Struggle

What a horrible couple of days I've had. Since my last post, I had some really great days as far as diet and exercise go. The weather was nice a few days and I was able to go for a good couple runs. I was off work so I was able to make it to the gym at my normal times. I went into work on Saturday night and I've just finished my 3 shifts. Work was difficult these past 3 days. My patient load was heavy. And it seemed that ever night I returned, I had a new block of patients. I got slammed with admissions and needless to say, by day 3, I was spent. Up till last night I was able to stay within my counts for my macronutrients and stay under my calorie restriction. But last night was a different story. I stayed healthy but went way over my carbohydrate and calorie count. When I got home from work this morning, I was so hungry. And my appetite was no where near an egg white breakfast. So I went for my ultimate comfort breakfast...2 eggos, with peanut butter and syrup. And then I went to bed.

I guess this is where I'm going to find my weakness. After a long night at work and after 3 shifts, how do I find the motivation to want to be good when everything is telling me I deserve to be bad. "You just worked 50% of the last 3 days, you were on your feet all night, busy all night, only slept for a few hours in between and you followed your diet 2 of the 3 days." How do I talk myself out of that...

Right now I'm chalking it up as a loss, and will be putting extra effort in a the gym!

WEDDING UPDATE!!

80 days to go! To help all my knottie's who read my blog, I'm going to have a few posts about my vendors. The good and the bad.

18 days until my bridal shower!

For my readers who have yet to RSVP with their Regrets, you have until the 8th! :)

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Feels Good..

To be back on track! And I managed staying good during my midnight shift last night.

Here's a recap from breakfast till now:

Lunch: chicken breast romaine lettuce and fat free italian dressing

snack: Protein shake

Dinner before work: 1 cup (3/4 c noodles) of Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Snack at work: 20 raw almonds, 1/3 c Cinnaburst Cheerios

Dinner at work: 1/2 Lo Carb Pita, 3 slices Honey Turkey Deli Meat

Snack at work: packet of tuna, romaine lettuce and EVOO/Balsamic Mix

Totals:

------KCal 1238 Fat(45) Protein (162) Carbs (77)

After work I came home and tried to sleep, only could get in 2 hours

So after I woke up I had my breakfast:

1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, 1/3 c oats, dry made with water

I then decided to get in a little Physical Activity so I went for a 3 mile run

Following my run I had a snack that consisted of:

1 tuna packet, 1/3 c Low Fat Cottage Cheese 1 tbs hummus and 1 mini pita pocket

So far my totals are:

-----KCal 541 Fat(14) Carbs (32) Protein (73)

I'm thinking I should try to get a few more hours of sleep in before I head into work for another 12 hr midnight shift...

Hopefully I won't get too tired and irritable tonight (Which has usually resulted in indulgence)..

Back By Popular Demand..

And I'm in need of a motivation boost!

It's been 2 months since I've blogged but during this time I co

ntinued to stay on track, well, most of the time.

Here's a rapid Update of last few months:

Got a Job, Started Training, Wedding Planning is in full swing, Started Midnights, Struggling with finding time to be normal working midnights, sleep deprivation, increased temptations for non-wedding dress friendly foods, decreased time for the gym, end of the challenge, 3 months till the wedding.

I guess I lost motivation for typing my blog because I didn't think people were actually reading it, well, to my surprise, that was not true. You are reading my blog! And I'm so flattered! Sorry I've kept you waiting so long, but I'm back & hopefully I'll be here for a while!

So to begin these next 90 days, I'm going to start with my before and after challenge pictures:

Before & After (January 1st till March 31st)

Overall, I lost 10 lbs, 8 inches and 2.5% body fat. I've successfully dropped 1 full pant size. I'm into a size 8 now; a size I have not seen since 9th grade so I'm fairly happy with my losses.

The goal now is to tone up and tighten up and to keep it off!

So here it starts again:

Breakfast: 3 eggs (1 whole egg 2 whites) 1/4 c dry oatmeal, cooked with water

--------Cal (212) P (21) C ( 18) F (6)

WED & THURSDAY!

Wednesday's work out was Salsa Jam & Hatha Yoga; My food counts for the day were: F (31) C(66) P(119) Pretty satisfying day!!

Thursday:

Breakdown of Meals:

Breakfast: 3 egg whites, 1 yolk, 1 ezekial bread (194 kcal)

Snack: Ultimate Muscle Protein, Vanilla, (Beverly International) 1 scoop (120 kcal)

Lunch: 4 oz chicken, 1/2 c sauteed peppers and tomato 2 c romaine and 2 tbs light dressing ( 260 kcal)

Snack: UMP Vanilla, 1 scoop, (120 kcal)

WORK OUT: 45 min Cycling class, followed by 45 min weight training

Dinner: 1 lean cut pork chop, sauteed with onions and spinach and mushroom in a light wine reduction, 1/2 medium sweet potato ( 400 kcal)

Snack: 4 medium strawberries, raw, 2 tbs light cool whip (35 kcal)

TOTALS:

F (40) C (72) P (115)

CIRCUIT:

6 squats ( bar + 25 each side), 12 walking DB lunges (25), 25 Leg extensions (40)

Rest 2 minutes, repeat 3 times

6 Leg Curls (70), 12 stiff leg deadlifts (25) 25 hamstring rolls on body ball

Rest 2 minutes, repeat 3 times

6 Dips, 12 tricep extensions (25) 25 Rope Pull downs (40)

Rest 2 minutes, repeat 3 times

..I ran out of time for this last circuit and I will tack it onto Saturday's work out but it goes like this:

6 seated DB curls (25), 12 Standing Barbell curls (EZ bar; bar + 10-15 each side), 25 standing cable curls (30)

Today is an off day; I'm pretty sore from this week's workouts.

Saturday will include Spinning and a fast paced circuit...

Blessed!

Well good news keeps flooding my life. I just accepted my first full time RN position at a hospital system in the area. I can't wait for that first pay check!! Been working for this moment for a very long time and it really is just surreal. Thank god and whatever guardian angel I have working very hard for me lately!

Dinner was delicious! Everyone in my family had 2nds!! I doubled the chicken in the recipe however, but everything else I kept the same! If I make this dish again, I believe I will increase the quantity of the chicken broth/cornstarch/soy sauce & ginger mix; there was just not a whole lot of 'sauce' in the pan, but perhaps that's what's keeping it low cal.

Last nights work out included a 45 minute cycling class and lifting (Chest, back, shoulders) I've posted this work out previously; but will post it again.

The work out is 3 circuit sets; each circuit is designed to be done back to back to back, with rest only after completing the 3 items; each circuit is done 3 times before moving onto the next one:

6 Incline Dumbbell presses; 25 (I grab my dumbbells and a body ball and do these and the flyes on here)

12 reps on chest machine; 85

25 incline dumbbell flyes; 25

Rest 3 Minutes; 3 times total

6 weight chins/ pull ups (I use the total gym and do 6 pull ups; try to put the least amount of my body on the bench so that I'm going against gravity more)

12 cybex back machine; 6 plates

25 seated cable rows to neck (the cable rows were being used; so I grabbed a resistance band and threw it around a pole; sat down with some distance to create tension and began there)sfs

6 seated dumbbell presses; 25

12 seated lateral raises; 12

25 upright cable rows; 50

Finished with a set of 100 body ball crunches

TODAY:

Salsa jam & Hatha Yoga!!

Cook With Me Tonight!! Less than 300 calories per serving!

On the Menu:

Pineapple Chicken Stir-Fry with Whole Grain Brown Rice

(makes 4 servings)

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

3 teaspoons EVOO

1/2 large onion, chopped into 1" pieces

1/2 large red or yellow bell pepper, cut into thin slices

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 cups chopped broccoli raab (Italian Broccoli)

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into thin strips (Pounded)

1/2 cup fresh pineapple chunks

1/2 cup dry whole grain brown rice (Uncle Bens) (serving size is 1/2 c cooked; 1/2 c dry makes 2 cups cooked)

Place the cornstarch in a bowl. While whisking, gradually add the broth until the cornstarch is dissolved. Stir in the soy sauce and ginger and set aside.

Follow cooking instruction on rice package.

Heat a nonstick wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the oil and heat until the oil shimmers. Add the onion and pepper. Cook, tossing, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Add the garlic. Toss until fragrant. Add the broccoli raab. Toss for 2 minutes, or until the broccoli raab is wilted. Transfer the vegetables to a platter.

Return the pan to the heat. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and heat. Add the chicken. Cook, without tossing, for 1 minute, or until browned on the bottom. Toss and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until most of the pink is gone. Add the sauce. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until thickened. Add the pineapple and reserved vegetables to the pan. Toss just to combine.

NUTRITION:

Chicken Stir Fry: 177 calories, 6 grams fat, 9.3 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams sugar, 22 grams protein

Rice (1/2 c cooked): 85 calories, 1 g fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 2 grams protein

TOTAL: 262 calories, 7 grams fat, 27 grams carbs, 24 grams protein

**Depending on what you need for macronutrients that day, you may want to adjust your rice or chicken.

For me, I may have only 1/3 c of rice and throw a few extra pieces of just chicken onto my plate.

My macronutrients going into dinner look like this:

F (14) P(80) C(27)

My goal today is to keep my Fat lower than 35, Protein in the 120's, and Carbs less than 60.

Regrouping/Ranting/Raging

Alright, ENOUGH, I've had ENOUGH! GAHHH, too much celebration too much temptation. I'm all done. This is serious business people. Week 6, 1/2 way into the game. A little more than 5 months (165 days) to go the wedding. My dress will be here in a few short weeks. I'm hitting this last half of the competition hard & fast. If it's not fresh, if it's not clean, if it's not pure, I'm not eating it. I celebrated my accomplishments with desserts and ice cream and wine, I've celebrated football with BBQ, pasta salad and cookies, and my stomach has had enough. Setting the bar a little higher and pushing towards it. This is more than looking good for my wedding; its about changing my lifestyle. The first 4 weeks I ate clean, healthy foods, and I felt amazing. After these past 2 weeks I've seen how the foods listed above can really decline my health and how I feel. It's not a feeling of guilt, it's a feeling of yuckiness and I don't care for it very much.

Like I said in my last post, I'm 8 lbs smaller and I've lost inches everywhere; somewhere totalling 4 inches and I dropped 1.4 % body fat in 4 weeks. I'm setting a goal now and I WILL WORK TOWARD IT. Lets go for an additional 2% body fat and 6 inches by March 7th.

Let's Get CrAzY!!!...

Breakfast: 3 egg whites, 1 egg yolk, 1 slice Eziekel Bread, 1 tsp sugar free raspberry preserves

Snack: 1 scoop protein (that's it, no silk no banana)

Lunch: today i'll be grabbing a tuna packet and 2 cups romaine with 1 tbs EVOO and a few splashes of balsamic vinegar

Snack: Fage 2% Greek yogurt, 3 sliced fresh strawberries

A few questions you may have: what's eziekel and why fage greek yogurt?

well here are some answers...because they're CLEAN WHOLESOME PRODUCTS!

Ezekiel 4:9® Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Products

Inspired by the Holy Scripture verse Ezekiel 4:9., "Take also unto thee Wheat, and Barley, and beans, and lentils, and millet, and Spelt, and put them in one vessel, and make bread of it..."

Ezekiel 4:9® Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Products are: Flourless, Organic, Complete Protein,and Sprouted Whole Grain

"We discovered when these six grains and legumes are sprouted and combined, an amazing thing happens. A complete protein is created that closely parallels the protein found in milk and eggs. In fact, the protein quality is so high, that it is 84.3% as efficient as the highest recognized source of protein, containing all 9 essential amino acids. There are 18 amino acids present in this unique bread – from all vegetable sources – naturally balanced in nature."

Ezekiel 4:9® Bread, made from freshly sprouted organically grown grains, is naturally flavorful and bursting with nutrients. Rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and natural fiber with no added fat. Try it served warm to release its exceptionally rich nutty flavor.

This Biblical Bread is Truly the Staff of Life

source: www.foodforlife.com

Now, here's my spiel about Greek Yogurt..LOOK AT THE LABEL!

(well i guess that goes for any food products; but look at the label people! )

We get stuck on this craze that if it says greek it must be good for me; But When I look at a container of Yoplait/Dannon Greek it's all Sugar.

(Chobani has a plain 0% greek yogurt but I've yet to find that at the store)..

you might as well have a freaking cookie.

Fage Greek Yogurt Plain 0% has 7 grams of CHO/Sugar and thats only from the milk used to make the yogurt, NOTHING ADDED; and then a whopping 18 grams of protein.

I don't think there are many who can eat this stuff plain, so THEN add your fruit and sweetener; have control of what you put in your food.

I add 4 small-med sized strawberries, sliced up into a bite size piece and 1 packet of splenda.

by doing that I've only added 4-6 grams of sugar, that is ALL NATURAL.

See the pattern here??

I'm no expert, but look at the label, look at the ingredients. I read a quote by someone, somewhere, If the label has words that you can't pronounce and look more like a chemical compound then something edible, why the hell would you want to eat it?

To find out more about FAGE greek yogurt visit: http://www.fageusa.com/

(P.S, they were rated top yogurt of 2009!)

AHHHH I feel like it's been forever since I've blogged. Oh, wait, it has! But trust me all for a good cause. I stopped blogging and LIMITED facebook use last week to leave as much time as possible for studying for my NCLEX exam. And well, it was worth it. I PASSED!!! As for why I haven't blogged this week, well that's just bad on my part. During the week of my exam, I was really great on my diet; I packed a lunch with me to the library as well as a protein shake or bar for a snack. I even studied at Big Apple Bagel on day and fought the temptation to getting a bagel or muffin. But Boy, did they look good. Following my exam though and especially after finding out I passed, let's just say there was some food celebration. Ice Cream, Ice Cream and MORE Ice Cream! Ahh well, it was worth it and I worked hard these past 6 weeks so splurging one weekend is allowed. Well, I'm allowing it because it happened. haha. (no worries, my conscious got to me and I made up for it and did a double session of spinning on Tuesday).

This week has been a pretty good week. On the big snow day, my family grabbed some dinner from Sammy's Cucina (my uncle's italian dine-in/carry out resturaunt) LOVE THE FOOD THERE! But let's just say, not diet friendly. However, I highly recommend the 'Michigan Cherry Salad.' Not italian but delicious! I'm not one to like blu cheese, so I ask that that be substituted with goat cheese and I get grilled chicken breast on top. The small is enough for 2 meals so I make sure I save half for the next day and it's a great meal!

My work outs have continued in the gym; this week completed week 3 of my training program; leaving me with 1 week left. I have seen some changes, definition in my arms and people at the gym are commenting that they are seeing the changes. Officially down to a size 8. My 10's fit but are loose fitting, almost now not comfortable because I'm pulling them up and readjusting them. Same with my work out yoga pants, I feel bad for the poor soul behind me during spinning class.

I've lost 8 lbs so far and I am planning on changing my diet up this week. I'm going to go from 40 to 35 grams a fat and from 60 to 55 grams of carbs and try to hit my protein goals daily. (120 g) Bring on the EGG WHITES!

Today is an off day for training/cardio and I'm cooking dinner

I used women's fitness magazine and fitness magazine to get some low carb low fat recipes for dinner:

Dinner is starting with pan-sauteed chicken breasts that are stuffed with 1 oz low fat mozzarella and basil, a portion controlled serving of sweet potato wedges (lightly seasoned with light brown sugar, only 1/4 c for the whole recipe) and then a spinach casserole ( spinach, part-skim ricotta cheese and 4 egg whites; bake on 350 for 1 hr) My Carbs for this meal are around 25, my protein around 40 and my fat around 15. It's a pretty heavy meal but should be overall taste-bud satisfying and will keep me in my goals for the day.

Stay tuned my fellow knotties; I have some wedding questions coming your way!

My ass hurts..

..because Nclex review has kept my on my butt most of the day, reviewing materials and studying notes.. been looking forward to my time at the gym, since it's the only real form of activity these days. LOL! I'm sure happy that I did not choose a profession that requires sitting all day.

Todays workout will include cardio and weight training. Today is lower with some upper (biceps & triceps) Last week my legs really did not feel it too much, so I plan on increasing my weights. Hopefully, my ass will hurt later from my work out, not from sitting..

Recap of yesterday:

Tuesday:

B; the usual

S; the usual

L; 1 c shredded chicken breast, 1 tbs light mayo, 1/4 c chopped celery and a low carb wrap

S; 1 packet tuna, 5 applause whole grain crackers

D; 4 oz beef roast, 2 c romaine and 2 tbs light Caesar dressing

S; 1/2 c pineapple

Totals:

1197 calories/ P 135/ C 67/ F 39

Activity: 50 minutes cycling, high intensity; 400 calories burned

So far today (wednesday)

B; the usual

S; the usual, but only finished half in AM

L; 2 tuna packets, 1 tbs mayo, 2 romaine leaves, 1/3 c 2% fat Cottage Cheese, 1/4 raw blueberries

S; the rest of my protein shake

Off to the gym...

"Whirlwind" week 3

Well looks as though I've been slacking on this blog. But no worries, no slacking on my diet, workouts OR wedding planning. Saturday and Sunday was full of wedding business. We met with our reception hall to get a few answers questions and talk about our menu. We may have gotten ahead of ourselves but we had concerns we wanted answered. I'm so happy about the venue we have chosen and the ideas we have picked for our special day. I was almost to the point that I could burst with excitement of Saturday. I can visualize the entire day in my head and just cannot wait!

It's funny though, every person I've talked to about the wedding has chosen 1 word to describe the day. "Whirlwind." I think I heard that 4 times on 4 separate occasions this weekend. I know the day will go by fast and between talking with family and finding time to take pictures and etc. that I will be busy. But I'm hoping and praying that Drew & I will get even just 30 minutes to enjoy our friends and family on the dance floor and just breathe!

Some wedding topics that have been up for discussion lately:

1) Honeymoon spots: warm or cold? tropical or historic? how much do we want to spend? is europe an option?

2) Limo services: are there any good companies around here that won't break the bank?? Over the last year I've heard of companies who aren't on time, the drivers are horrible, the party bus breaks down or catches on fire... I thought I was nervous about picking a photographer, but now I'm on a whole different playing field. I'm in need of someone reliable to get me from A to B!

But speaking of whirlwind...what a week this past week was.. workouts were intense and I kept strong with my diet. EXCEPT SUNDAY..sunday dinner I indulged in a NY Strip Steak and 1/2 baked potato and grandma's fresh bread... who could pass that up?? I ate a bunch of salad as well. But I'll say this, I was not "starving" at 9:00, or i need of something to shut my stomach up. So yes, it was worth it!

I weighed in on Thursday ( 11/13) and the scale read 143.. that would give me another 4 lb weight loss, but I'm nervous to jump back on it. 143 is the lightest I've been in such a long time.. and I really really hope it was not "water weight." I'll bring up the courage to jump on the scale this Thursday and hopefully I've continued to progress..

Macros for the rest of the week went like this:

Mon: P108/C67/F41

Tue: P150/C117/F33 (High intensity work out)

Wed: P141/C78/F29

Thur:P133/C100/F39 (again, big work outs where you're working the large muscle groups and throwing in 60 minutes of intense cardio, require refueling. also, i give myself a pat on the back for this day.. I had dinner at Max & Ermas... and while many of the restaurant chains offer "healthy" options, this place is pretty limited. I oped out for the "jamaican chicken, with broccoli and rice.. ate everything and only 1/4 of the portion of rice. )

Fri: P125/C101/F42 ( I was on the road this day and my numbers aren't where I'd like them to be, but I made the best of it. Making good smart choices when you're out of the "comfort zone" makes a HUGE difference!)

Sat: P124/C68/F48

Sun: Before Dinner: P73/ C 48/ F 29

The workouts for the next few weeks are going to be the same.

Today's is the same as the work out posted last week Monday. Upper day. Shoulders, chest & back followed by 45 minute cycling class.

Before the gym I had my 4 egg whites, 1 egg yolk, 1/2 c Kashi Crunch and 1/4 c skim milk

When I returned I had my protein shake (1 scoop vanilla protein, 1/2 c light chocolate soy and 1/2 sm banana)

My macro's so far are P50/C29/F9.. thats 428 calories consumed.

I've found that if each of my meals (snacks too) are between 200-300 calories I don't crash and burn in between. Also, when I have a great source of natural protein, such as egg whites or tuna, I'm much more satisfied, then having just a bowel of cereal or even just a protein shake.

Finding what makes your stomach happy is half the battle. Cause if my stomach is not happy, then I'm in the cupboard grabbing handfuls of this and handfuls of that and before I know it, my little "tie me over" snack has totaled 500 calories and its all carbs.

The game plan for lunch today is a nice greek salad and chicken breast.

My afternoon snack will be either Fage Greek Yogurt or 1/2 c low fat cottage cheese

Dinner tonight is tacos. I'll opt out of the tortilla shell and make a great salad and measure out 6 oz of taco meat. I believe it's ground turkey as well, which will be a lower fat content....

But that's it for now, off to the study books!

Day 7 (4 POUNDS LIGHTER!)

7 days down... 83 to go!

My wedding dress will be here on February 25th! I know I'll be able to keep up my determination just for that reason!

Today was horrid day at the gym. I began my new circuit which has left my arms burning, even 3 hours after my work out.

MON: chest back & shoulders:

Circuit 1:

6 Incline Dumbell press ( 20, 20, 20)

12 Chest Machine (55, 70, 70)

25 Incline Dumbell Flyes (10, 12, 12)

rest 2 minutes, repeat 3 times

Circuit 2:

6 chin ups (no weight)

12 Cybex back rows (4 plates each time)

25 seated cable rows to neck (40, 40, 40)

Rest 2 minutes, repeat 3 times

Circuit 3:

6 seated dumbell presses (20, 20, 20)

12 Seated lateral raises (12, 12, 12)

25 upright rows on cable (50..too heavy!, 40, 40)

Rest 2 minutes, repeat

CARDIO: one hellish spin class, 50 minutes

Food so far:

Before my work out I ate breakfast:

4 egg whites, 1 egg yolk and 1 slice eziekel bread

Post work out snack:

1 scoop protein, 1/2 c light chocolate soy milk, 1/2 small banana, blended with ice

Water with muscle recovery solution

Lunch will be:

Low carb wrap, with 1 c shredded chicken, 2 tbs light mayo, celery, s&p

Off to the study books I go!!!

1st Week Summary

So I got a tad busy this week with a NCLEX review course and keeping myself on track.

The review was from 830-330 for three days. While that may seem like a long day, it truely was a gift. Being in a class room and not being at home tempted by everything in the cupboard helped me stay on track. For days unlike that, I find it important to make a time schedule of when I am going to eat and have my snacks. For me, it's imperative to know the next time I'm going to have a meal. So I say I'm going to eat at breakfast at 7 but i can have a snack at 1030, allows me to fight past moments of hunger. If I find it unbearable, I usually reach for a piece of gum and a large glass of cold ice water. Studies have shown that drinking cold water speeds up your metabolism. Your body works to bring the water to normal body temperature. Who thought drinking water burned calories!?!?

..Time will be limited for blogging this next month or so, but have no fear. I'm still keeping myself mentally disciplined. The scale for this week showed I lost 4 lbs!!!! I'm not a big fan of weighing myself, but I've never had a drop this big before. For me, I love just feeling good. If the scale doesn't change, and my skinny jeans are becoming my comfy lounge jeans, then I know I'm doing something right. Regardless, it could be water weight, it could be weight loss. I'm being optimistic about this week's results...

Here's my work outs for Wed-Sunday..

WED:

P90x Yoga X DVD

THURS:

QUADS, GLUTES, HAMSTRINGS, CALVES

- Squats (20)

-Leg Press, quick (20)

-Lunge 910)

-Stiff leg deadlift on BOSU (10)

Repeat 3 times

-Lying leg curl (10)

-Abductor/Addductor (10 each leg)

-Glute pulses (20)

-Calf raise (20)

Repeat 3 times

CARDIO: 45 min Spin

FRIDAY:

P90x yoga X

SATURDAY:

BACK CHEST ABS

-Incline Bench Press (10)

-Bent Row (10)

-Cable Crossover Row (20)

-Oblique MB crunch (20)

1 min moderate run at 6.0 followed by 45 sec sprint on 8, 15 sec recovery (3 times)

REPEAT 3 Times

- Pushups with feet elevated (10)

-Curl grip pulldown (10)

-DB pull over (12)

-Plank holds (30 secs)

25 medicine ball rebounds, 25 lateral skis, 25 squat thrusts

REPEAT 3 times

MORE CARDIO: 1 hour salsa jam

Sunday= REST!

For the sake of time and boredom, I'll list my 'macros' for each day

Wed: P(177) C(63) F(24)

Thurs:P(185)C(110)F(43) (carbs are higher since I had high cardio this day)

Fri:P(122)C(99)F(44)

Sat: P(158) C(103)F(39)

Sun:P(150)C(68)F(33) (no physical activity today, therefor no need to load up on carbohydrates)

* tid bit: carbohydrates are a form of QUICK energy. when carbohydrates are consumed and not used, your body stores them as fat...

WEDDING UPDATE!!

I purchased my hardware for my centerpieces for the wedding. They are expected to be delivered today. Got a great deal on them! I LOVE EBAY!!!

Day 1 & 2// Wedding Favors

Off to a great start! I'm feeling super motivated and ready for this challenge.

Monday was a super crazy day. getting a work out in, finding time to make food and get ready for the week ahead. Today was perfect. I was busy most of the day with a NCLEX review so I was able to concentrate on that and not on how hungry I was or how wonderful "junk" food sounded. When I did feel a bit hungry, I grabbed a piece of sugar free gum and drank water. Ironically, Monday's mail included a 'Beverly International: NoNonsense' magazine. It's loaded with meal plans and work outs. I was not too impressed with my 1st circuit from my Jillian Michaels book, which was my monday work out. So, I gave one of the work outs a try from the magazine. Let's say I'm already feeling in....

Monday:

Breakfast: 1 c total, 1/2 c skim milk, 2 eggs

S: 1 scoop protein powder mixed with water

Lunch: Brocolli, Turkey, Cheese Lavash (Recipe from JM) made with healthy choice deli turkey, low fat mayo, low fat olive oil based dressing and a carb-concious wrap, only 10 g cho!)

S: 20 almonds, 1/2 small banana

Dinner: 4 oz pot roast with potato & carrots

S: 1 c Light Chocolate Soy Milk

Totals:

P (92) CHO( 140) Fat( 38)

(cho are a tad high, worked on that Today, much better!)

AM Work out: 35 minutes of spinning/ 30 minutes of Circuit

Circuit Details below:

Dumbbell presses on body ball (with elbow drive); 20 reps, 10 each arm

Dumbell flys on body ball with crunch; 15 reps

Squats; 50 fast, no wt

-----

Plank; 10 seconds

Close grip push up, 5 reps

Side plank w/ inner thigh raise; 10 reps

Plank; 5 seconds

Close grip push up; 5 reps

Side plank w/ inner thigh raise; 10 reps

Plank; 5 seconds

Burpies; 10 reps

Sumo Squats; 50 reps

-----

Frog Push-up; 20 reps

Squat thrust; 20 reps, hold static squat 30 sec

Wide Shoulder press with leg extention; 10 reps (222)

Jump Rope 1 min

-----

Bench Dips; 20 reps

Rope Tricep Presses; till tired

Static lunge with lateral shoulder raise; 10 reps each leg (219)

Mountain Climbers; 1 min

Boat Pose; 30 sec

-----

Jump Rope 1 min

Bicycle cruches; 50 reps

Extended plank; 30 seconds

TUESDAY:

B: 4 egg whites, 1 yolk, 1/2 c GO LEAN Crunch, 1/2 c skim milk

S: 1 scoop protein with water

L: Turkey Wrap, 1/2 c cottage cheese

S: 1 scoop protein with water

Pre-work out snack: 1 piece Ezekiel Bread, 20 almonds

D: 1 1/2 c Turkey Chili

Totals:

P (113) CHO( 87) Fat (42)

PM Work Out:

45 min Spin Class

30 Min weight train:

Shoulders, Bi & Tri

Each circuit performed 3 times

DB Shoulder press: 10 reps

DB Curls on BOSU: 10

DB Tricep Extension: 10

DB Delt Skier Extension: 10

Plate front raise: 10

One arm cable curl: 8 per arm

Barbell curl : 10

Tricep Kick back : 10

2 sets of crunches on body ball

LETS TALK WEDDING.....

No time to discuss favors but to be honest I'm at a complete loss as to what to give.

Don't mind spending a few bucks, but don't want to waste my money on junk either..

Whether you're a current or previous bride or your an experienced wedding go-er,

comment with your input on what you gave or got...

Coming up next...

My experiences finding "the one."