right after the workout:

Tomorrow is another day of crossfit. Time for bed!

New Workout Schedule

2010-06-30T05:32:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to figure out a new workout routine that would fit into my 12-hour shift work schedule. Body for Life worked well but I am ready to mix it up a little. I wanted to incorporate heavy lifting, cardio and crossfit. So I made a two week schedule and I will repeat 5 times, leading me to our Labor Day weekend at the Florida Keys! I am so excited to go. I have never been to the Keys and I am ready for some fun in the sun.

So this weekend someone shot a pic of me and Frankie at a BBQ/birthday party. Um.....
Observations:

1) Where did the muscle tone in my arms go? W T Heck???

2) I seriously need a tan. Your average onlooker might think this man was being kissed my a ghost.

3) My horrible haircut needs to grow out so I can stop wearing my hair like that.

So here's the schedule:

M-WORK: Upper Body (BFL-heavy weights)
T-WORK: HIIT
W-OFF: Crossfit
R-OFF: Crossfit
F-WORK: Lower Body (BFL-heavy weights)
S-WORK: HIIT
S-WORK: Rest Day

M-OFF: Crossfit
T-OFF: Crossfit
W-WORK: Upper Body (BFL-heavy weights)
R-WORK: Lower Body (BFL-heavy weights)
F-OFF: Exercise of Choice
S-OFF: HIIT
S-OFF: Rest Day

For the Friday Exercise of Choice day I am going to leave it open. I might do pilates, a workout video, an outdoor activity, etc. I am going to try to do something different that will target something I was lacking in that week.

Well, I am on day 3 and sticking to the schedule thus far. I will also start posting meal pics again. =)

Have a great Wednesday!

Crossfit

2010-06-23T04:42:00.001-07:00

The last two days my husband and I have been doing crossfit workouts to change things up a bit. We have been considering joining the local crossfit gym but thought we would give it a try ourselves first.

On Monday we did 15 sets of the following in our garage:

5 pull ups
10 push ups
10 hanging ab raises
15 squats

Of course I had to do jumping pull-ups.

Yesterday we went to the park and did 10 rounds of:

5 pull ups
7 burpies
10 kettle bell squats with forward shoulder raises

I used a 20 pound kettle bell and my hubbie used a 30 pound one. I almost died at the park due to the swarms of mosquitoes.

Lets just say we are both beyond sore today. It was a nice change of pace.

Have any of you ever tried crossfit?

Awesome Little Quote

2010-06-18T20:36:00.000-07:00

I am making this a quickie because I have to get to bed. I am doing some HIIT on the stairmaster tomorrow morning before work so I need my beauty (sanity/recovery/dream about Mr. Schuester) sleep.

Ok, I am probably the last person on earth to hear this one but bare with me.

"A goal without a plan is just a wish."

or if you prefer

"A goal without a plan is just a dream."

It really made me think. There are definatley some goals that I have set for myself that I don't have a plan for. How do I expect to acheive those goals? Action people, action. Hmmm, I may have to grab a calandar and design a little schedule/blueprint in order for some of my wishes to become realities. Hopefully I will have some down time at work.

I leave you with some more Cali pics. Have a great weekend!

As Promised =)

2010-06-15T19:34:00.000-07:00

I think I promised details about my BFL diet a long time ago and never got around to it, sowwy.

I was really inspired by Emily Alvers, the 2009 BFL Challenge Champion. She wrote a post on the BFL tracker website that detailed her journey. I read the post and commited myself to a similar diet regimen.

This is Emily's post:

"My BFL Challenge....just what worked for me

First of all, I’m humbled that so many people have PM’ed me to ask me what I did for my challenge. I must admit I have become a little overwhelmed with trying to respond to each one individually, and so instead I thought I’d post here in hopes that maybe it can help someone else. Keep in mind though, that I can only tell you what worked pretty well for me, and everyone is different. I hope I don’t disappoint anyone, but I DID BODY FOR LIFE BY THE BOOK. There are no magic tricks contained in this, but I guess I did lean towards a more disciplined Body For Life approach if anything.

Pre-Challenge: Before I started my challenge I printed out every supplemental tool I possibly could from the bodyforlife.com website (the exercise logs, the nutrition logs, the calendar, the actual entry packet) and I put it all in a binder. I really thought about my goals and tried to make ones that were SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time Driven). I re-read and reminded myself of my goals constantly throughout the challenge! I also ordered a ton of stuff from allstarhealth.com. I got 3 different cases of RTD’s all different flavors so I wouldn’t get bored. I used the AdvantEDGE and Myoplex Carb Control shakes. I also ordered ThermoDynamX. I wanted to also measure my progress as accurately as possible, so I called the closest university to see if they offered body composition testing. I really wanted to be able to measure my progress with accuracy to see what changes were happening, and I had just moved to a new town, so I didn’t know anyone I trusted to give accurate caliper readings at this point. I schedule 4 DEXA scans at Stanford (one at Week 0,4,8, and 12). This is what I used to measure my progress throughout my challenge.

I hit the ground running. I started off each day with 2 large glasses of water. I would drink 1 full glass and then take the ThermoDynamX with another glass. I took the ThermoDynamX on an empty stomach even though it says to take before meals on the label. I wanted the added energy from the ThermoDynamX for my workouts in the a.m. and I didn’t want to eat before I worked out. I only started off taking 2 pills in the a.m. and skipped it in the p.m. That was enough to keep me energized all day long. I did the alternating days of weight training and HIIT cardio just as it is outlined in BFL. HIIT was something I’d never done before and so I was a little nervous if I would “get it” but I was surprised at how quickly I started getting the hang of it. I had some experience lifting weights, but was not used to the rep/set pattern at all, so that also took some getting used to. I didn’t have a gym membership at this point and was just working out in my apartment complex tiny little gym, so a few weeks in I joined Gold’s Gym and it became a lot easier to adhere to the plan with so much more equipment to choose from as well as more incremental dumbbell weights to target my intensity level better.

Eating: I ate only foods on the BFL authorized food list for the most part. I had weighed food and counted calories in the past when trying to lose weight, so I was kind of nervous about just relying on the palm fist method to measure my portions, but also relieved that I didn’t have to weigh things and count calories. I tried to keep my ingredients simple for the entire challenge to take out too much guessing. I found there were reliable staples that I could count on being the right portions and I took the time while shopping to really read the labels. When I found a brand of a certain food I liked, then I stuck with it. I think I could be the poster child for La Tortilla Factory tortillas at this point! Ha ha! I only ate 5 meals a day, because I felt like I was always squeezing in the last meal really late. I combined a portion of carbs and a portion of protein at every meal and allowed myself slightly larger portions of protein (since I was only doing 5 meals..I wanted to make sure to get enough protein). Most times if I drank a low carb shake as a meal, I would also add a piece of fruit. One thing I think was really key for me was eating a ton of veggies! I ate way more than 2 servings per day. I would eat large salads that probably had about 2-3 servings of veggies just in that one meal. At dinner, I would fill half my plate with steamed veggies. I also tried to eat as many green veggies as possible (fibrous ones)! Which brings me to another key aspect of my diet. I tried to eat as much fiber each day as possible. I would try to get 5 grams of fiber at each meal, but some meals would be 15 grams. Fiber is important to keep you full and also to digest your food properly, and I was trying to get it in any way I could through natural foods. I also kept Fiber Sure on hand for the rare occasion that I was eating a fiberless meal (I would just add a tsp. into my water).

Water: I drank more than 1 gallon of water per day. I would drink 1 liter while working out and would always have another 1 liter cold in the fridge to grab on the go. I would also always keep a 1 gallon container in my fridge each day and would pour large glasses of water from it all day long. It was my goal to drink it all each day. Before bed, I would refill the jug and start drinking it again as soon as I stepped out of bed the next a.m.

Food preparation: My kitchen virtually became a production line at many times. On Sunday evenings I would make at least 5 big salads (1 for each day) and store them. I would grill a few chicken breasts and cut them up and store them so that I could easily add them to salads, wraps, rice, or whatever else. I always had protein on hand ready to eat. I would also take salmon or any other type of individually vacuum packed protein out of the freezer and have it defrosting in the fridge so I could easily grab it and throw it into my toaster oven to broil for dinners easily. Anytime I steamed up some veggies, I would just make a huge amount of it and would always have some leftover to easily reheat. This isn’t rocket science, but preparation is key!!! I also kept a huge bag of baby carrots at all times in my fridge to snack on anytime I wanted and especially while preparing food. That is a big thing for many people…to snack while making dinner. For me, baby carrots were my saving grace for grazing while preparing meals. I didn’t do many prepared foods at all. I cooked most all of my own food and tried to avoid things with preservatives as much as possible. I ate a lot of ff cottage cheese, but rarely ever ate ff processed cheeses for instance. I tried to keep my eating clean (meaning things that grow from the ground or come from the lean part of an animal). Of course protein shakes fit neither of these descriptions, so that is the exception to that. I still consider those part of clean eating though personally.

Condiments: I avoided anything with sugar. No ketchup, bbq, etc. I only ate low fat mayo when I had it in tuna. I stuck with mustards and even cut out honey mustard eventually, only eating spicy varieties of mustards instead. I tried to avoid anything with HFCS, but did use Wish Bone Spritzers. I also ate many salads with plain balsamic vinegar only and would use the Wish Bone when I got bored of the balsamic vinegar. I used extra virgin olive oil to sauté scallops, shrimp and occasionally on salads. I used a citrus grill seasoning on seafood and various types of Mrs. Dash on poultry. I didn’t cut out all seasonings with sodium, but I did try to use Mrs. Dash when possible instead. I used a couple squirts of ff spray butter when I just needed some buttery flavor but limited that as well. I used grated parmesan cheese on my steamed veggies.

During the second half of my challenge, I started increasing my dosage of ThermoDynamX slowly until reaching the full amount at the end (3 pills twice per day). I also added another supplement to my arsenal, EAS Muscle Armor. I really wanted to work on preserving the muscle I had and to help build more if possible, so I started mixing the Muscle Armor with a scoop of Whey Protein Isolate immediately after strength training and made that my post weight training meal each and every time I trained with weights (Thanks Mike Harris for that tip….you are the man!) Even though I actually lost a tiny bit of lean mass in my challenge, I think I would have lost a lot more without the Muscle Armor, because it is just very hard to avoid losing any lean mass when losing 21 lbs in 12 weeks, especially on a woman who is only 5 ft. 3 in. I know though that I built a LOT of strength during this challenge and that is for certain. I really believe that the Muscle Armor had a lot to do with that, because it just made me feel good. It’s like I could feel my muscles getting stronger as I was drinking it or something….cheesy I know. I’m going to continue taking it for my next challenge for sure.

At about 6 weeks, this thing called LIFE happened and I went to Vegas for my 30th bday. Let’s just say I skipped a couple workouts and didn’t exactly eat like I should have. Oh yeah, and drank a little champagne….but looking back I didn’t do so badly. I jumped right back on the horse when I returned and just renewed my drive to have even more intense workouts and kick it up a notch in the gym for the last part of the challenge. I increased my weights and speeds for HIIT even more than I had been doing up until this point. I wanted to really push my body past where it had adapted.

At about 9 weeks, I changed my mode of cardio and started doing HIIT on the bike. I think this might have helped me break through what might have been the beginning of a slight plateau and helped renew my interest level in the cardio. It felt like it was working different muscles than the running and I fell in love with the bike. I also made it a priority to start changing up some of the weight training exercises. It’s easy to get into a routine, but it’s also important to change it up so that your body will need to adapt in different ways, so avoid injury, and also to avoid boredom. Still did my squats of course, because I will never stop doing those! During the last 2 weeks before my challenge I modestly restricted carbs. Basically I just cut out carbs from the last two meals (at least anything not in the form of a fibrous vegetable). So for dinner I might have broiled salmon with a huge serving of steamed broccoli w/parmesan cheese and then a Carb Control shake before bed…just an example. I want to be careful in saying this here, because I want to be clear on one thing…I was very aware of the fact that I didn’t want to do anything in this challenge that I could not maintain for the rest of my life. One of the biggest reasons I started BFL was because I wanted to do it for life. I knew I had to be true to myself and keep that foremost in my mind. Believe me, it is very tempting when you start thinking of it as a competition to get all carried away with, how can I tweak this or that to get better results mentality, but I really really wanted to do Body For Life by the book and not get carried away with changing the program, so this was the extent of any “tweaking” that I wanted to do personally. Again, this was just a personal decision, but I felt I needed to really stick with the program as it is outlined in the book for my own reasons, mentally and physically.

I hope that this helps to answer any questions that people who have emailed me have had. Again, thank you for even asking. I am seriously humbled to even be asked this, and I hope that someone can find some useful info. in this. Best wishes to anyone embarking on a new challenge or in the middle of one right now. I’ll be starting another very soon!"

. . .

When I started the challenge after reading this, I was completely dedicated. I too started my day with at least 1 full glass of water and continued drinking water throughout the day. I ate 5 small meals each day. I tried to stick to a short list of proteins and carbs that I knew were safe. I mostly ate 1% no-salt cottage cheese, plain Greek yogurt, chicken breast, fish and egg whites as my proteins. I also drank EAS protein shakes after each weight lifting workout. I mainly ate whole wheat bread, brown rice, wheat tortillas and fruits as my carbs. I added a serving of veggies to at least 1 meal per day. I cut out all sugar (except what was in the bread, etc) and I didn't add any salt to any of my foods (I wouldn't eat anything with a high sodium content, such as pickles, etc). I ate almond butter and probably way too many raw, unsalted almonds. I also ate unsalted peanuts here and there as a snack. I stayed away from processed foods and dense carbs...no cheese, no cereals (not even the healthy varieties), no potatoes, no corn, no pineapple, etc. I did eat Zone bars (Dark Chocolate Almond) as my meals when I was on the run. The only supplement I used was Muscle Armour, which I started around week 4 or 5 I think. I only used 1 scoop of it on the days I lifted weights. My downfalls for the most part: I didn't eat nearly enough veggies. I ate too many nuts. I skipped about 4 or 5 HIIT sessions.

When eating out I usually ordered some sort of salad with grilled chicken on top (no cheese, no croutons, no salty toppings like banana peppers). I always asked for no dressing and some balsamic or red wine vinegar on the side and used those as my dressings. Instead of entire "free" days I would allow myself to have 2-3 treats each weekend. For example, one week I had a bowl of wonton soup on Sat and a medium serving of frozen custard on Sun. On the weekend after week 8 we had some friends in town and I had a few alcoholic drinks and 2 free meals (instead of the 6 free meals that I typically would have enjoyed with them). I didn't eat any fast food. I had a slice of pizza once.

I am sure there are tons of things I forgot to mention above. Please feel free to ask and I'll try to answer any questions in the comment section.

Thanks for reading!

Wishing for Peonies

2010-06-15T03:22:00.000-07:00

Peonies are by far my favorite flower. I was so lucky to have them in my wedding bouquet. Fluffy balls of heaven. If only they would grow in Florida. Aren't they amazing?
I am off to the gym. I have a new 12 week plan in the works. You have seen what I have accomplished in 12 weeks in the past:

Please excuse the horrid before photo. Luckily I am not where I was when I started in these photos.

Have a great Tuesday!

Back from California

2010-06-01T04:17:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing time! Now back to the grind. I am off to work today but I will have tomorrow off so I will post more pics from our trip.

PS- Notice the hair style I sported the whole time, haha.

Hair Nightmare

2010-05-13T02:38:00.000-07:00

Looking back, I must have been drugged. I was in a really good mood this past Monday, driving to the gym, when an idea hit me like a brick smack in the head.

I picked up the phone and called my husband full of excitement. "Do you think Rico could cut my hair?!?!??! Nothing dramatic, just a side swipe bang?" Rico had been cutting my husband's hair for almost 2 years now and he won't go to anyone else. He was the best in my husband's eyes. So what did I picture when I thought "Rico"? Maybe a cool Latin dude in his 30s with a few pounds on him and some style. Maybe Rico Suave. I figured I would go in there and describe some looks, Alessandra Ambrosio perhaps.

My husband answered, "Ya, I guess he could give you some advice. He is still open if you wanna head over there right now." I quickly forgot my goal to do some intense cardio and made a huge U-turn to head the other way. I got to the "salon" and an old man greeted me. "Is Rico here?", I asked. Imagine my surprise when he told me he was Rico. I should have just left right there. He wouldn't know who Alessandra Ambrosio was. This guy must be pushing 80. But who was I to discriminate? Age means experience, right?

So I pull my dirty, semi-oily hair out of my ponytail and ask him what he thought about a side-swipe bang. I tell him that I have noticed my hair thinning a little bit, probably hormonal. He guided me to the chair to take a better look. He suggested taking 2 inches off to get some weight off and doing a layer in the front just below my chin. Hmmm, not really what I was asking for. I insisted only 1 inch be taken off. "Two", he exclaimed, "I know what I am doing." This guy was kinda pushy. Geez.

What made me say ok? I told you, I must have been DRUGGED! Just completely out of my mind.

So the guy washed my hair and then combed it straight down, using the kind of pressure that could leave scars on my scalp. He pulled out the kind of scissors that I would find in my garage. He just starts cutting straight across and around. Squinting as he goes. Squinting??!!???!!!? You gotta be kidding me. There were no fancy scissors or razor blades. There was no sectioning and pinning and lifting of the hair to make sure it was just right. Four minutes later, I was done. Ok, he says, "You are done. I am not going to dry it because then it will be more that $15." Yes, I got my $15 haircut. Thats exactly what it was. I don't think I have spent that since 1987, when I was 6 years old. The man had taken off a good 3 and 1/2 inches and I stairred at my short hair in disbelief.

I kept my composure and thanked the old man. He knew who my husband was. Frankie loves going to him and I didn't want to embarrass him from continuing to do so. "See you in 10 weeks", he exclaimed as I was leaving. Ummm, ya, I thought, now you have gotta be out of your mind.

As soon as I got into the car, I did what any other perfectly normal, 29 year old woman would do. I started crying and called one of my friends to vent about the tragedy that had just occured. When I got home I asked my husband what he was thinking. His response? "I kinda thought it might be a bad idea when we hung up but I guess I didn't think before I spoke.

Inspecting the haircut I noticed it was a lot worse than I thought. It was COMPLETELY uneven. 3 and 1/2 inch strands of longer hair poked out everywhere. One side was shorter than the other. I looked like one of the mushrooms from Super Mario Brothers.

Well, on Tuesday I went to a different salon and got it fixed. The girl had to take off a little more to make it even and then blend the front because of his layering. I still hate it. Plus this girl layered way too much. Now I do have a side-swipe bang from the amout of layering she had to do. My hair now sits about 1 inch below my shoulders. Ugh. I feel so un-sexy. These people had to strip away all of my sex appeal right before my trip.

Maybe tomorrow I will have some time to play with it. Right now I am headed to the gym for an amazing workout before my 12-hour shift.

The moral of this story ladies? Please don't get a $15 dollar haircut. Trust your instincts. Call a friend before you do anything wild and spontaneous. Call your husband back after he gives you advice so that he can think a little bit. And finally, when in doubt, go to the gym first.

Healthy Dip

2010-05-10T08:01:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had some company over (I am still kicking myself for not taking pics of the all the wonderful food that we prepared). But I did snag some pics of my newest creation. I made a huge plate of chopped up veggies, including broccoli, carrots and peppers and wanted a healthy dip for my guests. I bought one of these dip packets. Unprepared, I believe the packet contained 5 calories per serving. But making the dip according to the instructions (with sour cream), packed in tons of unhealthy calories.
So I figured, why not mix it with this instead?

I used 2 containers of 2% Greek yogurt and 1 tablespoonful of sour cream. It turned out amazing! I used 2% because I had guests and I was afraid the 0% would turn out too runny. Tasting it alone, it definatley didn't taste as great as the full-fat version. Nevertheless, when eaten with the veggies, you could barely tell the difference. It was a big hit.

I will definatley try out the 0% on my own. You can mix a whole container for yourself and a plate filled with veggies and have a healthy, well-balanced meal.

Right now I am cleaning the house top to bottom. It has been a little neglected lately. The laundry, kitchen, floors, counters, rugs, furniture dust and closets will all be tackled today.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Two Weeks To Go!

2010-05-08T03:43:00.000-07:00

So work has been CRAZY this past week or so. Ugh. The only thing keeping me sane is that I have two weeks left until I see this:

Ahhhhhhhh. Big sigh.

Well, here are some of meals I have missed posting since work got hectic. I missed taking many pics but I am glad I got a few.

One morning we had a nice breakfast on the patio:

And enjoyed the view. It was a beautiful day:

I made what my husband refers to as "the best guacamole EVER":

And plenty of it:

My version of PB and "J":

Beet salad (beets, thin sliced garlic, vinegar, salt, tiny bit of sugar):

Yummy cajun shrimp salad:

And of course a pic of our "leisure" activity: spending the day ripping out this dead bush. We are not looking forward to doing it again (with the one in the far corner) next week.

Well, I am off to do some HIIT before work. Have a wonderful weekend!

To Bang or Not to Bang?

2010-04-29T19:56:00.000-07:00

Today was a perfect workout day and a less than perfect eating day. I went to the gym bright and early and did a full lower body workout FOLLOWED by a 20 minute session of HIIT on the stairmaster. Yes, I am nuts! I then worked my usual 12 hour shift. We were so busy at work that it was hard to eat properly.

Here's the breakdown:

Meal 1: post-workout EAS shake
Meal2: oatmeal, 5 egg whites
Meal 3: 1/2 sandwich (double protein bread, deli chicken)
Meal 4: orange, 10 almonds
Meal 5: Greek yogurt with 3 strawberries and some honey
Meal 6: small bowl of leftover pasta from the other day + lemon popsicle

Its not like I ate anything horrible. I just felt like I was starving all day. Not enough protein, not enough water, no veggies. Hopefully tomorrow will go a little better.

So I have been thinking about getting some "bangs". Notice these on Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio. They are long enough to tuck behind her ears but short enough to frame her face perfectly when wearing a low ponytail.

I'm thinking about it but I can't commit. I have a feeling it would make me lose some sex appeal. I think my face might look too round. Maybe I'll get the guts to do it after California.

Well, tomorrow I have no idea what my workout will be. I did legs today, my upper body is still sore from Tuesday and I don't want to just do cardio. I think I will use my body weight to do a few different exercises in a series of circuits. Push-ups, abs, lunges, burpies, etc. I'll let you know how it goes!

Plants and Such

2010-04-29T02:59:00.000-07:00

First of all, a BIG thank you to all of you that responded to my last post! We really appreciate your feedback! We have made a decision but you'll have to wait to hear about it (I know you are at the edges of your seats, haha).

Well, On Tuesday I had the best. workout. ever.

I did a full upper body weight lifting workout (BFL style) and then went on to do some sumo squats, kettlebell squats and mountain climbers. I wanted to pass out afterwards and I am still feeling the wonderful after effects. Feels so goooooood!

Before I go into food, I must warn you. Caution: You what you are about to see is not a figment of your imagination. You are not having deja vu. I eat a lot of the same stuff guys. Sorry it is so boring and repetitive! But it works!

Here are some of my Tuesday meals:

Post-workout shake:
The usual:

Leftovers:

For dinner I had an amazing meal. I forgot to take a pic. Figures. Just imagine lettuce topped with rice and black beans and shredded chicken and salsa and "sour cream" (Greek yogurt). Yummy!

Wednesday, I took a workout rest day. I needed it! Here are some of my Wednesday meals. Again, go back to the "Caution" statement above.

I also had some shredded chicken after work with some yellow mustard.

On Tuesday we went to a few nurseries to find some plants for this area:

The area doesn't get much sun, so we have to stick with non-flowering plants for the most part. The flowering options we saw were not too impressive. We haven't made a decision yet. We considered putting a cute little bench there but it would be constantly buried in millions of leaves = more work for us.

Here are a few plants we might consider:

These kinda look like sea grapes to me, which are pretty beachy. But these aren't as messy looking.

We'll see. Any thoughts???

Well, I am off to the gym for a lower body workout and some cardio! I am working my usual 12. Have a wonderful day!

PLEASE HELP!!!

2010-04-26T19:46:00.001-07:00

This is our Florida home. We feel very fortunate to have bought it at such a young age. It needs a lot of work on the inside but we are fixing it up slowly but surely. We live about 1/2 mile from the beach and we wish our home looked more beachy. We don't want it to look like a Key West bar, but more of a classic coastal chic.

Anyway, I NEED YOUR HELP!!! We are getting hurricane shutters installed in a few weeks. We decided that we would put Bahama shutters on the 3 dining room windows in order to move closer to the beachy affect we are after. We are stuck on a decision on whether each shutter should run straight across the window undivided or have a typical Bahama shutter division. Now, the windows are faily narrow (26 inches I believe) and there are two more identical windows on the garage which will also be covered with Bahamas.

My husband used Photoshop in order to visualize each option. Which do you think looks better???

Obviously our poor photoshop skills do not do the look justice. Are the undivided ones too plain. Do the divided ones look too busy? Any advice/opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Option 1: I don't like either, don't get the Bahamas.

Option 2: I like the ones that are undivided.

Option 3: I like the divided ones.

Thanks in advance!!!!!

Exhausting Monday

2010-04-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

Today didn't go quite as planned but it went well nonetheless. I didn't do my upper body workout as planned but what I did instead made up for it. More on that later...

Today ended up being a 3 meal/2 small snack day unfortunately. It seems that it is much harder to do 6 small meals on the days I have off. I'll have to work on that. For breakfast I had my double protein bread with almond butter and fresh strawberries and some 1% no salt cottage cheese.

I didn't get to eat lunch till 4pm! Craziness. Between breakfast and lunch I snacked on a handful of no salt almonds. Lunch was Subway. I ordered the 6 inch chicken breast sub on whole wheat, no cheese. It was YUMMY! Obviously way too much sodium but I drank tons of water to try to make up for it.

Between lunch and dinner I had 3 prunes. What can I say, I love them. For dinner I made some pasta with homemade sauce and chicken breasts. Don't let this blurry picture fool you, my serving was mainly chicken and only a tiny bit of pasta. It came out sooooooo good and the hubby loved it. The chicken was so tender, it fell apart as we cut it with our forks.

Now on to my workout. First of all we did TONS of yard work today. My husband had to go into work for a few hours so while he was gone I turned this:

Into this in 30 minutes. There must have been hundreds, if not thousands of leaves. This picture only shows a small portion of the front yard. This magnolia tree is my nemesis.

When my husband returned we worked on this area. The exposed soil was filled with dead bushes this morning and we chopped, ripped, tore and yanked them all out. Then we cleaned up the millions of leaves and disgusting soil that was under them. We want to plant something in this area, maybe Hibiscus???

Any suggestions??????

After slaving away in the yard we went to the park. We completed a 2 mile run and a few exercised along the way. I attempted some pull-ups, did some sit-ups, burpies and hanging abs. I am BEAT. I am going to take a nice long shower and head to bed.

I hope your Monday was as productive, but more fun than mine!

Stormy Night

2010-04-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

I started yesterday off right with a little trip to the park before work. I jogged 1 mile in 8:55, walk 1/4 mile, jogged 1/4 in 1:55, walked 1/4 and then jogged 1/4 in 2:02. Not too bad since I haven't ran outdoors in a while and since I wasn't pushing my hardest for speed. I'll take it!

Breakfast: "The Perfect Hard Boiled Egg"

Breakfast consisted of a slice of double protein bread with some almond butter and simply fruit spread and the perfectly cooked egg. What is the perfectly cooked egg? I was sick of green yolks and waiting around wondering how my eggs would trun out. I couldn't sleep at night thinking about it (just kidding). So I use a variation of a method I read about here. Basically I put the eggs in cold water, bring to a boil and as soon as they begin to boil I take them off the heat and cover the pot with a lid. I set the timer for 12 minutes and PERFECTO! A nice, perfect yellow center. I found this method to be great for large eggs. You might want to wait an extra minute if you are using extra large eggs because the whites can end up slimey. If you want to get more technical, I've included this for your reading pleasure. Meal number 2 was created when I mixed the following:

And ended up with this chocolatey goodness. This cocoa mix is 140 calories for 4 Tablespoons, I used less than 1 Tablespoon. Worth it! I also ate 6 egg whites with this meal. It took me an hour to eat this because the whites were filling me up.

Meal 3: Chobani + 1/2 banana + 3 small strawberries + a sprinkle of dry oats + a drizzle of honey= heaven.

For meal 4 the hubby and I had some homemade North Woods Bean Soup (from my Cooking Light Soup recipe book) and a salad. I used red wine vinegar as my dressing. When I use vinegar only to dress my salad I like to chop up all the ingredients. I think it makes it more flavorful because everything is blended in each bite. A huge piece of lettuce with nothing but vinegar doesn't sound too appealing to me.

My meal:

Hubby's meal (his soup bowl was the same size as my salad bowl):

I had a small carb fest as my last meal of the day. 1 grapefruit, some almonds, 3 prunes and 1 bite of my husband's Whole Fruits Sorbet. I couldn't help myself. =)

So my husband almost scared me to death by waking me up at 3:19am. I seriously almost had a heart attack. We were having a huge storm that I was peacefully sleeping through. Turns out he wanted me to help him investigate a leak that was coming from the ceiling. We went up to the attack and noticed a leak in the roof where the fire place tube and the roof meet. Thankfully I think that is an area that could be sealed fairly easily.

Today it is still rainy. The plan for now: clean kitchen, do laundry and do an awesome muscle ripping upper body workout. Have a wonderful Monday!

No Promises, Hehe

2010-04-24T17:49:00.000-07:00

Well, my HIIT workout went very well today! I ended up doing the entire workout on the treadmill. I was forced to make it short because the gym opens at 7:30 on Saturdays and I have to be in the shower by 8 to be on time for work. My heart was still pounding when I got in the shower and I was still sweating after the shower. Gross, I know.

Per a lovely reader's request, I am going to TRY to post pics of my meals. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to be a food blogger, like my dear blogging buddy, the fabulous Therese, but I'll have to see whether I am too lazy to be or not, haha. Since the request was made later in the day, all of the meals but one are in my tummy but here is the general picture. FYI: today I was really busy at work so my typical 5-6 meal plan did not work out.

One hour after my HIIT session I had sandwich thin with a small amount of almond butter and a very tiny bit of jelly. I also had a plain Chobani yogurt with a drizzle of honey.
For lunch, I had two of these (7grams of protein in each):

With a few slices of Boar's Head Low Sodium Chicken Breast (I did not eat deli meal at all during BFL).

I was starved on my drive home from work so I had a green apple and a few almonds. I needed that carb to keep me from drooling, crying and screaming for a Vanilla Cone as I pass the NOT 1, BUT 2 McDonalds' that are on my way home. Yes people, life is not fair.

For dinner I had some brown rice, salmon and 1/2 small tomato. Looks filling but the plate is a dessert plate, not a dinner plate, so the portion was just right.

With a little bit of this:

I would have bought veggies and had some with this meal but I thought we had some in the freezer. =(

So how do I rate this day? Probably a 7. Too much bread, too little protein, no veggies, not enough calories and my meals weren't spaced out right. Oh well, at least I didn't eat my co-worker's brownies.

I'll be going to bed fantasizing about some new clothes!!!

Loving Glee

2010-04-24T03:58:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I had a perfect day of eating healthy small meals. 1500 calories of clean goodness. I woke up having to almost pee my pants (sorry if TMI), which is always a good sign that I drank a good amount of water the previous day. Very important ladies and gentlemen.

Last night I watched last Tuesday's episode of Glee. Oh Mr. Scheuster, your sexy ways are mesmerizing. I know, I am a nerd but I can't help it.

Image

I am off to do some much needed HIIT before my 10 hour shift. Hopefully some on the treadmill and some on the stairmnaster.

Happy weekend!

30-Day Challenge

2010-04-23T03:21:00.000-07:00

Good morning my dear blog friends,

Its been too long! I needed a little break from blogging. But that doesn't mean I haven't been keeping up with many of your blogs. =) I am back for a 30 day challenge! In 1 month the hubbie and I are going on a much needed vacation and I need to step it up a notch.

We are going to California. The hubbie hasn't been and I was there 12 years ago for tennis camp in Stanford. I remember the weather being AMAZING and the scenery wonderful. We are going to spend 4 or so days in the Monterey/Big Sur area (and maybe a day in Napa) and then heading over to the Yosemite area for 4 days. If you have any tips/suggestions they would be much appreciated!

Ok, before I continue I am sure you are just dying to know....Have I kept up my Body-for-Life body?????? (I know you are on the edge of your seats, haha). Yes and no. I have kept up with my workouts so I do not think I have lost much muscle mass, if any. But then again I have not seen much improvement in muscle mass either (bad, bad girl). I am not as lean as I was. Come on people, a girl can only eat so much 1% no-salt cottage cheese before she if on the verge of insanity. So basically I have gained back a few pounds. But summertime is quickly approaching and I need to get back into that red bikini. =)

So for 30 days I am getting back into the zone. I am going to add a few new workouts to my routine and change it up a bit. I plan on posting my workouts and diet plan. Maybe post some new outfits and keep you updated in the home decor blogging that I always promise and somehow always neglect.

Well, I got a bit of a late start this morning so I off for a quick jog before I have to shower for work.

Eat clean, move your body, join me for these 30 days and have a wonderful Friday!

Gosh I have missed you so. =)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T06:58:00.000-08:00

This year I am attending two Thanksgiving feasts...one today and one tomorrow.

My game plan for today is turkey, salad, one starch. My game plan for tomorrow is turkey, salad, 2 starches (hehe, can't resist some of my mom's dishes)! Tomorrow I am doing upper body at the gym in the morning and a HIIT cardio session.

Right now I am doing laundry, folding it, cleaning the kitchen, vaccuming, making a fresh, healthy cole slaw salad (no mayo!), and getting ready to go to my sister-in-law's.

I wish everyone a wonderful day full of love from family and friends!

Thanks!

2009-11-04T03:06:00.000-08:00

Thanks for all of you votes and your responses! I promise I will answer all of your questions in the next day or so and show you the winning picture!

Three 12 hour days in a row for me this week and I have been getting up each day to hit the gym before work. I am exhausted!

Help Me Decide!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, I am 99% sure I found my final "back" and "side view shots but I need your help for the "front" shot. Please help me choose one. If you vote, please let me know which one you like best and why. I want to look most muscular and transformed overall. Keep the chest, arms, abs and legs overall in mind.

Here is my back "before" (I hope I didn't ruin any dinners, haha):

Here is my back "after" (this is my fav shot but the bathing suit not being tied correctly kills me):

Here is my side "before":

And "after":

Ok, now the hard part, front "before":

Choice #1 (I think this is a decent overall pic. It is one of my favorites because of the chest and arm tone):Choice #2 (Decent overall as well. Legs look a little more tone and arms still look muscular): Choice #3 (I think my arms look the biggest (in a good way)in this pic):

Choice #4 (This is my husbands favorite. He likes that hair is not covering my face and he think my posture looks most feminine. He also thinks my legs look slimmest here. I like it but I think I look the least muscular in it):

Choice #5 (I think this is the best face/hair shot and body looks decent overall. Some muscle tone but definatley not the most arm/chest muscle):

Ok blog friends, I could really use some major votes. I know they all look pretty similar.

Thanks ahead of time!!!!

AHHHH

2009-10-20T22:41:00.000-07:00

Quick post, since it is almost 2am (I am nuts).

Well, as of Sunday I finished BFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOHOOO! It feels amazing! Anyway, now I can't decide on an "after" pic. And it is not like I am between 2 or 3...I am between 8!!!!! I work all day tomorrow so I think I am going to develop all of them on Thursday and see what they look like in person (not on computer). Ahhh!!! What a dilema.

If I posted them on here would you guys vote?

Night night!

OH YEAH! Also, I bought 2 awesome pieces of driftwood for the home...I know what you are thinking...bought? Well, I have been searching for "free" driftwood for months (ever since I was inspired by the beautiful Holly at Life in the Fun Lane), and no luck. So I bought 2 pieces. I can't wait to find a lovely spot for them...I have a few in mind.

Here's Holly's driftwood art:
Cute, huh? I'll post pics of mine as soon as I get it up!

Ok, now...goodnight!

Being Super-Wife Today

2009-10-16T08:40:00.001-07:00

This morning I have already:

Done laundry
Cleaned the kitchen
Cleaned the guest bedroom

I am about to:

Go to the gym
Tan
Look for shoes for my final pic

Later I plan on:

Grocery shopping
Cooking dinner
Doing my nails

Baby News!

2009-10-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

My cousin had her baby boy this past weekend and Frankie and I went to visit on Monday! He is SO adorable! Here we are (please excuse the shiny face, haha):

10 Down, 2 to Go

2009-10-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Today marks the end of week 10! I feel a little bloated at the moment due to some high sodium intake over the weekend, but I feel awesome in general.

Here are a few pics of some of my typical meals:

1 slice of whole wheat double protein bread, toasted and topped with 1/4 avocado, 2 slices of tomato and balsamic vinegar + 1% no salt cottage cheese:
1 slice of the same toast as above with a tiny tiny tiny amount of Simply Fruit jam and sliced strawberries (same thing with almond butter instead of the jam is to die for) + scrambled eggs (1 whole and 3 whites):
Grilled chicken breast + grapes + steamed green beans:

The hubby wasn't around this morning so I didn't take my week 10 pic (but I will tomorrow morning)!

PS: Thanks so much for ALL of the support even though I have been MIA with the posts! All of your comments are really encouraging and definatley keep me motivated! =)

A Sneak Peak

2009-09-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Ok, due to popular demand, I am going to show you a sneak peak of my transformation. The following pics are week 0 versus week 6. I just finished week 8 and I didn't take an official week 8 pic....so I'll have to wait till week 10 for the next progress pic...but here goes...

PLEASE do not the judge the yuckiness!

Week 0 (the dreaded back view):Week 6 (a little less dreaded):

Out on a boat with the hubby during week 8: I am really hoping to see something great at weeks 10 and 12! I'll keep you updated. =)

Still Going Strong!

2009-09-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

This coming Sunday will mark the end of week 8 of BFL! This means I have 4 1/2 more to go!!! I have noticed some big changes in my upper body but these legs really need to shed some fat pronto!

So, I have been getting some questions about Body for Life and I am sorry I haven't been answering them. I have been really busy...this whole thing is like a second job. Plus we are trying to work on the house...third job.

Well, Body for Life is a book by Bill Phillips. you can check out the BFL website as well.

BFL is both a diet and exercise program. For the diet, you are given a list of authorized foods (you can find this list on the website). You eat 5-6 times per day. Each meal should include a protein the size of the palm of your hand and a carb the size of your fist. You can also add veggies and should include healthy fats in your diet. For the workouts, you lift weights on Mon, Wed and Fri and do 20 minutes of HIIT on Tues, Thurs, and Sat. Sunday is a free day, on which you do not workout and you can eat whatever you want.

What I have been doing:

I mostly follow the list of authorized food. Probably 85-90% of what I eat is on that list. Extras include mainly unsalted nuts, almond butter and certain fruits that are not on that list. For my carbs I eat oatmeal, whole wheat bread, whole wheat tortillas, fruit and occasionally rice. I stay away from pasta and potatoes. My list of common protein sources includes 1% no-salt cottage cheese, plain 0% Greek yogurt, chicken, fish, egg whites and EAS 100% whey protein. My cheat days have been more like cheat meals. I allow myself 1-2 cheat meals a week, depending on the cheat. For example, one week I had a small bowl of wonton soup and a medium serving of soft serve ice cream (and sprinkles of course). I counted that as 2 cheat meals for the week. On a different week, I had 1 cheat meal, a birthday dinner with my hubby and his family (filet mignon, mushrooms, grilled zucchini and squash, salad and dessert). I haven't had any alcohol and I drink TONS of water.

For my HIIT sessions I have been doing the stairmaster a lot due to my neck injury. It doesn't put a lot of bouncing pressure on the neck. I have also used running as my HIIT, both indoors on the treadmill and outside.

I feel like a new person already! My hubby has noticed a huge change in me in the last 7-8 weeks, both physically and emotionally.

I think it is an awesome program and I would definately recommend it to anyone. It is nutritionally sound, doesn't make you feel deprived and the workouts are designed perfectly.

Please feel free to ask me any questions about the program and I promise I will do my best to answer them in a timely fashion. =)

Guest Bedroom

2009-09-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

Well, the hubby and I just finished painting the guest bedroom! We are so excited to see how it turns out. It is the first room we are renovating. We are going for a beachy-cottage but semi-sophisticated look. As I mentioned in a previous post, I bought some used furniture from a co-worker. My intensions were to paint it white, distress it and add new knobs...maybe somehting like this: But my hubby thinks the furniture already looks really beachy and that we should keep it the way it is.

The hardware looks a little too medieval to me. If we keep it this color I think I will want to change the backplates and knobs. I'll see how it fits in the room and go from there.

We want to take the two posts off of each side of the headboard, which will turn the queen into a full. I figured if there were nail holes on the sides I would use wood filler, sand it and then paint it white. This might pose a problem if we keep them natural.

Here's the new color of the guest bedroom. The picture didn't turn out too well. The color is Woodlawn Blue by Benjamin Moore. Honestly, it looks more green in person and we love it! It is crazy how it looks so different depending on the lighting.

We are going to put molding around the windows and on the ceiling. I'm excited to make some changes!

Here are some pictures of the same paint color in different lighting and better quality:

By the way, BFL is going really well! I just finished week 6 so I am half-way there. I promise I will post more about the diet and workouts soon. I have been a bad blogger lately. =(

We Bought It!

2009-08-31T03:06:00.000-07:00

Yay, we bought the furniture from my co-worker. (I will post pics later today). I want to paint it white. Well, I originally wanted to. Now I can't decide. Ahhhhh.

So I feel like a completely different person since starting this thing (BFL)! I woke up this morning (I think a little dehydrated even though I drink a gallon a day pretty much) and my abs were showing really nicely. It is 6am and I am about to hit the gym for a lower body workout. Then I am off to work for a few hours and I have a doctor's appointment to find out my MRI results.

I think the hubby and I are going to go to either Lowe's or Home Depot and look at paint colors for the guest bedroom today. We are thinking about a VERY light blueish grey. We'll see. =)

Anyone use a paint brand they are REALLY happy with???

First Renovation???

2009-08-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

I think that I am going to buy a dresser, 2 nightstands and a headboard from a coworker today! They need some work. If I do, I will post pictures tonight and we will start renovating out guest bedroom! Fun fun. =)

PS-Sorry so MIA. BFL is going strong and awesome! I went down 4.6% body fat in 5 weeks!

Week 5!

2009-08-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

Well, tomorrow is the first day of week 5! I can't believe I have successfully finished 4 full weeks of BFL! I took progress pics today and I can see a slight change from Week 2. I got a little bummed this morning that the changes weren't more noticable. My hubby encouraged me to keep going. He said he notices a slight change but that transforming a body doesn't happen over night. We are both excited to see what Week 6 and Week 8 pictures will bring.

Its tough to be very motivated when you expect to see more than you do. This is usually the time I start slacking off and gaining again. But not this time...I HAVE TO KEEP GOING!!!! I've worked too hard for 4 weeks not to see this thing through.

I have lost 10 pounds! I feel better. I look better in my clothes. What else can I ask for?

Last Day

2009-08-18T06:56:00.000-07:00

Well it is the last day of my mini-vacation. The truth is it was relaxing but not exciting at all. We planned on possibly going out of town for a night or two. Then we decided we had too much to do around the house and we would take a day trip instead. We wanted to spend the day at Busch Gardens in Tampa, but my neck was acting up and the last thing I needed was to damage it even further on a rollercoaster. So we didn't do much of anything.

I have an appointment with a neurologist today. Hopefully he will order a MRI so we get to the root of this problem.

As far as BFL goes...I am still on track!!! I had to skip my Saturday HIIT session due to the neck pain. Neck pain is weird because it is scary. Sharp nerve jolts make me so nervous so I don't want to push it. Instead of the HIIT, I walked about 2 miles. I figured something was better than nothing. My diet has been clean for the most part. I really want to start taking pics of my meals. I decided I would start last night and forgot to at breakfast. Figures.

This was my 3rd meal (my favorite): 1 greek yogurt, 1/2 banana and 2 teaspoonfuls of raw oats sprinkled on top:
This was my 4th meal (and I don't mean Taco Bell). Whole wheat tortilla, topped with lettuce, spinach, grilled chicken and 1/4 of an avocado:I haven't weighed myself for about a week or so. I am trying not to. Week 3 is kinda tough. I don't think many people on BFL see extreme results between weeks 2 and 4. So week 3 can be a little unmotivating. I am sticking with it though.

Mini-Vacation!

2009-08-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

Today marks the first day of my mini-vacation from work. The hubby and I were supposed to go to New York this weekend...remember? Well, we got the time off but nowhere to go. We don't have to return to work till Wednesday! Yay!

We are thinking about making a day trip somewhere but we're not sure whether we want to or not and nothing great is poping up in our minds. We might take a day to look for some furniture for our guest bedroom. There are so many things we need to work on around the house. We'll see how productive these next few days are.

I saw a chiropractor today. It looks as though my 7th cervical vertebrae is out of its natural position. This is probably what is causing the numbness in my arm. He adjusted my neck and back and it felt great to hear those pops! I am icing my neck as I type. Hopefully I will feel better soon.

Picture

I am still on track with BFL! I am pissed that my legs are not very sore today from yesterday's workout. I did my cardio HIIT session outdoors today. As far as raising your heart rate, nothing beats running outside in my opinion.

Well, I am off to watch a little TV! What an exciting life I lead. Haha.

Tuesday, August 11th

2009-08-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

Well, the weekend went EXACTLY according to plan. I ate the pasta for my dad's birthday on Friday and avoided so many goodies...fresh breads, cheeses, salami, etc. I did have a small piece of birthday cake right after. Therefore, my Sunday "cheat" meal was hardly a cheat. I ordered grilled shrimp scewer salad with balsamic vinagarette dressing on the side. I also asked for plain vinegar. The salad was made up of lettuce, a few tomatoes, some shredded carrots, onion and 5 grilled shrimp. I barely touched the fatty dressing and mainly used the plain vinegar. I resisted the hot steamy rolls and butter that were served before dinner and I didn't drink any alcohol, only water. I did my HIIT on the treadmill on Saturday as planned.

Yesterday was upper body at the gym. I am really feeling it in my triceps this morning. I wish I was feeling it more in my back and shoulders (2 areas I REALLY need to work on). My diet was on point all day.

I am about to go to the gym and do today's HIIT. I like to do it on an empty stomach whenever possible. I am thinking about making protein pancakes when I get back. I've never tried them and hopefully they turn out ok with chocolate protein powder. I have a ton of cleaning to do today and I also want to find a health food store in this town.

If you have never seen pictures of fitness model Jamie Eason, do yourself a favor and google her for some motivation. What I would do to have those legs!

Pain in the Neck

2009-08-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

I am still on track! I had a crazy last few days. I barely avoided a neck injury. My neck tends to lock up here and there (severe muscle spasms, etc) to the point where I can't move it. When an episode of this occurs, I am usually out of commision for a few weeks. I started to feel the pain coming on after my crack-of-dawn workout Wednesday morning. BUT I kept icing it and taking anti-inflammatories all day and I think that saved me! It is still slightly sore but getting better. I am keeping my fingers crossed. My knees are sore as well. My cardio workout this morning was nothing to brag about. I completed the 20 minutes of cardio but I didn't do it HIIT style. UGH. AND tomorrow is leg day. Double UGH. My knees need a chance to recover. Hopefully they will feel better by the morning.

I have been following my diet really well. Today was the first day I was really tempted to cheat. I was starving because I didn't have a carb for my second-to-last meal and there was a really long lapse between that meal and the next. I was grocery shopping and I was famished. It took all my power not to stuff 5 Rice Krispy Treats and a gallon of ice cream in my mouth all at once. So what did I do? I bought a container of fresh blackberries and ate the whole thing once I got in the car in about 30 seconds flat.

As I write this I am waiting for my mini cheescakes to finish baking in the oven. Tomorrow is my dad's birthday and I decided to make these. They are small like cupcakes and I plan on topping them with a homemade mixed berry sauce. I didn't lick a finger once while making them! And I don't plan on eating one either. Hopefully they turn out ok. I'm sure my hubby will tell me if they are horrible.

So, I will be out of town all weekend. Here's the plan:

Friday: Lower-body before we leave, eat small meals all day according to plan, have cheat meal #1 for dinner (mom is making pasta for dad's birthday, I will have a tiny portion).
Saturday: 20 minute HIIT (probably on my parents' treadmill), no cheating on diet all day.
Sunday: Day off or short walk on the beach, take Week 2 progress pics, follow diet all day until dinner with friends (cheat meal #2 for the week).

I love the fact that I decided to do 2 cheat meals instead of a whole cheat day. It will be much more doable that way.

Have a GREAT weekend!!!

This Week Is Looking Good

2009-08-04T15:04:00.001-07:00

Thanks ladies for all of your comments on my last post! You guys are the best. I know that I have been eating right and working out and in the end it is my health that I am focusing on. But, I did enter a 12 week competition. I want to see how drastic of a change I can actually make. So I want to master this program (in a healthy way of course). If it wasn't a timed thing, I wouldn't be analyzing what I am doing so much. Your support is so awesome!

Well, this week has started out pretty well! I feel and look better already. Yesterday was a lower-body workout and let me tell you, I squated, deadlifted, pressed and crunched my little heart out. It felt SO good!

Today I did HIIT on the treadmill. I LOVE doing it on the treadmill because you have the timer and controls right in front of you and it really controls your intensity level the best. I will continue to mix up my HIIT workouts though...stairmaster, elliptical, bike, running outside, etc.

Today was a historic day as well! I mowed my first lawn! The hubby and I bought a lawn mower and I volunteered for the job. I felt a little manly, lol, but also strong and empowered. Maybe one day I'll have the courage to wear a bikini top while doing it and get a tan!

Picture

End of Week 1

2009-08-02T21:03:00.001-07:00

Well, I have successfully finished one week of BFL. I feel ok. I don't know if I am doing enough. I am following the plan by the book but I keep thinking that maybe I should be doing more. Am I working out hard enough? Am I eating right? Am I eating enough to gain muscle? Should I start taking supplements?

Today was a "free" day. I took a break from working out. I am doing legs tomorrow and I have some knee pain so I needed the break. As far as eating is concerned, I didn't go overboard on the "freedom". I still ate my small meals throughout the day. At one meal I ate a whole banana instead of half. And for my last meal I had frozen yogurt (a pretty big serving) and a tablespoon of almond butter. I definatley didn't have enough protein today. Ugh.

I am going to try to make this second week better than the first. I plan on taking some progress pics next Sunday. Hopefully I will notice a difference.

Yum!

2009-08-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today went really well. I found myself lacking an appetite all day. In fact, I had to force myself to eat one of my meals. Pigs must be flying.

Well, my last meal of the day was quite a treat. In fact, it felt like a cheat meal. I guess the protein content in it isn't very high (probably about 15 grams total) so I feel a little guilty about it. I wish I had taken a picture before I gobbled it up. With this diet, I haven't had too many carbs besides fruits and veggies...some, but not too many. I'm refering to carbs such as bread, pasta, rice, potatoes. Anyway, my hubby bought Arnold's Grains & More Double Protein Multi-Grain Bread (what a mouthful). It has 7 grams of protein per slice. I toasted it and topped it with almond butter and slices of fresh strawberries. I even had a little milk. It was very yummy.

Work

2009-07-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well, I woke up at 5:30am and went to the gym to do upper body. It was a great workout. Instant pain. I could barely wash myself in the shower. While I was working out a guy saw that I had the Upper Body BFL Workout Sheet printed out. He asked if I was doing BFL. I said yes. He asked how far along I was. I said Day 5. He wished me luck. I hope I keep seeing him, maybe he will notice some changes. Once I got to work, I was scared that I strained my neck (recurring injury). I took some ibuprofen and iced it. The last time my neck stiffened up on me, I was out for weeks. Hopefully I took action on time. I ate very clean all day as well.

12 hour shift was extra long today. My pharmacy provides a service by giving certain antibiotics away for free (with a prescription of course). So, this is what I get, more often than you would think:

"My doctor told me I can get this for free"
"Yes, it is one of our free antibiotics"
"Are all your drugs free?"
(Wants to say: Are you freaking insane you moron?)
"No, just this list of antibiotics"
"How long?"
"Well, have you ever filled here before?"
"No"
"Ok, please fill out this patient information form and we'll get you all set in about 15 minutes"
"15 minutes!!???!!!!????"
"Thats about as fast as I can get it done. I see you have another prescription that is not on our free list. Do you have any insurance"
"Yes. (LONGEST PAUSE HUMANLY POSSIBLE) Oh, do you need to see my card or something?"
(Wants to say: No, I work for the psychic network)
"Yes please"
"Fine. (grumpy look, gives card...2 seconds later...) Ummmmm, can I have that back?"
"Well, I have to actually enter these numbers into the computer, so if it is ok, I'll give you your card back with the prescriptions"
"You aren't going to lose it are you?"
(Wants to say: Yes, I plan on losing it or shredding it, that is my agenda)
"No sir"
"I'll be back" (Walks over to pick-up window, stares at me for about 5 minutes and then signals to my tech). Picking up for So-N-So."

This is only the beginning of the stuff I hear.

Thursday, July 30th

2009-07-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

I woke up and wanted to do my cardio on an empty stomach. BUT life got in the way (phone calls, errands, etc) so I ended up eating breakfast. I started the day off with a plain Greek yogurt, some oats sprinkled on it and 1/2 banana. I REALLY missed my drizzle of honey but hey, gotta do what you gotta do.

I am off to the gym for my cardio session! I think it will be the stair master this time. Then, errands, errands, errands.

Here's a "Before and After" to be proud of. This girl, Jennifer Nicole Lee, is a weight-loss-success-story fitness model.

Sleepy

2009-07-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

Well, another wonderful day of BFL. I did lower body before my 12 hour shift. I ate every 2-3 hours and got lots of protein in. When I got home, the hubby and I took a dip in the pool. Then we went for a walk on the beach, hoping to see some sea turtles. No luck there. It is almost 1am...my legs are sore already and I am kinda nauseas. Time for bed. Hopefully my posts will be a little more exciting in the near future!

Oh, I almost forgot, I got my body fat tested today. So hopefully I can knock that down a few percentage points in the next 12 weeks.

Feeling Great

2009-07-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

Week 1, Day 2 was wonderful. I woke up early and did today's cardio workout. Um, I am SO out of shape. I chose running as my workout today. My legs are so sore right now...how am I supposed to do lower body tomorrow??? I will manage!

I drove to see my parents and got a haircut! Nothing too dramatic, about 4 inches off but still below the shoulders. I am headed for bed....early day tomorrow and a 12 hour shift.

The Big News

2009-07-27T19:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, my big news starts with a confession...

I have not been "fit" nor "sexy" lately. Maybe a little "super" due to my wonderful housekeeping lately but thats besides the point. What an a-hole I've been. I haven't been taking care of myself what-so-ever. I feel like I have been letting myself down, my husband down (although he would never admit it) and our marriage down. I keep starting these "diets" for a few days and just giving up on them. I haven't been caring. Our New York trip got cancelled and once again I lost motivation. Why do I have to have a big event to look forward to in order to have motivation? Isn't being healty, fit, active, and confident motivation enough???

I look like crap. I don't even recognize myself in the mirror. I feel lazy, tired, out of shape and gross. I don't want to go out because none of my going-out clothes are looking good on me these days. I have been avoiding intitmacy because I am grossed out with my body and I am scared my husband will be as well. How sad is that? We are newlyweds! It is AMAZING how someone's body and health can change in a matter of months.

I'm starting to get health issues! My hormones are out of whack, my knees are killing me, my posture is getting worse by the minute, my bowels are on strike, my hair is horrible, and I have acne. I am seriously scared to death of staying this way. How horrible to get out of bed each morning feeling more tired than the night before? To choose to be lazy and not live life to the fullest??? To be miserable. What kind of pregnancy will I have if I continue on like this? Will I get colon cancer? Will I miss out on the best years of my life?

Anyway...

I don't want a quick fix. I want a lifestyle change. Today marks Day 1 of the Body for Life Challenge. I have been preaching the BFL program for YEARS! I tried BFL about 6 years ago and found it to be an amazing program. I stuck with it for about 6 weeks and lost a bunch of weight. I got a little lazy and stopped doing it. But the principles I learned from that program have always stayed with me. Whenever someone asks me for fitness advice, I suggest this program. So why haven't I completed it??? ALL 12 WEEKS OF IT??? Speaking from a nutrition standpoint (since I do have a degree in it and all), I think it is a PERFECT program. Also, the workouts have done wonders for me. The program's concepts of exercise (lifting heavy when weight training and HIIT for cardio) have ALWAYS given me results in the past. I think it is time that I "thank" BFL for teaching me how to do these things the right way by showing others that this program really works!

Last night my husband took my "before" photos. I put on my bikini and started to cry. Yes, pathetic. I didn't want to walk out in the BRIGHT light and let him see me like that. I was so mortified. I let him take the dreaded snapshots. I am too embarrassed to post those right now...but as I progress with the program, I will. I definatley looked worse than last year's winner in her "before" pics. By the way, this girl is INCREDIBLE and a wonderful inspiration and role model. Here are some pics:

Check out the BFL website!

Well, today was AWESOME! I woke up at 5:30am and went to the gym to do my upper body workout. I am sore already! I worked a 12 hour shift. My eating was perfect today! I got lots of protein in and lots of veggies. One down, 83 days to go!

Something in the Works

2009-07-24T07:16:00.000-07:00

I have a life-changing plan in the works! It starts on Monday!!!! I'll share it with you in a day or two. I am super-excited about it but before the reveal I have to write a long post explaining it so no time at the moment!

Today's goals:

* Workout
* Clean, Clean, Clean: organize some books and papers and such (4 big bags full), 2 loads of laundry, dust/windex
* We might have guests tomorrow. If so, more cleaning, grocery shopping and baking something.
* Run a bank errand
* Prepare some stuff for my new life-changing plan

Wanting to Renovate

2009-07-19T21:04:00.000-07:00

Someone please hand me $100, 000 dollar to start renovating this home...hmmm...new windows, new floors, furniture...hmmm...new driveway, pool deck, appliances...Ok, the scary part is we would need more than $100,000 to make this place close to what I am envisioning, ugh.

I still love it. I LOVE our home...because it is ours, and we made sacrifices for it and the neighborhood is perfect! Well, maybe I don't love every 80s square inch of it, like the gold faucets, etc.

This is a pic of our living room...it looks A LOT bigger in the pic than it really is...here you can see the front door and a part of the dining room to the left. The fireplace is made of coral...we want to replace the glass shelves with rustic wooden ones. The right side of the living room (which you can't see), is made up of 3 french doors that lead to the pool (you can kinda see how the sun shines in and is reflecting on the floor).
Here are some pics I found on Decor Pad tonight that I absolutely LOVE:

A girl can dream.

Thursday, July 16th

2009-07-16T14:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I worked a 12 hour shift and I was perfect with the eating all day! 1300 calories!

This morning I ran some errands with the hubby. We added my name to his bank account, I got my new driver's liscence with my new name and new address, and we went to lunch. I came home, did a little yard work and 2 loads of laundry. I am waiting another hour or so to go outside and workout...it is BEYOND hot today. I am going to take a long walk (and hopefully jog) either at the park or the beach, we'll see.

We got great news today! I don't know if have mentioned it, but the community we live in is full of old people. We found out today that a "really young" couple is moving in a few houses down from us! I am pretty excited about this. Hopefully we will hit it off with them. We plan on stopping by in a few days to introduce ourselves and welcome them to the neighborhood.

Super-Wife Day

2009-07-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

Ok, between moving into this house and working I have barely been able to get on the computer!!! Well, we are finally fully in! How exciting! I am sitting in my living room getting ready for a SUPER-WIFE day!

Here's the plan:

*Clean 2 bathrooms (UGH, most dreadful thing on this list, we'll see how far I get)
*Vacuum entire house
*Windex glass doors (4 sets of french doors inside and out) and table tops
*2 loads of laundry...wash and fold
*Put all clothes and bathroom things away from move (this will be a job!)

*WORKOUT! (swim, run and pilates?)

*Eat right all day

*Cook chicken chilli from scratch for dinner for me and the hubby

Hope everyone has a wonderful and productive day!

Day 5

2009-07-07T12:38:00.001-07:00

Let me tell you, moving sucks. I can't wait until we are moved in and I get get my life back to normal! There is no time for the gym, going out, etc. Ugh, I feel overworked.

Day 4 went well. I weighed in at 141.3, same as Day 3. I went to work for a few hours and then made 2 trips moving things back and forth. I organized things as I went...our kitchen is almost done and so is our closet. We have a walk-in!!! I am super-excited about that. I ate about 1300 calories.

Day 5 is so far so good. I weighed in at 140.7! Yay, I can't wait to get back into the 130s. We got a brand new washer and dryer today! The Whirlpool Duet! It looks something like this:
We didn't get the pedestals though. My laundry room is a nice size but not too big. I wanted them low so that I can fold clothes on top of them. I plan on getting a white board to put on top. The washer and dryer sit below some upper cabinets, if we would have gotten the pedestals, there wouldn't be any room to fold.

We are trying to figure out what color to paint the laundry room. Hubby wants a light gray. I am still thinking about it. I was thinking either cream or light green. I tend to like white but it is white right now and doesn't look too nice. I would like a different color and then put in crown molding in white to make it pop. We'll see. I know it is just a laundry room but it leads to the garage so it is the entrance Frankie and I will be using. (Plus it is the only room I can afford to renovate at the moment!).

BF: Zone bar (190), Snack: grapes (100), Lunch: bean salad (150), grapes (100), artichoke salad (70), Snack: very small bowl of cereal (110)...more to come...

Day 3

2009-07-05T05:51:00.000-07:00

I have been embarrassed to post my weight lately. But here goes...morning of Day 1: 142.9, Day 2: 141.6, Day 3: 141.3. I am glad the 4th didn't do any damage.

I went for a quick 1.4 mile walk/run this morning. I have to get to work early because we were closed yesterday, meaning we will be really busy today.

Well, it was really busy, crazy actually...from 10am-6:30 all I was able to eat was two Zone bars.

BF: Kashi cereal (155) and fresh blueberries (30), Snack: Zone bar (190), Lunch: Zone bar (190), Dinner: slice of rye bread (120), with butter spread (50), big bowl of homemade chicken and veggie soup (350?), Snack: lots of strawberries and blueberries (150), Snack 2: unsalted peanuts (250), some dry Kashi cereal (100)...Total: 1585...higher than I hoped and too close to bedtime. We'll see what the scales says in the mornng.

Happy Forth of July!

2009-07-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful day!

Today was Day 2 of my new 40 Day goal. I must say, I think this was the healthiest 4th of July I ever had!

BF: Kashi cereal (155), few strawberries (20), Snack: Chex Mix (not the best and FULL of sodium but it was the healthiest choice around and I didn't wanna wait too long before eating again) (150), Lunch: nibbled on a bunch of things as I was preparing them for dinner, mainly fruit and veggies but also a little bit of fresh mozzarella (350?), Dinner: some grapes (50), tomato and fresh mozzarella (75), slice of bread (100), piece of tuna (150??), corn on the cobb, no butter (100??), grilled veggies on a skewer (75), pound cake (100), fresh berries (50), whipped cream (200?)...Total: 1575. Not too bad.

As far as exercise...only if cleaning the new house and moving clothes, dishes, etc counts. Ugh, I can't wait to be moved in and get my life back to normal. I really wanna hit the gym hard ASAP. It is closed tomorrow. Maybe I can get some cardio in either before or after work.

Is it Possible?

2009-07-03T05:24:00.000-07:00

Can you significantly change your body in 40 days?

I think so.

We have a possible trip to New York in the works and I wanna rock it. I have been fluctuating between 140 and 143 in the last few weeks and I am sick of it. I felt so heavy and self conscious last night that I didn't wanna have sex with my husband. If that is not a wake up call, I don't know what is.

BF: Kashi Cereal (155), 3 strawberries (20), Snack: Zone Bar (190), Snack 2: fat free mocha (130), Lunch: sandwich: 2 slices wheat bread and 4 oz chicken: 230, Snack: watermelon (75), Dinner: homemade chicken and veggie soup (300?), Snack: few strawberries (40)...Total: 1140. I resisted frozen yougurt. Thank goodness because I would have felt like a loser. I need to increase the lean protein and veggies. I'll work on it.

So, due to my 12 hour shift I did not workout today. I know this is not an excuse because I have been known to hit the gym at 6am or go for a run before work. I can't wait to hit the weights again. It felt so awesome to crank out 30 "real" pushups without a problem. I'll be there again soon enough.

Exhausted!

2009-06-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

This morning I repeated Friday's workout...same timing, same distance. I worked a 13 plus hour shift. I am pooped. Time for bed.

Half Day

2009-06-26T09:33:00.000-07:00

Morning weigh-in: 141.0

I had the first part of the day off. My husband and I went to Lowes and Home Depot to look at outdoor fans for our porch. We didn't have any luck finding one we liked. Tomorrow morning we will look at a few other stores in town. Its difficult deciding on one when you don't have any furniture yet.

I just did a 33 minute workout in 97 degree humid weather. It is a miracle I am alive. Today I covered 2.8 miles. Here's the breakdown:
5 min brisk walk warmup
1 min walk, 3 min run for 5 cycles
8 min cool-down walk (would have been 5 min but I had to get back to the apartment)

I'm off to shower and get ready for work. 2-9 shift will be a pleasant change.

So far today I ate a bowl of Fiber One cereal, the original one...not the new fancy flavors. My hubby calls it "goat pellets" and sometimes "rabbit food"...it really looks like something you find at a petting zoo.

Starting to Run

2009-06-25T04:33:00.001-07:00

Ugh, I've had a bad few days. Bloating, working and not having time to make small meals. I weighed in at 142.1 this morning. I decided last night that I would start a running program. I was inspired my my wedding-weekend twin, Devon, from All Things King and my co-worker, who runs 5Ks regularly with his wife.

I am not quite ready for the Running for Weight Loss program that Devon is doing but I think I will be there in a few weeks.

This morning I spend 30 minutes outdoors doing fasting cardio and covered 2.4 miles. Warning: This was my first semi-real workout in a while. I am out of shape. Here's the breakup:
5 min brisk walk warmup
2 min run, 1 min walk for 6 cycles
4 min walk cooldown

I feel like I got a pretty good workout (pathetic huh?). Now off to a 12 hour shift. I will eat well ALL day! I will be 139 by July 4th!

Amber Elizabeth

2009-06-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

I was just looking at Oxygen Magazine's website and I saw what I consider to be the perfect body. Fit, lean, muscular but still feminine. This girl has it all. If I looked like this, I think I would walk around wearing this on a daily basis (well, at least around the house). Check out the hamstring-butt definition:

Source

Tuesday, June 16th

2009-06-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

Morning weigh-in: 141.4. Probably normal fluctuation. I was pretty good yesterday. I probably shouldn't have had the 6 bites of chocolate late last night but otherwise I was good. I stayed up so late last night working on Thank You cards again. The good news is I think I only have about 18 more to write! Here is a pic of our card (I weighed between 132 and 135 that day. I was fluctuating all week and didn't weigh myself the day of so I am not sure): I really need to start exercising! I know that if I worked out for a week I would drop two pounds in a snap. I guess I will get a good workout cleaning the house all day again. This is what I am up against. Only it doesn't look like this. There is so much dirt and mildew around the pool that I swept and scrubbed it for hours the other day without too much improvement. Its gonna need at least 10 more hours of work and a miracle before it looks like this again:

Monday, June 15th

2009-06-15T05:14:00.000-07:00

Morning weigh-in: 141.3.

Yesterday was definaley a repeat of Saturday. I pretty much ate the same thing all day because I spent the day cleaning the house again. My dad and I changed all the locks and handles that lead outdoors. I can't wait to save up some money in order to change all the indoor handles. I can't believe how expensive those things are.

Today my newlywed friend Nicole is coming back from her honeymoon. I can't wait to hear about Hawaii!

Off to 12 hour shift . =(

Feeling Good

2009-06-14T06:52:00.000-07:00

Morning weigh-in: 141.7. Good, I knew I was holding on to some binge weight. To me, when I am eating crappy for a week or two in a row I get bloated and heavy...when I return to normal eating, I always lose a pound or two or three the first week.

Yesterday I ate ok. Not the healthiest stuff in the world but normal portions. I had a huge bowl of Kashi cereal in the morning. Lunch: slice of white bread, 5 pieces of cheese (some mozzerella and some cheddar), 2 slices of purchutto, 2 slices of tomato, a hardboiled egg, and grapes, Snack: 2 amazing cookies, OJ, Dinner: large bowl of Kashi cereal, few peanuts, some M&Ms.

I am spending the day cleaning the new house once again. My dad is coming back up and we are changing all of locks. Hopefully some serious cleaning will get done.

Day After Closing

2009-06-13T06:58:00.000-07:00

Morning weigh-in: 142.8. This would have been lower if I didn't insist on eating at 2am. I stayed up really late to clean and write some wedding thank you cards. I got pretty hungry and ate a small bowl of cereal, a few nuts and 2 slices of bread with a veggie spread. What a moron. At least I was good all day up until then.

We closed yesterday and it went smoothly! Frankie carried my over the threshold and we went to Home Depot only to spend over $800 on a garbage disposal, new locks and new door knobs. The sad part is that we only bought 6 locks and 6 door knobs. We don't need any more locks but if we want to match the knobs on the entire house, including closets, we will need 14 more.

Today my parents and Frankie's mom are coming to help us clean. The house is a mess and we are lucky they are coming.

I got a little more motivation from looking through some old pics. I saw one of me and Frankie from college. The pic was taken on the night of our first kiss. It made me think back on those butterfly emotions and just how much I wanted to look for him back then. Makes you realize how your efforts can diminish through the years if you aren't careful.

Closing Day!

2009-06-12T07:36:00.001-07:00

Morning weigh-in: 143.5. Double ugh.

Last night I had a horrible nightmare. Frankie and I were at an amazing resort with pretty much everyone we knew. Everyone was laying out at the pool, playing in the water and having the best time. All of his friends brought hot girls that looked amazing in their bikinis. I, on the other hand, was watching from a window. I was wearing men's gym shorts, a huge baggy t-shirt, had greasy hair and was about 10 pounds heavier. I had this horrific acne on my forehead. I was just there watching, wishing I had prepared, wishing I had worked hard on my body and wishing I was having a good time with all of them. I was embarrassed for even my husband to see me, jealous that he was wishing I looked like the other girls and extremely depressed. It felt so real.

I woke up and did 4 laps around my complex=2.8 miles. Mostly walking. I felt like I weighed 2 tons. My thighs felt swollen and huge. I was tired, I didn't have any energy. The only thing I had was motivation.

We are scheduled to close at 2pm today. We'll see if it happens. Closing already got pushed back from 10:30am to 2. I guess the bank didn't turn some documents in on time. We are waiting for a phone call to get the final closing amount so that we can go to the bank and get a check. Crazy. We don't even know how much this will cost. I'll let you know how it goes.

Confession

2009-06-11T05:17:00.001-07:00

I feel like I have let myself down. I haven't been focused. It is so easy to forget your goals when you have so much going on around you. I have been eating without reservation lately. My workouts haven't been hard enough, long enough or consistent. I have gained a significant about of weight in the last 2 1/2 months and I feel like I am not myself anymore. I let all my hard work go down the drain. I am no longer excited to get dressed up, go out or even think about sporting a bikini.

I am admitting to this only because I am ready to make a change again. I wanna see the fat shed off of my body. I wanna flex my muscles again. I wanna feel like running 2 miles is easy.

This battle is 70% mental and 30% physical. I am gonna get out of it. I had a binge yesterday so I know I will weight a pound or more less tomorrow but my morning weigh-in was 143.8. Ugh, that was so hard to type.

Slacking

2009-06-01T20:39:00.001-07:00

Wow, I haven't blogged in a while! Well, Since my last blog I have worked every single day. Wed (12hrs), Thurs (10hrs), Fri (14 hrs), Sat (10 hrs), Sun (7 hrs), Mon (12 hrs)...so thats my excuse!

Well, I am proud to say that I ran before work all but 2 days. I just wish I had more time to workout. I've also been good about eating healthy. My diet right now is about a 7 out of 10.

Everything is on track with the house so far. We are still scheduled to close on June 12th! We had some drama with our morgage broker last week. He never locked us in when the rates were low and tried to bring our interest rate up a whole percentage point. Luckily my REA is a tough cookie. He locked us in at our original rate today!

Nicole's wedding is right around the corner! I'll post pics as soon as I get some!

The Mission Continues

2009-05-26T10:07:00.000-07:00

So today is Day 3 of this quick beauty mission. Yesterday went really well. I did the 1.4 miles walk/run but I was so extremely sore from the Shred. Its pretty unbelievable. The first time I did the Shred, I thought it was too easy and I didn't feel sore at all the next day. What a reality check. I need my muscles back!!!

This morning I woke up really late (11am) and did some fasting cardio (1.4 miles again). I just ate my new favorite clean treat...the yogurt meal I described in my "I just had an O" post. It is so wonderful. I am about to go tan outside for a little bit. I am not too excited about putting on my bikini but hopefully not too many people will be at the pool, lol. (Ugh, I hope I don't have to think this way in a few months).

I'll probably come back and do some push ups, leg lifts and abs before I shower.

12 Days of Beauty

2009-05-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

Well, since I didn't keep up my wedding body as I should have, I have 12 days to trick onlookers into believing that I did. Nicole's wedding is right around the corner and I have to look great for the bridal party pics.

My plan is the type you find in a summer issue of Shape magazine. All the springtime magazines give you 6 or 8 or 12 week plans to shape up for summer and get your "best body ever". Once summer hits, the articles change to something along the lines of...ok lazy ass, you didn't follow our 8 week plan and you now you expect to look good...heh...ok, in one week you can pretend you were good for 3 by tanning, dehydrating yourself, washing your face for a change and staying away from everything you love.

So today was Day 1. I woke up and did level 1 of the Shred. Um, it used to be so easy a few months ago. This morning was torture. I worked 7 hours and ate really well all day. I ate small meals every 2-3 hours and had my last meal before 8pm. After dinner I walked/jogged 1.4 miles. I drank lots of water. Now I am about to go wash my face, pluck my eyebrows and put on some face cream before I head to bed.

Tomorrow I am finally off for a change. I need to get some color, whether real or fake and workout like a mad woman.

I Love Petra Nemcova

2009-05-23T22:43:00.001-07:00

If you don't know who she is, you might remember hearing about her after she survived the 2005 tsumani and unfortunately lost her fiance.

Not only is she one of the most gorgeous models out there, but everyone raves about her sweet personality and participation in charity events. She always looks SO put together. She has a unique European style and looks fabulous in anything she puts on.

Thursday, May 21st

2009-05-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been eating clean but it hasn't been pretty. I am really sick of the same old foods. I ordered the Eat Clean Cookbook and I can't wait for it to come in the mail.

I cheated the last two days by having white rice with my clean turkey chili. I also had a little bit of sour cream.

Today I started a modified eat-clean diet. I had Kashi Go Lean cereal for breakfast. I think this will be necessary for my sanity. I almost freaked out yesterday and bought a 500 calorie ice cream cone.

I went for a walk on the beach today. I can't wait to live there. I am about to go for another walk (I'll mix it up with some lunges), shower and get dinner ready for my hubby.

By the way...check out this dream home. (I got the pic from someone else's blog a while back and I am very sorry that I don't have the source. Please let me know if you know where its from).

Loving It

2009-05-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

Why is this Victoria's Secret Vix bathing suit so expensive? (Top and Botton, $58 each - on sale from $78 each). I am not crazy crazy about the pattern but I LOVE the overall shape (the top has thin straps and slides along the bottom and the bottom has very thin sides without being a side tie) and I think it would look hot with a nice summer tan. The only thing it doesn't have is the "light removable padding" that I unfortunately need but I think that could easily be put in. I have a bunch of gift certificates for VS from my bridal shower so I'll give it some thought.

Back to Clean

2009-05-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I woke up feeling like crap. I was disappointed with myself for having a cheat day. Oh well, I realize these are necessary for my sanity. Maybe I will do a 5 day on, 1 day off plan. Who knows. I will play it by ear. Maybe a cheat meal would be more appropriate, not a cheat day.

Morning weigh-in: 137.2 (darn you cheat day)

BF: oatmeal with a banana, cinnamon and milk, a few bites of my hubby's scrambles eggs (made clean), 2 bites of cottage cheese, Lunch: grapes, 2 hardboiled eggs, Snack: Apple, Dinner: rice pasta, tomato sauce, ground turkey, natural parmesean cheese, salad: lettuce, tomato, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic, feta cheese, few olives, Snack: banana, unsalted natural peanuts.

My husband and I went to the park today. We actually went to 2 parks. Both are really close to our soon-to-be new home! The first one we went to is probably about 2.5-3 miles away. It has a nice 2 mile trail, grills, tennis courts, etc. We walked a lot and ran one mile. The other park is less than a mile away and right on the beach. There is even a little restaurant there that serves ice cream! Of course we passed on the ice cream but it was wonderful imagining future date night walks on the beach and boardwalk, family barbeques, jogs and bike rides. We got really excited!

Dirty Day

2009-05-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

Morning weigh-in: 136.3!

I am going out of town to visit my parents today so I am not sure how I will be able to eat clean. I would hate to insult them because I am sure my mom will want to cook dinner for us. Just in case she makes a pasta sauce, I am bringing some rice pasta with me. I'll try my best, we'll see how it goes.

BF: Greek yogurt (90), topped with 1/2 banana (55), 10 almonds (120?), sprinkle of oats (10), drizzle of honey (20), blueberries (25)...more to come...

Update:

Well, the day didn't go quite as planned. I went out to lunch with my mom. I had a seafood antipasta salad with balsamic vinegar dressing. This would have been 99% clean: it was made up of grilled squid, shrimp, muscles, clams, lettuce, cucumber and tomato...except, it also came with provolone cheese slices and amazing crispy, right out of the oven rolls. I had 2 rolls. =(

Later, I had some chicken, which was organic and another salad (dressed with olive oil and vinegar) but then I had some chocolate covered raisins (yikes) and ice cream with my hubby (double yikes).

Well, a cheat day it was. And it was pretty wonderful. I felt like crap going to bed that night. I felt even worse the next morning. Its as if I had a one night stand with some chocolate covered raisins. Dirty, dirty girl.

Day 5

2009-05-15T19:33:00.000-07:00

I worked another 12 hour shift today and ate clean! I worked at my husband's store today as overtime. The store was pretty busy and I was out of my comfort zone so I didn't have much time to eat. This morning I made oatmeal but I was in such a hurry I only ate half of it (100?), for lunch I had 1/2 c. cottage cheese and 1/2 c. Greek yogurt and an apple (310), I snacked on some carrots later on (45)...when I got home I was starving...I ended up having the final bit of my clean pasta sauce (no pasta this time) (100), some artichoke salad (200) and I cooked a "green" steak (hormone and antibiotic free, raised on veggie diet) (10000000???), ugh, it was a really big piece. I ate a spoonful of almond butter (70) and 1/2 banana for dessert (55).

Day 4

2009-05-14T04:53:00.000-07:00

Morning weigh-in: 137.2, I'll take it. I'd like to be 135 by my friend Nicole's wedding, June 6th (which I am super-excited about). I'm in the wedding and I am sure I will be crying like a baby, so my body has to make up for the ruined makeup. =)

I did my morning 1.4 mile run/walk. I ran the 0.7 mile loop in 5:56, definately an improvement. I almost died in the process. My new mini goal is 5:40...we'll see.

Off to a 12 hour shift. Hopefully I will think of some good recipe ideas and get some groceries after work.

I ended up eating clean all day! No cheating! I am really tired tonight and lazy to post all the food but I ate just under 1600 calories today. Much of the same stuff as the last few days.

Day 3

2009-05-13T05:11:00.000-07:00

Morning weigh-in: 137.3
Look: eyes have no puffiness, face is completely clear, still pale (I really need some sunlight)
Feel: very sleepy (I went to bed early, sometimes I feel like the more sleep I get, the more tired I am the next morning), still a little bloated

BF: oatmeal (120), 1/2 banana (55), 1/4 c. skim milk (25), Snack 1: hardboiled egg (80), grapes (100), Snack 2: banana (110) and almond butter (90), Lunch: salad (50), whole egg + 1 egg white (100), Snack: pineapple and strawberries (180), Dinner: rice pasta and sauce, same as last night-I made a big batch (400), Snack: almond butter (60), few blueberries (20)...total: 1390.

I worked a 12 hour shift today so I packed a lunch bag full of clean foods (see above)...I felt pretty confident that I could make it all day and I did! Now I need to find some variety before the lack of it makes me quit.

I made a pretty awesome salad. I grew up eating this stuff so I was pretty happy to see all the ingredients were considered clean. Its kinda a different way to eat cole slaw. You shred red cabbage (the salad won't taste good unless it is shredded really really thin), add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, pepper and some sea salt. Mix it really well and let it sit and get cold in the fridge. I guess it might be an aquired taste for some but it is really filling and my husband loves it.

I Just Had an O!

2009-05-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, eating clean can be good! My husband just went to McDonalds to get a McFlurry. Yes, I resisted. I was pretty bummed about it until I decided to make my own CLEAN dessert.

Here is what I used, in layering order: Plain Greek yogurt (100), 1/2 banana, sliced (55), few blueberries (20), almonds (100), spoonful or two of uncooked oatmeal flakes (30), very thin drizzle of honey over entire thing (?)...YUMMY! Worth every healthy calorie.

Day 2

2009-05-12T09:21:00.001-07:00

Is it possible for me to feel better already? From just one day of eating clean? It was tough, especially since I went grocery shopping. All I wanted was a huge cookie of some sorts. I went to the bookstore yesterday and looked at the Eat Clean book and Cookbook. I wrote down one recipe in order to try the book out (the pasta sauce I made last night). It was really good so I am going to go back and get it.

This morning:
Weigh-in: 137.4 (I am embarrassed to say that yesterday's weigh-in was 141.8...how the heck did this happen???)
Look: semi-bloated, pale, only one blemish on face
Feel: much less constipated (even though I didn't go), motivated

BF: plain oatmeal (120), 1/2 banana (55), 1/2 apple (50), cinnamon, 1/3 c. skim milk (30) (I grated the apple and mashed the banana and mixed them, I made the oatmeal and mixed in the cinnamon and fruit mixture and poured milk on top, very yummy and very filling), Snack: hardboiled egg (80), Snack 2: 1/2 banana (55), almond butter (90), Snack 3: 1/2 apple (50), Dinner: rice pasta and sauce from last night (400??), salad (30), Dessert: see next post.

Eating Clean: Day 1

2009-05-11T04:54:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning thinking about how I am going to commit to 2 weeks of clean eating and post the goal on my blog. Then I started thinking. I hate saying I am going to do something and not following through. So then I thought, ok 1 week. Well, the truth is, I don't know how long I could actually eat clean without modification. I never tried it. The only reason I want to do it without modification is to get a kick start to looking and feeling better to motivate me to keep it up better. Well, my new goal is 1 day. Thats it. 1 day. And if I decide to not do it tomorrow, no judgement, my goal was only one day.

I decided to occasionally post a few words that best describe how I look and feel in the beginning of a particular day. Here goes:

Look: bloated, breakout on face, pale, blotchy
Feel: constipated (sorry if TMI), itchy for some reason, tired, lazy

Now you know why I wanna do this, haha.

Well here goes...

BF: glass of water, plain oatmeal (100), with about 4 fresh strawberries (25) and cinnamon, 1/3 glass of skim milk (30), Snack: baby carrots (25)-this was complete torture, Lunch: 2 hardboiled eggs plus 1 egg white (180), avocado and black bean salsa I made last night (200?), few strawberries (30), Snack: 1 banana (110) and a handfull of almonds (180), Snack 2: a spoonful of almond butter (80) and a few grapes (40), Dinner: rice pasta (made from one ingredient, brown rice) (?), lentil tomato sauce from "The Eat Clean Cookbook" (?), salad (30). I was so full from the lentil sauce that I didn't even want dessert, which would have been plain Greek yogurt with fruit.

Workout: 20 min of elliptical, few lunges and shoulder presses, 1.4 mile walk/jog later in the day.

Sunday, May 10th

2009-05-10T05:07:00.000-07:00

I did the lap this morning in 6:19. 2 seconds slower than last time. I didn't want to run this morning but I figure I'll have to do a lot of things I don't want to in order to get the body I want.

I am getting more and more interested in eating clean every day. My reasons: I feel sluggish and run down a lot, I want to lose some fat but build lean muscle, I plan on stopping my birth control pill next month and I am afraid I will get acne again, I want to sleep better, and I want to look fresh, not blah and bloated.

I just don't know if I can do it. Not because of temptation but because of inventing and preparing meals that I will actually like and be able to take on my 12 hour work days. I know there are recipe books out there and I know I can prepare a day ahead of time, it will just take a while before I get fully into it.

I have to research one question though, and if the answer is no, this whole eating clean thing might not be an option: Is low fat and non-fat dairy (mainly skim milk, low fat cottage cheese and non-fat plain yogurt) considered clean?

Friday, May 8th

2009-05-08T05:22:00.000-07:00

I woke up early and completed the same workout from yesterday. About 1 minute into the run my whole butt was one big cramp. I finished the lap in 6:17...22 second improvement from yesterday. I didn't think I would make it but thank goodness I did. I will try for a record time Sunday morning.

I am off to a 12 hour shift. I packed my food for the whole day so no excuses in that department.

BF: Kashi cereal and fresh strawberries (185), Snack: Zone bar (190), Lunch: roast beef sandwich on wheat (280), apple (110), Snack: sample of grocery store meal (200), Dinner: rice (200) and chili (200), pudding (100)...total: 1465 (which includes some over-estimates).

I Feel Some Motivation Coming On

2009-05-07T06:24:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning wanting to run out of the house and workout. I had a huge sinus headache so I took 2 Sudafed and 3 ibuprofen...I'm just waiting for it to go away and its on!

So I ended up eating pretty well today. I had Cherrios with fresh strawberries for breakfast, a sandwich on wheat for lunch, and homemade chili for dinner. My husband makes the best chili. The only fat in it is from extra lean beef. I just had a 100 calorie pudding for dessert. Its not exactly a "clean" food but it killed my craving for sweets.

Speaking of eating clean...I am strongly considering trying it. Who needs processed foods, right? I'll work on it. I keep hearing about how it helps you feel better, clears your skin, obviously helps you lose weight and be more healthy overall. I think my husband and I will take small steps in that direction. I gotta work on my water intake first.

I had tons of errands to run today and only ended up doing cardio. I covered 1.5 miles, of which I ran 0.7 straight. The lap that goes around our development is exactly 0.7 miles. My hubby just started running about 10 or so days ago and has been timing himself going around that thing. Today he set his new record of 4:20. I am sure he will get it even lower after a few more weeks. My time today was horrible. My body felt like moving cement. I didn't try hard to make it as fast as possible. I was scared of pulling something or being too sore since I am currently stiff as a board. So I took it easy in order to run the whole time without stopping. (How pathetic since not too long ago I was doing 4 miles without stopping). Anyway, I did it in 6:39. Please hold the laughter. I made it a point not to look at the stopwatch the whole time. If I had, I probably would have gone faster. Anyway, I am sure I can shave a minute off that time within a few weeks.

What a Year

2009-05-07T06:04:00.001-07:00

Last night I was about to leave work and my hubby called me on my cell phone to ask me if I knew what day it was. He said that it was the one year anniversary of him proposing. I knew it was close but I couldn't remember the exact date. When I got home his car wasn't in the parking lot (which was strange since it was 10:30pm). I called him and he said he would be right back. He came home with 2 McFlurries and said we were having date night. We watched a bunch of episodes of a Fox show called Lie to Me. I had never heard of it but it was really good. We stayed up till 2am. We really had a nice night. I proudly didn't finish my McFlurry.

We reflected on the crazy year we had...May 2008-May 2009. This was maybe the craziest year of our lives. It brought huge life-altering changes and we did it together. The changes were both good and bad but they all brought us closer.

We: Graduated, got engaged, my grandmother passed away, we moved to a new city and moved in together, we got jobs, we studied for months for our pharmacy boards and passed them, we became pharmacists and started our careers, we started planning our wedding, his grandmother passed away, we celebrated the holidays in our home together for the first time, we got MARRIED and we bought a house! Crazy to think it all happened in one year.

MIA

2009-05-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

Well I have been MIA for a while. I guess it took some time to recover from the weekend. I had a blast at my friend's shower and bachelorette party. For the past 2 days I have been working 12 hour shifts and I have another one today. I have been walking/jogging each morning. I have tomorrow off so I plan on getting back into my weight training routine. I had a dream last night that I was chosen to be in some kinda workout video and I had 10 days to eat clean and slim up. I woke up feeling like crap. Partly because I have my period and mostly because I know I haven't been caring too much about nutrition and fitness lately. What the heck is wrong with me?

You know what I think got to me? I saw some more of our wedding shots and I was disappointed. A few are really good and I look thin in them...but in some I honestly look really chunky next to Frankie. So in my mind I think, ugh, if I looked like that when I worked so hard, is it ever gonna be worth it to do it again? Ok, totally irrational thinking, especially since I know how thin I looked at my cousin's wedding a few weeks before my own.

I just gotta find that great motivation once again. That one great kick in the pants that everyone hopes for. Ok, vent over.

Friday, May 1st

2009-05-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

I am off for the weekend for my friend's bridal shower and bachelorette party!!! Hopefully I will come back with lots of pics! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Thursday, April 30th

2009-04-30T05:04:00.000-07:00

Morning weigh-in: 137.8. I knew I was holding on to a little binge weight. I work another 12 hour shift today. I did the same workout this morning as yesterday. It seemed even harder today but I will keep it up.

Total food intake for the day: 1350. Not bad. No binges, passed on a few temptations. I gotta start getting more protein in though.

House Update: Ugh, yesterday we got the rules of the HOA. For the most part, nothing major. The things that bothered me were asking permission before changing any landscaping, and other changes to the exterior. Most of the rules are made to keep the property looking clean and nice, which we appreciate. We are just kinda scared of all the responsibility that comes along with it. We are neat people in general but its weird to think people are looking over everything you do to your house. What a downer. At least we know our neighbors won't have plant overgrowth and other messy things acting as an eye sore.

38 Days, No Excuses?

2009-04-29T04:34:00.000-07:00

POLL: How many of you read my old blog and are disappointed that I haven't been weighing myself in the morning, working out like I used to, eating right, posting food intake and discussing motivation?

**Raises hand**

I have 38 days till my very dear friend Nicole's wedding, June 6th, which I am in (and extremely excited about)...so I am going to try to get back on track.

Morning weigh-in: 139.4. Ugh, nice change in 2 months huh? I'm pretty happy I am still in the 130s but I feel like I did when I was 20 pounds heavier or more.

Workout: I walked/jogged 1.4 miles this morning. The jogging part sucked. My knees wobbled and popped and I felt really out of shape. What the heck? I was thinking I was iron woman a few months ago. I would have done a bigger workout but I am working a 12 hour shift today.

Pre-BF: glass of warm water with a freshly squeezed lemon in it (my mom swears by this so I'll try it out), BF: Cheerios and fresh strawberries (175), Snack: Kashi TLC bar (180), Lunch: chicken (150), pasta (180), sauce (80), Snack: water melon (50), sample of meal the grocery store was serving (200), piece of chocolate (100), Dinner: vanilla cone from McDonald's (250)...total: 1365. Not too bad.

House Style

2009-04-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

Now that we are buying a home, I am really excited to start thinking about renovating and buying furniture. This house was built in 1983 and definatley needs some renovations and updates. Unfortunately, we are putting almost everything we own into the down payment so these things will take time. My dream is to have a beautiful, welcoming home that feels like a light, bright retreat. I love homes that are mainly white with wood floors. I love a clean feel with some rustic touches. I have great visions for the guest room...white wood floors and an antique looking bed frame with modern and crisp linens. I would love to have a white couch and some sort of old wooden trunk looking coffee table. But I know a white couch is not too practical, especially since we don't have both a formal and family living room.

I love the open feel of this bathroom...this is what I am talking about when I say light and bright:

Coastal Living

I love the rustic look of this table, I also like the chandeliers in both pictures:

Pottery Barn

I love the rustic mirror and table, they add a touch of old to something more modern and crisp (although I am not crazy about this room overall):

Coastal Living