Day 55

OH YA BABY!!! I'm BACK!
Okay, today was super-fabulously productive! Cleaned the whole house (including our upstairs playroom!), shampooed the carpet, ate clean all day AND did my work outs, took a shower and now am getting in bed at a reasonable hour. (Though I admit, I am staying up to watch the Bachelorette (dvr'd) and probably won't go to sleep till close to midnight! Eek!!)
Today is Day 1 of Phase 3---the final phase!! Can't believe it's already here! 35 more days till final pictures! I think if I really get serious about it for this next month, we will have some outstanding differences in our before and after pictures. My mind set is right....I am determined...here we go!

Breakfast: Kashi oatmeal with 1/8 c. walnuts 1/8 c. raisins, 6 oz. skim milk with 1/2 scoop chocolate protein powder.

Snack: 1 scrambled whole egg (made for the kids.....they wouldn't eat it....so I did)

Lunch: 1 chicken sausage, 1 light WW hotdog bun, bowl of fresh fruit

Snack: Peak Performance Protein bar

Dinner: 1 slice turkey roast, light mashed potatoes, 4 spears asparagus, 1 (whole) light deviled egg, green salad, 1 slice bread.

Right now before bed: I am going to make me a recovery drink (I just finished Chest & Back and ARX and I am already achy) and eat 1/2 a Fast-Track Blueberry Muffin from the Thin Kitchen cookbook.

I haven't reviewed the Phase 3 Nutition guide yet...but I am taking it to bed with me right now and will look it over and shop accordingly tomorrow!

P 90 What?

It feels like I've abandoned it all together...but I haven't--just been on "hold" for a few days. Tomorrow, Monday, is Week 1 of Phase 3. The last leg in the journey and we're ready to Bring It like never before. It's down to the nitty gritty now...we only have a little over 30 days left in this experience so every day is critical to our end results. Since we've liberally taken a few days "off" from the work outs and the eating plan, we feel ready to get serious again. Hooray!

I am not going to even try to list everything we've been eating...but I promise we haven't fallen off the wagon completely. Even though we haven't been eating straight from the nutrition guide, we have still been trying to make smart choices and get plenty of protein, fruits and veggies in. (probably a few too many carbs too.)

Anyway, check back tomorrow for a much more motivating, positive and successful post!

P90X--Watch OUT!

***sick of this diet***

Yesterday will just have to be counted as a skip day. It wasn't meant to be that...but we ended up eating out for lunch AND dinner yesterday and while we made healthy choices...(Red Lobster--fresh salmon and tilapia with veggies and salad and Subway)...we didn't get a work out in and we snacked late at night. Bad, bad!
I don't know what's going on in my head...except that I am definitely feeling un-motivated. Not necessarily a lack of energy as much as a lack of drive. It's so NOT like me to feel like this--and I HATE it. I hope maybe it's just a temporary "funk" and by Monday at the latest---it better be gone.
As I mentioned in my last post, yesterday was my big "annual" exam day...and I was really anxious about what I was going to weigh on their scale. Well....it was 139. Not great....like 137 would have been...but not awful like the 140's would have been. Of all things though...my 'visitor' arrived early yesterday morning. Just want you want when you're going in for that exam. (NOT!!) Maybe it's that coupled with the fact that I can't seem to get rested up that is making me feel like this, I don't know...but I wish it would hurry up and get out of my system.
And as a side note:
You wanna hear something really ridiculous?? This is how demented my mind is regarding weight and food:
Yesterday while sitting in the waiting room at the dr. office I had ample time to read a magazine (the dr. had to run and deliver a baby at the exact time my appt. was for...so I was there for about 2 hours!!) Anyway, I read an article about eating disorders and how there is a new trend among young mothers developing eating disorders. Anyway...of course...they tell you all the horrible things that eating disorders do to your body and I already know all of that. But after reading that article, this is what I was left thinking, "Man, if I really wanted to lose this weight bad enough, I would do that. I am obviously not determined enough or else I could be anorexic too and lose this weight. Those girls are better than me." Now, I know...that is totally WRONG thinking...and I have all the reasons why the way I am losing weight is a million times better than becomeing anorexic...but still, I can't seem to get those kinds of thoughts out of my head. To me, that is just proof that my battle is not just physical...it's also psychological. Don't ya'll think? I mean...who wishes they were "strong enough" to be anorexic? How STUPID is that?

Day 54

As usual, Thursday's are go-go-go for me. It's my big "mowing" day. So, after the gym and a quick stop at Wal-Mart, it was home to push mow the front and back yards and then riding mow the rest of the acreage. By that time I was feeling very sunburned (forgot sunscreen today) and HOT...so into the pool we all went. Ahhhh....I just want to say Thank You GOD for blessing me with a swimming pool!! That pool is one of the best investments we have ever made!
After swimming, it was time to cook dinner, do dishes and then I did X Stretch (recovery week). It was SOOO relaxing, although I had to fight my mind from thinking it was a waste of an entire hour. I just have this mentality that I have to be dripping in sweat to be doing any good. (probably why I'm not too flexible--stretching takes time).
I am very happy to report that it is now 9:46 pm and I am IN BED already!! Woohoo! I'll probably watch the Super Nanny that I dvr'd last night before I go to sleep..but still, this is a record for me!! (to be in bed this early) Of course, I will have to "pay the price" in the morning by getting up extra early to work but that's okay. Tomorrow is my big 'annual exam'. I've been thinking about this for a while and am anxious to see how my weight compares this year with what I weighed last June.

So here's what I ate today:
Breakfast: Kashi oatmeal with a sprinkle of raisens and walnuts, very small protein shake

Lunch: McDonalds!! (side salad with balsalmic dressing, McChicken with only 1/2 bun, yogurt & fruit parfait, a few of the kids fries.

Snack: Kashi protien bar, 30 pistachios

Dinner: Turkey burger (160 cal) on light WW bun (110 cal), zucchini fries, salad, 1/2 protein bar.

Just now while I am typing this: 25 cal. light hot chocolate, 1/8 c. yogurt covered raisens, 1/8 c. walnuts.

gosh, looking at it all, I think I probabaly overate today.....darn!

Day 53

Okay, enough is enough! Matt got on the scale this afternoon and weighed 179!!! He is dropping pounds DAILY! I am REALLY starting to be able to tell it now too, although he says he still can't see a very big difference! It's amazing how much weight we really could stand to lose. He (and I) thought for sure that if he got down to about 185, he'd be just perfect. But look at him now...he's at 179 and still losing! Even though my goal is 130 (and I am 8 pounds from it)--I would really like to weigh about 115-120 if the truth be told.
Anyway, ironically after that big paragraph about weight, I am going to really try to talk less about our weights. Matt said to me tonight, "I wish you'd stop talking about it all the time, you're gonna make the kids think that's all that matters in life." That really hit me hard. I don't want my kids growing up like me...(not how I grew up but how I THOUGHT all throughout my pre-teen and teen years). I have been counting calories and watching my weight since I was about 12 I believe. Sad, huh? Of course, that's not to say that I've always done well...but I've never stopped worrying about it all the time. I don't want Brooklyn thinking that her value, her worth comes from a number she sees on the scale. I want her to understand the importance of being healthy...that's all.
Anyhow, today was productive. After the kids went to gymnastics and we did our school time, we went outside and cleaned the van-inside and out. First we hand washed it, then shammied it off. Then I took out the captains seats and vacuumed the whole thing out and then got a bucket of soapy water, an old toothbrush and a rag and scrubbed the insides!! After that we swam for a bit and then cooked dinner. After I washed the dishes, it was time for Kenpo X. I was REALLY not in the mood for it tonight...but I put my feelings aside and put on my tennis shoes instead. I am SO GLAD it's over with now! ha ha I've been waiting all day for this moment...when I finally get to get in bed and sleep! ahhhh....
Here's todays food intake:
Breakfast: Kashi oatmeal with a sprinkling of raisens and walnuts, small choc. protein shake
Snack: Light string cheese
Lunch: 1 slice light WW bread, low-fat mayo, 1/2 left over steak from last night, 10 puff cheetos, fresh pineapple, 1 bite of a protein bar (needed a taste of chocolate!)
Snack: 100% Frozen fruit popscicle
Dinner: Oven-baked chicken, fresh green beans pomodoro, light mashed potatoes, 1 more bite of protein bar (still craving chocolate)

Matt said to me yesterday regarding him losing more weight than me: "ya, but you probably eat more than I do." and you know what...he's probably right. I do eat a LOT...so I'm trying to work on that. Normally I would have had something before bed tonight, especially since I've been really wanting something sweet...but I decided to skip it and just go to bed hungry.
OKay, well, as usual, I am getting super sleepy so I better end this. Goodnight all!!

Day 52

You know you're getting old when NOTHING feels so good to you as getting into your BED! ha ha ...well either you're getting old or you worked out Reeeealy hard. In my case, I think it's both.
Anyway, I have CERTAINLY burned my fair share of calories today! I got up this morning and went to the gym for my Pump/core class (mostly stability ball and weights) then I did 45 min. of Zumba/hiphop abs class. Like last Tuesday, I was drenched when I left.
Then tonight Matt and I made a "date" to do Core Synergestics at 8:00. We decided we needed to state a specific time we are going to do the workouts so he doesn't keep missing them. Surprisingly, I still had enough energy to do that whole work out, even after all I've done today.
I sure wish I already had my heart rate monitor because I'd love to know how many calories I burned today! Anyhow I'm really sleepy so I'm gonna wrap this up for now.

Breakfast: Egg-white scramble, FF mozerrella cheese, tomato with 1 slice light WW toast, skim milk with protien powder (1/4 scoop)

Snack: Protein bar and banana

Lunch: Re-heated roast, salad

Dinner: 3/4 of a steak, small baked potato, veg-all, salad.

Snack: Lt. strawberry yogurt with 2 strawberries mixed in.

Day 51

I am so sleepy....I can hardly type this...so I'm gonna make it short and sweet.
Did Cardio X this morning thinking it would be my "extra" workout for today...turns out...it was my ONLY work out for today...but hey at least I did it and got a W/O in at all! Tonight I was asked to babysit a couple from our Sunday School class' 3 kids so they could go out for their anniversary. I said yes...and it went well...but it took up our whole evening. The kids are ages 3, 1 1/2 and 4 mo. Plus, of course, I had my 2 as well.
Anyway, here's what I ate today:
Breakfast: 1 c. Life cereal w/ 1 banana and skim milk.
Lunch: left over roast beef, raw carrots with lt. ranch, fresh fruit salad with walnuts.
Snack: fresh pineapple, protein bar
Dinner: 2 slices Lucky7 pizza from mazzios with salad and lt. ranch dressing.
Snack/Dessert: Strawberry yogurt cup, 1/2 an apple, 1/2 a protein shake.

Okay seriously...it's all I can do to keep my eyes open so I am gonina call it a night. I am bidding on a Polar F6 pink heart rate monitor watch on e-bay. Keep your fingers crossed that I win it! What style# is yours Candy?
Okay...nighty night!!

Matt's beating me...

Okay I realize that guys lose weight easier/faster than girls....everyone tells me that...but this is just getting ridiculous!! Matt has lost yet aNOTHER pound! He's down to 182 now (from his starting weight of 200)!!!
I am working out twice as much as he is and I am the one doing all the work preparing the meals...why is he getting all the benefits??
WHAH! No FAIR!
Really, I am SO proud of him and I LOVE the way he is looking...but I just think it is MY TURN now to drop a few pounds. I am still stuck at 138-139. (I know you're gonna get sick of hearing abut my b-day--but just suck it up--cuz I've been this way all my life! ha ha) I only have 16 days to lose 8 pounds and get to my "goal" of being 130 by my 30th b-day. I'm not sure that is even possible-but I think I am going to take the advice of my great beachbody coach (thank you Randy) and start doing the Cardio X video in the mornings in ADDITION to all my other work outs. Maybe this will provide the extra "umph" that I need to get my metabolism going. I'm really uncertain about my eating though. Some people are telling me to up my calories (from good foods) and yet I feel like if anything..I am eating TOO much. I'm tempted to cut out carbs almost completely again...but then I'll never have the energy to do all these extra work outs.
Oh why is this SO dang complicated? It's like a math equation that never totally adds up.

Anyway, just wanted to say HOORAY for HUBBY who is looking like a HOTTIE more and more every day!!

Day 50

Wow...day 50. That feels like an accomplishment all in itself! I'm trying to keep positive, but as day 90 grows nearer...I am starting to feel more worried that I am not going to have anywhere NEAR the kind of results I was expecting. Maybe I was being unrealistic to think that I would have such big, noticable changes...??

All I know is that it's time to get even more serious. 4o more days isn't much...that's just a little more than a month and I still have a lot of fat to get rid of. Time to "bring it" to the next level!

Today was good. We JUST now finished doing Kenpo X. Really didn't want to do it tonight since we rented a movie and watched it tonight and were sleepy...but there was NO WAY i was missing another day.

Here's the menu for today: (before I fall asleep typing)

Breakfast: Kashi otmeal with 1/2 apple and walnuts

Lunch: Bowl of Tortilla soup at Cheddars and a few bites of the kids fries and chicken.

Snack: Bowl of cut up fresh fruit

Dinner: 1/2 WW bun, tomato slice, roast beef, 10 light lays, fresh pineapple.
Snack: Strawberry yogurt cup, 1/2 protein bar, 30 pistachios.

Day 48 & 49

Wow, I have a lot to write...but I am reeeally gonna try to keep it as condensed as possible.

Friday-Day 48

The whole day was a little different from "normal" because we had a sleepover Thur. night and so we had 2 extra little bodies in the house--AND hubby took off work, so it was a full house.

We started the day out with a healthy breakfast of eggs, turkey bacon, 1 slice light ww toast, and a protein shake for the adults--choc. milk for the little ones.

After cleaning up the house some I did my DVD (Legs & Back) and then we made a picnic lunch and invited Rachael & Audrey over (the little girls' mommy and newborn sister) to eat & swim. For lunch I had a ham sandwich, raw veggies, watermelon and a low-fat brownie with fresh strawberries for dessert.

After some swimming (and baking in the sun) I was hungry again and had a strawberry yogurt cup (110 cal)

Then it was off to the shower to get ready for my big girls night out! A friend of mine had organized a suprise party for another one of our friends at PF Changs and I was so excited to be getting dressed up and going out with the girls! I looked up the menu before I left and was completely lost as to what to order, so I emplored the help of my fellow blogger bud and P90x-er, Candy. She helped me choose several options which I jotted down on a little paper and stuck in my purse. I also decided (by her suggestion) to eat a banana before I left so I wouldn't be too hungry. In the end, I ended up ordering the Vegetarian Chow Fun (rice noodles with veggies mixed in. 470 cal.) and my friend Lisa (who had also looked online ahead of time to figure out what to order) got the ginger broccoli & chicken (600 cal) and we decided to split them both.

Here's a pic of me and Lis.We didn't eat ANY rice and we both drank water....so we figured we both ate somewhere around 500 calories (we didn't eat it all). But then of course, there was the birthday cake. Too good to pass up...so we both opted for the skinniest peice possible and went for it. I decided it was worth whatever I was going to have to do to get it back off later. Even if it meant I had to get on the elliptical machine for half an hour--it was THAT good! ha ha You have to blow this pic up and see how GORGEOUS this cake is!! Btw, Michelle is the blonde (the party-planne) and Joyce is the girl in black--the birthday girl)

I had a really fun night and didn't get home till nearly midnight!! It's amazing how many hours 8 girls can sit at a resturant and just talk!!

I had intended on doing Ab Ripper X when I got home...but by that point, I was drowsy from being SOOO tired...so into bed I fell....

Saturday-Day 49

Up at 8:30

Breakfast: Egg white scramble, turkey bacon, 1 slice WW toast with 100% fruit preserves, small chocolate protein shake.

Clean house till 12:30 then make Lunch: Veggie burger on 1/2 bun (open faced), lettuce, tomato; 1o light Lays (40 cal), bowl of fresh fruit

Change into swim suit and go outside and play/swim with kids until 4. Throw on swimsuit cover up and go down to nursery to buy a tree (heard they were having a sale). Come back home, go by mom and dad's and wish them HAPPY ANNIVERSARY #33), then plant some flowers and the tree and take a quick swim again.

7 pm--come in and scarf down 30 pistachios while I talk to my brother about designing me a tattoo!!! (just a thought...but I have been saying I want to do something wild and crazy before my 30th b-day and it's just around the corner now!! I'm thinking of a small butterfly on my front hipbone--no bigger than 3 in wide--with Brooklyn & Grant's name 'hidden' in the wings. My bro. is quite an artist so he is doing me up a little sketch and then will e-mail it to me. We'll see...what do ya'll think?? I never in a million years thought I would EVER get a tattoo...but this would be something very meaningful...and it would be completely inconspicous unless I was intentially showing it off.)

7:30 pm--make Dinner: Grilled turkey breast salad (romaine lettuce, cucumber, bell pepper, banana pepper, tomato, carrot, FF mozerrella and a couple of croutons with lt. ranch dressing) with a strawberry protein shake (see sneaky summer smoothie recipe)

8:30 pm--Played a game with the kids (Disney Pictionary DVD game) and each had about 10 kernals of popcorn from the kids bowl.

9:30 pm--Couldn't find the "umph" to do Kenpo X--so decided to do ABX instead and made a promise to do Kenpo X tomorrow instead of having a rest day. I also did 20 fast boy push ups and 20 tricep dips just to add a little extra upper body in.

11:07--right now---think I'll say goodnight for now...Be back tomorrow!

Day 47

This was a productive day. First I got up and got my work all done for the dr. office, then it was off to the gym for my core/cardio/plyo class. After that I stopped at wally-world for a few items and then home to eat lunch, do school with the kids and then mow. I had the worst mowing day EVER. First of all I filled up our push mower with gas and push mowed one side (the big part) with the mower. Then it was time to empty the grasscatch. But when I tried to start it up again after that, it would NOT start. I tried everything I could think of--even had the kids out there with me holding this and pushing that and still, nothing. Okay, fine. I went and got the riding mower...figured I'd do the rest with that. I got one whole side mowed (probably half an acre) when it started sputtering. I figured it was out of gas so I just turned it off and went and got the gas can and filled it all the way up..which took ALL of a 5 gallon gas can. Hopped back on and turned the key---and---nothing. The engine wouldn't even turn over...no click...just nothing. UGH! I again tried everything I could think of and even went in and called Matt...but it was no use. So, lastly, I walked down to my mom's house and borrowed her push mower. By this point all I really cared about was getting our back yard mowed as it's hard for the kids to play out there when the grass is up as high as their ankles (which hides all the lovely piles of dog dooky). So I get it going and get a couple of strips mowed and the thing dies. Of course---I need MORE gas. Thankfully we had 2 full gas cans! So, I filled it up and finally got to finish the back yard. Since I used 3 different mowers, the grass is all different heights--and there is still a BIG portion of our front field/yard that isn't mowed. WHAT EVER is what I say. I did my best!
After the mowing, I jumped in the pool with the kids and actually got to lay out on my raft and float around peacefully for probably a good half hour before I had to go in and shower. Then tonight we had some of our good friends over for dinner and their 2 little girls (ages 4 and 5) are staying the night with us. It was a bit of a challenge coming up with something that we would all like (for dinner) and that would still be on our diet. We ended up grilling turkey burgers. I bought whole wheat buns and all the fixins. I got some light Lays, made some light deviled eggs, did a veggie tray and made a fruit salad with fresh fruit (strawberry, kiwi, mandarin oranges, banana, apple, grapes, plums, walnuts). I also made a pan of low-fat fudge brownies (Betty Crocker). YUM!!! They were 140 calories per brownie (18 srvgs. per pkg). I figured that we'd have to cut them in tiny little squares to get 18...but actually, Matt cut them into 20 servings and they were normal-sized squares. And they were SOOOO good! I put one on a plate and then covered it with the friut salad. Oh. My. Gosh. The only thing bad about it is I would have liked to eat triple that much!! ha ha
Anyway, with all that going on, we opted out of the Yoga video for tonight. I did get a full 45 minute hard-core work out in this morning plus all the mowing I did....so I think I'm covered for today. (even though ideally I would do my p90x workout in addition to all that)
Here is what I ended up eating today:
Breakfast:
Kashi Go Lean Oatmeal with 1/4 c. walnuts and 1/4 of an apple mixed in. (thanks Candy!)
Skim milk with 1/2 scoop of protein powder.

Snack: Apple chips (1 serving)

Lunch: 1 slice light WW bread, 3 thin slices of ham, light mayo, tomato. (open-faced sandwich), 1 srvg. light Lays, 1 yogurt-cup with strawberries mixed in.

Dinner: 1/2 turkey burger with 1/2 a bun. 1/2 of a chicken sausage, raw veggies with lt. ranch, Light lays (about 1/2 a srvg), 1 light deviled egg, 1 1/2 brownie with 3/4 c. fresh fruit.

I may have not done real good on my eating today, I'm not sure...but it was worth it. Everything I ate today was SO good. Plus, I'm sure you don't really want to know this...but I'm pretty sure it's "that" time and I've been craving something extra-yummy. Today did it.

Day 46

Not a team. I guess me and my hubby have decided to finish out our P90X journey alone...without each other. He's found that getting up at 4:45 am and doing the work out works best for him....and I would much rather do it around 1:00 in the afternoon when I'm awake and my energy is up. It's kind of a bummer because I feel like we aren't encouraging each other nearly as much anymore...but hey, if this is what we have to do to get it done, then I guess this is the best way. We will still do the workouts together on Saturday's probably.
Anyhow, today was very tough for me. (I feel like I say that all the time) but really, I was so drained today, i actually got in bed at 3 pm and slept till 5:30 and would have loved to just stay in bed...but our stomachs were growling and I knew it was up to me to get some dinner on the table. (would So love to have a live-in chef!)
Anyway, after dinner and clean up, I put on my work out clothes and against everything in me, I did Back & Biceps and ARX. It was a second to second struggle to keep my energy up and fight for willpower to keep going. I found myself thinking:
"Who gives a rip about this dumb program."
"I am an almost-30-yr-old married woman. Why do I have to look SO good?"
"What's SO horrible about the way I look right now? Isn't this good enough?"
and so on and so on....
It was you guys that kept me going. I kept thinking...what will Kandy and Candy and Kate say? ha ha ha...but really, I couldn't let you girls down, so I pressed on. Now that its over, I'm glad I did.
Here's the menu for today:
Breakfast: 1 cup Kashi Go Lean cereal, 1 banana, skim milk.
Snack: 15 pistachios, 25 calorie "diet" hot chocolate
Lunch: Grilled chicken snack wrap and 10 tater tots from Sonic. (this was not intentional. I had to run to Wal-Mart after the kids gymnastics class this morning and I ended up being there too long. AFterwards I took the kids to Sonic for some lunch and I realized I was STARVING (used loosely). After I had eaten about 10 of Grant's tater tots and realized I was doing something very, very horrible, I decided to just order myself the healthiest thing I could find on the menu. I threw away at least half of the tortilla so I don't think it was too bad --though I'm sure the tater tots were VERY bad.
Snack: Bowl of mixed veggies (left overs)
Dinner: 3 small slices of Kashi Mediterrainien Pizza, turkey breast nachos (homemade corn tortilla chips, turkey breast, FF cheese, avacado, banana peppers, bell pepper, red onion, lettuce, salsa, sourcream). I also drank a small CokeZero with dinner to try to give me some energy before I did my work out.

Right now it is 10:49 and I am REALLY craving something sweet....but I'm not gonna do it. I am just gonna put down my laptop and go to sleep. If I hurry, I can be snoozing by 11. ha ha
Goodnight!!

Day 45 --HALF WAY THERE!!!

Wow! I can't believe it--I'm halfway thru my 90 day adventure! This would probably be a good time to take new (middle-of-the-way) pictures and check measurements and weight, huh? Well, it'll have to wait till tomorrow because I'm doing something new...I'm going to be EARLY tonight! It is 10:08 and I'm already laying in bed--that's at least an hour earlier than usual. I know I need the extra rest because I have been having a horrible time staying awake in the mornings when I am trying to work. I fell asleep at my desk about 10 times in one hour this morning!
Anyhow, it's been a busy day with hardly a moments rest. I got up early this morning to work, then it was off to the gym. I did my normal 45 minute core/weights class and then since there was a teacher there that I liked, I stayed for an hour long Zumba class too. When I left the gym, my t-shirt was soaked. From the top of my collar to the hem at the bottom...the only dry spots were on my lower sides!! Whew! After that I went grocery shopping, then home to put stuff away, take a shower, go to post office, library and to get Brooklyn's hair cut. Then home to cook dinner, wash dishes, and then finally around 8:00 I sat down and watched Matt's new "C'Mere Deer" dvd that he got for Father's Day. I think we are going to look into getting me a bow so I can go deer/turkey hunting with him this next year! It's not my top choice of activity...but it's something he really enjoys...and so that makes me want to be a part of it. Plus, who can resist a girl who deer hunts? ha ha
Since I got almost 2 hours of working out in this morning, I opted to skip Plyometrics tonight. I really wanted to do it...but I know I would have struggled through it. I had a hard time even walking up the stairs in our house tonight. I really gave it my all today at the gym and I am just pooped---energy wise.
Eating today was......well, I promise--I tried. I at least fulfilled my goal of not getting too full today. However, I could NOT seem to get satisfied today. I think I ate at least once an hour ALL day long!
Breakfast: Kashi Oatmeal, 1 turkey bacon, water
11:00 am= protein bar
12:00 pm = 5 pistachios, natural apple chips
1:00 pm = 1/2 filet of tilapia, rice & veggies, a small yogurt cup
2:00 pm = apples & raisens 1/2 cup
4:00 pm = 12 pistachios
Dinner: Grilled turkey breast, rice & veggies, salad, zucchini fries
Snack/Dessert: Chocolate protein shake (medium)

Day 44

Ahhh....feels good to be back on track! Eating right--doing the work outs--seeing results.
It's 10:50 pm and I JUST finished with Shoulders, Chest & Tricpes with ARX--a little later WO than I would have liked....but oh well, better late than never for SURE!
Today was my house cleaning today. It went surprisingly well. I got EVERYthing cleaned on my list and made a nice dinner too.
Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean oatmeal, small protein shake with whole banana in it
Lunch: Left overs from yesterday (Baked tilapia, veggies and long-grain wild rice) bowl of green beans.
Dinner: Stir-fry veggies, whole grain brown rice, baked tilapia.
Snack/dessert: Small chocolate proteine shake, yogurt covered chocolate raisens with walnus (1/4 c)

Too much of a good thing is still Too Much!!

I've learned this the hard way the past 3 days. Don't know why it took 3 WHOLE days for me to figure it out...but I am definitely sure about it now. Even if you're eating something VERY healthy...say bare, naked lettuce...you can STILL eat too much of it and get OVER full.
Almost every meal for the past several days I have done this. It's weird...like why all of a sudden am I eating enough for 5 people? Tonight for dinner I made stir-fry veggies---very healthy. Only a little soy sauce on them so really no "limit" to how many I was allowing myself. But before I knew it, I had eaten SO MANY (like 3 big helpings) that I was MISERABLE. Miserable to the point of wishing I was in a wheel chair and someone would wheel me away from the table. This morning I made myself a bowl of Kashi oatmeal (which is really small) and a small (kids cup) of protein shake. Shouldn't be "too much" but I actually started feeling full about 2/3 of the way through. I knew I should have stopped then....but I didn't and by the time I had finished it, I felt nauseus. What's really weird I guess...is that it doesn't seem like I am eating THAT much more...I am just maybe getting fuller quicker? Hmmm....that's a thought! Maybe my stomach is shrinking!!! Wouldn't that be delightful!?! All I know is that if it is trying to shrink--I am probably stretching it back out by over-stuffing myself. I am going to make that my goal tomorrow...to not feel THAT full one single time. There is NO reason for it and being real full is actually way worse than being real hungry.

BTW, does anybody know if it's "ok" to eat cold cereal on this diet? (like Life or Kashi) It's not ever listed in the nutrition guide...but I've been craving it!!

Anybody for a 6 PACK???

Okay, I already posted a whole long story about our day at the lake on my other blog...but I just had to share this pic with ya'll since I'm pretty proud of the fact that it at least looks like I have the beginnings of 6-pack abs in this picture! (btw, this is also the fish I caught Saturday at the lake)

**Skip**

Well, I didn't plan it this way...but I am taking this weekend off as far as work-outs go. Yesterday was so busy, it was after 10 p.m. before I was able to do my work out--and by that point, I was so miserably tired...I just skipped it. Then today we got up, ate breakfast and left for the lake. We didn't get home until after 9 p.m. and then had to get everything unloaded and take showers and now here I am, finally done and it's 10:52 p.m. Tomorrow is Father's Day and since Matt's dad is here with us this weekend, we are taking him out for lunch tomorrow after church, so I don't know how "good" I'll be able to be with my eating. We did go out for Mexican tonight and I ordered chicken fajitas. I just ate the chicken and veggies with a fork and didn't use any of the tortillas and I drank water, so I think I did pretty good there. I packed our lunches today for while we were on the boat, so I know I ate healthy for lunch and for breakfast I made egg-white scrambles, turkey bacon and we each had 1 slice of light WW toast and a cup of skim milk with protein powder mixed in. I also did 20 boy push ups on the boat today--if that counts for anything!! ha ha
I may try to get a work out in tomorrow if its convenient...but if not, i promise, things will resume to normal on Monday! Hope your all having a good weekend and are spoiling your hubby!!

Day 43

Nothing real special to say about today. It's been a busy day and I've been on my feet pretty much since I woke up. I am actually about 40 minutes from being done with my hour and a half long yoga video...but I decided to call it quits and go to bed. I am soooo sleepy and I can't seem to hold any poses tonight...especially the balance poses on the 2nd half. "Tree" is like my favorite and easiest one...and I fell out of position like 3 times.
I did go to the gym this morning and do my core/cardio class as well as 40 reps on the ab machine. (Thing where you hold on with your arms, legs hanging straight down and you pull your legs up out straight in front of you or else bend at the knee and pull them up to your chest)

After that I did a little grocery shopping. Then I came home and push-mowed the front, side and back yards, then hopped into the pool for a quick swim, then inside to cook, then wash dishes, then get kids settled, then shower, then do yoga and now here I am. Whew! Somewhere in there I did 3 loads of laundry too.

On a side note: I am having a "fat" day, it seems. I just feel blubbery today for some reason. I'm feeling frustrated that I'm not losing lbs. anymore and I'm doing everything according to the book. Matt on the other hand, has eaten out almost EVERY meal for the past week and a half, hasn't done a single workout (except for yesterday) and he's still dropping weight like crazy. He was down to 183 today...which means he's lost 17 pounds and he's hardly even trying. Well, not like I am anyway. I'm not hoping for big numbers or anything, but at least SOME progress Actually, since I weighed 138 last week, I haven't weighed that again since. It's always 139. I know different times of the day will affect that...but I'm really hoping to see 137 next...NOT a number above 138, ya know?!?!
Anyway, I'm sure tomorrow will be better. I just need to get some good rest...which is where I am headed as soon as this post is over.
Here' s what we ate today:
Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean oatmeal; chocolate-peanut butter protein smoothie.

Lunch: Bowl of chicken & rice soup (from last nights dinner), fresh pineapple

Dinner: Jerk Chicken Nachos (Homemade corn tortilla crips, chicken, avacado, lettuce, tomato, cilantro, black beans, light sour cream, salsa, bell pepper, red onion, banana peppers, FF cheese)

Dessert: I tried making the Apple Raisen Coffee Cake recipe from the Thin Kitchens cookbook. It only has 163 cal. per peice and I thought that might be a special sweet treat. Well, it's edible...but that's about it. CERTAINLY not what I'd call a "cake". More like a really bland, un-sweet, dry bread. Anyway, I'm sure I'll eat it till its gone because I used 6 apples and a whole cup of raisens to make it and I don't want it going to waste.
Okay, I really gotta get off here. I've fallen asleep with my fingers on the keyboard about 3 times since I've been typing this post. Time for sleep! Zzzzzzzz...............

My "Winning" Recipe

If you read my other blog (http://keepinupwiththejoneses.blogspot.com/) then you know that I won a contest for the Sneaky Chef. Here is the recipe I submitted:

Sneaky Summer Smoothie

1 c. strawberries (I use frozen)
1 banana
1 c. milk
1/2 c. frozen cauliflower
honey to taste
crushed ice

Mix all together in a blender and serve. Makes 2 servings.
***Can add blueberries for some extra nutrition.
***I add vanilla protien powder to my smoothies.
***This recipe actually came from my blog buddy, Amos. She's such a smarty!! This is about the ONLY way I could EVER get my kids to eat cauliflower! Of course, they have NO IDEA its in there so Shhh!!! don't tell!!

Day 42

Whew! Just finished Back & Biceps along with ARX. Good thing my hubby was here doing it with me or else I might have "cheated" for some of it. I just wasn't feeling very motivated tonight...but having him here with me---I couldn't look like a sissy, now could I? ha ha
Eating went decent today too:
Breakfast: Peanut butter protein oatmeal, skim milk

Lunch: Subway turkey sub with all available veggies; dressing on the side, 1/3 grab-bag pkg of light lays (25 cal)

Snack: Protein bar, 1/2 banana, water, 5 pringles.

Dinner: Chicken & Rice soup, parmesan green beans, salad, fresh pineapple.
Had a jolly rancher after dinner. Do I really have to count that?

Day 41

I almost want to call this a "skip" day since I technically didn't do my P90X work-out today. I realize I am way too hung-up on doing this thing perfectly, because I feel like a failure for missing...but I also realize (like I told Candy the other day) that there's more to life...
Being healthy and fit is important...but it's not everything. Tonight is the first night in about 10 days that my hubby has come home from work on time, we got to eat dinner together and then we rented a movie, "The Bucket List." I REALLY hated to miss my work out (Plyometrics) so I decided I would do it during the movie (without the dvd) by just following the work out guide in the book. HA! Do you have any idea how hard it is to watch a movie while doing jump squats? ha ha. I got through the first round and then gave up on it. I was missing the movie and the spot on the couch beside my hubby was calling out to me. I'm proud (in a weird kind of way) that I didn't do the work out and that I took the opportunity to invest my time in cuddling with Matt instead.
I did get to the gym today for my "normal" work out his morning twhich was a 45 minute class of core & weights--so at least that's good.
Eating was good too, for the most part.

Breakfast: Egg white scramble with FF mozerella cheese, small protein smoothie

Lunch: 2 slices light WW bread w/ ham, protein bar, water.

Snack: 100% fruit popsicle, 5 light pringles

Dinner: Grilled bar-b-q chicken breast, small baked potato with 1 tbsp. light sour cream, veggies, salad

Dessert/snack (while watching our movie): Diet (25 cal) hot chocolate, 1 tbsp. walnuts, 1 tbsp. yogurt covered raisens.

Day 40

So, today was clean-the-house day. It went pretty well although I didn't end up getting out of my jammies until a few minutes ago!!! The kids helped me clean and suprisingly, they actually did a pretty good job. Grant's work was hit-n-miss but Brooklyn was really a big help! Hooray! Now she thinks she should get an allowance! Hmmm...I'll have to talk to her daddy about that!

I did my workout today before dinner. It was chest, shoulder and triceps along with ARX. I pushed myself a lot harder today. Man, all those push ups are killer. My arms were shaking after the first set. (I hate those slow count ones).
On ARX, do any of you do the "mason twist" --all 50--with your legs up? I do the first 30 with them on the floor and the last 20 with them up...but I'm thinking I need to start upping that by 5 every time until I'm doing all 50 with them up.

Food for today:

Breakfast: 1 1/2 c. Life cereal with skim milk.
(This was probably "bad" but it sounded SO good and I was STARVING!

Lunch: 1/2 ham sandwich (on 1 slice light ww bread) , sugar snap peas, Fiber One vanilla yogurt with strawberries, blueberrys and almonds.

Drank 1 scoop of Recovery Drink after my work out/with my dinner.

Dinner: 2 slices of turkey breast with gravy, VERY small baked potato with 1 tsp. lt. sour cream, salt & pepper and large serving of green beans.

Snack/dessert: Went over to my mom's and my grandma had made banana nut bread. It had just come out of the oven and I couldn't resist a tiny sliver of a slice. YUM!

*Does it seem like I am cheating more these days? I kinda feel like I am. Maybe I need to go back to eating strictly by the nutrition guide...!?!?!?

recipe/quick dinner

Okay for a really quick dinner that I guarantee your whole family will like:
Wal-Mart and Target both sell these. They are cheap too...like $3.97 I think--maybe $4.97.

Nutrional info:
Serving size: 4 oz & 2 tbsp. gravy
Servings per container: about 6

Amount per serving:
Calories 160
Total fat: 9 g
Cholesterol: 65 mg
Sodium: 780 mg (!!!)
Total Carbohydrate: 3g
Sugars: 2 g
Protien: 19 g

I realize that this isn't probably the healthiest option out there...but it's not bad and it tastes SO good and all you do is open the box and put it in the oven. It does take 2 1/2 hours to cook....so you have to plan for it...but my kids ate every bite and asked for more and I really enjoyed it as well!

and here is the recipe I said I would share with you from the Nutrition Guide:

Italian Turkey Meatloaf

1/2 c. onion, diced
2 tbsp. fat-free chicken broth, low sodium
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 pound ground turkey breast
1/2 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. low-sodium, low-fat marinara sauce
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
(I used jarred garlic and dried herbs)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute the onions in the chicken broth until lightly browned.
3. Add the garlic and cook 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine onion mixtre with the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, 1/2 c. marinara sauce, basil and parsley.
5. Form mixture into a loaf. Shape and place in an ungreased loaf pan.
6. Brush with remaning 2 tbsp. marinara sauce and bake until cooked through 45 min - 1 hr.
7. Drain off fat and let cool before cuting into 8 slices.

Serving: 2 slices
297 cal.
3 g. total fat
45 g. protein
20 g. carb
106 mg cholesterol
410 mg sodium

Gettin' Tipsy

Ok ya'll...I've been reading some magazines here lately when I have a spare minute (whatever that is--ha ha ) I've come across a few tips (and quotes) I thought were helpful and thought I'd share them with you:

1. "If you're committed to your goal, you'll find a way to fit in an hour's worth of exercise, no matter how busy you are."

2. Many people watch TV from 7 p.m. to around 11 p.m. each night. That's lots time for activity."

3. Eating a plant-based diet provides you with a health insurance policy against a range of diseases.

4. Always fill 2/3 of your plate with veggies and whole grains and devote just 1/3 to meat.

5. Learn to relegate meat to a side-dish status.

6. Don't eat on "auto pilot" just because it's lunchtime or there is a bowl of candy on your desk. Eat Mindfully!

7. Don't be fooled into thinking that "100 calorie" snacks are a smart choice. Most of them have nothing in them that will help fuel your body. Eat a small apple. It only has 35 calories. Or snack on some fresh veggies. Use the "100 calorie" snack packs for occasional indulgences only.

8. Take a "break" from eating by setting your fork down in between bites. The slower you eat, the easier it will be for you to realize when your full.

9. Be prepared at all times. Never leave home without a healthy snack with you. Even if you don't think you'll need it-take it because it's way better to eat your healthy snack should hunger strike than to have to stop for anything fast-food.

10. Recognize opportunity. When you mess up and over eat, or eat something unhealthy...recognize it as an opportunity to learn and move on. Too many people have the idea that once they've flubbed--it's all over. It's not. That moment is behind you...look forward to how you can do better next time. Don't QUIT. And you don't have to wait until tomorrow or next week to start. Start now. This very moment. Now drop down and give me 20!!

And for my ALL TIME FAVORITE:

"A heavy, fit person is better off than a skinny, lazy person!!!"

Why? you might ask
Because a heavy, fit person is MOVING--getting in shape, getting their heart pumping.
A skinny person who is inactive may look alright...but inside, they're not.

Day 39

A day of rest! (hardly--but as far as P90X goes anyway)
I was the teacher of the 3 yr old class at church today. We had 21 of them. Whew! As if that wasn't exhausting enough, I got to come home and be with my 2 children who were being excessively irritating and disobedient today. We decided we needed to get out of the house so we took them to a movie and out for dinner. (NOT to reward their bad behavior---but to help keep us from going crazy in this house with them) Then it was home for baths, stories and now, finally to bed! Hooray! I am so excited to be going to bed! ha ha
I am actually looking forward to tomorrow. If I can keep up, I plan to follow my "schedule" (posted on my http://keepinupwiththejoneses.blogspot.com ) to the T this week. I really think that is what is going to help me keep my sanity this summer.
Anyway, no work out for today and eating was sketchy...but not bad.
Breakfast: Protien bar & Banana on the way to church. (Speaking of Church, did you make it there Kate & Candy?)

Lunch: Subway ham sub on wheat with all veggies. (dressing on the side), sugar snap peas.

Snack (at movies): Protien bar

Dinner: I didn't order anything at the resturant..but I did pick out of Grant's bowl some. He got the Chicken & Vegetable Bowl. It had broccoli, zucchini, carrots, peas, cabbabe, rice and chicken. Very healthy looking and tasting. I mostly just ate the veggies.

Snack: 1/2 Fast-track blueberry muffin

Day 38

Ahhh...Saturday! Gotta LOVE it! Slept in till 8:30 this morning which felt grrrrrrreat! (as Tony the Tiger would say) Had a funny little thing happen last night! If you remember I was heading to bed early-ish because my hubby was home. We decided to give each other a massage since he's been working so much and I've been working OUT so much. I grabbed a little trial size bottle of lotion I had gotten with some Dove bar soap and got started rubbing his back first. I thought I was having to use an awful lot of the lotion, it was so thick. Anyway, finally it was my turn to relax and get rubbed. Matt commented that the more he rubbed the lotion in, the more
'white' it turned. Hmmm....weird. Anyway, eventually we ran out of the stuff and couldn't get another drop out so I got up to throw the bottle away and as I glanced at it, I started CRACKING up. It wasn't lotion...it was body wash! ha ha ha Between the 2 of us, we had an entire small bottle of body wash rubbed into our skin!
Okay, anyway, back to today. We worked out side all day cleaning up the remains of Matt's shop building, putting the new pool ladder together and into the pool and weeding the garden. We all neglected to put sunscreen on and are like a little family of lobsters now. (STUPID, STUPID!!) I did KenpoX after dinner tonight and I used 3lb. weights during most of the workout. It really makes it a lot more challenging, but I feel like I am getting more out of it that way. For some reason, KenpoX is one of the easier workouts for me, so I needed the extra weight to make it worth my while.
Anyhow, eating today was CAREFUL. I was trying to undo the mess I made of yesterday so I ate cautiously.

Breakfast: Triple Berry Pancakes, water

Lunch: Shrimp Pasta Pomodoro (From the nutrition guide) (YUCK!) Also had a green salad with it.

Snack: Protien bar & banana

Dinner: Baked tilapia, snap peas, salad, Fiber One (80 cal) yogurt

Snack: Fresh pineapple

*I have to mention that as I was heating up yesterdays leftovers for the kids to eat for dinner (Mazzios) there was an extra peice of that oreo dessert pizza left. I picked it up and took 1 bite of it...and it was soooooooooooooo good....I knew I was about to make a big mistake so I literally THREW it at our dog so I wouldn't eat it! HA HA! I didn't really mean to throw it AT him...but I was in such a hurry to get it out of my hand that it was like reflex! ha ha.. (he didn't mind though--I think he might have enjoyed it as much as I would have!)
Now it's 11:30 pm and it's time for me to get to bed. I am teaching the 3 yr old class at church tomorrow and I need to study my lesson before I fall asleep!
Goodnight!

I had to know....

Here is the nutrition for a Mazzio's Medium Thin Crust Lucky 7 Pizza. I ate 2 peices. Not as bad as I thought.

Day 37

Good News/Bad News
The good news: It's 9:53 and I am headed to bed. Not necessarily to sleep...but to bed...and that is definitely an improvement.
The bad news: I commited diet-suicide tonight and ate PIZZA!
But first of all, for those of you who read this blog and don't read my other blog, go check out what happened RIGHT after I posted last night! http://keepinupwiththejoneses.blogspot.com
I'll wait while you go read it. It's the post titled "The Calm before the Storm."
Okay, I take it that you're back. Can you believe that? I didn't end up actually getting to get in bed and go to sleep until after 2 a.m. last night!! And then I had to get up at 6:40 to work. Thus part of the reason I am getting in bed so early tonight...that and the fact that my hubby is FINALLY home for a night! Hooray!
Anyway, I got my work out done early today since I knew Matt was coming home tonight. I didn't want anything to "steal" our time. It took me like 2 full hours to get done with the Legs & Back and ARX dvd's because I had like a zillion interuptions. I hit pause probably 10 times. Grrrr...anyway, it felt good to get it done and out of the way. Tonight I decided to treat the kids and take them (and one of their friends) to Mazzios for dinner. I knew it wouldn't be on my "diet" but I figured I could at least eat off the salad bar, if nothing else. Which is what I should have done. Instead I got there and saw that they have some "healthy" choices on their menu which are noted by a little red pepper next to the item. I decided to order the Lucky 7 pizza. I figured I'd eat 1 or 2 peices and then take the rest home for Matt. Well, in the end, I ended up eating 2 bowls of salad, 2 slices of that pizza AND (!!!!!) a peice of oreo dessert pizza. That stuff is like the best thing I've ever tasted in my entire life. I knew it before I even ordered it too....that I wasn't going to be able to resist. I kept telling myself I was ordering it for the kids...but I knew in the back of my mind I was justifying having a slice. Anyway, as soon as I left the resturant, I felt like a big ole fat failure. I was really getting myself all worked up and upset about it so I decided to text my buddy KC. Thankfully, she set me straight. It was 1 meal, 1 mistake. I just put it behind me and do better from now on. I will probably double up on work outs tomorrow to help make up for it too. (thanks KC for always being there for me!)
Here's what I ate the rest of the day:
Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean cereal with skim milk and small banana.

Lunch: (one last time) left over Turkey Italian meatloaf with salad (YUM! I need to post that recipe!) After lunch I had some fresh pineapple.

Supper: As you saw above. whahhhhhh!

Okay ya'll. I'm off to bed. Yippee! I can't WAIT! I have a really sore muscle in my left butt cheek and in the left side of my neck...don't know what's up with that but I'm ready to go RELAX for a change! Lookin' forward to the weekend!

Day 36

Errr....is it really already 11:50? dang---no matter how hard I try, I can't get in bed on time. I knew tonight was gonna be a late night because I didn't even start YogaX until close to 10...but geepers....it's almost midnight. oh well...I'm doing my best. Hopefully next week will be better.
Anyway, better make this quick so I can get in bed asap.
I had a great day today in terms of workouts--and eating too I guess. I got up this morning and went to the gym for my "normal" work out--45 minutes of cardio/plyo/core. Major booty-kickin there. Then after running some errands in town, it was home to mow. I push mowed (against 70 mph winds) the whole front, back and side yards. Then I hopped on the riding mower and did the rest of our land (about 2 acres). After that I rinsed off with the water hose and me and the kiddos hopped in the pool for some swimming and playing. Then it was off to the shower, eat dinner, wash dishes, do laundry, do some school work with kids, put kids to bed, do YogaX and now---here I am.
Here's what I ate:
Breakfast:
Triple Berry Pancakes again...except this time I knew I couldn't eat very much since I was on my way out the door to the gym..so I only ate half of mine. We also had 6 oz. skim milk with protien powder mixed in.

Snack: Protien bar & banana, water.

Lunch: Other half of my pancake from earlier.

Dinner: Left overs from last night (meatloaf, green beans, salad). Then I had a FiberOne yogurt cup (80 cal) with a sprinkle of Kashi Go Lean granola on top.

Snack: Fresh pineapple, about 5 peices.

QUESTION: Does anyone know if black olives are bad to eat? I LOVE them (and so do my kids) and we've been eating some here and there recently. I just wondered if there was any reason I should be cautious about eating too many. I can easily eat 10 of them at a time....

Weigh Day

Making progress!!
This morning:
Me = 138 (9 pounds total lost)
Matt = 184 (16 pounds total lost)
YA-HOO!!!!

Day 35

OH great! It's 11:13, I just finished Back & Biceps and ARX. I still need a shower and I was REALLY wanting to watch the Super Nanny before I went to bed. Plus, my hubby just called and said he is on his way home...(hooray!) but who KNOWS when I'll actually get to sleep tonight. On top of all that...Brooklyn is still awake too....so I've gotta find a way to get her in bed.
Anyway, it was a nice, relaxing day today. (finally)
For eats:
Breakfast: Peanut Butter Protein oatmeal, skim milk, 1/2 banana

Lunch: Same as yesterday

Snack: Grape 100% fruit popscicle

Dinner: Italian Meatloaf & Sunset Sweet potato biscuits, salad & greenbeans.
(FYI: don't make the sweet potato biscuits from the Thin Kitchen's cookbook---they are disgusting!)

Okay...gotta run....night!

Day 34

Hey there! It's 11:02...I should be in bed by now! (shame, shame)
I promise though, I will type this post and then go lay down. I HAVE to. It was after 1 a.m. before I got in bed last night...and then I had to get up early (6:30 a.m.) this morning to work. I've been paying for it all day. Nevertheless, I had a very productive and good day. I didn't end up making it to the gym this morning for my "normal" work out...but I knew staying home was the right thing to do since I already had a lot going on, would get in a hour of plyo later in the day AND I had a hair appt. today, which takes up about 4 hours of my day!!
I also had a great day in terms of eating. I made a new recipe out of the Nutrition guide and it was SO SO good!

Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean oatmeal; very small chocolate protien smoothie for me (big one for Matt)

Lunch: Grilled Chicken Burrito from Nutrition Guide
(1 whole wheat tortilla, diced up grilled chicken, sprinkle of FF cheese, 1 tbsp. light sour cream, 1 spoon of mild salsa, lettuce, diced tomato, cilantro, red onion, avacado)
I savored every bite of this and could not WAIT until dinner to eat it again!! ha ha

Snack: Protien bar and bottle of water

Dinner: Repeat of lunch, 1o tortilla chips, fresh fruit, 1/2 of a homemade cheese breadstick (kids dinner)

Snack right before bed: 3/4 c. hot water mixed wtih 1 packet of Sweet Sensations Diet hot chocolate mix (25 calories). YUM! This will be my 3rd night in a row to have this. Does anybody know any reason this is bad? I figure for 25 calories and the amount of satisfaction it gives me...it's worth it.....!!???

I just finished my hour of Plyometrics about half an hour ago (and then I showered) and now here I am. Well, I think that wraps it up for today.....I'm off to la-la land. Goodnight!

Day 33

Going solo. That's what I'm doing this week. Matt is working the "night shift" all week...which means he works from 5 pm until 7 am, comes home, eats, showers and sleeps till about 3:30 pm. Then it's up to get dressed, eat and head back to work again. It's impossible for him to do the P90X routine when he's working like this and also very hard for him on the eating part too. He's smart though. Last night when they went out to a little diner, he ordered, grilled salmon, fresh veggies and coleslaw. He said he did "slip up" and have a cup of coffee with sugar in it...but I say if that's the worst he's done...he's doing GREAT!

Anyway, since he got home just in time for breakfast this morning, (after working for 14 hours straight) I thought I'd cook something a little special and out of the ordinary so I made our favorite--Triple Berry Pancakes. This is what he saw when he got out of the shower:

For lunch: I had my left over salad from yesterday. Gross! The dressing had leaked out of the packet and the lettuce was all soggy and nasty. But me, being the pennypincher that I am, ate the thing anyhow.

This afternoon I took the kids to paint some pottery and I stuck a protein bar in my purse for snack...but I stayed so busy, I never did get a chance to eat it...so no snacks today.

Dinner: I grilled chicken and made the Grilled Chicken Pita recipe from the Nutrition guide. I was NOT impressed. The chicken and veggies were delish...but I could have totally done without the whole wheat pita. I guess I'm just not a pita-bread kind of girl. Too thick and dry and tasteless. I also drank a protien smoothie with my dinner.

Right now, it is 9:54. I just finished Shoulders, Arms & Triceps and Ab Ripper X and I am fixin' to go get in the shower and then hop into bed (so I can watch the Bachelorette before I drift off to sleep).

While I was doing ARX tonight, my puppy (7 mo. old) was racing around the house playing and she stepped on my face! I knew my eye was hurting, but when I got up and Brooklyn said, "MOM!!! You're bleeding!" I knew she really HAD hurt me. It turns out it's not that big of a deal..just about a half-inch cut underneath my eye. Still though, that'll certainly make ARX even more unpleasant.

okay, this picture REALLY makes me sound like a baby! You can hardly even see it now. But I promise, when it first happened, I had a drip of blood running all the way down my face!

recipes

Chicken Salad
6 oz. skinless chicken, cooked and diced
2 tbsp. low-fat mayo
3/4 tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tbsp. green onions, diced
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. fresh dill
1/4 c. celery, diced

Gently combine chicken with remaining ingredients and chill until ready to serve.
We ate this over Kashi whole grain crackers (as few as possible).

Makes 4 servings
Nutrition (per serving)
217 cal.
6 g Total fat
32 g. Protein
7 g. Carb.
79 mg. cholesterol
257 mg sodium

This was really good and a great fix-ahead meal to send with Matt for lunch.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

1 c. skim milk
1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder (or can use vanilla)
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 banana
1 tbsp. natural peanut butter
honey to taste
4 or 5 ice cubes
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.

Makes 2 servings
Nutrition per serving:
Cal: 205
Fat total:5 g
Saturated fat: 2 g
Carbs: 26 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 17 g

This is our absolute FAVORITE treat of this "diet" so far. It is SO good. Nothing diet-y tasting about this!

Italian Meatloaf
1/2 c. onions, diced
2 tbsp. fat-free chicken broth, low sodium
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
1/2 c. sourdough bread crumbs
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. low-sodium, low-fat marinara sauce
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Saute onions in the chicken broth until lightly browned.
Add the garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine onion mixture with ground turkey, breadcrumbs, 1/2 c. marinara sauce, basil and parsley.
For mixture into a loaf. Shape and place in an ungreased loaf pan.
Brush with the remaining 2 tbsp. marinara sauce and bake until cooked through, 30-45 min.
Drain off fat and let cool before cutting into 8 slices.

Serving size: 2 slices
Nutrition per serving
297 cal.
3 g. total fat
45 g. protein
20 g. carb
106 mg cholesterol
410 mg sodium

I haven't tried this recipe yet... but I bought all the ingredients for it last night at the store and will probably make it Wednesday.

Day 32

I can hardly believe it's already June!! That means I only have 39 more days left of being 29!! AUGH!!! I am SO NOT READY to be THIRTY yet! At least in 39 days (on my b-day) I will have been doing P90X for 71 days...and hopefully will be seeing some noticable results by then!
Anyhow, today was weird. (again) (I feel like I say that ALL the time)
We got up super early and packed everything up to go to the lake. I cut and packaged up all kinds of fruit (cherries, oranges, pineapple, grapes) and made us all up sandwhiches. I got our swimsuits out, towels, sunscreen and Matt went out and hooked onto the boat, took the cover off and got it all ready to go. Then we decided to check the weather before we left....and it was bad news. Thunderstorm warnings all day with chance of 70-80 mph winds and hail. UGH! So, back in we went. It wasn't long before Matt got called out to go to work and he's been there ever since (and won't be home until tomorrow and then only to sleep) BTW, if you don't know, he works for the power company and with all that high wind...lots of people lost power (trees falling on lines and such). So..I can't speak for him today, as he's been gone all day, but here is what I ate today:

Breakfast: egg white scramble w/ FF cheddar, 1 turkey bacon, 1/2 slice ww toast with 100% natural preserves, skim milk with protien powder

Snack (at noon): My sandwhich that I had made which was 2 slices light WW bread, turkey and FF mayo.

Lunch (at 4 pm): BIG salad and a protien bar

Dinner: (at 8:30 pm): Took kids to Sonic after church. I got a Santa Fe Grilled Chicken Salad with light ranch. I ate aout 1/2 of it and then put the other half in the fridge for tomorrow.

Snack/Dessert: I am fixing ot make myself a cup of hot chocolate to sip on before bed. I found some at Wal-Mart today that is called Sweet Sensations and it is diet and only has 25 calories! I have been CRAVING hot chocolate or hot tea or SOMETHING hot I can drink at night before bed....so I hope this will make me happy. Course, if it tastes very diet-y...I won't like it.

I have to admit to a few naughty cheats today: I took 2 bites of Grant's chili-cheese coney tonight (from Sonic). I know...bad. What really stinks is it wasn't even good. It just LOOKED SOOOO good. You'd think after the first bite, I would have been convinced...but he wasn't eating it and was going to throw the whole thing away...and I thought it looked so amazingly good, so I tried a 2nd bite...and still...very disappointing. Also, for some reason, they put an onion ring on top of my salad tonight and so I ate that. It also was very blah.
I don't know if its because its "That Time" or what...but I've had the kind of day today where I just don't really give a rip. I'm frustrated that I'm not seeing bigger changes in my body. I'm craving all kinds of foods that I know are bad for me and that I can't have and I feel REALLY deprived. I did buy a 2-liter of Diet Mountain Dew yesterday. Before P90X, I could/would drink that whole thing in 1 day...but since starting P90X, I haven't had but one soda in ALL this time. I decided that for an occasional treat, a glass of diet soda, isn't gonna kill me. I am going to limit it to a glass every other day or so. Then when that 2 liter is gone.....it's gone. No more. Not for a while anyway.
So, that's where I am. Hoping tomorrow will be more positive. Matt's gonna be working night and day for the next several days...which means I will probably be working out alone (bummer). BTW, Candy, do you ever do WOWY?
Okay...now it's 11:05...time to get in bed! Goodnight!

Day 31

Okay, I am off to a BAD start regarding my going to bed earlier! I didn't even START my P90X work outs until 10:45 pm tonight...and it is exactly 12:00 and I just now finished! Now I need a shower...and then I can actually get into bed. At least tomorrow is Sunday and I don't have to get up super early! The reason I am up so late is Matt and I got to go out on a little date tonight! YAY!!! My mom came over and watched the kids for us so we could go to a movie. We went and saw "What happens in Vegas" and it was really cute! There were some not-great parts...but overall, we both REALLY enjoyed it. Plus, it's been since our anniversary in March since we've had any time to ourselves! I felt like a teenager in love sitting there in the movies. We were holding hands and giggling and I think I actually got butterflies in my stomach a time or two. I know...you're probably rolling your eyes...but hey, who doesn't LOVE that feeling?
Anyway, we had a good day food wise today too.

Breakfast: Kashi Go Lean oatmeal, 1/2 banana, 1 turkey bacon, skim milk with a scoop of protien powder.

Lunch: 1 Chicken Spinach & Asigao sausage link on 1/2 a bun with mustard. Fresh fruit.

Snack: Protien bar, fruit

Dinner: 1 Chicken Spinich & Asiago sausage link on 1/2 a bun & mustard (again). Fresh fruit.

Snack during movie: 1/2 Peak Performance Meal Replacement Bar

Snack after work out (just now) very small chocolate/peanut butter protien shake