Day 62 of 90

Today's Workout: Cardio 3

Did you miss me??  I sure missed all of you.  I missed reading about each of your experiences, and I missed telling you all about mine!  I gave a quick heads up when I last posted Thursday night about my absence for the weekend.  Friday night was my best friends birthday dinner downtown and we were home late (shout out to you K!!)  Early Saturday morning, we began the drive down to Cambridge to celebrate my nephews First Communion.  It was a perfectly wonderful weekend seeing family that we don't see often enough given that they live a solid 5 hours away.

So I am back now, Monday night, and am proud to report that I missed not a single one of my workouts, but I did eat with no shame (hello all-you-can-eat-buffet!).  Early Saturday morning after feeding G at 7 am I did my exercises then showered and woke up the rest of the family.  I watched my food intake on Saturday, while stopping for lunch I had a 6" whole wheat turkey and ham sub from Subway, with total cals of just 380.  Dinner was also not too bad, as it was turkey drumsticks served with green beans and asparagus and roasted potatoes.  I am failing to mention all the nibblies I had.... a little here and a bit there will certainly add up.  I made good choices when able, and am hoping my body does not suffer from the selfishness of my brain.

Sunday morning, I took my laptop and Workout 10 with me to the exercise room of the hotel we stayed at.  I was lucky that at 8am on a Sunday morning nobody else had the inclination to do exercises, so it was just me grunting and sweating it out on the gym floor.  I thoroughly enjoyed Workout 10 yesterday, the time flew by.  Perhaps I enjoy working out in different places, mixes it up a bit.

Today the plan was to do my exercises at home in the evening, and to be honest with you, four hours ago, I did not think I would do them.  I had a moment of weakness.  A lapse in judgement.  But something clicked in me, just as it will click in you, that I am bigger than these workouts.  They will not get the better of me.  I have not missed a workout in 62 days -- am I really going to find an excuse now?  You know it, that working out feels so much better than not workout out, so do not let your inner self talk you out of it.  You are bigger than that worthless self talk.  You can change.  So I went down and laced up my sneakers and got ready to sweat.  Does Cardio 3 ever make me sweat!

I will be back on track tomorrow with workouts and logging my meals.

Sleep hard, I'll see you tomorrow.

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 58 of 90

The better I feel about myself, the more positive people get drawn to me.

Today's Workout: Workout 10

I forgot to mention that workout 9 made me sweat like nobody's business, even though there were no insane cardio moves.  Workout 10 also made me sweat like nobody's business, even though I had to modify lots of the moves.  First move in the warmup just about killed me... as my Rockstars came back.  In today's workout, every move has an up button, and I pushed it where I could.  I used my 3's, 5's, 7's and the resistance band today.  I found each of the cardio intervals very challenging, and there is certainly room for improvement as I progress in this Phase.  There were some moves I could not complete... I had to modify.  I will get it though, by the end of this phase, I will be able to do it all unmodified.  That's my goal!

Today I was in high spirits.  I smile more at people and they are more receptive it seems.  For example, William and I went to the grocery store today, and he turned his sweater into a cape and ran beside the stroller like Superman.  A lady looked over to me very amused and said 'That's a lovely cape!' and William smiled very big.  In fact, as I was walking away she was still talking about how great it looked.  As we went down the row looking for the Bear Paw aisle, I noted the next one said 'Cookies' and a man exiting from that aisle looked at me and said 'Oh, now he knows!' as though there was no escaping running down the cookie aisle.  It made me laugh out loud since most of the time people tend to keep to themselves, and this was just awesome.

I am attributing these events to my restfulness and positive attitude I carried today.  That comes from following through on my tasks, and carrying hope for the future.  I believe, I believe, I believe.

Breakfast this morning was coffee with a Banana Chocolate Chip muffin, warmed up in the microwave, making it ooey and gooey.  I was able to tackle my workout just after breakfast and then came up to give baby his bath and feed.  During the feed, I had a scoop of protein whey powder (light chocolate flavoured) with some skim milk (1 cup).

For lunch, I made a Frittata with Spinach, Peppers and Feta.  I modified this Jillian Michaels recipe by using one egg plus 1/4 cup of egg whites to bulk it up.  Essentially getting two servings of this meal, very satisfying, but without extra cals.  Total cals for this meal is 354.

Afternoon snack I kept my cravings at bay by having some Trail Mix (2 tablespoons each of almonds, sunflower seeds and chocolate chips) and a nonfat latte.



Unfortunately I did not have dinner tonight as it was school dance time!!  Oh yes, the parents get down with the kids at this seasonal party!  Since I am treasurer of the school council, I provide floats and am on-hand to assist wherever help is needed.  So while there I assisted my children with the eating of bake table items that they couldn't finish.  All in all, it ended up being one piece of lemon loaf cake, 5/6ths of a mini raspberry tart, and half a small bag of Doritos.  Yum!  Total cals were just under 400 and I am considering that my dinner.

So here we are.  Tomorrow I do cardio 3 for the first time.  Excited? YES!!

Also, a forewarning, that this weekend we are travelling to Cambridge to celebrate my Nephews First Communion.  I will be doing Workout 9 Sat morning before we leave, will take weights for workout 10 at the hotel, and will do Cardio 3 when I return on Monday.  But I will most likely not be able to post my blog..  I will see if I can set up mobile blogging...

Take time for yourself, see you tomorrow!

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 57 of 90

Taking time for myself means I have more to give when I am present.

Today's Workout: Workout 9

You may have noticed I didn't blog last night.  I wanted to, and it was on my mind while I toddled off to bed, and even while I was in bed.  But it was one of THOSE days.  After I brought baby up to bed, I went to bed myself.  Last glance at the clock read 6:36pm.  I probably do this about once a month, or perhaps every 2 months.  I go to bed so freakishly early.  But it always helps to get me back on track spiritually.

So it was my first time with workout 9 yesterday.  It may be my new fave.  I say MAY be, because it sure is tough, but tough is so good, isn't it?  The warmup caused my heart rate to go from 60 to 180 in about 30 seconds... Okay, that may not be accurate since I have yet to obtain a heart rate monitor... but this is what it felt like.  The moves were challenging, and they were all mostly blends of previous workout sets.  Crabs are back again, only this time they are weighted (weights rest on your abdomen).  I found it began challenging, and again eased up as the circuits progressed.  Another challenge here was the Side Burpees, although burpees really do get easier the more you do.

Food wise was good.  Here I am relying on MFP to remind me what I ate.

Breakfast was one of my brand new banana chocolate chip muffins made with whole wheat flour, and no sugar.  I basically took Jillian's Blueberry Banana Muffin recipe, omitted the blueberries and instead added 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (the darkest I could find).  Actually, that's a lie... I do have 50% cocao chocolate chips, but I forgot to use them as I have a huge bag of the semi-sweet used for the kids mostly.  But I should have used the 50% cocao.  These turn out light and fluffy, and the right amount of sweet.  Along with the muffin I had a medium Timmies coffee with 2 milk.

After my workout, I again had a banana chocolate chip muffin (um, perhaps my day wasn't as good as I thought!).  This would have been a good time to have a protein smoothie or shake... tsk tsk, next time!

Lunch was a Tomato, Avocado & Cheddar Pita.  These are great when served on fresh pitas, but they do need a plate as the tomato tends to drip into a gooey mess.  And, yum.

Afternoon snack was some Garlic Roasted Pita Chips (from Jillians meal plan) and some roasted garlic hummus.  William also didn't finish his snack of a Blueberry Banana Muffin, so I ended up finishing his.  Three muffins in one day is not good, is it?  Hmmm.

Then, just before running out the door to pick up hubby from work, I had 6 more cookies.  Just six, that's still bad, I know.  One the way home, we stopped at McDonald's for dinner, where I had nothing.  That's right, nothing for me.  Recall I wasn't feeling the best today and hit the hay shortly after getting home.

So that's my day, I was certainly struggling a bit, but it does improve for Thursday!

Good day to all!

Peach

Phase 2 Results!!

Well here we are...  Done phase 2 out of 3.  It is absolutely amazing how fast the time goes.  For any of you out there that continue to put things off to another date in the future, tell me, when will the day come where you get started?  I am 56 days into a program, and two months ago I was larger and certainly less fit.  It has come at the price of a very small 30 minute per day inconvenience, and I wouldn't change a thing, except work harder if I did it again.  And by that, I mean, I would watch my foods.  I should be cutting out sweets and alcohol, but I'm not.  How much better could my results be?

I can play devil's advocate on this one.  Is this not about changing my life for the better, by making changes that I can and will implement when this program is done?  Is it realistic to think that I will cut out sweets and alcohol?  For me, it is not.  So I will continue the way the program was built for me, and that is to continue with the exercises and implementing proper meal choices to hit my daily caloric allowance.  You can follow my meals and calories at myfitnesspal.com.  Look for user jfaure23.

So here is the moment you've been reading for!  My Phase 2 results!!

                                                Phase 2       Phase 1      Chg P1    Beginning    Chg Total

Weight (lbs)                                 170             172              -2           185.5          -15.5

Upper Chest                                 35"             36"               -1"           37"             -2"
Bust                                              37.5"          38"              -0.5"         39.5"          -2"
Midriff                                         33"             33.5"            -0.5"         36"             -3"
Upper Arm                                   11"            11.5"            -0.5"        12"              -1"
Waist                                           30.5"          32.5"            -2"            35.5"         -5.5"
Upper Hip                                    37"              39"              -2"           41"             -4"
Lower Hip                                   40"              41"               -1"           43"             -3"
Upper Thigh                                24"               25.5"           -1.5"         27"            -3"
Mid Thigh                                    21.5"            22"              -0.5          22"            -0.5"
Calf                                             15.5"            15.5"          N/C           16"           -0.5"

Dress size                                      10               12                -2            14             -4

Total weight lost since beginning the program is 15.5 lbs!

Total inches lost in Phase 2 is 9.5" and since beginning the program is 24.5"!!

I've lost 2 dress sizes in each phase of the program so far, for a total of 4 dress sizes.

I'm going to say it -- keep moving, keep pushing, keep striving!

Peach

Day 55 of 90

Phase 2 is complete!  I am on a personal journey to get fit and I am making progress!

Today's Workout: Cardio 2

Say goodbye to Cardio 2.  I will never have to do that one again.  It was a good one, but I also hear great things about Cardio 3.  Would I say I was ready for the next phase...?  Yes, I will take it as it comes and am excited!

Today was good.  I did not have an opportunity to work out this morning as we all slept in.  Like hibernating bears we were.  The day passed and I finally took some time to do my exercises after G and W were in bed, around 7:30.  It feels harder to workout in the evening, as though it takes a bit longer to get into it.  But there's no changing the feel good moment when the work is done and cool down begins.  Take a deep meditative breath, you deserve it!

Food was great for the most part.  I do not even want to confess, but I know I need to.  I was bang on for my meals.  I still have two servings left of steel cut oats, so I had one this morning with some brown sugar and 2% milk.  For lunch I took some leftover beef bourguignon made for dinner a couple nights ago.  This time I served it with brown rice and came in at about 350 cals.  This is when the problems started... and I ate 16 (that's a one and a six, put together) sandwich cookies.  Um, that's a lot of cookies.  And it was as though I was doing it so fast, grabbing one then two, and taking a bite like it was nothing.  I mentioned I'm addicted to sweets right?  So before I knew it, I ate that many, and laid down on the couch while my children ran circles around the room asking me to play.  What had I done?  I was in no state to be running and playing!  Is this a lesson learned? ... perhaps.  All I know is I need to shake it off and do better tomorrow.

Dinner was Barley Soup with Shiitake Mushrooms and Turkey Sausage (leftovers frozen from a previous batch).  The soup is terrific and it froze well.  I defrosted a bit in the microwave then poured into a saucepan and heated on the stove.  

So tomorrow is my rest day, and my measurement day, we will see what this phase has done to me!

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 54 of 90

I'm sexy and I know it.

Today's Workout: Workout 8

haha I have that song stuck in my head... my kids like to play it and sing it, but I thought it could be appropriate as an inspiration.  We are all different, different shapes, heights, BODIES.  Each one beautiful.

My legs are like jelly today.  A combination of the workouts 7 and 8 as well as my jog of last night.  I still can't believe it... 3.6km without stopping.  What else does the future have in store?

I said goodbye to workout 8 today.  I enjoyed it because I pushed so hard with it.  I never used my 3's, only 5's and 7's.  So Phase 2 actually and for real comes to an end this week.  Tuesday is my last rest day of Phase 2 and Phase 3 begins Wednesday.

I was thinking for my next reward to purchase a good heart rate monitor.  I need to do some research.  I feel it is an invaluable tool for tracking my body's needs beyond online tools and estimations.  Any good suggestions for ones that seemed to be accurate and user-friendly?

I've felt very satisfied in terms of meals today.  I also got to sleep in a bit, thanks be to my husband.  He even took the baby downstairs when he started fussing, and entertained him with a wooden spoon and spatula while I slept a bit longer.

Campfired-Up Sloppy Joe on Whole Wheat Kaiser (410 cals)

Breakfast: Steel cut oatmeal with brown sugar and milk, coffee
AM Snack: Mixed Berry Protein Shake
Lunch: Campfired-Up Sloppy Joe on a whole wheat kaiser
PM Snack: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip muffin and nonfat latte
Dinner: French Beef Bourguignon (in slow-cooker) with linguini and french baguette

It seemed to be a great mix of proteins, flavours and carbs, very satisfying.

So tomorrow is my final day of Cardio 2.  I am a bit nervous about what Cardio 3 holds, and a bit nervous about the next workouts, since I found I still had to modify a bit for Phase 2.

Nighty night,
Peach

Days 52 and 53 of 90

You may surprise yourself if you push a bit harder.  Today I ran (jogged) 25 minutes without stopping, yet I was expecting to jog 1 minute and walk 30 seconds.  I didn't have to stop.  I did the entire thing.  Never before in my life have I been able to do that.  Never before!  This program changes who you are; it changes what your body can do; it forces you to rethink your expectations.

Yesterday's workout: Cardio 2, Today's Workout: Workout 7

This was the last time for Workout 7.  Am I going to miss it?  I'm not sure... it will depend on what Workout 9 is like!  The first half of circuit 1 in today's workout I did fully with no modifications, but in the second half I once again had to modify by going to my knees.  Circuit 4 is amazing, since I love the chest presses with leg raises and the chest flies with leg raises.  I imagine my abs will be sore tomorrow.  I love the changes in my body.

Yesterday we celebrated my father-in-laws birthday, so we had my husband's parents and my parents over for dinner.  Since he is French (France, not Quebec!) and he does not particularly like cakes, I wanted to make him a Tarte Tatin.  If anybody has had this before you will appreciate the technique required (even though it consists of just 4 ingredients) as well as the taste.  My husband took a video of me flipping it from the skillet into the serving dish, and I will try to add it here [not happening... :(].  Be warned, this dish is not for those on a diet.  It consists only of butter, sugar, apples and puff pastry.  Calories per serving are 575.  Yikes!  I ended up eating about 2200 cals yesterday, which is in line with my TDEE, meaning I should not gain any weight nor lose any weight.  All in all, it was an amazing dinner -- rabbit with polenta and asparagus prepared by my mum-in-law, and for an appetizer she made fresh ravioli served with garlic mushrooms.  Oh my yum.


Today I also celebrated my first weight loss reward.  Mom and I made a deal that when we each lost 10lbs that we would go for a pedicure.  Today was that day!  But since mom was not feeling well (check out her blog at gwenny61.blogspot.com) I asked if my mum-in-law would come with me, and she did!  So we had a wonderful and relaxing pedicure this morning.  It is a perfect start to a weekend.  Next up --> massages!!


Friday, April 20th
Breakfast: Steel cut oats with brown sugar and coffee
AM Snack: Light chocolate protein powder with almond milk
Lunch: Turkey and havarti on honey and oat bread
PM Snack: Nonfat latte
Dinner: Rabbit, polenta, asparagus, baguette, apple tarte tatin, and lotsa wine!

Saturday, April 21st
Breakfast: Blueberry Banana Muffin and a coffee
Lunch: Mediterranean Tuna Wrap
PM Snack: Nonfat latte and mums cranberry granola bar
Dinner: Chicken quesidilla prepared on whole wheat wrap, a chocolate bunny


Just a reminder that I track my calories and activities using My Fitness Pal, with username jfaure23.  If you are interested in adding me as a friend, please do.

Today's food was much better, although I polished off the last of the easter bunnies... honestly, finally gone.  After that episode, I decided I needed to go for my jog, and I'm still surprised at my accomplishment.  This program is changing my life.

Tomorrow is the last day of my workout 8, my favourite one so far.  Let's see what I can do with it!

Nighty night,
Peach

Steel Cut Oats (prepared in slow cooker) with 2 tsp brown sugar (173 cals)

Turkey and havarti on oat and honey bread (370 cals)

Mediterranean Tuna Salad Wraps (309 cals)

Day 51 of 90

My weight may not be changing much, but my body fat percent has dropped from 34% to 31.3% over the last few weeks.

Today's Workout: Workout 8

Is it just me or does it seem like this workout was harder than it was last time around?  Perhaps I was really working on my form, and pushing myself further.  I certainly found that my form was better in many of the moves.  I'm thinking about the bicycle kicks with the resistance cable - I had great form on that which was the first time ever!  For the weighted warrior 3's I also kept peeking in the mirror to make sure my leg was parallel to the ground.  Not easy!

By the end of the workout, I was soaked and a bit wobbly.  Excellent.

My thoughts are still with my mom, who has had a terribly bad week.  It turns out that the inflammation in her shoulder is actually some nerve damage stemming from her trapezium.  The pain comes in intense bursts and her medication does not seem to be helping.  The reason this happened to her was because she found it was very difficult for her to do push up and plank moves because of how weak her upper body is.  So, she figured she would use heavier weights to strengthen her upper body.  She ended up doing some damage last week and has now had to take the week off of exercising.

Look, we all want to look better and feel better.  And you may not realize it when you are doing it, but you know your body best, and need to be mindful of how much weight we are using and our form.  Too much weight and bad form can tear muscles and who knows how long you will be taken out.  Mom learned the lesson for us, just be mindful.


Weight update!!  I forgot to post this yesterday, but my weight was 170.5 yesterday morning, so that's a loss of 2 lbs from the week earlier.  I also took some measurements and they are all less than last time, but I am saving that for next weeks Phase II Results.  Stay tuned!

In terms of food, I could very well just copy and paste yesterday's meals into todays.  Breakfast and snacks were all the same as yesterday.  The difference lies in my lunch and dinner.  Total cals were bang on my requirements, and I still managed to sneak in some chocolate bunny.  Oh, I cannot wait for the chocolate to be out of this house!



Breakfast: Blueberry Banana Muffin and coffee
AM Snack: Mixed Berry Protein Shake
Lunch: Tomatoes on Garlic Rubbed Toast with a hard-boiled egg
PM Snack: Non fat latte with an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffin
Dinner: homemade sloppy joes, one serving on a whole wheat kaiser; some easter bunny




Cardio 2 tomorrow.  Oh yes, let's do this!!

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 50 of 90

There is no one way to do this.  You've got to find your own way, persist, and see it through.

Today's Workout: Workout 7

Does everyone remember this workout?  This is the one where I have to modify like it's my first time walking.  The circuits here gradually decrease in intensity.  So the first is harder than the second, which is harder than the third, which is harder than the fourth.  It just means that when I finish the last circuit, I am feeling... relaxed.  Jillian does throw a curve ball in circuit 3, but I can deal with it (those one-legged pushups).

Today, I began circuit 1 like I was a member of Jillian's crew.  I did not modify any of the moves.  I counted each move as I breathed out to help maintain my focus.  From crow pushups, to plank walks, to plank ups, I did it all.  Then we hit the first cardio sequence, and I couldn't quite get my feet all the way to my hands.  But I figured out that as long as I was making the motion, it was just as good a workout jumping my feet one foot rather than three.  This cardio move is all in the abs.  For the second half of circuit 1 I did have to modify.  I began each move following Jillian's instruction, but had to drop to knees by the time I was four or so reps in.  I still finished it though.

I did not use my 3's at all this workout.  I stuck to 5's and 7's.  Something tells me that my Phase 2 reward should be a new set of 10lb weights!

In circuit four, I managed to do leg lifts as I chest pressed and chest-fly'd.  My abs and quads are not sore yet, twelve hours later, but I'm sure they will be sore tomorrow after a nice sleep.

I had a bit of an accident earlier today while driving.  Talk about losing focus... I turned too sharply while exiting between two cars in a parking lot and ended up jack-knifing the side of my van against the front left fender of a motionless jeep.  Nobody was there to point it out.  I could have driven away.  But instead I parked the van, and walked into the bank asking if anyone owned the jeep.  No-one there.  I went to the yoga studio.  Nada.  Went to the computer supply store, and the friendly staff member who greeted me just happened to be the owner.  He was angry at me.  I mentioned to him that I could have easily driven away, and he said that would have made him angrier.  Without a doubt I am guilty of bad driving, and I will be taking care of his damages.  This is my first at fault accident in 15 years of driving, and it happened because I lost focus.

I want to tie this into your workout, because the best impact occurs when you are focused on the outcome.  I want you to stare Jillian down when you turn on that dvd in the morning and be ready for it.  Your body will work as hard as you believe it can.  So turn it up and get focused.  I was not focused in that parking lot, and it cost me lots of time and money.  If you want to make the most of both of yours, I suggest you get focused!

Breakfast was my lovely usual... Blueberry Banana Muffin with a coffee.  I made myself a mixed berry smoothie after my workout today as well.  Lunch was another fave, the Tomato, Avocado and Cheddar Pita.  Afternoon snack was an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffin with a nonfat latte.

 

And dinner, oh my.  I forgot a pic again, but I made ribs in the crock pot and served with some oven-roasted baby potatoes and green and yellow beans.  Totally fabulous, and not too bad on the calories either. A half rack of ribs is about 300 cals, plus 2 tablespoons of bbq sauce.  It was very yum, and I love striking a  balance between the meal plan and eating a mix of foods with my family.

In my family, I have two boys that both could stand to gain some weight, so I often have to find good quality, high caloric meals for them.  Today was good because they ate a lot, and they were able to add calories through the baguette and fresh butter put on the table.

Here's hubby with baby G.




Tomorrow I am back to workout 8 -- my favourite one!

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 49 of 90

There comes a point where this is more than just about me.  It's about me and everyone around me.  When I feel good about my choices, it shows itself in my daily interactions.  

Rest Day

Ahh.... what's that?  That's the sound of my body resting.  I did go shopping today, and assembled a side board, and stained our front closet.  But aside from that, I did not exercise.

Meals were good, although dinner was a hodge-podge of what I made for the kids.

I managed to get up and make those Blueberry Banana Muffins this morning, so I had one hot and fresh from the oven this morning with my coffee.  These have got to be one of the best muffin recipes ever.  Not only is it made from whole wheat flour, no sugar, healthy fats... but it tastes incredible!  Even my oldest son has marvelled that they "smell like Tim Hortons'".  Now that is no easy feat!  Try them, enjoy them.  Only 210 cals per muffin.

While out at IKEA this morning, I encountered my morning snack.  I was out picking up a side board for our nook (aka breakfast nook, and art room), and I must have been very efficient at my ordering and picking up, because by the time I got back inside after loading up the van I still had 25 minutes left before picking up William from the ball room.  I walked past and peered in the window, and William was happily talking with another girl, while playing with dinosaur slippers.  All is good.  I scooted up the escalator with Geoffrey hanging off my arm and headed to the restaurant.  It's hard to beat a cinnamon bun and coffee for $2!  I picked up my bun and coffee, helped an older couple find the exit, and found a seat to relax and enjoy a few minutes of quiet.  (You know what happens here, right?).  Just as I set down my coffee cup and pull out the chair to have a seat, there is a vibration emanating from my pocket.  [I sigh].  It's the playroom calling...  So I pack it all up and rush to the playroom to find out what's happening.  Turns out William is all done playing.  I pick him up and we head down to the van, where I end up giving him 1/2 of my wonderful, gooey, cinnamon bun.

Lunch was a bit of leftovers.  I still had two slices of my multigrain thin-crust pizza from Friday, as well as some pea soup, so I warmed those up and enjoyed.  For afternoon snack, I had one of mums granola squares.  Turns out mum reads my blog fairly regularly and noted that yesterday I didn't know the calorie count, so she sent me the recipe.  I plugged it all in, and after some discussion on square sizes, determined that total cals are about 200 for this satisfying treat.

Dinner ended up being a multigrain-crossaint-wrapped-weiner with a few mouthfuls of Kraft Dinner, and a couple glasses of white wine.  Totally off the menu, and no pics of this one!  Total cals were about 300 for the dinner.  Eating like this reminds me of why I like to prepare meals that are healthy.  I ate a teeny croissant and weiner and a few mouthfuls of KD, and I hit 300 cals.  I would have much rathered a salmon steak on a bed of wilted greens and some roasted veggies which would have come in at the same.

Tomorrow I am back at Workout 7.  I cannot explain how I've been feeling the last couple of days... not depressed, but feeling as if I am coming to grips with something deep and important.  I am a very optimistic and positive and encouraging person, so this level of seriousness is new to me.  I do hope that I feel back at my regular wits tomorrow.  Otherwise, I feel I may not want to workout or eat right yet again.

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 48 of 90

It doesn't matter if I want to do it, or don't want to do it.  It only matters that it gets done.

Today's Workout: Cardio 2

Today I am thinking of my mom who has been suffering from a dreadfully sore shoulder, radiating intense pain down her arm, debilitating her movements to the extent that she was lain up in bed.  I think of how hard that would be, to want to get up and do what needs to get done but not being able to.  Then there's me, having one of those days that I just don't want to do it.  I didn't want to go down and do my workout.  I was ready with all the excuses.  So what made me go down and do them this morning?  For the same reason that I don't stay up until 3 am -- I don't want to have to deal with the consequences.  I don't want to have to give myself the talk about why I didn't get it done today.  So I just went down and did it.

I still enjoyed Cardio 2.  I sweat as much as I ever do, and paid particular attention to my form.  My burpees are getting easier with bringing my feet up to my hands.

I need to make a clarification.  I had thought about this when I was in bed last night, that this is not the end of Phase 2.  No, that doesn't happen until next Weds.  This week will just be a regular weigh in, but I may do other measurements as well.  And I'm a bit relieved to know that I have one more week on me to lose some weight, as this month has been so stagnant!  I could and should do better.

Since I was not so good on the weekend in terms of food, I made myself stay on track today.

Breakfast I made myself a fried egg with three slices of turkey bacon (total cals 145) with a coffee and an oatmeal chocolate chip muffin (cals inc coffee and muffin are 383).  It was satisfying, although for the morning I would have preferred a blueberry banana muffin.  I have some bananas that have ripened so may bake a batch tonight.

Morning snack I grabbed a granola bar (est 215 cals) made by my mum-in-law.  These are supposed to be for Isaac, but I thought he wouldn't mind if I had one!  I had to enter a generic item into my calorie counter at MFP, since I do not have the recipe.

Lunch was my Tomato, Avocado and Cheddar Pita -- still so yum, although I forgot to add salt & pepper.  It is great with that little kick.  I also had a small coffee from Timmies with 2 milk in it, just before lunch.

For afternoon snack, I had an oatmeal chocolate chip muffin to help with my sweet tooth, and then I held off until dinner.





I made the kids some mashed potatoes with meatballs and gravy and lindenberry sauce (c/o Ikea).  For hubby and I, I prepared Grilled Lemon Chicken with a Creamy Cucumber Salad.  I must apologize for not taking a pic here... perhaps I was too hungry!

Not a bad day, and I am enjoying the increased cals, but need to watch my chocolate cravings and sneaking.  Yesterday I polished off one of the kids easter bunnies.  I'm addicted.

Tomorrow I rest.

Night night,
Peach

Day 47 of 90

Saying no never feels as good as when you are focussed on what you want to achieve.

Today's Workout: Workout 8

I do love this workout.  I love how concentrated the exercise movements are.  Strong, controlled movements, with no overwhelming cardio.  I sweat, I swear;  it's a good workout.  I used all of my weights here (3lb, 5lb, 7lb), plus the resistance cable.  I did not ever have to modify down, but I was able to modify UP for a few of the moves.  Weighted Warriors (3lb) I did presses with my arms while holding.  Final circuit chest presses and flies I pulled my legs up when I contracted my arms (7lbs).  I feel a tad sore today, but usually feel it the next day after a good rest.

In addition to the Jillian Michael workout, I took a walk to the park with a friend and her daughter who is William's age.  They both attended the same daycare as babies, and remain close friends.  Lovely!  It was nice to sit and chat while the kids played.

In terms of meals, today was a lot (a whole lot) similar to yesterday's.  Same breakfast, modified the lunch by having 1/2 chicken salad sandwich and a cup of pea soup with smoked ham.  For snack I enjoyed a mixed berry protein shake, then I held myself off until dinner.  Tonight we took the kids to Boston Pizza for having a great week at school and a great night with grandma and grandpa last night while we attended the party.  I had a few wings as an app, we all shared those.  And for dinner I ordered off of their healthy menu, the Pollo Pomodoro Linguini.  It was a perfect serving size of whole wheat pasta and came in at 510 cals.  Very reasonable.  So, while I could have ordered something else, tastier with more cals, it is very satisfying to fill up on a healthier dish.  In addition, after looking at the dessert menu and drooling over the options (cheesecake, chocolate eruption, brownies....) I said no.  I said no because getting to a healthier me is more important than indulging.

Right?  Right!!

Bring on the cardio tomorrow, then a rest day, and that will conclude my Phase 2.  Results will be published either on Tues or on Weds morning!

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 46 of 90

This is not about deprivation; it's about making choices.

Today's Workout: Workout 7

I want to put a shout out to my readers -- thank you for continuing to encourage and inspire me.  You are making this journey most enjoyable!

I'm posting this one a day late as I was out late last night and have had a non-stop day.  Yesterday we were with great friends celebrating the engagement of two of our dearest (congrats D and R!!).  I said in my inspiration above that it's not about deprivation, it's about making choices, and the reason I say this is because on this journey it is not about what I am giving up.  Because I am not giving up anything!  I am making smarter choices, I am not over-indulging, but I certainly am ENJOYING.

Yesterday I stayed on track during the day, knowing that my evening food and drink would be unpredictable.  I made great choices during the day to keep my energy levels high and feeling great.  At the party, I had a couple of Rum Punches (very yum, both batches!)  and enjoyed a bit of everything at the food table.  Did I feel deprived?  Absolutely not.  Did I make good choices?? I believe I did, because I stayed within my bounds and I enjoyed myself.

I was back at Workout 7 yesterday.  I tried so hard to keep from modifying, but it's very very difficult.  I did better than the first time though.  I pushed through the Crow Pushups, I  pushed through the one-legged pushups.  I found it difficult to do the push ups after the cardio move, mainly because the cardio was also in a held plank position.

It was a perfect Saturday, I hope you all enjoyed yours.

Breakfast: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip muffin and coffee
Lunch: Chicken Salad with Red Grapes and Pecans on whole grain bread
Snack: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip muffin and a non-fat latte
Dinner: A variety of crackers, bread, some cheese and dip, veggies, and a couple dessert squares

Peach

Day 45 of 90 = Halfway there!

Getting my exercises done first thing in the morning allows me to get out and enjoy the rest of the day.

Today's Workout: Cardio 2

Oh my, I really had a good sweat on for this one.  Not sure what happened this time around except I know I pushed myself whenever I could.  No move in this workout is too hard, or too intense.  You just have to make it something you can do, and increase the intensity (ie. speed or height) when you are ready.  I must have done that, because by the last four moves in the workout, I had a horrible stitch and found the last moves very difficult as I couldn't take a full deep breath.  Oh, but it still felt so good.

Do you ever get to the point in the day where you want to do more?  Go out and run around the block for 30 minutes?  Hit the elliptical?  This the third day in a row where I must have increased energy since I've wanted to go out and run, or do an additional workout in the basement..  I'm glad I had volleyball yesterday.  I think it just might be the endorphins brought on by exercise.  The more you do it, the more you want it!  Hey, that should have been my daily inspiration...

I weighed myself this morning, and I am down 2 more pounds... say what!?  I first weighed in at 168.5, then I was shocked, since I really only wanted to hit 170, so I weighed again and it bounced around to 169.  Could it be the increased calories?  Would this have happened if I was eating fewer calories too?  Not sure, but I'm not changing anything now!

I apologize for not having pics to share with you today.  It is Friday, and I tend to go off menu (and a bit crazy) on Fridays. And I only remembered to take one pic today of my lunchtime frittata.

Breakfast: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip muffin and coffee
Snack: Frozen Mixed Berry Chocolate Protein Shake
Lunch: Frittata with Spinach, Potato and Feta
Snack: Non-fat latte
Dinner: Pizza Pizza - 1/2 of a small, whole wheat multigrain thin crust with chicken and green peppers

I also had 2 glasses of white wine, 2 digestive cookies, a couple of mini creme eggs, and about four country organic creme filled vanilla/chocolate cookies.  When I'm eating it, I think it's going to make me feel good, but to be honest, NOTHING feels better than being able to say NO.  "The only thing that feels good is skinny jeans"... thanks Jillian.

I'm ready for Workout 7 tomorrow.  I will push it harder... I remember how hard circuit 1 was, I'm going to try to ease up on the mods.  Let's see what I've got!

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 44 of 90

The soreness in my body means I am changing.  For the better.

Todays Workout: Workout 8

When I began this program, I thought to myself this was going to be easy.  It's 90 days.  I can do anything for 90 days.  Tomorrow when I wake up, I will be halfway through the program.  HALFWAY!  The time has flown by, or rather, life has flown by just as it usually does.  I am so grateful that I have begun this process of change.  Tonight at volleyball one of my lovely lady friends told me that I look better than I did than before I even got pregnant.  I must say, my weight is comparable, but perhaps it's the muscle that makes me look more toned.  It's funny, but it doesn't matter how much I weigh, I always feel I look the same.  I couldn't see the thirty extra pounds I was carrying on me, but it was there.  And now I see the negative space of that weight (for all of you artists out there).  I can see what's not there, and that's how I know progress is being made.  My pants are looser in the thighs and in the waist.  Progress is being made.

I loved today's workout.  I loved it more than yesterday's workout.  I am stiff and sore from yesterdays ab and quad workout, and now I am stiff and sore from my shoulder and back workout of today.  I was able to push the up button on some of the moves today, even though it was my first time.  The circuits were quick, with no hard-breathing cardio segments.  Although, we did Suicide's in the first circuit, but it didn't wind me the way it did when I was in cardio 1.  Progress is being made.

My favourite move in this workout is the Weighted Warrior 3, that entire circuit is brilliant.  It burns in just the right way.  It's doable, and I can push further if needed.  I enjoyed the sweat that this workout provided.  I love how hard Jillian made me work.  Progress is being made.

I weighed myself this morning and found that I have dropped another pound.  I am now 170.5.  I ate my full calories today to net out at 1700.  That is alot of food, but I make it work by adding a morning snack, which is generally a protein shake after working out, and adding a bit to my lunch and dinner.  I also can add an evening snack if needed.  It is nice to have more play room.

I made breakfast this morning.  Two Eggo Plus Whole Wheat waffles, with Jillians Berry Maple Syrup.  Total cals were 270, and very tasty at that.  In the meal plan provided, Jillian has a recipe for multigrain pancakes which are served with the berry maple syrup, but in favour of time I used the eggo's instead.  The berry's and syrup simply cook on the stovetop for a few minutes until it is thickened and sweetened the berries.  Quick, and yum.

I had a Chocolate Strawberry shake after my workout in the morning.  Love how slow I can sip this, and how satisfying it is after a workout.

I changed up lunch a bit and followed the meal plan by having the Grilled Haddock with Berry Ginger Salsa and Couscous with Parsnips and Carrots.  So satisfying, and from start to finish takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.


 


I enjoyed an Oatmeal Chocolate Chip muffin with my latte this afternoon.  I replugged in the recipe into MFP since I make it without walnuts, and it turns out that total cals for the muffin is only about 230, not 280 as I was previously recording.  Way better!

Dinner was Turkey Burgers with Black Bean Salsa along with oven roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots.  This recipe was from Jillian's Quickstart your Metabolism.  I served it on buns for the kids and my husband, and while I made four servings total (one for each of us), they all wanted seconds!  I didn't realize it would be such a hit, especially from kids that don't usually eat their meat!

 

I'm feeling a bit long-winded today.  I am ready for cardio 2 again tomorrow.  Oh yes... we didn't win in our finals tonight... at least, we didn't win first, but it was a rocking season.  This year we got t-shirts!  Next up, I captain our summer beach team, and we play Monday nights beginning May 28th.  I cannot wait to get my feet in the sand.

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 43 of 90

The fact that I need to modify my moves tells me that there is room to grow.

Today's Workout: Workout 7

I can understand why this workout is a favourite.  It feels like it finished in fifteen minutes.  One circuit suddenly became the next, then the next... the cardio's were manageable.  One move at a time.  I will tell you this about circuit 1 in the workout, it's hard.  I modified each of the moves... well, perhaps one of the four I didn't.   This circuit was very shoulder and chest-intensive.  Push ups and planks are the key words here.  Not straight-up push ups and planks, but dynamic ones, with one leg, crawls and lifts.  Intense!  I was able to begin each move unmodified, but after a few reps needed to put a knee down.  Needed to?  Okay, that's up for debate.  I felt like I needed to, but knowing what to expect I am going to push through next time to see if I can maintain this circuit without modifying.

There was good use of the resistance cable here.  No rubbing uncomfortably, and quick to feel the burn in my arms.  In fact, my shoulders are still feeling it.  I used my 5lb and 7lb weights here.  Jillian asked me to grab light weights for one move, but I used my mediums (the 5lb).  The move was a one-leg extension with shoulder presses.  I did it all baby, no mods!

And, I can't lie to you, my faithful readers.  The rumours are true!  This is intensive ab work.  Each workout can be modified to be harder or easier.  I made it harder when ever I could.  Imagine this:  laying on my back, arms bent at 90 degrees for chest presses with my heaviest weights (7lbs).  As I raise the weights I am also raising my straightened legs from 1 foot off the floor to about 80 degrees, then they both come down together.  This is how the workout finishes, on a circuit that is ab intense, but enjoyable.

Am I now pumped for Workout 8?  You bet'cha!

Something else was new today, along with my new workout, I am eating a few more cals.  When I weighed myself this morning, I was down to 171.5.  That is the lowest I've been to date since beginning my weight loss.  Let's see how the trend continues.

It's a bit of a challenge to take in enough calories, since I'm looking for clean cals.  On exercise days, I am looking to have net calories of about 1700.  This means I am consuming about 2000 cals.  That's quite a departure from the meal plan.  So to consume enough, I add a bit to each of my meals, and I added a snack to my mid-morning, with lunch a touch later.  This means that I am eating every 2-3 hours.  I am not ever ravenous or hungry.  No binging.  I am eating the way I should be eating regardless of whether I weigh 170lbs or my goal weight of 148.  This is it.

 



Breakfast was Turkey Bacon with a Poached Egg and a Blueberry Banana Muffin... and a coffee.  Total cals here are 370.

I also took in a chocolate strawberry protein shake after my workout.  This was 185 cals, but very satisfying since it takes about 20 minutes to slurp.

Lunch was my regular special of the week --> the Tomato, Avocado and Cheddar pita... Oh so good!  It's like biting into a juicy donair only without the spicy meat.  Fresh chewy pita, and salted tomatoes with avocado... this is a must try, and at only 309 cals.

 

This kept my going until late into the afternoon, about 3:30, when I had a freshly baked Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffin with a non-fat latte.  Cals here are 331.

  

I snuck dinner in before my council meeting, by having what the kids were eating -- chicken nuggets and a handful of fries.  I had 6 nuggets with honey for dipping, and total cals for dinner were about 520.  If I hadn't eaten so well today, I may have been hungrier and wanted more of this high cal dinner, but I was satisfied.  No pic here.

After council I came back and had a 6oz glass of white wine and a mini cadbury creme egg for 175 cals, and that tops off my day.  Net cals are just under 1700.  And that's a lot of food.

I'm questioning my whether I am doing the right thing with respect to increasing my cals, but I think I have nothing to lose at this point.  I am eating more, and certainly feeling more satisfied, and I feel like I am a big girl able to make my own decisions about the food I eat.  I am watching my carbs, fats and proteins, as well as my sugars to stay within acceptable levels.  Day one is a success, and I feel like I will sleep well tonight.  I must remember, I am still eating less than what my body will use in the day, so I will still lose weight.  Only I will be doing it without risking starving my body.

If you are interested in seeing what your BMR is, and how many calories you should be consuming daily, I would recommend using the site fat2fitradio.com.  Click on 'All Calculators' and select 'Military Body Fat Calculator'.  Once that is known, select BMR and fill it in to determine your BMR as well as your total daily calorie recommendation.

I'm off to have a sound sleep... after feeding baby of course.

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 42 of 90

Get ready for change; Not every day will come at you as expected!

Rest Day!

Ahhh, love the rest days!  I usually try to do something on rest days, but I feel like my outlook is changing.  It`s a day of rest, so I will rest!  No walking for me today.

So, my weigh in is tomorrow, but I completed measurements and weight today.  It has been a stagnant few weeks... Over the past two weeks, my weight has increased by 2lbs to 174, but I have lost half an inch on my waist and half an inch on my hips.

I`ve been doing a lot of research on the value of eating enough calories, and have decided that after three weeks of no weight loss, I need a change.  I think I have been eating too few calories daily, and then when I splurge a bit on Fridays my body holds onto the calories.  So, going forward I will be following JMs meal plan but will increase my cals so that my net caloric intake is approximately 1700 daily.  So, on days that I exercise, I will eat more to eat back some of those calories, so that I net approximately 1700.

I identified that my BMR is 1509 calories.  This is the minimum calories that my body needs each day to function.  When I add in my overall activity level (I am moderately active being a mom of three, exercising most days of the week, and playing competitive sports), then my daily caloric needs increases to about 2025 per day.  According to `Fat2Fit` website, this is my ideal caloric intake.  If I consume this many calories every day, even on days when I do exercise, I will eventually reach my optimal weight.  When I reach my optimal weight, this will continue to be my required calories.  If I want to lose weight, I can decrease this amount by 15 or 20%.  This is how I get to 1700 cals per day, so that is what I am now aiming for.  It means I will take in more healthy calories during the day, and I will continue to report on my progress.  Nothing else will change in my program!

Today`s meals were great.  Breakfast was, once again, a Blueberry Banana Muffin with a coffee.  For lunch I, once again, had a Tomato, Avocado and Cheddar Pita.  In addition to the pita, I ate a half serving of sausage penne, which William didn`t finish at lunch today.









Snack was a new one... an empire apple served with a tablespoon of almond butter, along with a non-fat latte.  It was a quick and satisfying snack.  Total cals were 200.

 Dinner was a Thai Green Curry Chicken served with Thai Spaghetti Squash (total cals 330).  It is not a very high calorie meal, but I love the sweetness blended with the spice.  It is a mix of curry and coconut oil and coconut milk.  Satisfying and does not take too long to make.  In fact, it was about 30 minutes from start to finish.  Both recipes are in Jillian`s meal plan.  The recipe calls for fish, but I replaced the fish with chicken, as I`ve had it before with the fish, but would prefer chicken.  I think it tastes much better with chicken, very tender and juicy.

I am very excited to start Workout 7 tomorrow.  Others who are ahead of me in the program have stated it was a killer ab workout, and although a great burn, was also satisfying.  I feel like waking up early to accomplish this, so perhaps after the 6 or 7 am feed in the morning, I will head straight down to work it!

I cannot wait to tell you all how it goes.

Thank you for coming on this journey with me.

Nighty night,
Peach

Day 41 of 90

I love the high that exercising provides!

Today's Workout: Cardio 2

I tried to push the up button today on my Cardio.  I was red-faced for a solid hour after completing it!  I pushed as hard as I could give.  Those plyo-squats.... I went low and pushed myself up quickly.  I felt a solid burn.  The workout was satisfying to say the least.  After the cardio, I took the kids for a walk to the grocery store to fill up on some more produce.  I usually put William at the back of the stroller and push both kids since it allows me to go much faster, and I get my heartrate up.  My legs still feel jiggly from all the activity today!

I want to make a shout out to those who take the time to comment and let me know that you are out there and reading this.  I have 49 more days to go in this program, and I feel like you are right there with me in this journey.  I wish you all the success for you in your daily battle!

Food was great today.  I moved away from muffins and had Steel Cut Oats with Apples for breakfast this morning.  It has a nutty flavour since it is boiled in 1/2 almond milk and 1/2 water.  I use the old-fashioned oats which have a chewy and nutty texture to begin with.  The apples and maple syrup sweeten the oats without adding brown sugar and milk.  My husband also really enjoyed breakfast.  I stayed satisfied all morning with this one!  Total cals 272.

 

Lunch was a repeat of yesterday.  The modified Tomato, Avocado and Cheddar Burrito.  I use 20g of marble cheddar on this one, but could easily do with just 10g.  That would drop the cals by 40.  Total cals on this is 309.  Scroll to yesterdays post for a pic.

Afternoon snack I made up Garlic Pita Chips and served it alongside some roasted garlic hummus.  This one really satisfied the salty-crunchy crave.  One serving is 1/4 of a pita, which is 3 pita chips.  I had about three servings of chips for total cals of 162.  The hummus was another 70 cals.  This recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in a container for easy snacks later in the week.

Dinner was the Lamb Skewers and Plums with some summer asparagus soup.  I used Campbell's Gardennay soup that is premade, total cals in a cup of soup is about 90.  The lamb skewers are about 4oz of grilled lamb, rubbed in a mixture of cocao, cinnamon, thyme and cloves.  Lamb is so good because it comes out incredibly tender.  Total cals for dinner was 377.

 

 After dinner, I took in a half of a cinnamon bun since I felt I needed extra cals.  My net cals for today are just under 1,000.  I am still in debate as to whether I should have a bit extra on days when I exercise.  My weight really has been quite stagnant over the past two weeks.  But I've been splurging a bit on weekends... After being good all week, is it that my body holds on to those easy calories on the weekend?  Weight loss is such a journey!  I will weigh in and do measurements on Weds, and tomorrow is my rest day before starting the second part of Phase 2.

Nighty Night,

Peach

Day 40 of 90

Spending time with family and friends, slows me down and reminds me why I want to live a long and healthy life.

Today's Workout: Workout 6

Happy Easter Sunday to all!  I am a day late in writing this post, and missed Saturday.  That's the drawback of special occasions!  While my eating was for the most part, off of the plan, I remained true to my daily workouts.  I cannot believe that I am done Workout 6 for good!  I love these transitions to new parts of the program.  Progress is good.

Nothing new to say about the program here.  I worked harder than ever on this one, and I felt it for the remainder of the day.  I still try to get my exercises done as early as possible in the day so that I don't have to worry about it later on.  It helps to schedule it in.

In terms of food, I started the day with a Blueberry Banana Muffin and two cups of coffee... usual fare.


Lunch was a modified recipe, since I had no more tortillas (grocery shopping will be done Monday).  So I made a modified Tomato, Avocado and Cheddar Burrito by broiling it on a whole wheat pita and folding over rather than rolling.  Tasty!  One of my new faves, and comes in at 306 cals.









In order to sway any chocolate cravings I may have later in the day, I had a frozen Chocolate Banana Pop for snack on our way over to mum's for Easter dinner.  It may have helped, since I didn't sneak any other chocolates.  My goal for this week, is no off-menu items; no sneaking food or bites.  Let's see if I can undo some of my Easter damage.

Here is a pic of the older boys searching for eggs at Grandma and Grandpapa's.

Dinner, I failed to get a pic again, was a roasted lamb with oven-roasted potatoes, braised leeks with tomatoes, and asparagus.  How satisfying!  Dessert was an angel food cake with a lemon cheese layer and fresh berries.  Altogether not a bad dinner in terms of calories.  It was the Lindt chocolate bunny that did me in at 525 cals!  I hope it is out of my system now!  That along with the wine may set me back, so I need to be sure that I am focussed for the rest of the week.

Enjoy your day!

Peach