Friday, June 28, 2013

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 41

I'm so happy it's Friday.  I've been covering for a co-worker who is on vacation and it has been a crazy, busy week.


The kind of busy that when I get home from work, I sit on my couch to just take a breather and the next thing I know it's two hours later and I somehow fell asleep from being exhausted.

Good times.

So YEAH for Friday.  And more importantly, YEAH FOR NEXT WEEK!!!  It's the 4th of July and my office is closed both Thursday AND Friday.

I'm so excited.

Weigh In:  -0.4

Weekly Roundup:

1.  I earned 9 AP.  I did three Ripped in 30 workouts.  Today starts my Day #1 of Level 2.  I'm excited!

2.  I ate 249 points.  A bit more than I wanted but that was mostly due to one night.  You know, just one of those higher point meals that tends to gobble up more points than you thought.

3.  If I wasn't drinking enough water before I definitely should step up my game.  Especially this weekend.  They're issuing a heat warning in my area.  I think it's supposed to get into the 120s.  Yikes.

4.  What I ate.  It wasn't quite as exciting as I had hoped.  I tried a new recipe for crab cakes.  I think it completely fell short.  But my boyfriend loved them.  So it wasn't a complete disaster.  The soup I had planned on making (one of my favorites), I completely spaced at the grocery store and didn't buy a single ingredient.  I would have gone back but I had already spent my budget.  And then I made this Korean dish, which I usually love, but I did something different and couldn't figure out what I did - it was good but not as great as I remembered.  Other than that I had some sushi, BBQ chicken quesadillas, eggs, almonds, apples, and I believe I had some gluten free pizza for lunch one day.


Monday, June 24, 2013

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 40

Weigh In: +1.8 pounds

I'm late again!  I had an amazing week and weekend and I'm already looking forward to Friday.

So I ate a lot of food, got in some great workouts, and gained a few pounds.  I was expecting the gain so I'm not too surprised or shocked.  Actually my last post was a huge motivator for myself and things feel pretty good right now.

Lets hope it lasts ;)

But seriously, I really do feel like I'm in a good head space and I'm excited for things to come.

Lets talk about this past week:

What I did:

1.  I earned 9 AP.  Yikes - that means only TWO Ripped in 30 workouts.

2.  I ate 297 points.  Well I do believe that might be a record.  Or at least the most I've eaten in a given week this year.

3.  I was on course with my water (whew!!  I at least hit one of my goals!!)

4.  What I ate.  Lets see.  I discovered yet another restaurant that offers up what I now to consider to be my favorite gluten free pizza - Zach's.  So kids, if you're in the Los Angeles area, give it a try.  While it's a wonderful discovery, I ate it twice.  Sometimes twice is a little hard on the points bank.  I went to a local Mexican restaurant and shared some wonderful nachos with some amazing friends ... also twice ;)  Along with those nachos, I had some fine cocktails (helloooo points!).  However, it was an amazing time and I'm so happy I went.  I went to a work party to hob-knob with my clients and again spent some points on cocktails.  Man, to be honest, it's easy to spend points when a single beer costs as much as 5-6 points.  Moving on.  I also made a really great beef stew in my crock pot, a lovely ham, and a simple bowl of spaghetti.  There were other little things but those were probably the big ticket items.

It was a great week.  I was busy almost every single day, had some really great times with my friends.  And the work party wasn't so bad either!  Yes, I indulged, but I'm happy.  I'm back on my horse and looking forward to this week.  I feel like I took a mini vacation from myself!  Whatever it was, I woke up refreshed yesterday and ready to get back in the game.

Tonight will be my 10th workout for Level/Workout #1 of Ripped in 30.  I didn't stick to my 5 day/week schedule like I had planned.  Actually it took me 19 days to get in 10 workouts.  My bad.  As I was doing my workout yesterday (which was AMAZING), I made a mental note to pay more attention and be better about scheduling my workouts.  I really want to see some progress with this program.  It's much harder than the 30 Day Shred so I think I could achieve amazing results.  I just need to put in a little more effort.  So that's my main goal for the rest of this week and the weeks to come.

Today's Menu:
B:  coffee / sunflower seeds
L:  sweet potato noodles + veggies + chicken
D:  bacon, lettuce, tomato sandwiches




Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 39

WEIGH IN:  +3.6 (from my weigh in on Friday the 14th)

Can someone say Yo-Yo?

Actually, I'm not in a yo-yo spin, I'm in a hormonal spin.  That's all I can figure.  As I said last week, I went off my hormonal birth control which can cause an array of side effects.  The one I was most worried about was weight gain.  I took to the internet to see how prominent it was and apparently it is quite common.

Here's the thing.  I don't think I'm gaining weight just because I went off birth control.  I am definitely gaining weight due to eating too much of the wrong things.  My cravings have come out of nowhere and it's been a battle.  And the only thing that has changed in my life is stopping my birth control.  And while I'm not 100% sure, it makes the most sense to me.  I mean, come on, it's hormones.

Since this year began and I changed my diet I've been so proud of how much control I've had over my eating.  You guys all know that I have a rough time when it comes to food and food control and I've had clear control of it this whole year.

Until I went off birth control.

I now know why all of these women are on the message boards asking for help in losing weight.  I seriously feel like I'm having PMS all the time.  

Anyway, the point is, it's something I'm going to have to work on/figure out/battle.  And battle I shall.

What I did this week:

1.  I earned about 10 AP.  I did three Ripped in 30 workouts.  I'm continuing to aim for five per week.

2.  I ate 231 points.  My goal every week is around the 210 mark (+/- 5 points).  While I didn't go over my given points for the week (daily + weekly), I did NOT eat the most wholesome foods.  Wait for #4, you'll see what I mean.

3.  Water = great!

4.  What I ate.  First the good:  potato and leek soup, deviled eggs, apricot ham, sushi and homemade larabars.  And the bad:  went out to eat TWICE.  I stuck to my allergen list and even split meals with my boyfriend.  It was still just not in my best interest weight loss wise.  We had Mexican (think chips and salsa) one night and then went to a regular Americana restaurant and split a chicken dish.  Also these were regular restaurants and I know that allergens snuck into my dishes which isn't in MY best interest (I get inflamed, bloated, and sick when this happens).  In addition, I found some gluten free, organic blah blah blah cheese puffs (NO NO NO).  Note to self:  you have no control over these things.  What else?  My cravings tended to be more carb related so I also made some Thai noodles and macaroni and cheese on two separate occasions.  These are very heavy dishes.  I think I literally weighed myself down this week by eating too many carbs.  When I say too many carbs I mean too many carbs for me :)

And to give you a peak into the week we're in.  It's still an on going battle.  In fact, it's worse.  I think that's why I've put off writing this post because I'm struggling.  The current week we're in isn't going any better than last week.  The scale keeps going up and the cravings continue. Part of me has been waiting for things to "regulate" and go away on their own.  But I've now realized I will have to make a conscious effort to take control of things.  So that's where I'm at right now. 

But here's the thing.

Messing up doesn't mean I've messed everything up.  It just means I've learned something new.  It also means I'm human and sometimes it's nice to be reminded of that.  I don't have to be perfect at this process because being perfect is impossible.  I just have to be present at all times in order to make the best decisions for me.

And right now the best decision for me is to take my diet down to the basics.  I'm going to be tightening up my food choices in an effort to try to help get my body back to normal.  I really believe that food is one way I can help get my hormones back on track.  And regardless of hormones, I just feel better when I'm eating crazy clean.

I'm going to continue to eat gluten, dairy and soy free but I need to tighten up the reigns on it.  That means eating out needs to be at specific places (hello Hugo's) or not at all.  I'm also going to cut out my beloved Kettle Chips.  Just for a little bit.  Just until I have a handle on things.  I also am going to cut out sugar.  I've allowed myself dark chocolate and dairy free ice cream on several occasions and I think with my cravings in full swing it's probably best to not "feed the beast" by eating unnecessary sugar.  And lastly, carbs.  I don't believe carbohydrates are the devil or that you shouldn't eat them.  I just know I'm carb sensitive and need to watch my servings and so I'm going to go back to eating grains (gluten free pasta, rice, and any baked good I make like pizza) on the weekends only.  Don't worry, during the week I allow myself plenty of carbs in the form of vegetables or fruit.

And that's the plan.

Wish me luck.





Friday, June 7, 2013

Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 38

Oh man.  This week felt sooooo long.  It always happens after a shortened week/long weekend.  If only every weekend were a 3 day weekend.

That reminds me, I still have 5 days of vacation that I haven't used yet, I should just use them for a month's worth of 3 day weekends.

Sounds like a plan to me.

Today's WI:  -3.6

Yeah, what I put on last week, I took back off.  I was surprised when I got on the scale this morning.  I knew it was going to be a loss but I was so happy to see that it all came right back off.  WHEW!

Crisis averted.

That means in 2013 I've lost:

Total Pounds:  -14.0
Total Inches: -13.5"

Crazy!  I'm so proud of myself.  I'm also extremely happy that I have hopefully found something that works for me.  Trust me, it was a long time coming.

WEEKLY ROUND-UP:

1.  I earned around 9 AP.  I did one 30 Day Shred workout and two Ripped in 30 workouts.  This was due to lack of sleep which I'll discuss later.

2.  I ate 203 points.  I usually try to hit for 215 but again, the lack of sleep meant I ate a little less.  I really want to try to do 215 again because I don't feel like 203 is enough.  Especially since I do not count or eat any of my AP.

3.  I got back on the water horse again.  I truly have become a fan of this stuff.  I don't really drink anything other than water anymore.  I've been on a coffee break for the last few months which I'll continue for the time being.  The last time I took a break from coffee, I went without caffeine of any form for 3 years!!  I wonder how long this one will last.  I will, however, have the occasional herbal tea when I need something warm.

4.  What I ate?  The menu this week was quite good.  I made homemade larabars, southwest salad with chicken, steak with peppers and onions + cole slaw, and eggs with vegetable hashbrown casserole.  And that's it!!  I'm kidding.  I also had sushi.  But only once!  Oh, and I had some kettle potato chips over the weekend.  Seriously love those things.

I've been having a hard time with sleep lately.  My boyfriend works nights and I've gotten into the bad habit of staying up too late to see him.  It is hard when we only get to see each other on the weekends, but I have to get out of this cycle.  I end up working out around 11pm then going to bed around 3am just to get up at 7:30am ish to go to work.  I've been doing this for over a month now and I think my body is trying to tell me "NO MORE!".  I purposefully did not do 2 of my workouts this past week because it got to be too late and I knew I needed the sleep more than I needed the workout.  I'm hoping that I can slowly get myself back to my regular schedule.

Today's Menu:
B:  homemade larabar
L:  eggs + hashbrowns
D:  steak + salad

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Ripped in 30: Week 1 / Day 1

After successfully completing the 30 Day Shred Saturday, I decided not to waste any time and the next day I jumped right into:

Ripped in 30:


Yes, another Jillian Michaels program.  Again, I'm a huge fan for a couple of reasons.  

1.  They are NOT time consuming.  The 30 Day Shred workouts clock in at just around 25 minutes and these are just right at the 30 minute mark.  When I did p90x last year, I swear, it felt like my life revolved around working out.  The workouts were a minimum of one hour and up to 90 minutes in length.  That's a lot of time to carve out of an already busy life. 

2.  I really like the 3-2-1 circuit format.  That's 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, 1 minute of abs.  Just when you think you can't do a move for a second longer, BOOM!, she moves on.

3.  I got results with the 30 Day Shred so why mess with a good thing right?

This program differs from the 30 Day Shred in the smallest of ways.  The overall length of the workouts are a bit longer but that's only due to a longer warm-up and cool-down.  And since those are the easiest parts of the workout, it's not noticeable at all.  Also, instead of doing just 2 exercises for the 3 minutes of strength, she now has you doing 3 exercises.  I really like this change as some of those strength poses in the 30DS were grueling and hard to perform properly for so long.  And lastly, instead of doing 3 Levels for 10 days a piece, this one is 5-6 workouts per week with a total of four levels.  It's technically not truly 30 days but you get the picture.

So just a couple of changes but nothing too complicated.

My Day 1 was Sunday and I made just one tweak.  Instead of doing 5-6 workouts per week for 4 weeks, I'm going to perform each level 5-6 times per week for a total of 10 workouts per level.  So my program will actually have 40 workouts total and could actually take me up 8 weeks to finish.

Week 1 / Day 1:

I burned 285 calories according to my HRM.

My initial thought was this is much harder than the 30 Day Shred.  The moves are intense and targeted and I loved them.  I actually had to "march it out" just to catch my breath a few times. She didn't offer as many beginner movements in the exercises.  In fact, she even mentions this.  I didn't mind though.  It's not too hard to figure out how to modify a move if you need to.   It moved just as quickly as the 30DS and before I knew it, I was done.  The next day I had a bit of soreness but nothing I couldn't handle. 

I'm excited to see what kind of results I get out of this one.

As far as eating goes, I'll be continuing to follow my diet of whole foods, no gluten, no soy, no dairy, minimal eggs  (all 4 due to food intolerance) and minimal sugar.  I'll also continue to count my points using Weight Watchers and try to stick to around 215 points per week (I do not eat my Activity Points).

Starting measurements and pics:

Ripped in 30

Day 1:

Chest:  39"
Ribs:    31.75"
Waist:  32.5"
Hips:    40.25"
Belly Button:  34"
Upper Thigh:  22.75"
Leg @ Knee:  17"
Left Arm:  11.5"


Day 1 photos:



Wish me luck!!


Monday, June 3, 2013

30 Day Shred: Final Results

I finally finished!

Saturday was my final workout and I put everything I had into it.  I tried to do all the advanced moves even if it meant I only did for them for a little bit.

I was so proud of myself because I could tell that I had made big progress.  Especially when I was able to do full on jumping lunges for the first set.  Big win for me!

I'll just jump right into the stats.

Measurements:

30 Day Shred

Day 1:
Chest:  40"
Ribs:    33"
Waist:  33.5"
Hips:    42"
Belly Button:  34.5"
Upper Thigh:  24"
Leg @ Knee:  18"
Left Arm:  12"

Day 30:
Chest:  39"
Ribs:    31.75"
Waist:  32.5"
Hips:    40.25"
Belly Button:  34"
Upper Thigh:  22.75"
Leg @ Knee:  17"
Left Arm:  11.5"

Total inches lost:  -8.25"

And I'm totally loving it.  I keep buying new clothes just because I'm starting to feel so good about myself.  In terms of scale weight, I pretty much didn't lose anything.  And I don't care :)

As long as my inches keep going down, then I'm a happy girl.

And finally, my pictures - - side note:  please excuse the mess in the 2nd set :(

Day 1




Day 30




Not the biggest difference in the world, but I think I can see a little change in the side view pictures.  To be perfectly honest, if I didn't take measurements, I probably wouldn't have thought I had made any progress at all!

Here's another fun fact, I weigh almost the same in both sets of pics. 

And since you know how much I love doing this, I went back in time to check out some stats I had from doing p90x last year.

After 30 days on p90x last year, my weight was 3 pounds LESS than what I am now, however look at my measurements:

Chest:  43"
Ribs:    34.5"
Waist:  36.5"
Hips:    45"
Belly Button:  40"
Upper Thigh:  25.25"
Leg @ Knee:  18.5"
Left Arm:  13.5"

I've said it before and I'll say it again:  take your measurements!

I'm so happy I do.  It really does help me keep my head in the game.  Otherwise, I probably would have given up by now.

Just sayin'

 Today's Menu:
B:  homemade larabar
L:  roasted chicken + veggie salad
D:  portobello mushroom pizza












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30 Days to ... by JH is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.