Day 31 of 90

Today's Workout: Cardio 2

Sorry for getting this out so late.  Hubby and I had a date night :)  Mum came over to watch the kids while we went out for dinner and to the theatre with my parents.  Ended up being a wonderful evening, and topped off with a bang after hearing that the boys were good!  (Thanks mum!)

I woke up and fed baby this morning at 7:15, then went back to bed for a nap.  I shouldn't have - who wants an extra fifteen minutes of sleep??  And this is after hitting the sack at 8:00 last night.  But, then again, I hadn't been feeling very well and I think I needed it.  Either way, I woke up in a panic at 8:20, since school starts at 9 and I still had to get the kids going.  See, this is one more reason why I appreciate a quick breakfast.

Kids joined in for a pic this morning... chocolate toast for W, bagel and cream cheese for I., and good ol' Blueberry Banana Muffin and a coffee for me!

After breakfast, W and I headed down to the basement to begin Cardio 2.  I figured now or never, better to hit it first thing in the day rather than fret about it.  The good thing about the cardio discs is that you can always go at the level you are comfortable with, and if you want to push yourself you can.  I will tell you right now that I felt nauseous during this workout by the second circuit, and that's because I was pushing myself.  In reality, I was not doing anything more than what Jillian asked of me.  For the high knees, I couldn't raise them as high as her athletes did, but I did what I could.

I hear a lot of the other bloggers out there talking about those burpees... that's a throw back to my high school days.  And really, for each circuit, you are not expected to do get out more than 10.  I cannot keep my feet together when I do them, they are about shoulder width apart, and I certainly cannot jump my feet back to my hands, but I make the motions as best as I can and I still get the impact of the workout.  And just like that, we begin the circuit again.  What I appreciate in this circuit is that each set only lasts 30 seconds, and it is a good mix of cardio.  Jump rope, butt kicks, knee highs, towel runs, fast feet, jumping jacks, even cross-jacks -- it's a huge bag of tricks.  But it's doable.  Hardest ones for me include the cross-jacks, hooks, and upper cuts.  I plan on focusing next time around on those moves to see if I can improve them somehow.

In terms of food, I had a Frittata with Spinach, Peppers, Potatoes and Feta along with Fattoush Salad.  This is one of my favourite lunches in the meal plan.  It is satisfying, flavourful, and can be cooked and prepared in about 40 minutes.  I'm sure I could get that down to 30 mins with practice.  Total cals for lunch are 373 cals.

I had just a non-fat latte for my afternoon snack, as I was preparing myself for my big night out and wanted to hold back some calories.

While out, I had two 6oz glasses of white wine, about 3 Tbsp of spinach dip with some tortilla chips, and two small slices of pizza (bacon, peppers, mushrooms, mozza).  It would be hard for me to estimate my cals, but I gather it was around 1000.

I also managed to get in all 8 glasses of water today.

So here we are.   It's getting near midnight, and I'm about to feed baby one last time before bed.  I am happy to not have hockey this weekend!  It's nice to have some unscheduled time to catch up on things... like shopping!

Enjoy your weekend, and good luck with your journey!

Peach

Day 30 of 90

Today's Workout: Workout 6

I suppose today was a fairly normal day for me.  I woke up fed the baby, made coffee and breakfasts for the kids and myself, lunch for Isaac, everyone dressed and booted Isaac out the door for school.  Went down to try my luck at Workout 6 for the first time.  I very much like.  For some reason, I seem to prefer working my back and glutes and biceps and abs.  While it is still very challenging, I feel  I have greater success with it.

One crazy move that I cannot believe I pulled off was Plank Rows.  This is where I am holding heavy (7lb) weights in each hand while in a plank, and I alternate pulling my arms back into rows.  The trick is to keep my hips as stable as possible.  Second killer was the triple threat.  So-called because it's three moves right after the other that works the upper abs, lower abs and obliques.  It starts lying on the ground with heavy weights (7lb) in each hand over head, and a pull into a full sit-up.  I found this move most difficult as the weight was so heavy it was hard to get my arms up off the ground.

There were no overly intense cardio sequences here, except the Running Man is back from Cardio 1.  Those get my heart-a-racin'.

I have a bit of anxiety for my Cardio 2 tomorrow.  It's the workout that I will be doing 8 times in the next 29 days, and cardio has always been a difficulty of mine.

In terms of meals, it was a bit of an off-day since I'm feeling a bit haggard.  The kids have all had a cough and sore throat and drippy nose, and unfortunately it was just a matter of time before I got it.  So in addition to those symptoms, I've also got a headache.  When I feel tired and achy and sick, I just want to lay around and eat comfort foods.  So I tried very hard to keep my food in check.  The downfall occurred twice today, but in the grand scheme of things were not too bad.

For breakfast, I had an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip muffin with two cups of coffee (2% milk in each).  This is standard fare for me!  In the meal plan, JM suggested the oats with apple, but I find it difficult to cook breakfast in the mornings, and love warm muffins.

Lunch was new for me - Shrimp with Watermelon Salad and Roasted Garlic Beets.  Both were tasty, and I was certainly surprised by the salad.  I was expecting it to have lettuce to fill it up, but no.  The entire base of the salad consisted of the watermelon.  Since I could not find watermelon at my local grocer, I substituted honeydew.  I replugged the recipe into MFP to recalculate total cals and it came in a bit under what JM's said.  So I went with hers.  One thing with this recipe, is that it takes a long time.  About an hour and fifteen minutes or an hour and a half, which is a lot of time to spend making a lunch.  The shrimp in the salad takes about twenty minutes, and then the recipe recommends chilling it for 1/2 hour in the fridge.  The beets get roasted for about 45 minutes, then after they cool, they are peeled and chopped.  Needless to say, I waited a good five minutes before starting to peel and it was too hot... I need to give more time next time but I was so hungry!  I did manage to put one serving aside, so next time a meal calls for it, I can simply thaw and serve.

William enjoying his mac n cheese!

Shrimp and Watermelon Salad with Roasted Garlic Beets (370 cals)

As a side note, if I go too long between meals, it is near impossible for me to get my cravings under check.  I will not be satisfied until I stuff myself full of something carbilicious and sweet.  That happened to me today, as I had breakfast at 8am, but lunch wasn't ready until just after 2.  So I needed my snack much sooner.

For snack, I had another Oatmeal Chocolate Chip muffin. It is great for a chocolate fix but is high in cals (about 280 for each muffin).  It wasn't enough for me so I grabbed my last Frozen Chocolate Banana Pop.  Those are also very very good for chocolate fixes.  And after this I was still craving, so I drank more water.

Here is a picture of my fresh basil and parsley pots!

In terms of water, I usually get my 8 glasses in during the day, and I don't drink any milk or fruit juices.  Whenever I feel hungry I try to satisfy that crave with water, which often works.

Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Mushrooms and Brown Rice (399 cals)

After my super snack (which came in at about 410 cals) I had dinner - Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Shiitake Mushrooms and Brown Rice.  I modified by using Cremini mushrooms instead of Shiitake.  It is a very satisfying meal and can be cooked in just 30 minutes, so is very reasonable for a weeknight meal.  Total cals without the brown rice is about 399.

Then, because W was so good, I brought him two organic creme-filled cookies (like an orea, one chocolate and one vanilla)... and I took three for myself, that's another 150 cals, but I could have eaten a dozen, so three is really quite good.  And I will be going to bed early tonight.

Sweet dreams to all.

Peach

Day 29 of 90

Today's Workout: Workout 5

Welcome to Phase 2!  I was expecting my workout to step up a bit considering I am now in the second phase... and it absolutely did.  I cannot believe the things I did to my arms today.  Some of the moves were no problem for me.  I mean, I felt it, but I could do it.  Others were way more difficult.  For example, taking the resistance band into a crescent pose and do chest presses while keeping my arms at shoulder level.  That is hard!  My elbows were bent the entire time, so there is definitely room for improvement.

The move that impressed me the most that I could pull off was the push up with a side plank.  My knees didn't touch the floors.  I did a push up, moved to side plank, did a push up, side plank other side.  I was so proud of that one.

I really enjoyed the warm-up.  It was a sun salutation (yoga pose movements) repeated four times.  I love how Jillian Michaels brings yoga into the exercises, since I am a yoga-lova.

Last night I baked a batch of Blueberry Banana Muffins.  I gave a few to my mom, and froze the rest.  Now I have all three types of muffins at my disposal.  They are fabulous from frozen, as they come out of the microwave all warm and tasty.

Oh yes!  Recall how I took my measurements yesterday since I didn't know how much time I would have this morning to do my measurements?  Well, I weighed myself this morning when I woke up, and turns out I am actually at 172lbs.  This is 2 1/2 lbs less than yesterdays - and I weighed myself 3 times to be sure!  So I will have to go and update my Phase 1 Results blog with this new figure.  So, total weight lost in Phase 1 is 13.5lbs.  My goal is still to lose 15lbs in Phase 2 and the last 9lbs in Phase 3.

I had one new recipe in food today for dinner.  First, breakfast was a Blueberry Banana Muffin (and I forgot to take a pic of that).  In fact, looking back, I forgot to take pics of snack and dinner too!  You will just have to take my word on how it turned out then.

Grilled Halibut with Berry Ginger Salsa, Couscous (cals 379)

Lunch was the Grilled Halibut with Berry Ginger Salsa and Couscous with Carrots and Parsnips.  I had made it a couple of weeks ago and loved it, and I loved it equally (if not more) again today.  The flavour combo is perfection, and is satisfying as well.  In addition, it doesn't take too long to make start to finish. My modification is that I did not use Halibut, I used Haddock. It has similar calories so I made no adjustments to  JM's nutrient info.

Snack was a Chocolate Oatmeal Muffin and a non-fat latte.  Perfection!

Dinner was the new recipe.  I made the Almond Crusted Chicken with Red Cabbage Slaw.  I loved the chicken, but our family isn't big on coleslaw, so didn't enjoy that so much.  Next time I will omit the slaw and instead prepare a different salad, for example avocado on spring mix.  Something simple.  I did end up freezing three portions of the Slaw to use later, we'll see how it unthaws.

In case I haven't mentioned it, all of these recipes are taken from the Meal Plan provided in the 90 day program.  If it is not part of the meal plan, I will not capitalize the items.  I hope you are all doing well on your journeys today.

All in all, it was a good day.  I am excited to see how Workout 6 goes, and will update you tomorrow.

Good night to all,
Peach

Day 28 of 90

Rest day!!

Ah, a day of rest.  Anybody who has 3 kids knows there is never a day of rest.  Also, I find taking in just 1200 cals without any physical activity to increase my daily caloric allowance is a bit brutal, so I knew I had to do something today.  So this afternoon, before Isaac came home from school, I took W and G for a long walk.  50 minutes to be precise, enough to burn about 250 cals and give me some breathing room with my diet plan.

I had all new recipes today.

Poached Egg with Turkey Bacon and Sweet Potato Hash (312 cals)

Breakfast was a Poached Egg with Turkey Bacon and Sweet Potato Hash.  Very tasty together, but the hash was almost 200 cals, which is too costly when my daily total is only 1200.  I would have been happier with just two eggs and turkey bacon.  But it was tasty, and only took about 20 mins to prepare.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers with Poached Chicken (420 cals)

Lunch was fairly quick too: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers and Poached Chicken.  This one I would make again!  Very tasty and filling, and comes in just over 400 cals, which isn't bad for a lunch.

No room for snack today, as I nibbled on Isaac's unfinished half of his oatmeal chocolate chip muffin, which came in at 141 cals.

Dinner was also new, but made the mistake of purchasing frozen uncooked calamari.  Portions were the same, 4 oz per person, but the calamari shrunk so much in size.  I'm not sure if I had purchase the squid ring and cut it myself if it would have had more body.  :)  Otherwise, it was tasty, and I loved it with the Cucumber Salad.  Total cals for dinner was only 230 cals.  I topped it off with a 6oz glass of white wine.





That was my day in a nutshell.  I am ready for Workout 5 tomorrow morning.  Can't wait to tell you all how it goes!

Nighty night,
Peach

Phase 1 Results

Given that today is a rest day, and it is the last day of Phase 1, I decided I should do my check in today.  Tomorrow will be a new workout, and I want to be sure I have time to do my measurements.  So today is the day, and the results are in!  (Note: I amended my weight in the table below on Day 29 since my total weight loss for Phase 1 was higher than initially recorded)

                            Start                Phase 1                 Change      

Weight                185.5lbs           172lbs                13 1/2 lbs lost

Bust                     39.5"                  38"                     1 1/2" lost
Midriff                   36"                  33 1/2"                 2 1/2" lost
Waist                   35.5"                32 1/2"                 3" lost
Lower hip             43"                    41"                     2" lost
Thigh                    27"                   25 1/2"                 1 1/2" lost
Calf                      16"                   15 1/2"                 1/2" lost
Arm                      12"                   11 1/2"                 1/2" lost

                   Total pounds lost            13 1/2 lbs
                   Total inches gone            11 1/2"

That is very motivating!  I am very ready to start Phase 2.  I have 24 lbs to go, and my goal is to lose 15lbs in Phase 2, and the final weight in Phase 3.  How are you doing with your weight loss goals?

Let's get moving people!!!

Peach

Day 27 of 90

Today's Workout: Cardio 1

Have I lost the motivation to succeed with this?  I've been going at it for four weeks (less a day).  I have given up lots of my favourite foods and drinks.  I have practically eliminated evening snacking (except sometimes on the weekend).  I suppose I feel that I am in a bit of a rut, that I've been doing the same thing and really all I want to do is bake up those cinnamon buns that are hiding in my cupboard and have at 'er.  But I'm doing this for a reason, right?  I'm doing this so that I'm lean and mean, with less weight to carry around, and more strength to my day.  I'm doing this so that I can fit into anything I have it my closet.  And summer is coming!  Paul initially told me that if I can come out of this program looking like JM, then we'll go to Cuba as a reward.  Perhaps he really wants to motivate me, or he doesn't believe I can do it.

Here's the real question: Do I believe I can do it?  I'm about to head into Phase 2.  Workouts are tougher, but not longer.  Am I ready to dive in? 

The answer is, I don't know if I can do it.  But I'm going to wake up each day, and continue to do what JM tells me.  I'm not going to think about it.  That's the point of this program.  I don't need to do anything but show up, so that's what I'm going to do.  And at the end of each phase I will share my progress with you all.  I'm in it for the long haul!  Really, it's just 62 more days!

Oatmeal Chocolate Muffin (281 cals)

So today was another good one.  Weekdays are way easier than weekends, since there's routine.  Not so much routine on weekends with hockey.  I had a Chocolate Oatmeal Muffin for breakfast with 2 cups of coffee (2 milks in each).  I do enjoy the muffins in JM's program.  They have no sugar and are made with whole wheat flour.  Coconut milk, honey, and olive oil replace cow's milk, sugar and vegetable oil.  And they are so tasty!  I like to make the dozen then freeze half of them for later, while myself and the kids can have a few.

Poached Salmon with Tomato Soup (406 cals)

Lunch was a new recipe - Poached Salmon with Green Goddess Yogurt, along with Toasted Oats and Tomato Soup.  I enjoyed the salmon and yogurt, flavours were fabulous together.  I didn't make the tomato soup myself, instead I used Campbell's low sodium version.  But I did toast some oats to add.  I've never done that before but love the flavour.  I thought the combination of salmon with tomato soup was odd.   I would prefer something like a chef salad with soup in the future.

Laksa with Shrimp and Vegetables (240 cals)

I had a Chocolate Banana Pop for snack this aft, and it does wonders to ease my chocolate fix for just 128 cals.  Dinner was a repeat of one made earlier - Laksa with Shrimp and Vegetables.  Yum!  I love soup that I can eat with chopsticks, and the broth was so flavourful with just a bit of a kick.  I couldn't find red chile's at the grocer this morning, so substituted with a green jalapeno.  I also did not use the watergrass.  Everything else was the same, and so good!

My last time doing Cardio 1.  Always a great workout.  I am going to miss it, but am looking forward to the changes that Phase 2 will bring.  I worked so hard at my workout.  I tried to step it up when I had the energy to do so.  And tomorrow I rest.  I'm so curious for my weight and measurements, but I have to wait one more day.  I will do that on Weds morning.

Good luck to all of you who are on your own weight loss journeys, and I hope you continue to enjoy reading about my experience.  See you tomorrow!

Peach

Body Revolution - Day 26 of 90

Today's Workout: Workout 4

You will have to forgive me my devoted readers... I did not have a chance to post yesterday, and now, at 8:35pm on Sunday night I have a few minutes to sit down.  I cannot believe how busy the weekend has been, and yet I still found time to stick to the meal plan.  The only time I did not stay on plan, was on Friday night when my husband and I and the kids went to Arby's.  It was not a particularly bad day; I had followed the meal plan all day and had only consumed about 700 cals.  The problem was that we ordered a family deal using a coupon, which gave us four sandwiches, four fries, four drinks and four TURNOVERS.  Did I mention that I have a horrible and dangerous affinity for donuts, cakes, cinnamon buns, pastries, etc -- and this includes turnovers.  I ate the one that I ordered, but then Isaac, after getting just halfway through his, said he was full and it was too sweet. 

Not only do I love such sweet treats, but I equally dislike the wasting of food.  So, I ate it.  And when I finished his half, William also couldn't finish his, so I helped him out.  Needless to say, my total cals for Friday hit about 2300.  Not a bad day if this was one month ago.  I have stayed on track for the most part yesterday and today.  The difference being that I have enjoyed some red wine in the evenings. 

Yesterday was Workout 3 (for the last time!), and I had my way with it.  I went with the heaviest weights, I did all the moves.  I tried to make it through the plank-ups (the planks where you hold the position and then drop to your elbows and then come back up) but again had to put my knees down in the first set.  This time, I only had my knees down for the last few, rather than the last 5 or 6.  I worked so hard and it felt amazing.

Yesterdays meals include:

Breakfast: Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin, Tim Hortons Medium Coffee with 2 milk

Lunch: Green Bean Salad with Shrimp

Snack: 1/2 of a strawberry poptart (while at hockey game)

Dinner: Roasted Tomato and Black Bean Soup, with Sauteed Arame and Carrots

So, a good day!

Green Bean Salad with Shrimp = 209 cals (and very tasty!)

Today we had to run out in the morning to another one of Isaac's hockey games (playoffs finished today after being beaten 5 - 1 in the quarter finals).  I had a quick breakfast (being a pumpkin cranberry muffin and a timmies coffee) and had a tomato, avocado and cheddar burrito for lunch with a spinach salad.  After lunch I was able to get to my exercises and I worked harder than ever.  I want results!  And I want to achieve them without feeling deprived or that I cannot have a bit of balance.  It's much easier for me to think I have to push it for 5 days, then I can adjust my calories a bit on the weekend.

I didn't take any pictures of my meals today, even though I had the camera on hand ready to do so.  For snack my husband had gone out shopping and purchased us all cadbury creme eggs... so that was my snack, and it was delightful!  150 cals there.  Dinner was the Thai Green Curry Halibut with Thai Spaghetti Squash, I really wish I got a picture of it.  Total cals for that meal is 350.  Next time, I will make it with chicken, as I think it would taste way better.

Tomorrow is my last day of Cardio 1, and my last day of exercise in Phase 1!  On Wednesday morning I began Phase 2, and will take full measurements and update you all on my first months' progress.  I'm expecting to see lots of inches off, and total pounds gone of at least 10.  We'll see.  :) 

Thank you for reading and thank you to those who have taken the time to tell me how inspiring this blog is to them.  Please join my email list to receive emails when I update my blog, and also feel free to follow me by clicking on the 'sign in'.  You are all motivating me to keep it up, and I hope that you find it in you to make the changes you need to to get to where you want to be.

For now, sweet dreams.

Peach

Body Revolution - Day 24 of 90

Today's Workout: Cardio 1

Poor William started coughing last night, and is a bit sicky this morning.  I don't think we'll make it out for our walk later today.  I'll have to see how it goes.  I'm just sitting down for lunch right now.

You may be surprised to hear that I made breakfast this morning and it wasn't a muffin!  I've been trying to follow JM's suggested meal plan, and I've been freezing portions for later use when able to.  For example, the barley soup I was able to freeze a dinner portion for an easy dinner some night in the next few weeks.  Anyhow, for breakfast I had 2 slices of turkey bacon and two overeasy eggs, with a bit of wilted arugula.  I didn't add any oil or spray to the pan, but I started the bacon first and when it came time to flipping I flipped them to the other side of the pan and added the eggs where the bacon started as there was a bit of residue there to help keep the eggs from sticking.  I wilted the arugula by adding a cup of it to the pan after the bacon and eggs were done and keeping the heat on med-low.  Total cals = 210.



After breakfast I headed down to my workout room (which is basically just a corner in the basement where the tv is) and started my cardio.  I do this workout just once more... incredible!  To think I am four days off of finishing Phase 1.  Cardio was good this morning, it's such a great workout since you are able to push yourself hard each time. There's always something you can do to make it harder - lift my knees higher in the marches, go side-to-side with my jogging in place, squat lower in my punches.  I left the program panting and red-faced.  I don't know about you, but I find it easier to work out when I am wearing the least amount of clothing as possible.  I dislike straps falling and the heat of pants, so I usually wear short shorts and a supportive bra, and that's it.  Today, mom popped in (Hi mom!) as I was just past the halfway mark, but she noted that my legs and arms are really looking sharper.  She said 'Just wait til summer when you get to show them off'!  :)  My mom is doing a weight loss program as well, and she has lost 10 lbs so far.  I believe she wants to lose another 20.  We help push each other.


For lunch today I had the Curried Salmon Pita Pockets with Braised Baby Artichokes.  I love the pita pockets, but find the artichokes and tomatoes very acidic.  I may supplement in the future.

Calories = 420

William took a pic of me preparing his PB&J sandwich, and he wanted me to add it here.


Please go out and enjoy your day, I will update again at day end. 

Peach

Body Revolution - Day 23 of 90

Today's Workout: Workout 4

I love Workout 4.  It doesn't make me sweat too much, but I feel all my muscles working.  Hardest part is the ups and downs with arms overhead, and the side squat.  But it is definitely getting better (dare I say easier?).  I only do this workout one more time, perhaps I should push the up button!

It's another warm day here, so William and I are going to go for a walk to the grocery store in a few minutes (with baby too).  And tonight is our first night of playoffs in volleyball, so pumped for that!  I feel so good when I play, and it helps that I love the women I play with.  Such a diverse group of personalities, one can't help but have a great time.

Breakfast was (drumroll, please!) -- pumpkin cranberry muffin with a non-fat latte!!  Surprise!

I had the chili-lime shrimp skewers for lunch today with the pineapple mint salsa, although I omitted the skewer and just grilled the shrimp in the skillet.  Also, I tossed the pineapple, mint and onion in with the shrimp so it was more like a shrimp stir-fry.  Since I didn't have the time to put together the barley with cauliflower, I had some leftover couscous with parsnips and carrots.  It went extremely well with the shrimp, and loved the flavour combo.  Yum!

Calories = 351

William didn't want to have couscous and shrimp with me, so he got to eat a grilled cheese sandwich (with two slices of cheddar)... oh to eat like him!  He'll be four in May, and yet still only weighs 34 lbs... I do what I can to get him to eat as much as possible, without allowing him nothing but cakes, donuts, cookies, etc.  He still needs a balanced day.  Here's a pic of him enjoying his lunch just before I sit down with mine.

He was also very helpful during exercises this morning, and he did a few of the moves with me.  Always adding encouragement, he says "You're doing good mum".  What a boy!

We're off to the store now.  I'll update the rest of my meals later.

Have a fabulous one!

Peach

________________________________________

It's only 7:07 and I'm able to sit down and finish my post.   Incredible!  I leave for volleyball in about half an hour.

Snack was good today, half of an Empire Apple with Cheddar Cheese Slices.  I love the combo.  I now understand what people were talking about when I was serving at the restaurant and diners asked to have cheddar melted onto their apple pie.  Yum!  In addition to the apple I also had a serving of the trail mix.

 108 calories (apple and cheddar)

Dinner was a repeat of one I made earlier in the program, but I do like it - Barley Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Andouille.  And it's one that the kids like too.  For them, I toast some bread and add butter so that they have bread for dipping in the soup.   I like the flavour of the soup, although I've been using pot barley rather than pearl barley which is 'chewier'.  Other modifications include turkey sausage rather than Andouille, and I have no bay leaves to use.  The turkey sausage appears to be less calories overall than andouille, so I did not change the calories.  Soup = 377 cals.

The walk earlier in the day was nice.  Strange to have it sunny when we still got rained on with no clouds overhead.  It was a good hour of walking.  All in all today was a very active day, I just hope I can keep my night cravings in check... I haven't had donuts or cake in five days!  That's very good for me.

Let's do this, people, let's get fit and lose that extra weight.  Stay focused on what matters and have a good rest of night.  I'll see you tomorrow!

Peach

Body Revolution - Day 22 of 90

Today's Workout: Workout 3

I finally went public with my blog.  The support of my family and friends is so encouraging!  It also feels like I'm doing this for more than just me.  I know I'm doing it to be a better version of myself, but I think the real winners will be my kids, and giving me the ability to hopefully live a longer life and have the energy to spend with them.

This mornings workout was intense.  Is that just because yesterday was a rest day?  I had another superb sleep which helps me tackle the day.  I guess I have Geoffrey to thank for that!  :)  I fed him at 7 and then hit the hay for another nap before the bigger kids woke up.  After we had our breakfasts I sent Isaac off to school, and William watched some television while I hit my workout.  This time around I was able to do 5 REAL pushups before I had to go back down to my knees.  And the plank ups (which are SO HARD) I was almost able to do the first time around... I had to drop to my knees for the last four or five.  But on the second set I kept at it for the entire set.  Next time I will push myself to do the entire set the first time, I know I can do it!

And the inchworms I had much better form this time.  Could it be my body getting stronger?

So, for meals today... I already had a blueberry banana muffin for breakfast with my latte.  So much for making a new recipe.  Perhaps tomorrow.

I will update later in the day with my meals, and will perhaps start adding photos to show you all what I'm talking about.

Have a great day everyone!

Peach
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It was a good day!  William and Geoffrey (but mostly William) were a bit restless this afternoon, so we took another walk around the block, and visited with Grandma.  (Thanks for the cappuccino!)  I also had a council meeting this evening at the school and walked over as well.  That's about 40 minutes of walking in addition to workout 3.

I realized I forgot to update my weight stats since this morning was my weigh-in day.  I'm down another two pounds this week, and am now 29 lbs away from my goal.  :) Wow!

As for eating, for lunch I made a Tomato Sandwich on Garlic Rubbed Toast, with a Hard-boiled egg (pic below).  It doesn't take too long to make, and is very yum.

 350 cals








For afternoon snack I was inspired by the Acai Berry and Pomegranate smoothie but did not have any frozen acai berry, nor pomegranate juice, nor kefir.... It sounds amazing but I don't think keeping these ingredients on hand are very practical.  So I made my own smoothie using frozen strawberries, a scoop of a light chocolate whey protein powder and half a cup skim milk.  Very nice, but no pic.


Dinner tonight was the Beef Stir-Fry with Broccoli and Shiitake Mushrooms (pic below).  It was my first time making it, and tasted great, but it had lots of calories in it (compared with some of the other dinners, this one was 550 cals with the brown rice).  Something to consider in the future to eat lighter on days when this dinner is made.  Turned out great though.


650 cals


 And I totally blew past the minimum 8 glasses of water today.  Although when I say blow I mean 10 or 11... I lost count! 

Breakfast: Blueberry Banana Muffin, non-fat latte, one cup of coffee with 2% milk
Lunch: Tomato Sandwich on Garlic Rubbed Toast with a hard-boiled egg
Snack: Chocolate Strawberry Smoothie
Dinner: Beef Stir-Fry with Broccoli Shiitake Mushrooms

If you're interested in seeing my food diary, you can find me on myfitnesspal under username 'jfaure23'.  Feel free to connect with me there as well.

Good night to all,
Peach

Body Revolution - Day 21

Rest Day!

Even though it was a rest day I felt that I should do SOMETHING to get active.  So this afternoon, after Isaac got home from school and baby was fed, we all went for a walk around the block.  It was a 25 minute walk, and the weather has been so fabulous there were lots of people out.  I had a meeting tonight and decided to walk to it at the local Tim Horton's, and that was another 30 minutes of brisk walking.

Tomorrow is my check in day, and I cannot wait to see my numbers.  It's also my last week of Phase 1, which means I have one more week to hit it hard before measurements.

I ate well today, but noticed I'm not as hungry later in the day if I wait to eat my breakfast at 9 or 9:30 and then lunch at 1 or 1:30.  I will try that tomorrow.

Breakfast: Blueberry Banana Muffin, non-fat latte

Lunch: Chicken Salad with grapes and walnuts; two slices of dempsters 12 grain bread

Snack: Chocolate Banana Pop; 1/4 serving of Trail Mix

Dinner: Mediterranean Lamb burger, Creamy Cucumber Salad

I think for tomorrow I will make something for breakfast that I haven't had yet.  I will see!  I do need to bake another batch of muffins and freeze them for later breakfasts, I just love how quick they are.

Good night.

Peach

Body Revolution - Day 20

Today's Workout: Cardio 1

I think I need a lesson in self-control... as we were preparing dinner for the kids I was so hungry that I couldn't stop nibbling at the lasagna and garlic bread.  I ate a whole piece before dinner!

So I began thinking about it this morning during cardio 1.  I didn't prepare dinner last night, which meant I was idle at my crave and crash time.  Evenings are the time for me where my cravings are the strongest.  From 6 - 8 I need to administer the highest self control.  No nibbling.  If I feel like putting something in my mouth, it needs to be a glass of water.  What's your crave and crash time?  Keeping busy during that time will help too, which means I should continue to prepare my own dinner.  This way, I know when it will be ready and I keep busy getting to that point.

Okay - the plan is in place!

Cardio 1 is getting easier, although I still am amazed at how much I sweat during the workout.  And it's only 20 minutes!

I haven't mentioned why I am doing this blog, aside from saying that I want to have a place to share my experience with the JM program.  I have three young boys at home and I am a professional accountant which requires continuing education and updating.  I volunteer on the board of a local charity, as well as sit as Treasurer on the school council for my son's school.  Look, my point is this - If I can do this program, with good days and not so good days, and still see results, I KNOW that you can do this program too.  It's not about being perfect, it's about showing up.  I will be using this blog to share my daily experience with you, and I hope it will help keep you motivated to stay on track.  Let's just take it a day at a time.

Have a good one folks!

Peach

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I just wanted to update on my meals today, and say that I went for a long walk with W. and G. today to the grocery store.  So it was a great day on the exercise and eating fronts.

Breakfast: Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin; non-fat latte

Lunch: Frittata with Potato, Peppers, Spinach and Feta; Fattoush Salad

Snack: Banana Chocolate Pop

Dinner: Mediterranean Lamb Burger; Creamy Cucumber and Yogurt Salad

Total cals came in at 1199 today.  Tomorrow is my rest day!

Peach

Body Revolution - Day 19

Today's Workout: Workout 4

I was supposed to wake up early this morning to feed the baby, but who'd have thought baby would sleep in until past 8am!  The house was nice and quiet since hubby took the oldest to hockey, and I didn't wake up until they got back home.  Since we had to leave for the first playoff game at 9:00, I didn't have a chance to do my exercises until after the game.

The game was great!  Our boys won 3-2, and I. did very well in nets!

When we got back home, I fed G. and headed downstairs to kill workout 4.  I tried to go heavy on the weights whenever I could.  The hardest ones for me was the kneeling and getting back up while holding 7lb weights above my head.  And the side squat was hard too.  Something about keeping one leg straight is hard for me, and it really works the outer glutes, my goodness!  But I did it all, even the plank poses, and does it ever feel good to finish strong.

I have been great with my eating today too.  Mom came to the game and then spent the day here with us.  I made her breakfast and lunch and snack.  She really loves the food in the 90 day program and so do I.  There has not been any recipe that I did not like so far.  :)  After lunch we hit a few open houses in the area, since Mom is thinking of moving closer in a year or so.

Breakfast: Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin; 2 8oz cups of coffee with 2% milk

Lunch: Chicken Salad with pecans and grapes, served on two slices of 12 grain bread

Snack: Almond Banana Smoothie

Dinner: Hubby is preparing steaks on the bbq with grilled/roasted veggies

My total cals for the day will come in about 1200... I am at 750 right now before dinner.  My weight this morning was 178.5, so down a half pound from yesterday.  Could this be the beginning of the big drop? :p

I may write later on tonight.  All I can say is I've got great energy and looking forward to Cardio 1 tomorrow, followed by a rest day.

Peach

Body Revolution - Day 18

Todays Workout: Workout 3

I didn't get to bed until midnight last night, but still I had a great sleep.  Baby didn't wake up until 8am, and the older boys slept in until 9:20.  This meant that after feeding baby I was able to run downstairs and focus on my workout.

I love feeling my body getting stronger.  I notice it in many of the moves.  I have even increased my weights to 7lbs for the squat combos.  I love the tree pose with the lateral raises... bring on the yoga!  It feels good to increase flexibility.  The hardest poses continue to be the planks (dropping onto forearms and back up) and the leap frog (ab holds).  But I know it will just get easier!

I'm not yet sure what I'll be having for lunch or snack today, but I'll update my meals later in the day.  So far I've had a yummy pumpkin cranberry muffin and non-fat latte.  My weight is stable at 179lbs... I can't wait for it to start dropping.  I've been at this weight for a solid week and a couple days.  I just have to trust the process, I know the weight will come off.

Happy St Patricks Day to all!  Enjoy your day!  It's supposed to be 18 and sunny here in Ottawa today!

Peach

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What a meal!  We had good friends over for dinner tonight, which was very nice considering they brought the main course and salad, and I just provided an app and dessert.  Unfortunately, I must have consumed about 1500 cals over dinner alone, which brings my total calorie count for the day to about 2300.  Not much weight being lost there!  But it was a good time... I feel like Jillian is going to kick my ass tomorrow.

So in summary, this is what I ate today:

Breakfast: Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin; non-fat latte

Lunch: Frittata with spinach, potato, peppers and feta; fattoush salad

Snack: Chocolate Banana Pop

Dinner: homemade lasagna; salad with feta, avocado, cranberry, walnuts, balsamic vinaigrette; garlic cheese bread made with focaccia; white wine (2 6oz glasses); 1/4cup strawberries, bite size brownies and sorbet

Oh yes, I will not be eating like that again for a while!

Kids are now in bed, but it's almost 10, and my oldest has hockey tomorrow morning at 7am... this means I need to be up feeding the baby at 5:30 -- wait a sec, hubby just stepped in.  I can stay home and he will take the oldest to hockey so I can feed baby on schedule at 7am.  Wonderful :)  I plan on getting my workout done tomorrow after the 7am feed.

Bring it on, and give me the strength to stick to my meal plan tomorrow!! 

Nighty night,
Peach

Body Revolution - Day 17

Workout Today: Cardio 1

I wish I had known about this blogging before I started the program.  It would have been nice to carry the torch through the entire process.  As it is, I am already done the first two weeks of the program.  I found the first week a huge challenge as I did the 'Jump Start your Metabolism' which required me to eat only protein and veggies for a whole week, and workout twice a day.  I did not cheat on my exercising, nor my eating, and I dropped about 8 lbs in the first week.

This past week, while I still kept my cals down to JM's recommendation, my weight went up 3 lbs.  This morning, I was back down another, so a total loss since starting the program of 6lbs.  That's not bad, but I was (and am!) expecting more.  My body feels so good from the workouts, but eating seems to be my vice.  I guess I'm not doing poorly, as I read others' blogs and see that they are creating their own meals.  I have felt that if I'm not using a JM recipe I am not firing up my metabolism the right way and may be sabotaging my efforts, so I've been sticking to the suggested meal plan as much as possible.

While I was on board during the day, tonight was more difficult as I took the family to a 67s game tonight.  This meant that I had a slice of pepperoni pizza for dinner and some mini-donuts (donuts are my vice!).  That carried about 750 cals for my dinner, which put me at 1550 total cals for the day... a few hundred over my target.  BUT, still not too bad.

Breakfast: Pumpkin Cranberry Muffin with a non-fat latte

Lunch: 4oz roasted salmon with pepita and cumin seed crust, russet potato salad with arugula and lemon

Snack: Chocolate Banana Pop

Dinner: Slice of Pizza Pizza pepperoni pizza, 5 mini donuts dipped in chocolate fudge sauce

Kids are all in bed and I've already fed the baby, which means I get to go ahead and hit the sack when I am done here.  Tomorrow morning I hit Workout 3 for my second time.  I am looking forward to it.

Nighty night all,
Peach