I'm Just as "Real" as You

Excuse me for a moment while I step up on my soapbox.

*clears throat*

Can we please stop with the never ending comments about what constitutes a "real" woman?  It's sexist and demeaning to women everywhere.

I am Facebook friends with a number of highly fit and healthy women, many of whom I consider inspirational and role models of healthy living.  These women are very strong and have incredibly toned/fit bodies.  However, I am so tired of seeing some of the comments people make on their pictures.  Such comments that assert that these individuals are the epitome of "real women."  I know these commenters are trying to be nice and supportive of women with muscled physiques, but I think their choice of words is misguided.  Body size or types does not make one woman more "real" than another.  Women come in all shapes and sizes (and races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, etc.) and being overweight or being a bikini model does not make one more of a woman than the other.

A variation to these comments that is perhaps more common is: "real women have curves."  Can we stop trying to externally define what makes a woman a woman?   I'm not a woman because I have boobs and wide hips, and I'm not less of a woman because I'm overweight.  Choosing to lift weights does not make me more or less of a woman than my friend who loves the elliptical and looks at the weight room with disdain.   We can argue the health merits of different exercise regimens and body compositions, but that doesn't change our womanhood, our essential female-ness, our gender expression.

So, people of Facebook, I ask you to stop defining what a "real" woman looks like, how she should act, and inadvertently tell all women who fall outside that look that they aren't good enough.  I propose that a better expression to use when you find a person's physique inspiring, that you describe that physique as what it is: a great example of someone committed to living a healthy and fit life.  She is not the embodiment of the perfect or most "real" woman.  She is but one of countless expressions of what it means to be a woman, no more or less valid than any other.

/end soapbox/

Stay healthy friends!


PS

I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happens to men, and my same thoughts apply to that phenomenon.  I just haven't seen it in my Facebook or broader social circle, and this rant is focused on my lived experience.

Yeah...About That...

Grad school is back in full swing and the first few days have been exhausting.  Monday and Tuesday were both roughly 12-hour days, and today I finally had a chance to start doing my reading and catch up on life.  While the next few months will be considerably more busy than the last few weeks, so far it seems like that will be exponentially easier than last year.  Today I was able to finish reading for one of my classes in just 2.5 hours.   That is unheard of in my program.  I'm looking forward to a good final year of graduate school.

With the addition of classes and an internship this week, I've felt exhausted by the end of the day (12-13 hour work days will do that to you!).  This morning, I seriously considered sleeping in and doing my workout after I got home from work.  However, I got up anyway, and I am so glad I did.  I felt amazing after my workout and it was nice to come home and not have to worry about finding time to workout.  I really recommend to everyone that they workout before they start their day, if possible.  It feels so good to start my day off on a healthy note, and by the time I get to work, I'm completely awake and ready to tackle my day.  Try it for a week and let me know how it goes.

I had hoped, before school started, to be able to continue my daily blog posts.  Unfortunately, with my busy schedule, that's not likely going to happen (hence the title of today's post).  I have to put my priorities on my personal health/fitness goals and my education (while making time for my family and boyfriend, of course).  I haven't missed a workout since school started and only one meal was unplanned and not up to my clean standards (my office went out to lunch on Monday).  I did make the best of the lunch out, swapping fries out for fresh fruit.  The chicken wrap I had wasn't ideal, but it wasn't terrible either.  And, more importantly, my next meal was back to my normally scheduled clean meals, helping me stay on track.  I'm determined to maintain my healthy lifestyle while I continue my education.  I will do my best to keep you up to date with how my fitness journey progresses.  Next week I move up to even longer/harder Pump workouts, so I'll be sure to share how that goes!

Stay healthy!

You Are Stronger Than You Think

It's truly amazing how much progress the human body can make in such a short amount of time.  I think back to last Sunday when I first tried Pump & Shred and I was dying.  I couldn't get through half the push-ups (at only about half depth, too), and even with no weight on my bar, I wasn't able to finish all the lunges either.  Well, today was a completely different story.  I increased my weights on two tracks: lunges (now 5 pounds/side), and Legs & Back (up to 15 pounds/side).  On top of that, I finished every single push-up with a much deeper range.  I'm seriously impressed that my strength improved that quickly.  I also have to admit that I was shocked that it was possible to sweat that much lifting weights. Holy cow!  If you had seen me you would have thought I'd just run a 5K.  It was pretty awesome.

Now that I've experienced first hand what can happen in just a week, I urge each and every one of you to really push yourselves.  You are capable of so much more that you imagine.  For myself, I predict that I'll be able to do toe push-ups by the end of this program.  Before today, I thought toe push-ups probably wouldn't happen until I got to Insanity.  Now, I know I'll be able to do them by the end of Pump if I really push myself.  The same goes for you.  Whatever fitness journey you're on, push yourself harder than you think you can.  Try to do a little more each time.  Run a little farther or faster, lift a little heavier, dance a little longer.  You can do it!  And if you don't want to do it alone, leave me a comment or friend me on Facebook and we can do it together!  I'm starting a private Facebook group for people who want to workout "together," and you're welcome to be part of it.  Just send me a message and we can get fit together.  It doesn't matter what workout program you're doing.  It doesn't matter if you are brand new or have been working out for years.  Push yourself and you will exceed your own expectations.

Stay healthy!

Don't Let an "Off" Day Get You Down

Well, I'm back from an overnight stay in Albany to go to my boyfriend's grandfather's retirement party.  The party went well and it was very nice to spend some time away and visit with his family.  Unfortunately, I did not eat very well while I was there.  In the past, a day of poor eating would spill over into the evening (I likely would have bought candy or cookies to go with the movie we bought on the way home) and, often, this would have meant poor nutritional choices for the next few days or even a week.  This time, however, is different.

Why is this time different?  Because I made a lifestyle change.  None of this is a quick fix and a poor meal or couple of meals won't make me give up.  When I got home from Albany (a little after 8 PM), my knee felt pretty good so I decided to do Fire 45, the workout I missed on Friday.  I even followed up my workout with Shakeology to get my nutrition back on track.  I had an amazing workout (my energy was great and the choreography was very fun), and I'm mentally back on track with my healthy lifestyle.  I printed out my meal plan for next week, and I'm ready to keep moving forward.  I am incredibly proud of myself for getting back on track the same day I "slipped."  I'm also glad that I stayed away from the diet soda while I was there (thanks in part to my boyfriend who reminded me that diet soda really isn't good for me) even while I ate poorly.

I am very much looking forward to tomorrow's workout.  I'm also going to deep clean the apartment since classes start Monday and free time to do extra cleaning will be non-existent until about Thanksgiving.  You probably think I'm exaggerating but, if this year is anything like last year, I'm not!

Stay healthy!

When It’s Okay to Skip Your Workout

This morning I was supposed to do Fire 45; however, when I woke up this morning, I had one of those “oh, heck no!  I am NOT getting out of bed right now,” moments.  I hit snooze, and as I laid there in bed, I contemplated the pros and cons of taking a rest day instead of doing my workout.  Normally, if I were to skip a workout, I would switch around my rest day and make up the workout on Saturday.  Unfortunately, I’ll be out of town tomorrow and won’t be able to do my cardio then.  But then I realized that perhaps this “I want to sleep in forever” feeling was my body telling me that I need a break.

You may remember from an earlier post that my knee has been bothering me the last week or two.  In response, I decreased the amount of jumping involved in my cardio routines and I’ve been very conscious of my form.  Unfortunately, my knee isn’t feeling any better.  It doesn’t hurt, exactly; it’s more like it feels swollen or inflamed a tad and it doesn’t feel like it tracks properly when I bend it.  There’s something that kind of clicks into place when I bend it.  Not good.

So, I decided to take today as an extra rest day, rather than just moving my workout.  That way, I get two days off in a row to let my knee rest.  I will also be stretching all the muscles around my knee (everything from my hips to my calves) and I may try icing it as well.  I will also add foam rolling to loosen up the muscles in my quads, calves, and behind my knees (something I learned from the Tai Cheng program).  My hope is that between the extra rest and the stretching/rolling, I’ll be back to normal soon.

I will also say that I would rather miss a cardio day than a strength training day.  While cardio burns more calories during the workout, strength training builds muscle, which increases your metabolism so you burn more calories overall.  Additionally, I find the improvement in my strength very important and the toned muscles will look great as I continue to lose weight.  So, overall, I am happy with my decision to take today as an extra rest day, given the need for my knee to recover and that I only missed a cardio session.

Stay healthy!  

When Your Favorite Take-Out Tastes Gross

Tonight I ran into an unfortunately, although semi-common, problem.  I ran out of leftovers earlier than I had planned.  So, I decided to order Chinese food for dinner.  I hadn't ordered any take-out in about five weeks and figured, since what I order isn't fried, it'd be ok to have for dinner tonight so long as I kept my portions in check.

Well, wasn't I surprised to find that the food I used to crave and order at least once a week no longer tasted good to me!  I didn't even finish 1/3 of what I ordered and I threw out the leftovers instead of saving them for lunch tomorrow (I know, Mom, I wasted food, but really, it wasn't "real" food anyway).  And not only did I not enjoy the taste, I immediately felt kind of gross.  I guess I won't be ordering Chinese food again any time soon.  I was really surprised, but kind of happy to know that all my clean eating has changed my tastes buds, making junk taste bad to me.  That's pretty cool!  And, luckily, I should get out early enough from work tomorrow to come home and just make some eggs for lunch.

So, while my dinner wasn't as clean as I would have liked, I learned an important lesson about myself.  In the future, I'll make sure I have easy stuff I can make if I run out of leftovers.  I probably should have made an egg sandwich for dinner instead, but now I know!

Stay healthy everyone!  And feel free to post a comment about a food you used to love but you no longer enjoy now that you're eating healthy.

Spice Up Your Rice

Rice.  It comes in all sorts of forms, some great for you and others not so much.  I'm a fan of brown rice, but it can get bland when you eat it all the time.  There are a lot different rice mixes in the grocery store, but none of them meet my nutrition standards.  They tend to have a lot of sodium and all sorts of preservatives and unnecessary fats.  So, to avoid boredom and keep the health of my rice in check, I spice my own rice!

I start with low-sodium, fat free, chicken broth instead of water.  This adds a depth of flavor without a ton of sodium.  Then I add garlic powder and Mrs. Dash salt-free extra spicy blend to the mixture before I start cooking.  I also add a dash of Himalayan salt (which is supposed to have tons of trace vitamins and minerals) instead of regular table salt.  Finally, I just flip on my rice cooker and let it cook. When it's done, I have very flavorful rice without all the junk in those packaged box rices.  Yum!

I've also noticed that I've become much more in tune with the quality of the food I put in my body, rather than just how many calories it has.  I think that's a great benefit of eating clean rather than counting calories.  In the past, when I used to count calories, I'd find ways to "fit" junk into my day.  I would save up calories in order to eat chicken wing pizza or to have a candy bar.  Now that I'm eating clean and not tracking calories, I don't eat that stuff because I know it's bad for my body.  I'm more concerned with great nutrition than a number.  Your body responds very differently to 400 calories of donuts than 400 calories of grilled chicken and rice.  Granted, my way of eating (not counting calories) doesn't work for everyone.  There are plenty of people who can eat clean while counting calories and that works great for them.  I just know that it doesn't work for me.  I become too obsessive and start finding ways to sneak in junk.  So, for now, I'll continue to eat clean and train smart.

Stay healthy!

Excited to Workout?

I had the weirdest thought this morning after my workout.  After completing today's installment of Pump & Burn, and sitting down to my post-workout meal, I thought to myself, "I can't wait for Thursday when I can try Pump & Shred again."

What?!

Did I really just think that?  I was actually disappointed that I had to wait two days to do the 45 minutes of strength training agony (aka Pump & Shred).  So, weird!  I've enjoyed all my workouts the last four weeks but I never thought I'd actually be impatiently waiting for my next one.  It's a new feeling for me, for sure.  I think part of that feeling was due to the fact that Shred kicked my butt on Sunday and I really want a rematch!  This workout added lunges and shoulders, both of which seriously kicked my butt and I could get all the way through those tracks without breaks.  I am determined to push myself to get my head in the game and push through the muscle burn.  Look out world!  This former couch potato is turning into a future athlete!

I've gotten some questions about how I keep myself motivated to continue working out and eating clean day after day.  I think a big part of that is due to my goals.  While weight/fat loss is one of my goals, many of them are fitness or health based.  For example, I really want to complete Insanity.  I know I won't be able to do that unless I increase my current fitness level and lose a significant amount of excess weight.  That keeps me pushing through my workouts.  Additionally, I feel so amazing since I've started eating better and drinking Shakeólogy.  I have so much more energy; I'm more focused, and my skin and hair looks great.  I also consider what the food I eat will do to my insides, beyond just whether it'll make me gain or lose weight.  I avoid preservatives and man-made chemicals because who knows what kind of damage those will do in the long run (and the research shows that whatever it is it isn't good!).  I want to feed my body with high quality protein, complex carbs, vitamins, and minerals.  That's a big reason why Shakeology is non-negotiable for me.  I drink it every day because I know that when I have my shake, my body gets more high quality nutrients than through anything else I eat during the day.

And speaking of Shakeology, I just ordered the Vegan Chocolate flavor.  I'll be sure to give a review once I try it!  It has all the same great health benefits of my current Tropical, just with added chocolatey goodness.

Stay healthy!

Working Out Like a Pro

Fitness is a journey.  You do not workout for months and months, get into amazing shape, and then poof, you're done.  It just doesn't work like that.  Getting in shape and unleashing that inner athlete is a life-long journey.  I am currently only one month into that journey but I'm looking forward to the amazing progress and fitness challenges that lay ahead.  If you've check out my "Workouts" page (on the right side of this post) you know that I really really want to do Insanity.  In fact, I've even set a start day: January 13, 2013.  I have about 5 months left before then to get fit enough to take on the Insanity challenge, and I'm going to be smart with that time.  That's why I'm building up my cardio endurance this first 90 days, and then I'll be adding in High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) in my second set of three months (leading up to Insanity).

After Insanity, I should be in amazing shape and ready to take on the Asylum (aka Insanity part 2).  I'm crazy excited about doing Asylum.  I always felt like I had an athlete hiding inside me and I'm also fairly competitive so it would be so cool to be as fit, or more so, than my brother who plays soccer in college.  When I saw this video of Olympic Gold Medalist, Hope Solo, who is the goalie for the US soccer team, saying how much she loves Asylum, well, let's just say "look out little brother!"  I won't get to Asylum until March, but I'm so excited!  Today I leave you with this awesome video.  If this doesn't pump you up to want to get fit, I don't know what will!

Stay healthy!


P.S.

Be smart if you want to do a hard core program like Insanity or Asylum.  If you haven't worked out in years, it's probably a good idea to start with a less intense program and work your way up (that's what I'm doing).  And you should definitely check with your doctor if you plan to go from zero physical activity to something like Insanity.  You don't want an injury keeping you away from your workouts.

30 Day Progress!

It's weigh-in day!  Normally, that sentence would not have an exclamation point, but after four weeks of consistency in both my workouts and my eating habits, I'm happy to say I've made some progress!  I know you're all excited to find out how I did so I'll cut to the chase and just tell you.

In four weeks I lost:

7.4 pounds

3" from my waist

1" from my hips

Woohoo!  Those might not seem like super high numbers, but they are near the high end of a healthy-rate of weight loss so I am very happy with those results.  And because my strength has increased steadily during the past month, I can be pretty sure that those seven pounds came from body fat and not muscle, which is exactly what I want to happen.

For those new to my blog, here's how I lost the weight.  First, let me tell you want I did NOT do: I did not starve myself (I ate 5-6 meals every day), I did not count calories, and I did not spend hours and hours at a gym every day.  What I did do was this: I ate clean (small, healthy, meals every 3 hours), I drank Shakeology as my final meal of the night, and I worked out with both weights and cardio for about 30 minutes a day.  The workouts were Les Mills Pump and TurboFire, both done in the comfort (and privacy) of my living room.

Here are my progress pictures.  Please note that I have a long journey ahead of me, but I'm happy to see some changes happening already.

I see the changes most in my face and in my waist from the side view.  Like I said, I'm in the very beginning of my journey, but I know that what I'm doing is working so I'll keep at it.

Coming Up in Month Two

So, what's changing in month two?  Nutritionally, I will continue to eat clean every three hours and drink Shakeology.  What'll be new this month is that most of the meals will take place at work or in class, rather than at home.  This will require even more planning but it'll be worth it!

The workouts in month two will be longer and more intense.  Instead of averaging 30 minutes a day, the new workouts will take about 45 minutes.  I'll still be using Pump and TurboFire, but now that I have a solid foundation of fitness to work from, I'll move on to the harder workouts in those programs.  You can check out the post on my fitness schedule here to see what workouts I have coming up this month.

And finally, a special note to you, my readers.  If you're reading this and thinking you'd like to get in shape (whether that means losing weight, getting faster, adding muscle, etc), I would love for you to be on this journey with me.  If you're interested in trying Shakeology, getting one of the workouts I've been doing or that I talked about on my "Workouts" page, or you just want someone to help you stay motivated, please leave me a comment or send me a message on Facebook.  I'd love to work together to meet our goals.

Thanks for reading, and remember, stay healthy!

No Pain, No Gain?

Anyone who ever took a gym class in high school has probably heard the phrase "no pain, no gain." I'm not a fan of that phrase for a couple of reasons.  Mainly because it causes some people to push through the wrong types of pain.

When working out, there are a number of different types of "pain" you may experience during your program.  Some are good and others can be very dangerous.  For example, when strength training, if your muscles are burning and hurting, that's probably a good thing.  That means you're adequately taxing your muscles in order to build more strength or endurance, and you should push through that "pain".  Joint pain, on the other hand, is nothing something to take lightly.  Often, this results from poor form when performing an exercise, so check with a qualified fitness professional to have them evaluate your form to make sure you're doing it right.  Or, if you're working out at home, have a friend or partner compare what you're doing to what the instructors on your DVD are doing to make sure they look the same.  Either way, you do not want to push through joint pain.  If you do, you run the risk of further injuring the joint which could end up in an injury so severe it requires surgery (and no one wants that!).

A couple days ago I noticed that my right knee felt a little funny.  It doesn't hurt, but it doesn't feel quite "right" either.  The last thing I want as I start a fitness journey is to find myself sidelined with an injury. So, what am I doing?  A couple of different things actually.  During my strength training, I make sure I'm paying close attention to my form, especially during squats.  And during TurboFire, I took out a few of the high-impact options (so less jumping overall) to put less stress on my knee.  If the weird feelings continues, I'm planning to look into a joint support supplement, and if that doesn't work, of if the weird feeling start to turn into a feeling of pain, I'll make an appointment with my doctor.  However,  I also know that losing weight is one of the best things I can do for all my joints.  It's not good for them to have to carry around 70+ pounds of extra weight.  So that means I need to continue to stay focused on eating clean and working out safely.

So, moral of today's post?  If you're not experience joint pain, push yourself to workout hard during your workouts.  Push past your comfort zone and lift a little heavier, work a little harder during your intervals, while always maintaining good form.  However, if your joints hurt, check your form, reduce the amount of jumping, and see your doctor if things really hurt or don't improve.

And as always, stay healthy!

Next Week's Menu

I've been getting a lot of questions about what I eat.  I like to make my life easy and pre-plan all my meals for the week.  This makes grocery shopping, deciding what's for dinner, and packing enough food for work really simple.  I post the list on my fridge so each morning I can check it out and know what I'm doing for the day.  It takes a little time up front to plan ahead, but it saves even more time and hassle later so it's definitely worth it.  You'll notice a lot of repetition, especially for breakfast, and that just keeps it simple.  I love my yogurt and grapenuts; so, why mess with a good thing?

Here's what I'll be eating next week.

You'll also notice that I include weekly goals and notes about which meals I'll need to pack for work (or for my trip away for the weekend).  I do this to help me stay focused and to make packing for work very easy.  I don't always end up with the same number of leftovers (anything noted as LO on the list indicates leftovers) as what I plan for, but I make it work the best I can.  Feel free to borrow any ideas from my list you want!

In case you're wondering what I consider a "healthy taco salad," that will be made with lean ground turkey, a taco seasoning that's low sodium and without preservatives (I'll be reading lots of nutritional labels!), on a bed of lettuce and baked tortilla chips (about half a serving) and topped with all natural salsa.  Should be yummy!  Oh, and the thighs are boneless, skinless, chicken thighs.  I don't eat them often but they're cheaper than chicken breasts and the difference in fat/calories is minimal.  Like I said, I don't eat them often but I get sick of the same old chicken all the time and don't want to eat too much red meat.

Stay healthy!

Up Before the Dawn

Today was my first day back at work (I work in a college office part time as a graduate assistant) and I have to say that I'm glad to be back.  I work with some really amazing colleagues and I'm excited for our students to return.  I'm also truly looking forward to having a set schedule again.  I tend to not do so well when I have days upon days of nothing to do.  All that said though, I don't enjoy leaving for work before my boyfriend is even awake!  I woke up at 5:30 this morning so I could get my workout in before I left for work at 7:40 (which is earlier than usual but there's construction on my road right now and that added about 15 minutes to my commute).

But hey, I got my workout done!  It felt really good to get home from work and know that I'd already taken care of my fitness for the day.  I succeeded at work nutritionally as well.  I packed enough food for the hours I was scheduled to work and was able to eat every three hours like usual.  It was a very successful day, and I even got a lot of "work" work done, too!  It is going to be a productive year in that position and with my health and fitness, too.  I know it!

The working out without eating first went better today.  And luckily, after this week, I should only need to get up at 6 AM instead of 5:30, which will be better.  I was also worried that the blender would wake up my partner, but he slept through it (hurray!).  Now I don't have to worry about waking him up when I blend together my post-workout protein shake.

There's not too much else to report today, other than I'm super excited to continue my fitness journey.  I planning to do INSANITY in January and then Asylum in March, and I am so excited to do those!  I know I have a long way to go before I'm physically ready so I'll keep pushing hard during TurboFire until then.

Oh, in other news, I achieved my first rank advancement as a coach today.  Now, I'm an Emerald Coach!  As an Emerald Coach, when someone calls into an informercial to buy a Beachbody product, I can be assigned as their coach.  It also means that I'm eligible for team cycle bonuses, but I won't get into all that.  If you're interested in coaching you can message me, I'm not going to write about it on here too much, since this place is really about my health and fitness journey.  And with that in mind...

Stay tuned for my month one weigh-in on Sunday!

Pre-Breakfast Workouts

When work starts tomorrow, I will have to wake up early to workout (around 5:30 or 6:00 AM).  This also means that I won't have time to eat breakfast before my workouts anymore.  I know there are a lot of different opinions about whether it's good to workout on an empty stomach, or eat first, so I'm just going to share what I noticed seems to work for me.

When time isn't an issue, I prefer to eat before I workout.  I feel that I have more energy and can push harder during the workout.  The downside to eating first is that I have to wait at least an hour after the meal before I can begin my workout.  That's a long time when you need to fit everything in (including a shower and packing a lunch) before 8 AM.  So, unfortunately, starting tomorrow I will be forced to workout right after I wake up (giving myself about 15 minutes to drink some water and wake up first, of course).

I decided to go ahead and "test-drive" this immediate workout thing this morning and I have to say that my workout wasn't great.  I made it through and I was super sweaty, but I didn't push as hard as I did on Monday in my cardio.  But this could also be because I did a 45 minute cardio instead of a 30 minute workout.  I have to admit that I went into the workout expecting it to be harder than when I get to eat breakfast so that could be a factor as well.  I'm going to try again tomorrow and Friday and see how those workouts go.  If I'm still having a hard time working out with nothing in my stomach, I'll try different things to see what works best.  Whether that's a half a banana before I workout or trying out a pre-workout drink, I'm not sure yet, but I'll be sure to report what I try!

I also want to emphasize that even though my workout wasn't my "best ever" it still helped move my fitness forward.  Even a lower intensity workout is way better than no workout at all!  I'm proud of myself for pushing through and I know that consistency over the long term is what will get me in shape, not sporadic 110% effort workouts.  So, even if you're not feeling it today, get your workout done.  Even if it isn't a great workout, you will feel better and your body will thank you for it in the long run.

Stay healthy!

You Can't Do Everything

I am a huge fan of to-do lists.  In fact, I make one every single day.  I have a to-do list app on my phone (Awesome Note) that keeps my list at my fingertips all day.  I put everything on that one list; there are no separate lists for fitness goals, work projects, or household chores.  It all goes on one list.  I have one "whole" life so I have a holistic list.  I do separate my list, however, by timeframe.  I have one to-do list for things that must be done "today," and others for "this week," "this month," and "this year."  They are all housed within the same app so it's easy to transfer activities from one list to another.  I truly believe a daily to-do list is essential to reach your goals.

So, what goes on my to-do list?  Everything!  Now, you can't really do everything without getting burned out or feeling so stressed that you lose sight of why you're working towards your goals in the first place.  However, I do put everything that needs to be done on my list; I just make sure I choose the most important items to put on there.  Anything I need to do to get fitter and healthier, any household chores that need to get done, homework that needs to be finished, and reminders to email my boss back or call my mom about something goes on there.  Any of that stuff that needs to happen today goes on, you guessed it, my "today" list.  If it would be "nice" to get to today, it doesn't go on the "today" list.  Instead I move it to my "this week" list.  That way, only the most important things go on the "today" list.  Because I really can't do everything.  But I can make sure I get through each "today" list and then move on to the "this week" if I have time!  That way, every night when I go to bed, I feel very accomplished because I finished my list.

I review my lists throughout the day to make sure I'm making the best use of my time (and yes, updating this blog is on my list!).  Once all the tasks are checked off, I can either move on to the less urgent tasks or, just as important, take some time to relax!  I also review my longer term lists to see if any item needs to be moved up in priority.  Maybe it was on the "this year" list but now it really needs to be done "this month."  I make those changes accordingly.

I also have a number of to-dos that are reoccurring.  These items I star so that at the end of the day, before I delete all my completed to-dos, I "uncheck" these items so they are back on my list for the next day.  My reoccurring to-do items include: workout, drink shakeology, and blog.  These three items move me toward my big goal this year of losing 70 pounds.  They comprise the daily action steps for fitness, good nutrition, and accountability.  I used to include eating at the table, but that's become habit and is no longer necessary to include on my list.  However, when work starts on Thursday, I'll probably add "pack tomorrow's meals" to the list so I remember to get my food ready the night before work.

There's nothing magical about my list.  I just do it everyday to make sure I get the most important things done each day.  Each task either moves me closer to one of my 10 goals for this year or is something mundane that just needs to be done.  Once work starts, work tasks will also find their way onto my list. Productivity at work will mean less stress at night worrying about what I didn't finish that day.

So, what's on my list today?  Here it is:

• Workout *
• Drink Shakeology *
• Blog *
• Call parking
• Respond to S.K.'s message
• Review Coach back office
• Look into planning a Shakeology taste-testing party
• Research timeframe for starting workout challenge group
• Research successful fitness blogs

See, nothing special there.  Just productive :)

And, what's on my "this week" list?  Things that would be nice to do today but don't have to get done today:

• Pick up parking pass
• Post meal plan to blog
• Weigh-in and take measurements: share on blog, Facebook, and twitter
• Order birthday present for bf
• Check online to see if book list was posted for class
• Request loan refund from school

I don't move to this list until the "today" list is all complete.  Now, could I finish all of those things today?  Probably.  (Except the weigh-in which is scheduled for Sunday.)  But remember, we can't, or maybe the better saying is that we shouldn't, do everything!  We need down time to enjoy our progress!   This feels especially important for me right now because once classes start, even with the best to-do list, I will have next to no downtime.  Grad school is hard and takes up a lot of time.  But I know I can't do everything, which is why I'll cut other non-essentials from my list when school starts.  While I'd love to continue to blog every day, it's probably not going to happen.  I'll do it at least once a week (the accountability is important to reach my fitness goals) but if I have to choose between spending an extra 15 minutes with my boyfriend after finishing homework versus writing a blog post, I'll choose the free time over the blog most days.  Things that grad school will NOT push of my daily tasks are those related to my health: my workout and my shakeology.  Grad school is not worth sacrificing my health and fitness over.  And besides, a workout takes about an hour or less so I can make that a priority and fit it in first thing in the morning.  And Shakeology?  All of 2 minutes in a blender.

Alright, that's my rant about the awesomeness of to-do lists.  Stay healthy!

Fitness Progress!

I wanted to share some of the non-scale progress I've made since starting my fitness journey.  While I do have my monthly weigh-in coming up this Sunday, getting fit is about more than a number on the scale.

You may remember from my post about my workout schedule that I've been doing the same cardio workout, Fire 30, for the last three weeks.  I had Fire 30 again today and I am so thrilled with the progress I've made on that workout.  While the workout still felt as intense today as it did on "day one," I'm doing so much more in that workout now.  The first week I couldn't do ANY of the high impact exercises.  I had to follow the low-impact modifier the entire video.  Today, however, I did about 90%-95% of the video high impact!  That's 0% high impact to over 90% in just three weeks!  I still felt just as "spent" at the end of the workout as I did on the first day but I was able to push so much harder during the workout.  That's why trainers will often say working out never gets any easier, you just get more fit and therefore push harder.  It was truly an awesome workout.  On Wednesday, my next cardio day, I'm moving on from Fire 30 to tackle Fire 45EZ.  Can't wait!

On the strength training side of things, a similar thing has happened.  Every workout feels as hard as the one before but I'm lifting so much more than I was in the first week.  I've added 20 pounds to my squats, 15 pounds to my back rows, and 5 pounds to my chest.  Tomorrow I plan to increase the weights I use on the chest so that'll be 10 more pounds than week one!  So, the workouts truly don't get any easier because I'm lifting more and getting stronger.  If your workout ever feels easy, you didn't go hard enough!  Unless of course it's supposed to be a rest day in which case, go ahead and take it easy ;)

Regardless of what the scale says on Sunday, I know that my fitness is moving forward every day and by eating clean I get a bit healthier each day, too.  And that, more than any number on the scale, is what's important.

Stay healthy!

Shakeology Review: Guest Blogger!

Last night my little brother (age 14) spent the night at my apartment.  Most of the night he spent glued to his laptop but I did make him a Tropical Shakeology for dessert!  It was nice to see him enjoying something so incredibly healthy.  I asked him to write a guest blog for today sharing his thoughts on Shakeology.

Take it away Tristan!

"Shakeology is a majorly healthy drink that gives you your needed amount of fruits and vegetables for the day. It tastes fairly good alone with just water, but to make it healthier and make it taste better you can add frozen mixed fruits. Obviously Shakeology is a tasty and healthy drink/smoothy to have as a dessert a couple of time a week."

Thanks bro!

I drink Shakeology every night and I love getting all that great nutrition.  The price tag can seem a little steep but when you compare the per meal cost to a meal at a fast food place, it's actually cheaper (and cheaper than your Starbucks, too!) with a bazillion times the nutrition!  But to make it easier on my bank account, I decided to sign up as a Beachbody coach.  This way, I get 25% off on Shakeology and any other workout program that I buy.  And since I ordered it on monthly auto-ship (called home direct) I get free shipping, too.  I love saving money on great nutrition!

You can check out my own personal shakeology website by clicking here.  I drink the Tropical Strawberry flavor but they also have Chocolate and Greenberry flavors.  The Tropical and one of the Chocolates is also vegan for any of you who are vegan or can't handle dairy.

And just one week until I weigh-in and share my progress on here (complete with pictures!).  That means it's time to hit up today's workout and keep my nutrition clean.  I'm a little nervous but also really excited.  I know I feel better and I think I look better but I'm anxious to see what the scale and tape measurements say.

Stay tuned and stay healthy!

The Value of Your Rest Day

Rest days are an important component to any fitness program.  Most programs schedule one or two rests days a week.  This is because rest allows your body to recover and rebuild stronger than before.  Without rest, you risk overtraining and stalling your progress.  That's why you can't train the same muscle group on back to back days, and why you can't do a HIIT workout on consecutive days either.

While rest is important for your body, a rest day doesn't mean you should lay on the couch all day watching television.  Our bodies are built to move, so it's important to move them daily!  You should "rest," so activity shouldn't be intense or very strenuous.  Active rest can look like a gentle walk after dinner or some housework or gardening.  This is also helpful when you're feeling sore.  A nice walk can loosen up tight muscles, whereas a day on the couch can make you more stiff.

For my rest day today I did some cleaning (vacuuming, kitchen, etc) and I'm trying to talk my boyfriend into playing mini-golf with my little brother who's staying the night with us (my brother is 14).  None of those activities are strenuous but they are more active than being a couch potato!  And then tomorrow I'll be well rested and able to go heavier during my Pump workout.  Can't wait!

I do have to say, though, that I really enjoyed sleeping in and staying cozy in my bed without feeling guilty about running out of time to workout.  Very nice.  I did make sure to keep my nutrition nice and clean today to support my body's repair efforts.  And the burgers I made with the homemade breadcrumbs?  Awesome!  So yummy and juicy and just delicious.  I was very happy with them and I look forward to having leftovers for lunch tomorrow :)

Stay healthy and don't forget to rest!

Build a Better Burger

I love summer cooking because I love to cook on the grill.  While I try to keep my red meat consumption down to two meals a week or less, I love me a good ol' burger on the grill.  Tomorrow, my grandparents and my little brother are coming over for dinner, and I decided that'd be a perfect time to make some burgers.  I've been having a hard time with my burgers lately, though, not coming out very moist.  My friends suggested adding breadcrumbs and an egg or two to the ground beef along with my normal seasonings.  I'm going to give that a try, but I didn't want to settle for some processed breadcrumbs made from refined white bread.

So, I made my own!

I had a loaf of Ezekiel bread in the fridge (aka a super clean, whole grain, bread) and dried out a few pieces in the oven (at 300 degrees for 10 minutes) and ground them up in my mini food processor.  I added my own seasonings and stuck them in the fridge.  The bread has zero preservatives so I keep the bread (and the crumbs) in the fridge to keep it fresh.  This way, I have complete control over the quality of the breadcrumbs I'm using in my burgers.  Unfortunately, I can't go too crazy with the burgers because my boyfriend is super picky.  No "funky" feta burgers for him.  I may grill some onions to top the burgers though.

For a side, I'll be serving the left over sesame soba noodle salad I made a few nights ago and I'll probably skip a bun since I'll have the salad.  I'll also be making oven baked french fries for the boys who won't like the soba noodles.

As far as picking the ground meat for the burgers, I tried ground turkey a few weeks ago and my boyfriend did not like them at all.  So, to compromise, I use 90% lean ground beef.  I know burgers are typically made with 80% but I don't want that much fat in my burger.  I'm fairly adventurous, though, so I may experiment with different types of meat.  I've seen recipes for lamb or bison burgers; I may give those a try some time.  If I do, I'll be sure to let you know!

Stay healthy!

My Workout Schedule

I few people have asked me what my workout schedule is, so I decided to share it here.  This is the TurboFire/Les Mills Pump hybrid I put together:

On cardio days (Fire or HIIT days) I also do an extended 10 minute stretch when I'm done.  Day seven is my rest day and I like to do either some additional stretching or I do a Tai Cheng workout.  Doing something on a rest day is often referred to as "active rest."  Basically that means a rest day isn't an excuse to lounge on the couch all day.  You should be active but be gentle with your body.  Going for a nice walk or doing additional stretching are great ways to incorporate active rest.

You'll also notice a lot of repetition and shorter workouts in the first four weeks.   This was intentional to allow my body time to build a foundation of fitness before adding more challenging/longer workouts.  Additionally, the couple times I have HIIT 15/30 or 25/30 means I'll pick one of those workouts depending on how my fitness level has progressed by then.  I'm not doing both.  The Pump workouts (Burn, Shred, Extreme, Revolution) follow the order outlined in the guide that came with the program.  The cardio workouts I organized myself with progressing intensity over the course of the program.

Today was Week 3 Day 5 so I did Fire 30 and Stretch 10.  And, for those of you waiting patiently for my first "real" progress update, I will weigh-in at the end of each month (aka the first day of week five, first day of week nine, and after week 13/day one of the next 3 month program).

Feel free to try out this workout schedule (or create your own).  Just remember to check with your doctor first and stay healthy!

Like a Kid at Christmas (Isagenix is here!)

Around four o'clock this afternoon, I headed into the kitchen to prepare my snack (grapes and almonds) and the UPS guy showed up with my Isagenix!  Woohoo!  Needless to say, I ran to the door, tore open the box, and just had to have one of the IsaLean Pro shakes for snack instead!  Starting tomorrow the IsaLean Pro will be my post-workout meal and Shakeology will move to after dinner but I was just too excited to try it to wait until tomorrow.

So, here's the scoop on the shake (pun intended).

It has 290 calories, 35g protein, 23g carbs, and 6g of healthy fat.  It also has tons of vitamins including 150% of your daily B12 and 60% of Vitamin D and Folate.  Between this and Shakeology I may not need a multivitamin anymore!  I'll keep taking what I already have but may not buy more vitamins when I run out.  And it tastes really good for a protein shake.  While it certainly doesn't taste like a vanilla milkshake, it doesn't taste bad at all.  It wasn't gritty or weird tasting, which tends to be a tall order for protein shakes so I was pleased about that.  I think this will be perfect for after my workouts and I can't wait to share how it goes once I've had more time to see how it affects my body and my progress.

Also, I decided to sign up as an "associate" with the company to get a discount on the product.  The fee was about $25 a year and I can save about $40/month on my supply of shakes.  And now I even have my own nifty website where people can order the product if they want.  You can click here to check it out!  You can either click "buy now" to check out products or click "sign up and save" to, well, sign up and save money on your order (that's what I did!).  I'm pretty stoked about being able to save almost $500 a year on my protein shake!  I love a deal, that's for sure!

Anyway, it's time to start thinking about dinner.  I'm making grilled chicken with a soba noodle salad.  I want to get the salad cooked now so it'll have time to cool in the fridge before dinner.  And later, I'm getting a new computer!  Trading in my 6 year old Macbook Pro for a new iMac.  Can't wait!

Keep it healthy!

Don't Be Afraid to Lift "Heavy"

I just finished today's workout (Pump & Burn from Les Mills Pump) and my legs are toast!  I increased my weights on the squat track today and I really felt it.  So, I thought today would be a perfect time to talk about choosing the right weights.

When I started Pump almost three weeks ago, I started out small.  In Pump, you use a barbell (as opposed to free weights or resistance bands).  The bar weighs about five pounds and then you add weights to each side.  Since I was just starting out, the first workout I added 5s to each side and did the workout.  As I went through the exercises, I made a note on the workout sheet of any track that felt "too easy" with just the five pounds and added a little plus sign.  That notation told me that the next time I did the workout I needed to bump it up to 7.5 pounds per side, then 10 pounds, and so on.  The first workout, only one exercise needed heavier weights. Now that I'm in my third week, I'm only using five pounds on the warm-up (which is what the suggested weight is) and during the ab section.  The other tracks I'm using 7.5 - 12.5 pounds.  Gotta love progress!  It feels great to squat with 12.5 pounds per side (that's 30 pounds total if you include the weight of the bar) when the first workout I barely made it through with the five pounds (or 15 pounds total weight).

How to Decide if Your Weights are Heavy Enough

There are a lot of styles of weight lifting.  Some programs, like ChaLEAN Extreme, have you lift very slowly and aim for 6-8 or 10-12 reps per exercise.  Other programs, like Les Mills Pump, use what's called the "rep effect" and you do numerous repetitions over the course of 5-6 minutes (so say 50-100 reps per exercise).  I've heard personal trainers use terms like drop sets, and all sorts of things I don't know enough about to talk about them intelligently, but I do know there are lots of different styles of lifting.  We can clearly see that what's considered heavy for one program can be completely inappropriate for the other, depending on the style of lifting.

So, how do you know how heavy to go?

First and foremost, it is absolutely essential, regardless of what strength training program you are doing, to write down the weights you use for each exercise.  This is the only way to know when to lift more or to avoid using something too light over and over because you forget what you did before.  Once you have a system to keep track of your weights/reps/etc., I suggest starting out lower than you expect, especially if you are just starting out.  For me, it's mentally easier to say "oh hey, I should increase my weights" than it is to pick something too heavy and be incapable of walking the next day.  That's why I intentionally started with just 5 pounds for Pump (since it has so many reps).  Pay attention to any instructions given in the video (or your personal trainer if that's what you're doing) and listen for beginner-sized weights.  If you've already been working out for awhile, you likely already have a good idea of what you can lift and it won't be necessary to start that low.  But if you haven't lifted weights in a few months, I'd at least scale it back from what you used to do.

Now, what's considered "heavy" in 100% determined by you.  Not your neighbor, your spouse, or your best friend.  You need to determine what is heavy for you based on your current fitness level.  Adding five pounds to squats may be extremely challenging for one person but seem like nothing to someone else.  Find what works for you.  However, don't wimp out and make your workout too easy.  It should be challenging regardless of fitness level!  Now, here's my big tip on making sure you go heavy enough.  Assuming you are using excellent form, if you finish your set and feel like "eh, I could have done a few more reps" you are going too light!!  Those last few reps should be so hard that you can barely do them.  

*Note: You should never sacrifice form to go heavier.  If you find your form falling to pieces towards the end of the set, you need to go lighter.  Form is incredibly important both to your fitness gains and to prevent injury.  Even the last rep should have perfect form (but it should be really really hard!).

So, whenever I finish up a "track" during Pump and feel like I could bust out a few more reps, I make a note to go heavier the next time.  However, to make sure I don't go too heavy and sacrifice form, each time I increase my weights I only add 2.5 pounds per side.  This allows me to increase slowly and safely.  Sometimes it means I only use a certain weight once and then keep moving up, but I'd rather do that then go up too much and lose my form and hurt myself.

Ladies, you need to lift heavy!

A lot of women are afraid to lift weights for fear of turning into the Hulk.  It won't happen; I promise!  Women simply do not have enough testosterone to get huge.  On top of that, building muscle is a slow process.  If you're working out and find yourself thinking, "hey, my biceps are perfect.  I want them to stay this size," then that's when you stop adding weight and just maintain that muscle size.  But all the research shows that women who lift heavy gain lean muscle mass which makes them leaner and smaller.  Fat makes you bulky, not muscle!  And the best news of all?  Building muscle is the best way to increase your metabolism.  So, ladies, go pick up some weights or a resistance band and get strong!

And as always, remember that nutrition accounts for 80% of the way your body looks.  If you want to shed fat, while lifting weights is very important, it's vital that you keep it clean in the kitchen.

Stay healthy!

I Am More Than a Body!

I saw this photo on Facebook today and I just had to share it here.

I agree 100% with this image.  I saw the original (without the stop sign) a couple weeks ago and just thought to myself: "Why are there so many photos asking us to compare women's body to determine their worth?!"  I think this updated image says it all.  "You are capable of more than being looked at."

Am I overweight?  Yes.  Will I be healthier if I reduce my body fat?  Absolutely.  Am I already healthier now after 2.5 weeks of clean eating and working out?  I certainly think so.  I may not "look" thinner but I know my insides are healthier and I feel better.

While this blog is about my journey to become fit and healthy, I think it's important to introduce you to the rest of me, because I am more than a body.

I am a second year master's student, studying Higher Education/Student Affairs.  I live with my amazing boyfriend who works in the IT field.  He keeps me calm when grad school stresses me out.  I'm very close with my family and hope to stay close to home after I graduate in May (hopefully colleges around here are hiring).  I'm a bit of an introvert and surprisingly funny (I say surprisingly because people laugh at things I don't always intend to be funny!).  I'm smart and focused and rocked out a 4.0 in undergrad and holding strong with 3.95 in grad school.  I took three years of Spanish in college and ended up pretty good at the language; unfortunately, a year away from the language has left me very rusty.  I have a big heart and care deeply for my friends and family.  And if I had all the money in the world, I would still work in Student Affairs, but would probably take a 10 month position instead of 12 so I could spend my summers at the lake with my family.

We are all so much more than what our bodies look like.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Adjusting My Nutrition

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've found myself hungry and snacking on not-so-clean foods after dinner.  In an effort to curb this, I moved all of my meals to my dining room table (instead of the couch).  This has helped, to an extent.  I know longer crave junk food at night but I still find myself getting hungry after dinner.

And then I had a huge "DUH!" moment.

Of course I'm getting hungry!  Most nights there are 5-6 hours between dinner and bed!  If I'm eating every three hours, no wonder I get hungry about 2.5-3 hours after dinner.  Duh, Sam, duh.

As a result of this "a-ha!" moment, I'm adjusting my nutritional goals a bit.  One of my Facebook friends has been eating clean and lifting weights for awhile now and has been extremely successful.  She is super fit and super lean and very motivating and very "real" about who she is and what it takes to be in great shape.  A couple months back she switched out her normal whey protein drink with a product from Isagenix.  She got amazing results from just changing that one meal and now highly suggests those products to anyone looking for a protein or meal replacement shake.  I trust her and her results so I decided to order some Isagenix for myself.  I bought the IsaLean Pro mix and the Isagenix Greens! to add to my daily routine.  Since the shake has a ton of great protein (I think it has about 35 grams) I am going to use that as my post-workout meal instead of Shakeology.  I will move Shakeology to my after-dinner meal and treat it as a super healthy dessert since it basically tastes like a tropical smoothie anyway.  I bought the greens mix and will just add that to the protein shake because you can never get enough veggie nutrition!  And especially for people like me who struggle to eat any vegetables anyway.

The Isagenix products are also nice because they cost less than Shakeology and my other option was going to be to have two Shakeology drinks a day.  Which I will do until the new shakes get here, which should be Wednesday or Thursday.  I'm very excited for this new regimen and I will post updates once my product arrives.  I think this will also help keep my dinner portions in check since I noticed them starting to get a big larger trying to "make sure" I didn't get hungry again afterwards.  Glad I figured it out before those portion sizes got any bigger!  For those keeping count, this means I'll be having six meals a day instead of five.

Keep it healthy!

If You Fail to Plan You Plan to Fail!

After two days at camp babysitting my two cousins with my grandma, I have to say that the above statement is incredibly true.  If you fail to plan you truly plan to fail.  In previous trips to camp, whether a day trip or overnight, I spent a good portion of the trip eating cookies, ice cream, chips, and homemade (high fat and high sodium) dips.  This time around I've eaten clean!  I can contribute this success to two things:

1- I am committed to living a healthy lifestyle
2- I planned ahead

I know that regardless of how fast or slow I lose weight, the way I am treating my body (by eating clean and working out) is going to make me a healthier and happier person over the long run.  Consistency is the key part to that change.  I believe this understanding has helped me make healthier decisions and choose better alternatives when I get a fleeting craving for junk.  I haven't had a single soda in over a month (diet or regular) and I choose fruit and nuts over cookies for snacks.  Woohoo!  While sometimes I stress that I will not lose weight as quickly as I'd like, as long as it continually goes down, no matter how slow, I know I'm doing the right thing.  I remind myself that a slow loss is better than a slow gain!

The other key to my success this weekend is in the preparation.  I packed my own Greek yogurt, pre-measured grapenuts, almond packets, Shakeology, Ezekiel bread, brown rice, and all natural peanut butter.  Have I needed all of that?  No.  But every time I need a snack or a side dish to my meal, I know I have something healthy at hand.  The nuts paired well with the fruit Gram bought and the Ezekiel bread went nicely with the lean hamburgers we made tonight.  The yogurt and grapenuts are a traditional breakfast for me but they could also serve as a snack.  I may do that tomorrow when Gram plans to make eggs and turkey bacon for breakfast.  I'm not sure how clean the turkey bacon is so I'll have to check that out before I decide whether or not to eat any.

Tomorrow night I have another eat clean challenge.  We are going out to eat for my boyfriend's sister's birthday.  I can't exactly pack a meal to microwave at the restaurant so "planning ahead" will translate to looking up the restaurant's menu before I go and selecting a couple of options ahead of time that look the "cleanest."  That way I won't be overwhelmed with the menu when I get there and will be less tempted to pick something unhealthy.  I'll also skip the bread basket if there is one.  I'll report back how it goes!

Keep it healthy!

Eating Clean Away From Home

I had a few errands to run today which had me out of the house for a couple of my meals.  I had a quick visit to the orthodontist to get the next two aligners in my Invisalign treatment and then I visited my grandma.  For many people, visiting family can mean a nutritional nightmare.  In the past, my family visits were no exception.  My gram makes some killer dips (chicken wing, rye bread, and taco) and she always has something yummy to eat.  Especially around the holidays.  Luckily, my gram knows that I'm getting in shape and didn't mind that I brought some of my own food with me for lunch.  It helps that she is also trying to lose weight (she's down 14 pounds so far!) so she usually has some good fruits and vegetables around, too.  Unfortunately, she's been out of town for awhile so did not have much in the way of fresh produce.  Rather than eating chips or some other junk, I chose an egg sandwich for my mid-afternoon meal and brought my own food for lunch.

This upcoming weekend I will be staying at my Aunt's place ("the camp") to co-babysit my two little cousins with my gram.  Sully is four and a half and his baby brother Gabe is just shy of 11 months and they are just too adorable.  My aunt and uncle will be out of town for a wedding so I'll be there early Friday afternoon until late Sunday afternoon.  In order to continue my healthy habits, I need to plan ahead.  I'm packing workout clothes and my TurboFire DVDs to stay on track with my fitness.  I will try to get up at 6 AM to workout before the kids wake up, and if that doesn't work, I'll pass the kids off to gram for an hour to get my workout and shower in.  On the nutritional front, I'm bringing my own rice, yogurt, and packets of nuts to supplement what I can get at camp.  I'm also thinking about trying banana "ice cream" this weekend instead of going out for the full fat stuff.  Apparently if you freeze bananas and blend them up with a little fat-free milk it turns to ice cream consistency.  If I give it a try I'll let you know!

In dental news, like I mentioned, I picked up trays eight and nine from the orthodontist today.  I had to get an attachment put back on that fell off a couple weeks ago.  I had hoped to get the final tray today as well but instead I have to go back in 6 weeks to get my attachments off (yay!) and get my final tray.  Can't wait! Normally I would put my next tray in tonight but since I have a regular dental cleaning tomorrow, I'm going to wait until tomorrow night.  I don't want to go for a cleaning with a mouth that's already sore.  Ouch!  But I'm on my way to a straight, gap-free, smile!

Oh and here are my meals from the last three days (including my homemade Chinese food!)

Stay healthy friends!