Progress

Okay, my eating habits have not been the best with family coming in and the holiday weekend..However, My eating habits during the week are better and helping to clean out the bad eating. I have had plenty of water to combat salty foods and am eating more in moderation when it comes to the junk and specialty food. Getting workouts in has been tough just because there has been so much going on and instead of bodyrocking i've just done squats and pushups and dips sans intervals. while at the computer shoulder presses and leg extensions with my band to get something in. Back though to going to zumba classes and having tons of fun really pushing it every session.

Apparently it's was helping because i measured myself and my waist lost an inch. I am 3 inches away from my goal measurement. My tummy is pulling in and that makes me happy.I have been doing a lot of fitness reading about working with my own body weight and i know which exercises i need to add weight to and this seems to be working for now. Intervals are really helpful with cardio and so is Zumba.I read The Female Body Breakthrough by Rachel Cosgrove and I love her chapter on how to coordinate your workouts with your menstrual cycle. It makes so much sense and i think i will adapt that knowledge into my routine to strengthen it and see if it can help me push through those days when I'm just in the mood to skip working out.

Trying to meal plan is difficult b/c there are day where i just feel that i want to eat something else. Or, i get a sweet tooth and want something sweet rather than savory. How to get over that is still baffeling me.  Though my snacking is getting better and more healthy love Pistachios and cranberries. Also Mission figs..mmmmmm.

I am looking forward to the next part of my journey.

progress this week

Okay got to go to 2 Zumba classes and got in my strength training and as a result i have lost another half inch off my hips.

Going to try to keep this up and hopefully loose more inches! Do need to get new jeans as my current jeans which were figure hugging are now baggy on me.  This is exciting!

Eating is much better getting in simple and fresh ingredients. More water and it's just been a time of making strides in a positive direction. yay!

week 4

Okay this week was better.

Got in two resistance workouts and two cardio and hopefully a third tomorrow. Today did Holly Rigsby's Beginner Workout B instead of Introductory workout B by accident but a workout is a workout. I got moving and burned some cals.  For my chest press portion of the workout i found that my 5 and 6 lbs weights were too light and had to go up to my 8lbs to get a burn by the 10th thru 12th reps. I think next time i will try the 10lbs to really work myself. Just being safe since i was just sick and all. However it is good to know that i'm not as weak as i think i am. Really proud of myself that i got thru 10 reps and 3 sets of the belly blaster move. I remember trying to do that my first time and it was so hard..i think i only did like 4 of them back then.

Getting back to eating oatmeal int he morning and i have really missed it. That mixed with a teaspoon of nutella and peanut butter make a great faux peanut-butter-cup oatmeal treat!

making sure i get enough protein and veggies in is tough with new adjustments to schedule and tons of changes with juggling two kids. I have to get back to meal planning so i can breathe easier in that respect. My problem again is getting meals that are healthy and lower in sodium than traditional crockpot recipes.
My fave crockpot recipe has to be tortilla soup. So easy and can be adjusted to more firey for my family's taste or more mild for those experimenting with mexican heat.

I can't remember where i got the recipe but here it is and in parenthese will be my adjustments

Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

2 large chicken breasts
2 cloves garlic (i use garlic powder) 
4 oz. green chilies
1 onion diced ( i used frozen chopped)
30 oz. diced tomatoes (love fire roasted)
1/2 to 1 C. Chicken Broth
1 Tbs. cumin (i use less..a little goes a long way with the smokey flavor)
salt & peper to taste
2 Tbs. Cilantro
(white corn tortillas)
(mexican blend cheese)

Here is the way i do it:
Place chicken in slow cooker and lightly coat in garlic powder.
In blender or food processor blend the next 7 ingredients until smooth or to the texture of your desire.
Pour veggie mixture over chicken and set slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Shred Chicken before serving with two forks.

Turn toaster over or reg oven on to broil. place tortillas on cookie sheet and cut into strips 1/4" wide. Toast until crispy and garnish soup with strips and cheese to taste. To cheat with the tortillas, sometimes i do fold them in half and put them in the toaster and then let the family rip apart pieces..whatever works. The crunch factor is what's important.

Et voila!  healthy family meal that every one will love!

STC continued

glitter-graphics.com
Okay after whining and griping for over a week. I have finally had some results:

i have lost a half inch as earlier this week. Then i measured again and i'm now down another half inch. only 2 inches away from my goal. This is so exciting.

I lost an inch off my hips! that is some thing wonderful! My hips haven't lost inches in a long while.

Got a nordic track elliptical off craigslist for $50 and it works beautifully.


It was finals that was stressing me out and all the travel i've had to do for work and school and getting the car fixed and many things coming at me all at once. I miss my husband.

STC Day 4&5

STC Day 4 &5

Cardio and Advanced Bonus Workout #3B

Felt very tired today with paper writing. Can't wait to hand it in tomorrow.

Cardio yesterday was intervals: variety of movements for HI Burst: Y squats, lunges, skater, side lunges.

Today: Workout Advance wk #3a

I am so sweating.

For the sumo squats..the only one with weight i used both of my 10lbs dumbbells for resistance.

The Sb pass is still tough. as is the stability ball Push up..still have to modify it with the ball closer to my core.

Eating was better today with salad with very little dressing (1tbs) with dinner and lunch. So happy I'm getting better at this. even with a lunch out at a meeting. SO happy about that!

i just realized i was doing advanced workout #3 and not number 1...oooo no wonder i've been falling..i'm not supposed to be there...i guess my pages just flipped themselves..ahhhhh

going back to advanced workout #1 Friday.

Listened to coaching call and i feel so much better about missing a meal..with this hectic week I've been having i have skipped a meal on Monday and just forgot to eat.
So Lunch and snack were out.

i am still eating under my calorie intake but i'm increasing. Eating at the low range makes me tired. Beginning to look at why i get hungry especially after snack. I think it's because i'm not drinking enough water in the afternoon. Getting back to Green Tea with Goji Berry infusion..yummy! OR Water with fresh lemon slices.

Week 17 Day 2

Okay after being sore for 3 days from using heavier weights, i can get to day 2

I can really say again that i truly like the tri sets Holly has introduced. They are invigorating.

My only challenge was the Stability Ball passes...i just read the book again and i was trying to go to high in reps so i was with in the limit of 5-8 passes. I hit 5 and quit on the 6th one b/c my abs were burning like crazy.

Still need to get heavier weights. Will have to do that today. The Goblet squat was just fine at 16lbs total. i just made it to 10 reps. I could go 2lbs heavier i think.

Cardio will have to be done tonight..toddler is up and wanting breakfast. Trying Tabatas again. I'm strong enough to do this and it was challenging last time i did it but i liked it.

It was a good workout. Happy Friday!

glitter-graphics.com

Song List for my 15 min workout: songs chosen at random by WMP
1) Lady Gaga- Just Dance (club Remix)

2) Beyonce- Get Me Bodied (My favorite)
3)Summertime - NKOTB
4) Rihanna- Please Don't Stop The Music

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Now playing: Britney Spears - Womanizer
via FoxyTunes

Week 15 Day 1 And 2

Day 1:

March Workout.

Almost got thru the whole thing...it's always the Cs that i miss out on trying a new workout. I'm traveling and didn't have my book to access so i tried the March workout. I'm thinking maybe i would have gotten thru if i hadn't been traveling all day and tired.

it was challenging. I enjoyed what i did get thru.

Day 2

5 cycles of HIIT today! I am so happy that i made it to 5 cycles....i know i can make it to 6 next week! This is just so great! My stamina is going up. I've also been searching for new HII movements and i found some on exercise TV and a interval training video so that can be adapted to the HR HIIT prescription. It's good because i feel like it's a game and i'm really huffing and puffing.

Today is my second day in Huston. It's fun..it's nice to be in a big city again. I'm at the TLA 2009 conference (Texas Library Association). It's been fun so far. It's nice seeing young linbrarians like me. Got some insights to some books from the authors and learned about some web 2.0 stuff. Hope to learn more tomorrow. Have seen some of my big bosses and it was nice chattign witht htem outside of work. Learning about new technoliges and the new features of some of the databases..so can't wait to get the new stuff into our branch and get trained on all the uber cool features.

Databases are so sexy.