Its been a fun morning filled with big butts and gung-ho dieting. :)
This was shared by Becca- originally found on Hardbody.com. LOVE this!!
The text reads: My butt is big and round like the letter C and then thousand lunges have made it rounder but not smaller. And that’s just fine. It’s a space heater for my side of the bed. It’s my ambassador. To those who walk behind me, it’s a border collie that herds skinny women away from the best deals at clothing sales. My butt is big and that’s just fine. And those who might scorn it are invited to kiss it.
Oh yeah. My booty is big and I'm working on getting it tighter and rounder.
And for my musical moment- the OFFICIAL Song of the Day:
My back and neck were so strained feeling I decided it was better to take an extra rest day on the push ups. Back at it today!
Week Four, Day Three 100 Push Ups Challenge Set One: 23
Set Two: 28
Set Three: 23
Set Four: 23
Max Set: 36
Total: 133 !
Nothing like a new play list to spice things ups. :) I've got a kick-ass list now. Totally pumped me up for the whole workout. This was overdo for sure. In no particular order:
Love Game – Lady Gaga
Poker Face - Lady Gaga Misery Business- Paramore
Listen to Your Heart- Edmee Techno remix
Paint It Black – Rolling Stones
Let It Rock -Kevin Rudolf
Boom Boom Pow-Black Eyed Peas
I Gotta Feeling – Black Eyed Peas
Wrong Way – Sublime
Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing-Chris Isaak
Welcome to Paradise- Green Day
Turning Japanese-Incubus
Hot N Cold- Katy Perry
Dani California- RHCP
Give It Away – RHCP
Runnin’ Down a Dream- Tom Petty
I Like the Way You Move- Bodyrockers
What You Waiting For-Gwen Stefani
Womanizer- Britney Spears
Toxic- Britney Spears
My Prerogative- Britney Spears
ighter- Christina Aguilera
Rebel Yell- Billy Idol
Butterfly- Crazytown
You Spin Me Right Round- Dead or Alive
Inside Out- Eve 6
Private Eyes – Hall & Oates
Are You Gonna Be My Girl- Jet
My Sharona- The Knack
Here It Goes Again- OK Go
She’s Got the Look – Roxette
Livin’ La Vido Loca – Ricky Martin
Hazy Shade of Winter- The Bangles
Wild, Sweet, Cool- The Crystal Method
Magic Carpet Ride(techno remix) – The Crystal Method
We’re Not Gonna Take It- Twisted Sister
Bust A Move- Young MC
Take It Off- The Donnas
Out of My Hands- The Donnas
Rock the Casbah – The Clash
16 weeks out as of Saturday. Not sure how I'll do, but I'm not stopping. I'm going to push through hard and try to drop 10lbs by Christmas. Things are going to be a little rough at work. We are short staffed for Christmas season. No worries though. I'm sure I can still get my food in.
One thing I am working on is asthma control. One thing that happens is with hormonal changes, asthma symptoms change. During my period, my asthma is worse. So in addition to headaches, bloating and cramps, its hard to breathe. Nice. So I am using breathe right strips, 2 inhalers and drinking loads of water. I can't do much more. At night I have taken an antihistamine occasionally to help with the crazy congestion. January I can go back to the doctors and get my new plan of attack for hormones. For now, its just keep taking my vitamins, calcium and magnesium and staying on plan. I'm fighting the pain today with the headache and cramps. My energy levels are up today and I'm using that to my advantage. I have my workouts in and I'm going to clean and decorate for Christmas. I made a wreath last night. :) I'm feeling more fesitive today. :)
Family holiday times are often a bag of mixed emotion for me. For those of you lucky enough to really get along with your family- feel blessed! So much has changed over the years and family gatherings aren't what they could be. I did very well with food. I had small samplings of food. I just didn't want to gorge. Food really had no power over me. My aunts tried to make me eat all their foods. The only real indulgence I had was green bean casserole. Its been a family tradition for... as long as I've been alive... maybe longer. ;) It brings back memories of when things were lighter and happier. And it tastes good, too. I don't feel the slightest bit guilty. It was a good day. My body is definitely going through something. I woke up yesterday with a headache, swollen hands and a backache that has since radiated up to my neck. I'm staying the course with my food plan. I am taking a rest day today for my workouts. I'm in quite a bit of pain. Head to lower back... I don't know why... headache I get. The only thing I can think of is maybe the push ups? I really worked hard to push through the sets. Maybe I strained too much and pulled my back and neck? I really just want to sleep with a heating pad all day. Instead I am off to work on this lovely Black Friday. I didn't have to open, so I close instead. Not looking forward to it really. But I should be thankful I have a job. I hope the day isn't too crazy. :) Hope my back is better by tomorrow. I need to get back to my workouts.
Sprints- yeah.... tubby butt here isn't a fan of the process- yet... but I know that sprints, step-ups and lunges are my best friends. Oh, I know... I need to embrace the exercises I like the least because they will build the body I want the most. I've tried to reason that other exercises will be just as effective. Here's great and pretty entertaining article as to why SPRINTS are the new best friend in my life.
Thoughts.... Just a quick recap of what I wrote on the diva board this morning:
"I am really over this weirdo plague feeling I have. lol Seriously. I am tired of being unwell. I want to say thanks to everyone who supports me and offers guidance. I really appreciate it!!! I used to be tough. I could fight through anything- sickness, turmoil... I used to have amazing resolve. Nothing was getting in my way. Now I find that my self esteem has taken such a big hit being a lard-butt and all. I guess I need to shift my thinking, eh? I am NOT my body. I am who I am regardless. I just want my exterior to reflect my interior -- which it does at the moment- stress = fatty me. So, I've reduced a big source of stress. Its time. I'm going to keep on trucking."
I am done with being unwell. Really. If I don't get myself back to my center I'm going to be in real trouble. I love my mom dearly, but I don't want to be her. I don't want high cholesterol, depression, obesity, heart trouble, gall bladder issues, etc. Diabetes is a real risk for me. Its in my family, I have PCOS and insulin resistance. Diabetes is just hanging around the corner, waiting to jump me in a dark alley. I don't have the time nor the will to deal with that. I DO NOT want it. This has been a long battle. I will overcome. I will succeed. Each day that I make the right choices is another day towards health and another day away from health crisis. I'm on the right road. I just need to deal with crisis my body is going through now. My hormones ARE a hot mess. I'm elminating as many external factors as I can- plastics, preservatives- the hidden ones, etc. I am going off BC again. My current pill isn't working correctly anyway... hopefully I can handle the ride. Its kind of like a drug addict going through crazy withdrawl. My body is gets all stupid... it is now anyway... I'm just praying we can fly straight sooner than later.
Week Four Day Two , 100 Push Ups Challenge Set One: 20 Set Two: 25 Set Three: 20 Set Four: 20 Max Set: 32! Total: 117!
Its tough getting past 20 sometimes. Can't wait until I can get to 100 in a row! Wowy!
Today went really well for my plan. I ate on plan and more importantly, ON TIME! Meal timing has been a major hurdle for me. This job is so much better for that. After I got home this evening, I had my final meal. It was such a yummy salad. :) I ate my chicken on the 40 min car ride home. Its a funny thing I noticed that caused me to blog. I was watching the a new show called Find My Family. First, it made me bawl my eyes out. They were good tears I guess, but it was SO emotional. The next thing I know, I'm in the refrigerator looking for crap! I had some crazy sugar craving kick in. I JUST got done eating! I really was surprised by this. Apparently I was triggered. The emotional response that the show brought out then triggered the eating response. Wow. It was never quite so... hidden before. I know when I am angry I am prone to eat for comfort. Deep sadness usually means I don't want food at all. This mixture of emotions of sadness, relief and joy - apparently that's a sugar cue. I don't know. It was just so strange. I was having a real physical craving. I needed sugar. But I already ate... and the food I consumed was healthy and low glycemic. There shouldn't have been any reason. The only thing that makes sense was that I was being emotionally manipulated by that show... I'm glad this happened. I don't have anything in my house that I could have eaten, but now I am more aware of the hidden triggers...
Week Four, Day One 100 Push Ups Challenge Set One: 18 Set Two: 22 Set Three: 16 Set Four: 16 Max Set: 30 Total:102!
Feeling really good about my progress with the push ups so far. Its getting more challenging for sure. It feels so good to keep pushing when I mentally want to give up too soon. I am really working on my mind with this. For so long I'd see the finish line of whatever challenge and give up right before I got there. Its always been mental. I'm not sure why I've always done that... hmmm... definitely something to think on.
So, I am on a quest for small glass containers. I'm trying to eliminate the plastics from my life. I need smaller containers for food though. I don't have enough room in my cooler for containers that are really too big for the food they are holding. I get that with some of the plastic ones as it is. I like the bigger Pyrex containers I have. I wonder if they have small ones... I have a ziploc container that is 9.5oz. That would be perfect.... Anyone know of any other companies that make glass containers? I'd like to go with a green company. I admit now, that I don't know if Pyrex is a green based company, so I have some research to do. I'll take some suggestions if anyone has any. :) I'll share my research once I have something.
I'm going to finish out the month strong. I am hiding the scale. I'm taking some "before" pictures tomorrow. I am re-committing and staying focused. There's no more time to waste on self-doubt. I can do this. I just have to stay focused. I've been so worried about being weak... when I should be focusing on how strong I am. This 100 Push Ups Program is actually really good for my mind. I started out struggling to get 10 completed. Now I can do 30 AFTER doing 4 other sets!
I really want to try P90X. I don't know if I want to do the whole series, but the core training and the cardio would be great. I may just try the first month rotation and see how I do. Then I can go from there. I need something to keep me focused but not bored. I know its intense but I think the challenge is what I need.
I love this quote: PASSION : "There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart... Pursue those".
Week Three, Day Three 100 Push Ups Challenge (halfway there!) Set One: 16 Set Two: 21 Set Three: 15 Set Four: 15 Max Set: 30! Total: 97!!
So I am almost up to 100 push ups in a setting. Not all at once, but still... My wrists aren't pleased with the strain when I get past 20, but they'll get stronger.
17 weeks out. I won't lie. I have HUGE doubts. My hormones are still not playing nice. In the beginning of this year I had issues with headaches and nose bleeds as a result from the hormonal wonkiness. Its back again. I've cut out as much artificial garbage as I can. I am eating mostly whole foods. Protein powder has been cut back, but I still use it about 1x a day. I am taking my vitamins, calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. Salt isn't being added to anything. Its a very frustrating process. Its this process of super hard work with lackluster results that causes my fall or jump off the wagon. I get so frustrated. There have been times where I think working out so hard caused me more trouble. :( I have dreams. I want those dreams to be reality. I'm in a position now where I can be so much more compliant on a program. My old job made meal timing beyond difficult. That isn't the case anymore. I'm trying to do this on my own and I feel like its not happening. I wish I could afford a trainer to help really tweak and review things. Its not a simple process for me. Its not as easy as cutting out soda and walking. I don't drink soda. I workout hard. There is a definite issue with my body and doctor after doctor as failed me. I'm not just a lazy tub of lard! Its known I have PCOS... why can we not fix me! I am going to do my best to reduce anything that's not "natural". Chemicals have to go. I may have to dump my protein powder. Its just nice to have that instead of meat. I hate meat. *sigh* When I can afford it I am going to switch more to organic. I do a little now. I need to increase that.
I may not make my date, but I'm not giving up. I'm going to keep visualizing it.
Okay, I was tagged by Marissa. :) Its been such a crazy week... Finally had some time to give some decent answers.
10 things about me...
1- I have always wanted to be a dancer. I took ballet lessons for 6 weeks as a child and was beyond thrilled. Growing up in the 80's money shortage meant that was it for me. Too many other self-esteem issues over the years kept me from ever taking a class as an older child/adult. I love watching Fred & Ginger movies. I watch DWTS with awe and longing. One day I WILL learn to dance. For now, my two left feet will watch. Right now, I feel a bit like the dancing hippos from Fantasia.
2- I love Marilyn Monroe. I love reading about her life- her personality, her struggles, her victories... she was an amazing woman. She faced so many trials. Her life was filled with tragedy. She overcame many obstacles. Despite the way her life ended, she did have some victories.
3- I used to ride horses and miss it dearly. I was so in tune with my horse. I could sleep in his stall with him. I spent many hours in my barn and the barn of my grandparents'. I wouldn't say I was any horse whisperer, but I certainly had a connection with these beautiful and majestic creatures.
4- I'm a farm girl at heart. I grew up in a "regular house", but I spent many days and all summer at my grandparent's home. I baled hay, cleaned stalls, trained dogs, rode horses, raised cows, turkeys and rabbits for 4-H. I like the conveniences of city living, but the farm will always have my heart.
5- I love to learn. I always had my face in a book as a child (when I wasn't doing farm stuff. :P) I changed my major so many times in college because too much was interesting. I kept getting sidetracked by other classes. Meteorology, Psychology & Sociology (double major attempt), Sports Medicine and Art Therapy were all majors I had at some point. I never did complete my bachelor's degree. I have more than enough credits for two degrees. I am 4 classes shy from my psych degree. But unfortunately, I ran out of $$ before I could finish.
6- I love being a photographer. I have a good eye but need more technical skills. Finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to buy more equipment would be great too. Haha. I dream of traveling to Kenya and the Galapagos Islands to take some amazing nature photos. I'd love to produce my own photo book one day. Every year I do a calendar of nature pictures. Recently I've started taking maternity, baby and comp photos. I am hoping to do more compeition photos and move up to some fitness modeling shoots, too.
7- I dream of doing a pin up calendar. I know that underneath this protective layer of fat is a gorgeous, curvy body. In high school I rocked the measurements- 36-24-36". I can do it again- this time with some more muscle! Baling hay was good for me, afterall. ;)
8- I love wine. Riesling is my standard favorite, but there aren't too many grape juices I haven't liked. :) 9- I can't swim. I can sorta doggy paddle. I cannot float. I had tubes in my ears 5x as a child. I got so many ear infections and it always seemed to be triggered by water- swimming or in the shower. I hate things in my ears to this day. I will go in the water at the beach and I can "swim" enough to enjoy myself, but in a pool or too far out in the ocean and I'm in trouble. I wish I was more interested in learning. I love the beach... and the ocean in Aruba was amazing...
10- I love to sing. A lot. Singing makes me happy. I used to perform songs for my stuffed animals. I got asked to stop singing so loudly in 2nd grade. We got to put on the headphones in the back of the classroom if we finished our work early. I popped in a Carebear's cassette and put the headphones on.... and without realizing it, I was singing and jamming along. lol SO Embarrasing!
I'm supposed to tag 7 peeps... Lots of peeps already got this, so I'll tag these 6 bloggers:
Week Three, Day Two100 Push Ups Challenge Set One: 14 Set Two: 19 Set Three: 14 Set Four: 14 Max Set: 25 Total: 86 !
Today was tough at the start. I didn't have much of a warm up. I visualized doing push ups with something heavy on my back. I visualized being much stronger than I felt and it helped me crank out more than I thought I could do. Funny thing, that visualization thing... :)
So in other updates... being sick with no balance or energy is a sucky thing. I took yesterday off from everything. It should have been push ups day but I knew I'd be weak and I needed the sleep. I got my appetite back yesterday and ate quite heartily. I was worried about the calories, but I was so hungry. I feel much better this morning. Still tired. I had a lot of strange dreams and moved around in my sleep a lot. I don't feel that exhaustion that being sick brings, just sleepy. For that, I am relieved. I am way off track to make my goal competition in March. There is another competition 1 week later, but at this rate I don't think that one week will help. I'll have to play it by ear. I'm still going to push, but I am starting to think picking a show in the late Spring, early summer would be better. A slower, less stressful lean out would give me a more even loss... I really wanted to do this show, but if I'm not worthy of 12 weeks out in January, then I'm going to have to move the date. Hormones are playing especially mean right now, but I have to overcome. I have to see my goal through the haze. Its so hard to fight these crazy moods sometimes. Its absolutely amazing to see the impact they really have. No one wonder women seem nuts sometimes. :P
I'm easing back into working out. I don't want my body to flip out again and be sick. I'm SO over being sick. I think the infection on top of the hormonal migraines/mess just really sent me over the edge this weekend. If I could just have one issue to deal with at a time, that would be great. Thanks. I have to be better at controlling my asthma. This is going to be part of my focus for this prep. Honestly, how can my body do anything above and beyond exist if I don't allow the oxygen in? I always feel leaner after I wear my breathe right strips for a week. Sounds crazy, but there is good reason- oxygen is actually getting to where it needs to go. Funny how that works...
I'll have another blog coming up later. Much to do today though.
PS- I love comments. Even if its something like- "girl you are whack!" :) Comment so I can find you and follow. I promise to start being a better commenter myself.
I'm having a bad time lately. My hormones are completely out of control. I'm off the hook. Emotional and the swings are bad. Out of no where... Bad, bad migraines... And now I'm sick to top it off. My head is plugged and I'm dizzy. My chest has an elephant on it. :( So yeah. I feel really down. I know that I have to take care of myself, but I also have to push forward when I can.
This is a re-post from Pauline.... A good kick in the pants...
"...
It’s amazing how some people seem to assume muscle mass will just happen. You go lift a little here and there and BAM you get all muscular. no way. NO way. It’s a slap in the face to all of us who’ve been working out for years for a few pounds of lean mass addition. And then have the gut to complain about a lack of progress? Come on, what is this? Especially when this notion comes from very, very intelligent, insightful individuals. That just proves the point: physical excellence truly is a skill and a skill which needs patience and true dedication to go in bloom.
I’m fed up with those who want results in two weeks or less. I’m fed up with those who think a year of training is A LOT to do for reaching a new physique, I’m fed up with those who complain about being fat and don’t move the fat around via exercise, I’m fed up with those who don’t accept exercise as a natural part of life, I’ve had it with those who say drugs make good bodies, not work ethic and dedication.
People LOVE to blame bad genetics, bad situations, no time, nothing this nothing that. Guess what, we ALL have the same hours per day. If I remember correctly, it’s 24 and yes in Sweden as well as in Sudan and America. How you handle them is another story.
I’m fed up with those who blame husbands or wives or kids or dogs or house mortgage or work on not being able to commit. Unless you are one of the many very unfortunate ones who cannot afford somewhat healthy food, it’s no excuse to say “I don’t have time to eat healthy”. Well, how the heck do you find time to EAT at ALL if you now have no time? How come there is always time and a place for bad snacking? Suddenly there really WAS some time, wasn’t there! Hm……"
Week 3, Day One100 Push Ups Challenge Set One: 12 Set Two: 17 Set Three: 13 Set Four: 13 Max Set: 18 Total: 73
Today was rough for push ups. I'm fighting off some kind of infection. My head is super congested and its hard to breathe- my chest feels like someone is sitting on it. Probably wasn't the wisest idea to do push ups, but I didn't want to lose ground on my program. I'm completely exhausted right now. I could sleep the rest of the day.
No rest for the wicked, I guess. I have to go to my cousin's house for a family photo for our grandparents. I'm not looking forward to it. Its awkward. I don't really speak to this side of my family for many reasons. I don't want to be interrogated. If they don't go that route, they'll just ignore me like they always used to. It was so passive-aggressive growing up. I guess this is one way to reflect on why I behave the way I do. I was so miserable as a kid when it came to this side of the family. I feel vulnerable and anxious and very much like a child going into this today. Weird. I guess I'd better figure out how to be my own person, once and for all. My worth does not depend on anyone else. NO ONE. I listened to all the hate-filled crap for all those years. It did a number on me, but its time to grow up, girlie. I guess that's what the last 10 years have been about. 2010 is going to be my year. I will be who I want to be. I will learn what I want to learn and do what I want to do. I will learn to be myself and love myself. This has been a long time coming and I deserve better. Being healthy and making it to the stage are just a piece of this journey. The health and fitness side of this impacts so much of the rest of my life. All the things I have sidelined in my life were due to my lack of physical ability. I am going to do amazing things this year. :) 2010 has already begun for me.
Tracy- next year You and I will be on the stage at KY Muscle. :)
My body's gas tank, that is. I've eaten well this week. I've been good on timing. I had a slip up Monday. I was cranky about the scale still and I hadn't had Chipotle in a long while so I splurged. I got my delivery of good vitamins and I did well energy-wise at work. I've been waking up feeling the need for more sleep. I'm wiped out this morning. I'm ready to go back to bed all day. I must get some cardio in, but I am fighting the I don't care attitude. I want sleep. My head is congested so badly. I'm sure that's making me tired too. I got enough sleep. I could just keep sleeping. I have never been a coffee drinker, but I am starting to think that if I want to make it to my comp date, I might have to try it. :P
Week Two, Day Three 100 Push Ups Challenge Set One: 12 Set Two: 13 Set Three: 10 Set Four: 10 Max Set: 25 Total: 70!!
It was SO much harder to do push ups this morning. Not sure what it is. My asthma has been kicking up and I'm pretty tired today. I'd love to go back to bed for a few hours. My doesn't know or seem to like this weird state. I think the bloating is mostly gone. I feel less chunky. I'm not getting on the scale though. It is evil. I love this line: "Your life will always respond to your outlook, so set your goals high." I'm struggling with a few things again. It seems like when something is up, other things come down. :( Furnace is broke. Old job screwed up my paychecks pretty bad. Now money is super tight. Using the money to fix the furnace is not my idea of happy. I was supposed to go to the KY Muscle. I am going to try and swing it, but now its really got me stressed. I'm trying to focus on the positives and that I am now in a position to make some serious money if I work it right. It won't start til next month, but still... There are possibilities. :)
Just a little rant to share. I've asked my former OB/GYN to remove me from her damn list multiple times. She isn't listening. I may just send her the following...
Dear OB/GYN -> Your letter and flyer for lipo was not appreciated. I don't care if you want to remind me over and over about that service. I paid you to look at my girl parts and that is all. I know my ass is fat. It seems your fat sucking business is more important than taking care of my inside issues-- as was evident the last time I saw you- 2 YEARS AGO!! I felt like I was in for a Jiffy Lube 10 minute oil change. You left me feeling violated and bleeding. You scoffed at my concern over lumps in my breasts!! Do you think I trust you now?? Do you think I'd dare pay you to do something more invasive and risky? Ha! If you want to be a plastic surgeon, just go and do that. Don't pretend to care about my ovaries AND external beauty when all you really care about is the money.
Sorry that was so graphic. It was a terrible experience that left me feeling horrible and vulnerable. She scraped me so hard and fast that I bled-- which has never happened before. She was rough and in not interested in that part of the gig. She acted like I was stupid when I asked about my breasts having some lumps. I didn't know what the hell was going on but I was scared and asked. She freaking laughed at me. She said (and I quote) "If it was breast cancer, you'd know". Ummmm.... okay, sure. Because I know what *THAT* feels like??? Stupid b@!ch then proceeded to pitch her fat and hair removal services. I have PCOS and yeah those might interest me, but how about addressing my medical needs first!?!? So yeah. Needless to say, I switched doctors ASAP. What a piece of work she was. Just so other women out there know- the lumps in breast tissue are common in about 30% of women. Its a condition called Fibrocystic Breast Disease. Caffeine is something that can inflame the condition amongst many other things. I hadn't always had these lumps and they aren't always noticable when I do my monthly exam. So raising concern was the right thing to do. I just want to put that information out there. It is important to know.
So yeah, wow. All sorts of things in this entry. :) Hope that it was informative. Time to go make some breakfast. :)
Set One: 10 Set Two: 12 Set Three: 9 Set Four: 9 Max Set: 21 Total: 61
Rough morning. I had so many crazy dreams last night and this morning. The last few hours before my alarm went off I was dreaming of being attacked and kept waking up. It was so strange. I was scared, but not absolutely petrified where I was frozen in place. I was trying to protect someone else (who I thought also had my welfare in mind). We kept getting cornered in a bathroom stall and I was trying to keep the attacker(s) out. Interpret that one! There was a ton going on and the rest is less clear now. Sometimes there was a baby to protect. The other person was always a woman. There were also times when older ladies would try to drop off babies and food at my door. Huh? Yeah. Crazy. So the morning was not very restful. I am so congested and my asthma is ramped up. Maybe the nicer weather kicked up some allergies for me? It is a great morning for a workout. Ha! The quality is lacking a bit, but I'm still doing my best.
I got my delivery from Vitaglo yesterday!! I got my Beverly UMP. (yummmm) I was running low and worried I wouldn't have enough. *whew* I got my Alive vitamins, 4-3-2-1 Detox vials, and Super Cissus Rx. I am hoping the Super Cissus will help with my elbows and joints/tendons over all. The Alive! Vitamins are my favorite. It sounds crazy, but I think they work the best and I don't get hearburn from them. Not in my Vitaglo order, but I also got some Eggnogg'n tea. I am going to try making it and using it cold mixed with my protein powder. Perhaps that will be a decent substitution to my eggnog? I am avoiding SF anything for awhile. It makes my tummy very angry and I think its the cause of my bloating and weight gain. My diet was clean but I had SF syrup with my protein pancakes 2x and I also drank some diet coke to stay awake during training. I think those two things caused me issues. I know the fake sugar is in lots of products (like my protein powder) but I am reducing as much as possible. I'll do a review of the tea and detox things later. :)
So today is a self-imposed rest day. I am wickedly tired. Another fun side effect of woman issues. My head has a dull, nagging pain. I had some bad headaches yesterday. I slept a lot and I am still tired today. Boo! I don't like this. I am going to have to work through this today at work. I'll probably just go straight to bed when I get home. I go in late tomorrow so that will be good. :)
I am really hoping this week my body gets it together. I need some small victories.
Week Two, Day One of the 100 Push Ups Challenge! Set One: 9 Set Two: 11 Set Three: 8 Set Four: 8 Max Set: 20- OMG! Total: 56
I went after the max set determined to push hard and not wimp out. I haven't done that many push ups in a row in.... yeah, a long time. :)
The scale and I are at war. I find it to be an a-hole right now. :P But my clothes and measurements are apparently on the scale's side too. This is terribly disappointing considering how hard I worked. My weight went UP and measurements stayed the same. I was 100% in the eating department and workouts. What gives? Brief history- me & woman time have not gotten along for about 10 years. I always had crazy PMS before any medical intervention. I was borderline not stable. M-O-O-D-Y is barely applicable. So about 10 years ago I discovered birth control when I began getting horrible migraines. A lot of things contributed to the hormonal meltdown- I was way overextended. I was working 60 hours a week, going to school full time and had other outside activities as well. I would sleep every couple of days. I worked 3rd shift so really- I would be so wired up sometimes when I got home in the morning I couldn't sleep. So anyway, without HBC my hormones are completely whacked. I need to get down to a healthy weight before I can considered coming off them again. The way things are supposed to work is that I basically don't have periods. Having them means migraines, crazy PMS and the typical bloating, 5lbs of weight gain, etc. I should have suspected something was up. I thought it was just low carbs, but I was a major B this last week. I started getting a headache Friday and the last two days I have slept a ton and I have a headache fighting its way to take over. NOT cool. I'm hoping this passes soon, but now I'm concerned that the BC isn't working as birth control either! I have PCOS so its not likely I'd get preggers, but still... I'm not willing to risk that! Oh, and I won't get bennies for my new job until January so no fixing the non-working pill til then. *sigh* So I know what happened this week. Really. The increase was minimal and would definitely cover up any loss. 5lbs gain is nothing for PMS for me. I'm a water hog. Is that just a genetic make up thing?
Anyway, I'm 19 weeks out as of yesterday and I'm worried I won't make it. I'm adjusting the cardio intensity and doing full body stuff this week. I need to get my muscles burning up the fat. I thought things were good this week. I was starving for meals when it was time. Meal timing was great and I calories were on. I'm blaming woman crap and moving on. If next week is a bust I might cry and then try something different. :P
Day Three of the 100 Push Ups Challenge ! Set One- 8 Set Two- 10 Set Three- 7 Set Four- 7 Max Set- 14 Total- 46
I've been 100% for 4 straight days. Starting the 5th out right. :) I've been tempted so many times at the end of the day to just eat something I'm not supposed to. I've managed to keep myself on the right path. I know what sugar is and does to me. Today is a carb up day, so YAY! Its been a challenge for sure, but each day gets easier. No skipped workouts. I'm drinking tons of water. I have a body builder guy in my training class. I think we are both doing better having the support system in each other. We can drink gallons of water and its okay. We make lots of trips to the restroom. :P Its nice to have someone else understand what I'm doing and why. Most people just think you're nuts drinking that much water and not eating out of the vending machine. :) Maybe I am, but I feel good.
As far as the scale goes, progress was going well and then today I showed a gain. Grrr. I don't get it. I'm on plan, so... I'm going to keep pushing. If a few more days go by and I don't see a decent drop I might start freaking out. I don't have a lot of time to play these games! With my weight being so high, I should see steady decreases for awhile... One day at a time. I'm doing the right thing.
Day 2 Push Up Challenge Set 1- 6 Set 2- 8 Set 3- 6 Set 4- 6 Set 5- 12 Total: 38
I am starting to adjust to the ebb and flow of carb cycling. My body responds well. I just get moody at night. I start feeling sad and weird. When I get like that, my immediate thought is- I need carbs! Duh. No I don't. That means my meal plan is working right. :) I actually feel great most of the day on lower carbs. I don't feel as fluffy or as tired. Its the next morning that I feel like crap. This morning cardio was so hard. I was starving when I woke up and pushing through was a little hazy. I'm refueling with some yummy oats and protein powder. The rest of the day will taper the carbs out. This works well for me.
I'm running behind schedule this morning. Too little sleep = no good! Must get ready for work.
This is pretty much Tosca Reno's recipe. I altered it slightly, but I definitely didn't create it. Great way to get the protein in with convenience. It does take some prep time. The original recipe stated 20 minutes. More like 40 minutes. It won't take me as long next time, but its more than 20 minutes the first time.
Ingredients: 2 TBSP EVOO 1 Yellow or Purple Onion- finely diced (food processor works wonders) 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots (I threw baby carrots in the food processor) 3/4 cup celery- finely chopped (do I need to mention the food processor?) 1 clove minced garlic Dash of Salt; fresh ground pepper
6 Cups baby spinach, washed 1/2 cup fresh basil 1/4 cup minced cilantro 1 tsp water
1 egg (including yolk) 2 egg whites 2 TBSP tomato paste w/ 2 TBSP water mixed together 1 C veg or chicken broth 2 1/2 lbs 99% fat free ground turkey 3/4 cup oat bran or ground up oatmeal 1/4 cup ground flax seed
1. Preheat oven to 375*. Be sure to use the center rack. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan and cook onions, celery, carrots and minced garlic until onions are translucent but not brown. Season with salt and pepper then move to a small bowl for cooling.
2. Add washed baby spinach to pan and add 1 tsp of water. Cook until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and let cool. Once cool, add basil and cilantro and mix well.
3. In a large (really large) bowl, mix egg, egg whites, tomato paste mixture, and broth. Add ground oats, ground flax, ground turkey along with cooked celery/onion/carrot mixture. Spray clean hands with cooking spray and mix ingredients together well.
4. Spray a 10" loaf pan with cooking spray and add half of mixture with hands. Spread wilted greens mixture evenly on top of turkey mixture. Add remaining ground turkey mixture on top of greens. Smooth top evenly with hands. This will be just over the top of the pan.
5. Bake loaf for 1.5 hrs or until a meat thermometer shows 160*F/71*C. Remove from oven and let cool 15 minutes to set. Once cool, remove loaf from pan and cut into one-inch thick slices. Serve or refrigerate for future meals.
Day One of 100 Push Ups Challenge ! Following the prescribed sets + last set max Set One- 6 Set Two- 6 Set Three-5 Set Four- 5 Set Five- max at 12 Total of 34 push ups.
I feel good about that. We'll see how the program progresses. I may be saying something different later. Haha! I may be switching to a knuckle style. My wrists are not happy, but they will get stronger. I'll play it by ear. Last night was great. It was so much fun and I got to hang out with my co-workers (former?) one last time. I'm sure we'll get together now and then, but for a goodbye party it was nice. :) I cannot even begin to imagine the calories in the margaritas. Oy! They tasted fabulous. They were worth whatever calories were in them. (I can say that now. A few weeks closer to comp- not so much!) I did limit my total daily cals earlier in the day, so hopefully the damage wasn't too bad. Extra cardio all week should get me back on track. This will certainly not be a habit, but I have no regrets about my choices last night. I was completely relaxed and had so much fun. That doesn't happen with me too often. I laughed so much my abs are sore today. It was perfect. :)
I bought some candy at the last minute to pass out. I love Halloween and felt kinda scrooge-like for not buying any. I did pass some out, but not enough! Now I have to find some place to offload this ridiculous amount of sugar. Next year I will plan more and come up with something healthier. This year we were the "cool house" because we had Fun Dip. :) And awesome jack o' lanterns. :)
I'm on track this morning. No sugar for me. I had my fill with the Mexican last night. :) So tasty and I'm mentally full. I'm ready for oats, eggwhites, protein shakes, grapefruits, broccoli, asparagus, chicken, chicken, turkey.... I am making a Turkey Meatloaf this afternoon. I will share the recipe and macros along with a photo. Its based off of Tosca Reno's Clean Eating recipe with a few small modifications. I thought this would give me lots of quick and easy meals to take to training this week.
I have so much to say today! Sorry this is all over the place!
I posted this over on the Diva board... some quotes and thoughts.
"You've got to get up every morning with determination if you're going to go to bed with satisfaction." --George Lorimer
"Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice." --Wayne Dyer
"You have a very powerful mind that can make anything happen as long as you keep yourself centered." --Wayne Dyer
“Our thoughts create our reality -- where we put our focus is the direction we tend to go.” --Peter McWilliams
You must have a vision. Each day's actions should reflect your goals and dreams.Are you determined? Determined to reach the goals you set? Are you dissatisfied- wishing you would have done more? Can you motivate yourself? You can keep pushing, even when you don't feel like it? Can your mind and will power come together and overcome the tiredness that your body is whining about? Each day you make that choice. Each moment. Each piece of food. Its all a choice. Are you focused on your goals? Can you see clearly in your mind where you want to be? Can you feel it? The mind is SO powerful. Don't focus on tripping in your heels or not making it to the stage the way you want. You MUST see yourself in your suit, in the spotlight, smiling and having fun! You must see yourself as you want to be seen. Whatever your specific goals are, focus your vision on that. Don't get sidetracked by all the negatives, they are of no use in this.
So yeah... :) Today the fire is lit and burning bright! We train the physical so hard that sometimes we neglect the mental stuff. Mentally we grow as we train and overcome obstacles. Sometimes some mental release (de-stressing and lots of laughter) is important. Also keeping a focus and doing vision work are important too. Seeing is believing, isn't it? *smile*
