Week 19 Nutrition and Fitness Plan

I am a little behind in posting this. Last week I had to repeat my menu since my trainer was out of town that week... I won't lie, I cheated and pulled a previous week's menu because I couldn't eat any more chicken. UGH. But I did okay, dropped 4 lbs in the two weeks since I saw my trainer, 20 lbs in total since I started training. I just started going back to school this week, so updates may be slow (or I might have to stop all together, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.) But keep in mind on the workouts since it's a holiday week and with school just starting, I requested a home friendly workout...

Menu
Breakfast
1 cup carbmaster milk
.75 cups Kashi Go Lean cereal
.33 cup blueberries
1st snack
1 scoop whey protein powder
9 Blue Diamond Nut Thins
1 Apple

Lunch 
1 Morningstar black bean veggie burger
1 cup raw spinach
.5 tomato
1 don panchio high fiber low carb wrap

2nd snack
1 carbrite bar

Dinner
1 cup broccoli
.12 recipe Italian Turkey Meatloaf (see recipe)

Late Night Snack
3 egg whites

RECIPES

Italian Turkey Meatloaf
Serves 8

Ingredients:
2.5 lbs extra lean ground turkey
1/2 cup zucchini (optional)
1/2 cup broccoli stems (optional)
1 packet McCormic meatloaf seasoning
4 Egg Whites
2 cups rolled oats
Nonstick cooking spray
1 lb chicken tenders
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt free all purpose seasoning

Instructions:

1 - preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly spray 2 loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray

2 - Mix all ingredients in a big bowl with your hands. Transfer to loaf pans, smashing them down firmly.

3 - Cook for about 35-40 minutes.

Calories: 240
Protein: 38
Fat: 3
Carbs: 14

Workout: 5 days of cardio/4 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

 Any Cardio, just push yourself hard -  20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 12-15 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 2/2  Rest 30-45 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Tubing chest press
push ups
dips on bench
tubing triceps overhead extension
 

Day 2:
tubing lat pull down
tubing standing row
tubing bent over low row
tubing standing bicep curls
tubing standing hammer curls
tubing reverse grip curls
 

Day 3:
Tubing Shoulder press
tubing front shoulder press
tubing lateral raise
forearm bridge (60 seconds)
ball crunches
ab crunch
 

Day 4:
wall squat holds
tubing squats
step ups
stiff legged dead lifts with tubing
walking lunges
standing dumbbell calf raise

 

Week 17 Nutrition and Fitness

So last week, I kind of had a meltdown. I just had an eff it all moment, where I didn't want to follow my nutrition plan or work out. I think I just got burnt out from time change and needed a break. Bad news is I gained a lb, but I have no idea if it was water retention, fat or muscle gain. But I'm back, I haven't lost my fight... so this week I am going to really focus so I can enjoy thanksgiving.

On that note, this menu and fitness plan will repeat for week 18. My trainer will be out of the office for a week so I just have to make due with this... So week 18 won't be posted until after the 23rd of Nov.


Menu
Breakfast
1 cup almond breeze - unsweetened
.75 cups Kashi Go Lean cereal
1 clementine
1 Morningstar vegan breakfast patty
1st snack
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 clementine
1 Nature Valley Trail Mix granola bar
Lunch 
4 oz yams
1 cup cooked green beans
3 oz Sweet Boneless buffalo "wings" (see recipe below)
2nd snack
1 packet Tuna Creations (any flavor)
3 Brown Rice Triscuits
3 Baby Carrots
1  cup celery

Dinner
3 oz almond crusted chicken (see recipe below)
1 cup cooked broccoli
Late Night Snack
.5 cup muscle egg

RECIPES

Sweet Boneless Buffalo WingsServes 4

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1 lb chicken tenders
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt free all purpose seasoning

1/4 cup low sugar BBQ sauce
1 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions:

1 - preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray

2 - cut chicken tenders in half crosswise

3 - In a large resealable plastic bag, combine flour and all purpose seasoning. Add several chicken tenders, seal the bag and shake to coat. Shake off any excess flour. Repeat with the remaining tenders and arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until they are no longer pink.

4 - Meanwhile, for the coating: combine the remaining ingredients. Once the chicken is finished baking toss with BBQ sauce coating.

Calories: 171
Protein: 27
Fat: 2.5
Carbs: 8

Almond Crusted Chicken Fingers
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 tsps. extra virgin Olive Oil
1 lb chicken tenderloins
Egg whites to make the breading stick. (I used egg beaters, about 3 eggs worth for a double batch)

Instructions:

1 - Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2 - Place almonds, flour, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor (or blender), process until almonds are finely chopped and paprika is mixed throughout. With motor running, drizzle in oil, process until combined. Transfer to a shallow dish or large plate.

3 - Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture, turn to coat evenly. Place tenders on the baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Turn and spray the other side.

4 - Bake the chicken tenders until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center (about 20-25 minutes).

Calories: 174
Protein: 27
Fat: 4
Carbs: 4

Workout: 5 days of cardio/4 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

 Elliptical -  20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5  Rest 20-30 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Smith Machine Bench Press

Dumbbell Chest Flyes

Dumbbell Chest Press on Ball

Kickbacks

Dips

Cable Triceps Press Downs on Rope

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls

Preacher Curls

Standing Hammer DB Curl

Seated cable row with wide bar

Lower Back Extension

Seated Cable Row

Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Day 3:
1 Leg Leg press

Leg Extension

Leg Press Machine

Prone Leg Curl

Bent Knee Dead Lift

Standing DB Calf Raise

Day 4:
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Upright Row
One Arm Cable Lateral Raise
Hanging Leg Lifts (until failure)
Decline Bench ab crunch

Week 16 Nutrition and Fitness Plan

Menu

Breakfast
.33 c Oatmeal (measured dry)
4 Strawberries
1 scoop whey protein powder (I added it into my oatmeal)

1st snack
Choice of 1 carrot cake protein bar or 1 chewy chocolate protein bar (see recipes below)
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 apple

Lunch 
2 slices Sara Lee Delightful bread
3 oz Smoked Honey Turkey Deli Meat
1 cup green leaf lettuce
.5 tomato
1 tbsp. Mustard
1 clementine

2nd snack
1 packet Tuna Creations (any flavor)
3 Brown Rice Triscuits
3 Baby Carrots
.5 c Cucumber Slices

Dinner
 1 Turkey Burger Patty
1 cup Broccoli

Late Night Snack
3 Egg Whites


RECIPES

Chewy Chocolate Protein Bars
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour (grind oatmeal in a blender)
4 Egg whites (I used Egg beaters)
2 Scoops Vanilla Whey Protein Powder
1/2 cup Splenda
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz berry flavored baby food
3 tbsp. baking cocoa
1/2 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Spray baking pan with nonstick spray and add batter to dish, spreading evenly. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Calories: 107
Protein: 13
Fat: 1
Carbs: 11

Carrot Cake Protein Bars
Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour (you can put oatmeal in a blender to make the flour)
2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
4 egg whites
3/4 cup splenda, truvia, or ideal (this was super sweet to me, so I bumped mine down to 1/2 c)
8 oz baby food carrots
4 oz water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix flour, protein powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and sweetener in a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients.

Spray a pyrex baking dish with non-stick butter spray. Pour mix into dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

calories: 94
fat: 1.25 g
carbs: 10 g
protein: 10 g

Workout: 5 days of cardio/4 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

 Stairmaster level 7-8- 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5  Rest 20-30 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Smith Machine Bench Press

Dumbbell Chest Flyes

Dumbbell Chest Press on Ball

Kickbacks

Dips

Cable Triceps Press Downs on Rope

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls

Preacher Curls

Standing Hammer DB Curl

Seated cable row with wide bar

Lower Back Extension

Seated Cable Row

Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Day 3:
1 Leg Leg press

Leg Extension

Leg Press Machine

Prone Leg Curl

Bent Knee Dead Lift

Standing DB Calf Raise

Day 4:
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Upright Row
One Arm Cable Lateral Raise
Hanging Leg Lifts (until failure)
Decline Bench ab crunch

Week 15 Menu and Workouts

Menu
Breakfast
1 whole wheat English muffin
2 egg whites
1 Laughing Cow Cheese - Light
1 oz Canadian Bacon

1st snack
1 Pumpkin Pie Yogurt Parfait (see recipe below)

Lunch 
1 Lean cuisine meal (about 220-270 calories)
2 cups tossed salad

2nd snack
1 clementine
1 string cheese
2 oz Roast Beef
1 Rice Cake

Dinner
.25 Recipe Low Carb BBQ Chicken (see recipe below)

Late Night Snack
1 Blended Pumpkin Shake (see recipe below)
RECIPES

PUMPKIN PIE YOGURT PARFAIT

Ingredients:
1 container low carb yogurt or nonfat greek yogurt of choice
1/2 c pumpkin puree
2 tbsp. low fat granola of choice
stevia, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice to taste (if desired)

Instructions:
Mix yogurt and pumpkin puree in a small bowl, add stevia, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice to taste. Top with granola and enjoy.
Calories: 174
Protein: 15.4
Fat: 3
Carbs: 24


LOW CARB BBQ CHICKEN

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken breast
1/2 to 1 oz smokey rotisserie seasoning
2 tbsp. garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp. low sugar BBQ sauce
1 tbsp. grapeseed oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients into a large bowl. Mix and coat chicken well. Cover chicken and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Cook on a hot grill, sautee or crock pot until chicken is no longer pink.

Calories: 194
Protein: 27
Fat: 6
Carbs: 5


PUMPKIN SHAKE

Ingredients:
1 cup plain frozen greek yogurt (measure and freeze in plastic containers)
1/2 cup frozen canned pumpkin (measure and freeze in plastic containers)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
Splenda to taste
1/2 cup cold water

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a blender

Calories: 180
Protein: 26
Carbs: 19
Sugar: 4 g

Workout: 5 days of cardio/4 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

 Stairmaster level 7-8- 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5  Rest 20-30 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Smith Machine Bench Press

Dumbbell Chest Flyes

Dumbbell Chest Press on Ball

Kickbacks

Dips

Cable Triceps Press Downs on Rope

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls

Preacher Curls

Standing Hammer DB Curl

Seated cable row with wide bar

Lower Back Extension

Seated Cable Row

Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Day 3:
1 Leg Leg press

Leg Extension

Leg Press Machine

Prone Leg Curl

Bent Knee Dead Lift

Standing DB Calf Raise

Day 4:
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Upright Row
One Arm Cable Lateral Raise
Hanging Leg Lifts (until failure)
Decline Bench ab crunch

Week 14 Nutrition and Fitness Plan

I learned this week, after a cheat meal of a medium sized pizza, that I am probably going to have to cut pizza out of my diet forever. That made me SO sick, I think partially because I've been eating clean but also because of having my gallbladder removed. I did pretty well this week, I didn't have much of a scale drop (less than a half pound) but I did increase my muscle mass by over a pound and a half and reduced fat mass over 2 lbs. This means a smaller form factor. Hooray!


Menu

Breakfast
1 cup Cheerios
1 clementine
1 cup almond breeze
3 egg whites

1st snack
1 carbrite bar

Lunch 
1 Lean cuisine meal (about 220-270 calories)
2 cups tossed salad

2nd snack
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 apple
1 Nature Valley Granola Bar

Dinner
1 Morning Star Chipotle Black Bean Vegetarian burger
1 cup broccoli

Late Night Snack
1 whole egg

Workout: 5 days of cardio/4 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

HIIT Elliptical, 2 minutes Slow/1 Minute Fast - 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5  Rest 20-30 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Cable Cross over

Machine Chest Press

Dumbbell Chest Press on Ball

Kickbacks

Barbell Skull Crusher

Cable Triceps Press Down

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls

Preacher Curls

Standing Hammer DB Curl

Assisted Pull Up Machine

Lower Back Extension

Seated Cable Row

Smith Shoulder Machine

Day 3:
1 Leg Leg press

Leg Extension

Leg Press Machine

Prone Leg Curl

Seated Leg Curl Machine

Standing DB Calf Raise

Day 4:
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Upright Row
Dumbbell shoulder lateral raise
Hanging Leg Lifts (until failure)
Ball Crunches

Week 13 Nutrition and Exercise

I did pretty awesome this week, lost 2.5 lbs off the scale--gained 2.4 lbs of muscle and lost a lb of fat. I was surprised since Friday I had a wedding I went to, I missed my workout and dinner comprised of an éclair (I mean really, what wedding reception doesn't have some sort of food?), thought I was going to go into a sugar shock since I've been sugar free for over a month... Week 13. I can't believe how fast this has gone by!
Menu
Breakfast
.5 cup Muscle Egg
1 Eggo nutrigrain waffle
1 tbsp. sugar free syrup
1 apple

1st snack
.75 nonfat cottage cheese
1 orange
10 Blue Diamond Nut Thins

Lunch 
1 Lean cuisine meal (about 220-270 calories)
2 cups tossed salad

2nd snack
1 rice cake
1 babybel light cheese
1 clementines

Dinner
1/10th recipe Café Rio Style Shredded Chicken
1 cup broccoli

Late Night Snack
1 cup Muscle Egg


Café Rio Style Chicken
Serves 10

Ingredients:
7 chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
2 cans of Rotel brand diced tomatoes with green chilies
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic salt

Optional:
1tsp cayenne pepper
Dash of tobacco sauce
Lime Juice to taste

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in crock pot, except lime juice. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for about 2 hours. Shred chicken with a set of forks, and put back into crock pot to absorb juices.

Optional: squeeze lime juice prior to tasting.

Calories: 208
Protein: 38
Fat: 4
Carbs: 2

Workout: 5 days of cardio/4 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

HIIT Elliptical, 2 minutes Slow/1 Minute Fast - 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5  Rest 20-30 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Cable Cross over

Machine Chest Press

Dumbbell Chest Press on Ball

Kickbacks

Barbell Skull Crusher

Cable Triceps Press Down

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls

Preacher Curls

Standing Hammer DB Curl

Assisted Pull Up Machine

Lower Back Extension

Seated Cable Row

Smith Shoulder Machine

Day 3:
1 Leg Leg press

Leg Extension

Leg Press Machine

Prone Leg Curl

Seated Leg Curl Machine

Standing DB Calf Raise

Day 4:
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Upright Row
Dumbbell shoulder lateral raise
Hanging Leg Lifts (until failure)
Ball Crunches

Week 12 Nutrition and Exercise

This past week was not my best. :( I got about two sets in to my first workout routine and started to feel really awful. I ended up with the stomach flu and couldn't work out the whole week. Was having a very hard time keeping food down so I ate as much to plan as I could. What's weird is I ended up gaining .2 lbs on the scale from muscle. I would have expected to have lost some from dehydration or fat gain. Weird but I won't complain. I am a little behind in posting this, I generally see my trainer on Saturdays but I'm still getting "caught up" from being sick. I can say one thing though, I am getting bored of my workout routine. Since I've missed the past week, the trainer thinks it is still advantageous for me to continue with the same routine and my muscles will still respond. But I'm to the point now where I can recite it in my sleep... backwards.

Menu

Breakfast
 .75 cup Grape Nut Flakes Cereal
1 cup Almond Breeze Milk
1 turkey sausage patty
1/2 banana
2 Egg whites

1st snack
1 wheat tortilla
1/2 banana
1 tbsp. natural peanut butter
1 scoop whey protein powder

Lunch 
1 Lean cuisine meal (about 220-270 calories)
2 cups tossed salad

2nd snack
1 Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogurt
10 Almond Nut-Thins crackers

Dinner
1 serving beef stir fry with broccoli (see recipe below)
1 serving creamy mashed cauliflower (see recipe below)
Late Night Snack
4 egg whites


Beef Stir Fry with Broccoli
Serves 8

Ingredients:
36 oz sliced sirloin steak
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Olive oil spray
3 tsp minced garlic
6 cups broccoli

Instructions:
Season beef with salt and pepper. Preheat nonstick pan on medium heat, lightly coating the pan with spray. Add seasoned beef and sauté until brown. Add garlic and broccoli, sauté until broccoli is cooked to your liking.

Calories: 195
Protein: 28.5
Fat: 6
Carbs: 6


Creamy Mashed Cauliflower
Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/3 cup nonfat buttermilk
4 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
Snipped fresh chives for garnish

Instructions:
Steam cauliflower florets in until very tender (about 12-15 minutes).  Place cooked cauliflower and garlic in food processor. Add buttermilk, oil, salt and pepper, pulse several times then process until smooth and creamy.

Calories: 107
Protein: 5
Fat: 7
Carbs: 10

Workout: 5 days of cardio/3 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

HIIT Elliptical, 2 minutes Slow/1 Minute Fast - 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5  Rest 20-30 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Dips on Bench
Narrow Grip Dumbbell Triceps Press

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls
Standing Dumbbell Curl
Standing Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Assisted Pull up machine
Bent over 2 arm dumbbell row
Reverse Narrow Grip Pull ups
Smith Machine Shoulder press

Day 3:
Squats
Leg Extension
Walking Lunges
Leg Press Machine
Prone Leg Curl
Seated Leg Curl Machine
Inner Thigh/Outer Thigh

Day 4:
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Incline dumbbell shoulder press
Dumbbell shoulder lateral raise
Forearm bridge (hold 60 seconds)
Ball crunches

Week 11 Menu and workout

Got all my workouts in this week and ate exactly as the menu stated, no cheat meals. I didn't get a fat analysis this week but I did get measurements. Down .2 lbs from the scale this week. Lost 1.25" from my arm, 4" from my waist, 2" from my hips, 1" from my thigh, and .5 inches from my calf since the beginning of this program. They have hired a dietician to shadow my trainer, I think because of this she cleaned up my menu by a lot... and dropped my 6th meal which I am nervous about since I can't sleep without having something on my belly. We'll see how this week goes. I am being naughty but this menu is way too clean for me (one can only eat so much plain turkey breast and broccoli) so I found some healthy recipes online to jazz it up. It doesn't look like it increases my macronutrients by much so I'm hoping it doesn't affect next week's results. I'll link the optional recipes in the menu--I have no idea how they will taste but they sounded good to me. I'll post my review in the next day or so to let you know if it sucks or not.

Menu

Breakfast
Turkey and Broccoli Frittata (see official recipe below)
1 Apple
.25 c oatmeal (measured dry)

* I decided to put the apple and the oatmeal into a slow cooker along with some cinnamon and top it off with sugar free maple syrup or splenda.

1st snack
.5 c non-fat cottage cheese
1 rice cake
1 peach

Lunch 
3 oz skinless chicken breast
.5 c wild rice (I did wild rice rice a roni, but didn't add the butter)
1 c broccoli
1 pear

* I found a recipe for a balsamic chicken with pear sauce recipe at http://whatscookingamerica.net/Poultry/BalsChickenPear.htm, and plan to eat the broccoli and wild rice on the side. I will probably increase the pear just a bit to get the macro nutrients closer to what the trainer outlined for me.

2nd snack
1 Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogurt
8 Almond Nut-Thins crackers
4 Almonds

Dinner
3 oz Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 c cooked broccoli

* I found a recipe for Broccoli Stir Fry at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chicken-and-broccoli-stir-fry-recipe/index.html, and will adjust the recipe so it fits the macro nutrients the trainer outlined for me.

Workout: 5 days of cardio/3 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

HIIT Elliptical, 2 minutes Slow/1 Minute Fast - 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5  Rest 20-30 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Dips on Bench
Narrow Grip Dumbbell Triceps Press

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls
Standing Dumbbell Curl
Standing Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Assisted Pull up machine
Bent over 2 arm dumbbell row
Reverse Narrow Grip Pull ups
Smith Machine Shoulder press

Day 3:
Squats
Leg Extension
Walking Lunges
Leg Press Machine
Prone Leg Curl
Seated Leg Curl Machine
Inner Thigh/Outer Thigh

Day 4:
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Incline dumbbell shoulder press
Dumbbell shoulder lateral raise
Forearm bridge (hold 60 seconds)
Ball crunches

Week 10 Menu and workout

This week has been kind of hectic/stressful due to some family issues. I was only able to get 2 of my 5 workouts completed. Despite this, I still lost 2.5 lbs from the scale, did not add any muscle mass. This week's goal is to complete all of my workouts.

Menu

Breakfast
1 Orange
4 egg whites
2 slices Sara Lee Delightful bread
1 tbsp sugar free jam

1st snack
1 scoop whey protein powder
1 Kashi Honey Almond Flax granola bar

Lunch 
1 cup Lettuce, Romaine
1 Lean Cuisine any flavor under 240 calories

2nd snack
1 light string cheese
1 rice cake
4 large baby carrots
.5 cup cucumber slices

Dinner
Turkey Chili (See Recipe below)

Late Snack
2 oz Deli Turkey
2 cups Lettuce, Romaine

TURKEY CHILI RECIPE

Canned beans can offer convenience, but choose reduced-sodium varieties and rinse them to keep the sodium content low. Feel free to turn up the heat with diced jalapeno, more cumin, dried oregano or all of the above. You can also swap in lean ground beef for the turkey or go meatless by using a third can of beans.

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:

3 tbsp olive or canola oil, divided
1 lb ground 100% turkey breast
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, chopped
16 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
16 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
28 oz diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp ground cumin

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ground turkey to the pan. Brown the meat, breaking it up into very small pieces as it cooks.
2. Remove meat from the pan and season with salt and ground pepper if desired; reserve.
3. Return pan to the stove. Add remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, and pepper. Cook until soft.
4. Add meat back to the pan, and stir in beans, tomatoes, and cumin. Heat to boiling, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

 NUTRITION PER SERVING:

Calories: 267
Protein: 27g
Carbs: 27g
Fat: 6g
Fiber: 9g




Workout: 5 days of cardio/3 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

HIIT Elliptical, 2 minutes Slow/1 Minute Fast - 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5  Rest 20-30 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Dips on Bench
Narrow Grip Dumbbell Triceps Press

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls
Standing Dumbbell Curl
Standing Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Assisted Pull up machine
Bent over 2 arm dumbbell row
Reverse Narrow Grip Pull ups
Smith Machine Shoulder press

Day 3:
Squats
Leg Extension
Walking Lunges
Hamstring Drops
Seated Leg Curl Machine
Inner Thigh/Outer Thigh

Day 4:
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Incline dumbbell shoulder press
Dumbbell shoulder lateral raise
Forearm bridge (hold 60 seconds)
Ball crunches

Week 9 Menu and fitness plan

Dropped 3 lbs off the scale this past week! Woohoo! Here is this week's menu and fitness plan.

Menu

Breakfast
.75 c Kroger Carbmaster Milk
.75 c Kashi Go Lean Cereal
1 Vegan Morning Star Patty
1 apple

1st snack
1 baby bell light cheese
10 Rice Crackers
1 Peach
2 oz Deli Turkey

Lunch 
1 cup Lettuce, Romaine
1 Lean Cuisine any flavor under 240 calories

2nd snack
carbright bar

Dinner
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (see previous posts for recipe)
1 Cup Cauliflower
1 Cup Broccoli

Late Snack
2 oz Deli Turkey


Workout: 5 days of cardio/3 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

HIIT Elliptical, 2 minutes Slow/1 Minute Fast - 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5  Rest 20-30 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Dips on Bench
Narrow Grip Dumbbell Triceps Press

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls
Standing Dumbbell Curl
Standing Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Assisted Pull up machine
Bent over 2 arm dumbbell row
Reverse Narrow Grip Pull ups
Smith Machine Shoulder press

Day 3:
Squats
Leg Extension
Walking Lunges
Hamstring Drops
Seated Leg Curl Machine
Inner Thigh/Outer Thigh

Day 4:
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Incline dumbbell shoulder press
Dumbbell shoulder lateral raise
Forearm bridge (hold 60 seconds)
Ball crunches

Week 8 Menu and Fitness Plan

This week my personal goal is to PUSH, I want to see some awesome results next time I get my stats... No off meal plans, and really PUSH higher weights.

Menu

Breakfast
1 Eggo Nutrigrain Waffle
1 TBSP sugar free pancake syrup
1 oz turkey sausage
1 peach

1st snack
1 Quest Bar

Lunch 
1 cup Lettuce, Romaine
1 Lean Cuisine (Beef Portabello)

2nd snack
.5 scoop Whey Protein Powder
1 TBSP Peanut Butter
.5 Banana
1 Whole Wheat Tortilla

Dinner
3 oz roasted chicken breast
1 cup cooked green beans

Late Snack
1 Light String Cheese


Workout: 5 days of cardio/3 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

HIIT Treadmill, 2 minutes Slow/1 Minute Fast - 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5  Rest 20-30 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Dips on Bench
Narrow Grip Dumbbell Triceps Press

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls
Standing Dumbbell Curl
Standing Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Assisted Pull up machine
Bent over 2 arm dumbbell row
Reverse Narrow Grip Pull ups
Smith Machine Shoulder press

Day 3:
Squats
Leg Extension
Walking Lunges
Hamstring Drops
Seated Leg Curl Machine
Inner Thigh/Outer Thigh

Day 4:
Standing dumbbell shoulder press
Incline dumbbell shoulder press
Dumbbell shoulder lateral raise
Forearm bridge (hold 60 seconds)
Ball crunches

Yeah, don't laugh...

So this week (well Labor Day weekend) kind of sucked as far as my workout plan is concerned...

I didn't do as well with working out as I had hoped. I did get them all in but I was really careful.

It started around 11:00 Saturday night. I had been home all day, did a home workout earlier that day and was playing around on the computer. It started with an itch behind my ear, of which I didn't think much about since I live close to wetlands and we get a lot of mosquitos. I figured one had just snuck into the house. About an hour of furious itching went by, and I decided to go to bed and put on some hydrocortisone to stop the itch. I noticed huge hives going from ear to ear and down my neck. I took some antihistamines (it's kind of a second nature reaction for me since I do suffer from hayfever pretty bad). In the time it took me to get the antihistamines out of the cabinet and take them, a very large rash started spreading down my chest and starting down my back. Another reaction was to jump into a cold bath to see if that would reduce the swelling. When I got out the rash was quickly spreading more on my back and into my face. I didn't notice any sort of fever or difficulty in breathing which I know is a very serious sign of an allergy... I was monitoring my rash progression and told myself after 30 minutes if it didn't slow (or if it got worse before then) I would go to the emergency room... I figured 30 minutes should have given the antihistamines a little bit of time to go through my system. Luckily, that did stop the progression of the rash. It itched all night but I felt fine otherwise. The next two days, in the AM the rash was pretty colorless (ugly though, like REALLY bad acne) and it itched mildly... but by about 11:00 it started to flush and looked like a rash again. So through the long holiday weekend I watched it closely, and was very careful with my work outs and food.

Finally got in to see an allergist on Tuesday. We still don't know what caused it but the closest guess is I have some sort of very mild food allergy that with exercise induced a reaction. We don't know if it's from foods that were closer to when I worked out or if it was closer to the onset of the reaction. It's all foods I have eaten before and I have never had any known sensitivities to before.

Allergic to exercise. Isn't THAT my kind of luck? On a holiday weekend too. sheesh.

But the good news is, I got some prednisone and have been doubling up on antihistamines. I haven't seen it since the doctor's visit. And I hope not to again, that was NOT fun.

But yeah, I learned if you tell someone you're allergic to exercise (which is misleading because really you're allergic to something else, it's just that histamines are dropped while you exercise) they kind of fall on the floor laughing hysterically... or they think you are making it up.

So as of right now I am down about 5.5 lbs off the scale since I started, I am gaining muscle faster than losing fat so that's why it's not very spectacular on the scale. Despite my weaker efforts to workouts this week, I did gain almost a pound of muscle, which is nothing at all to be ashamed of.

In other news, I survived Comic Con! I feel like I walked my little legs off--I am still fun hung over from 3 days of it... But I had a great time and I can't wait for next year's.

Week 7 Menu and Workout Plan

This week is going to be very busy for me. I'm going to comic con! Hooray! But with that, eating every 3 hours is going to be a challenge and I didn't want to resort to eating out. The trainer built this week's menu so that it is portable and doesn't require a lot of refrigeration or heating.

MenuBreakfast
.3 cup Quinoa Flakes
1 cup Carbmaster Milk
.5 cup blueberries

1st snack
1 carbright bar
1 apple

Lunch - Sandwich - can eat at subway if wanted, but make sure it's a 6 inch on wheat with turkey and extra veggies, mustard only
1 cup Lettuce, Romaine
1/2 tomato
3 oz deli turkey
1 Orowheat Sandwich Thins
1 apple

2nd snack
1 scoop Whey Protein Powder
3 Nature Valley Granola Bar

Dinner
3 oz roasted chicken breast
1 cup cooked green beans

Late Snack
1 Whole egg


Workout: 5 days of cardio/3 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

Elliptical Trainer or walking, Moderate Speed - 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 2/2  Rest 60 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Dumbbell Chest Press
Push Ups
Dumbbell Shoulder Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Shoulder Press - Standing
Dumbbell Skull Crushers

Day 2:
Leg press machine
Seated Leg Curl Machine
Ball Hip up with leg curls
Seated Calf Raise Machine

Day 3:
Seated cable Row
Cable Lat Pulldown
Standing Dumbbell Curl
Forearm Bridge
Ball Crunches

Week 6 Menu and Workout

This week is hectic for me, with a couple of late classes after work. I requested the trainer make my workouts something I can do from home since I'll probably lose motivation to want to go out. She was also nice enough to make my dinner meal easy, just nuke and go... Anyway here is this week's menu and fitness plan.

Menu
Breakfast
1 Eggo Nutrigrain Waffle
1 tbsp. Sugar Free Pancake Syrup
1 small apple
3 egg whites

1st snack
1 light string cheese
1 oz pretzels (Whole Wheat)
1 peach

Lunch - taco
1 Small whole wheat tortilla
2 tbsp salsa
1 cup lettuce
1/2 tomato
2 oz chicken breast
.25 cup black beans
4 strawberries

2nd snack
1/2 cup cucumber slices
3 large baby carrots
2 oz deli turkey
4 Town House Pita Crackers
2 tbsp hummus

Dinner
1 Morningstar Chipotle Black Bean Burger
1 cup cooked broccoli

Late Snack
1 Whole egg


Workout: 5 days of cardio/4 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

 Elliptical Trainer, Moderate Speed - 20 minutes

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-12 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/1.5 /  Rest 35-45 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Wall Squat Hold - 60 seconds
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dips on bench
Stationary Lunges
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Shoulder Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise

Day 2:
Stiff Leg Deadlift with Dumbbells
Straight Arm Cable Lat Pulldown
Alternating Dumbbell Curls
Ball Hip Up with Leg Curl
Step Ups
Bent over 2 arm dumbbell row
Standing Cable curls
Ab crunch
Walking Lunges

Day 3:
Wall Squat Hold - 60 seconds
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dips on bench
Stationary Lunges
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Shoulder Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise

Day 4:
Wall Squat Hold - 60 seconds
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dips on bench
Stationary Lunges
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Shoulder Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise

A little anxious...

So, being that I am a perfectionist... in the past, I have been guilty of shutting out the whole world and focusing on my training. While this works marvelous to get the weight off, there's huge problems with it. For starters, you miss out on a lot of fun things and start losing friends because you "can't eat that" or are too busy for the gym... but the biggest part of it is that this isn't how life works after you are done training. You feel like you have missed out on good food, good friends, etc. and overcompensate... then you're back to where I started with this journey.

A friend of mine is celebrating her birthday at the worst possible restaurant for a dieter--Spaghetti factory. There was a part of me that wanted to say "no I can't" but then I realized that celebrations is a part of life and it's not something I can avoid. It's also terribly selfish not to enjoy a special day with a friend because of a stupid calorie. So I'm going...

And my diet this week won't be perfect. But that's okay.

On other news... my scale weight actually went up this week. But, I lost a ton of body fat and gained a ton of muscle... so I'm going to keep plugging away.

Do your best and forget the rest.

Week 5 workout and menu

Menu

Breakfast
3 egg whites
1 sourdough English muffin
1 tbsp. sugar free jam
4 strawberries

1st snack
Carrot cake protein bar (see recipe below)
1 scoop whey protein shake

Lunch
.5 c egg noodles
2 oz chicken breasts
1 cup mixed vegetables
1 peach

2nd snack
1 pouch Tuna creations (2.6 oz)
4 brown rice triscuits
1 cup cucumber slices

Dinner
1.25 cups hearty beef and veggie bowls (see recipe below)
As much extra veggies as desired (pick between green beans, asparagus, green peppers, mushrooms, cauliflower)

Late snack
2 oz deli turkey


Carrot Cake Protein Bars
calories: 94
fat: 1.25 g
carbs: 10 g
protein: 10 g

Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour (you can put oatmeal in a blender to make the flour)
2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp nutmeg
4 egg whites
3/4 cup splenda, truvia, or ideal
8 oz baby food carrots
4 oz water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix flour, protein powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and sweetener in a bowl. Combine remaining ingredients.

Spray a pyrex baking dish with non-stick butter spray. Pour mix into dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

Makes 16 squares, 2 squares per serving.


Hearty Beef and Veggie Bowls

Ingredients:
1 tsp safflower oil
1 lb extra lean ground beef
2 cups diced green bell peppers
14 1/2 oz canned unsalted tomatoes
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt

Instructions:
In a medium pot, heat oil on medium-high. Add beef and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon for 4 minutes. Add bell peppers, tomatoes, corn and worchestershire sauce and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until bell peppers are tender. Remove from heat, stir in cumin, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Spoon into serving bowls and top with greek yogurt. Garnish with cilantro if desired


Workout: 5 days of cardio/4 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

HIT arc trainer - 20 minutes. 2 minutes slow/1 minute as fast as possible

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-10 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/3 /  Rest 60 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Chest Fly Machine
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Assisted Dip Machine
Cable Triceps Press Down

Day 2:
Preacher Curls
Standing Dumbbell Curl
Standing Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Cable Lat Pulldown Reverse Grip
Seated Cable Row with Wide Bar
Cable Lat Pulldown
Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Day 3:
Bent Knee Deadlift
Leg Extension
Walking Lunges - 20 each direction
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise
Seated Leg Curl Machine
Smith machine lunges

Day 4:
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs
Dumbbell Shoulder Lateral Raise
Forearm Bridge - hold 60 seconds each set
Ball Crunches - 20 each set

Weight is just a number

So I was a little bit bummed out this morning... I have this morning ritual, it's very much an autopilot thing where I don't even realize I've done it till after the fact...

Weighing myself in the morning.

For some reason, I had it in my head that I had gained scale weight. Went in for my weekly stats, and found out that was far from the case. I freaking nailed it!

1.3 lbs lost off the scale and 1.2% body fat loss. That equates to 2.37 lbs of fat replaced with 1.07 lbs of muscle. Not too shabby and a reminder that weight is just a number. The real results come when you workout hard and watch what goes in your mouth.

Week 4 Menu and Workout Routine

MENU

Breakfast:
1 cup Kroger Carbmaster Vanilla Milk
1 Cup Kashi Go Lean Cereal
5 Strawberries

Early Snack:
1 Dannon Light and Fit Greek Yogurt
10 Reduced fat Wheat Thins

Lunch:
1 Jimmy Dean Turkey/Egg/Cheese Croissant Sandwich
1 cup grapes

Afternoon Snack:
1/2 cup Nonfat cottage cheese
1 cup cucumber slices
4 baby carrots
1 rice cake

Dinner:
1 Bubba's Turkey Burger
1 cup cooked broccoli
10 sprays Wish Bone Caesars Delight Vinaigrette Salad Spritzer

Late Snack:
1 Whole egg (boiled)


Workout:

5 days of cardio/4 days of strength training. For strength training days, cardio is after workouts. Rest day should be after the extra cardio day.

HIT elliptical - 20 minutes. 2 minutes slow/1 minute as fast as possible

Strength Training

3 Sets / 8-10 reps. Focus on pushing more weight and last set should fail. Speed 3/3 /  Rest 60 seconds unless noted otherwise

Day 1:
Chest Fly Machine
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Assisted Dip Machine
Cable Triceps Press Down

Day 2:
Preacher Curls
Standing Dumbbell Curl
Standing Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Cable Lat Pulldown Reverse Grip
Seated Cable Row with Wide Bar
Cable Lat Pulldown
Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Day 3:
Bent Knee Deadlift
Leg Extension
Walking Lunges - 20 each direction
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise
Seated Leg Curl Machine
Smith machine lunges

Day 4:
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs
Dumbbell Shoulder Lateral Raise
Forearm Bridge - hold 60 seconds each set
Ball Crunches - 20 each set

Now this really doesn't go in your mouth...

It's been a crazy week, so I haven't really had a chance to update... but here's the highlights of my week.

So I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I have been noticing my pants are getting looser. I've already had to throw out three pairs of pants that fall down when I walk. I have also been studying about fashion through an online course called "dressing your truth". I highly recommend it to all the ladies out there, it teaches you guidelines on hair, makeup, fragrance, clothes, etc on how to dress based on your personality type and always look fantastic (while still giving you leeway to use some of your own fashion tastes). It works!!! I was driving home from the trainers one day (on the freeway) and some really hot guy pulled along side of me in the next lane and was flirting with me the whole way. ME--nobody ever flirts with ME! I wish I was a little more swift, but it made my day. I thought it was just a weird once in a lifetime chance, but going to work the next day the same thing happened with a different guy. Anyway in short, I love my new look... I feel confident, revitalized, younger, and well... pretty. I've never been one to make a fuss over my looks, but I truly believe this is one of the best things I have ever done for myself. At work, I've received many compliments and I don't feel so out of place... Like I'm being seen and respected for who I am.

So with the knowledge, I've been buying dresses. Colors I'd never in a million years think I could pull off. And I think it looks fantastic on me! I'm also a little broke now, so I'll have to play it cool until payday. Which sucks because I need some accessories, maybe some pretty necklaces or a bracelet.

Found out I probably need to get braces again. NOOOO!

Went to my weekly trainer meeting today, and what's weird is I lost 1.3 lbs off the scale, but somehow managed to gain fat? WEIRD. I've been working my butt off at the gym but I will admit I had a couple of bad meals.

I went to a community learning center for a class on how to avoid falling in love with a Jerk. They fed us pizza there. UGH. I kept it reasonable, ate the equivalent to what a 5 year old might eat, but I felt terrible after that--sluggish, tired, just bleh. Then on Friday, somehow I managed to forget my lunch and snacks so I had to wing it. I did pretty good for my first snack but lunch got blown out of the water with a Zupas salad. I thought I was doing good by selecting a salad over their really fatty looking sandwiches, but I looked up the nutrition facts after the fact... Yeah I would have been better with the sandwich. Live and learn, I guess.

I've had shin splints like crazy doing HIT on the treadmill. Told my trainer about this so that's been modified to the elliptical which is a lot lower impact, until I can get certain muscles in my legs loosened up and developed in other areas. This week is going to be crazy with 5 days of gym work... My challenge from the trainer this week is to monitor my water intake and to only have one off menu meal (but it has to be reasonable and when I'm done I should still feel "hungry". It's going to be a challenging week, but I'm ready, BRING IT ON!

Week 3 Plans

Way thrilled, this week was able to drop 2.2 lbs off the scale, 1.49 of which was fat. :D Here is this week's nutrition and fitness plan.

Menu for the Week:

Breakfast
1 Eggo Nutrigrain Waffle
1 Tbsp Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp Sugar free syrup or sugar free jam
1 Morningstar Vegan Breakfast Patty
5 Strawberries

Early Snack
1 String Cheese
4 Town House Pita Crackers
1/2 Cup Blueberries

Lunch
2 oz baked/roasted red potatoes
2.5 oz Chicken Breast
1 cup cooked broccoli
1/2 cup raspberries
free food Salsa

Afternoon Snack
4 Strawberries
1 Carbrite bar

Dinner
Turkey Meatloaf Muffins (see recipe below)
1 cup cooked green beans
free food Salsa and/or 1TBSP nonfat sour cream (optional) for meatloaf

Night Snack
2 Egg whites


Turkey Meatloaf Muffins Recipe

Calories: 80
Fats: 2 grams
Carbs: 4 grams
Protein 11 Grams

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey or chicken
3 egg whites
1 cup oatmeal or quick cooking oats
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dry yellow mustard
2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp chipotle pepper spice
1 tsp salt
2 tsp garlic powder (or 2 cloves minced)
1 small onion (finely chopped)
2 celery stalks (finely chopped)


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Spray muffin pan with canola or olive oil
3. Mix ingredients in a large bowl, roll mixture into balls and place in muffin tin. Muffins should be about the size of a racquetball
4. Bake for 40 minuts

Makes 12 muffins


Fitness Routine

4 Days a week, Weights first then cardio.

Cardio: HIT Treadmill. Sprint 60 Seconds, walk 2 minutes. Repeat up to 20 minutes

Strength Training: Sets: 3, Reps: 8-12, Weight: as much as you can to failure on last set, Speed: 3/1.5 Rest: 20-30 Seconds *Unless stated otherwise

Day 1:
Incline Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Press
Dumbbell Chest Flyes
Dumbbell Skull Crusher
Assisted Dip Machine
Cable Triceps Press Down with Rope

Day 2:
Standing Rope Hammer Curls
Standing Dumbbell Curl
Standing Hammer Dumbbell Curl
Assisted Pull Up Machine
Bent Over 2 Arm Dumbbell Row
Cable Lat Pulldown
Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Day 3:
Squats
Leg Extension
Walking Lunges - 20 steps each way
Standing Dumbbell Calf Raise
Seated Leg Curl Machine
Stationary Lunges - 20 each leg

Day 4:
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs
Dumbbell Shoulder Lateral Raise
Forearm Bridge - hold for 60 seconds
Ball Crunches - 20 reps per set

Mmm, tastes like chicken.

The biggest challenge I have when training is chicken breasts. I get why they do that (since I don't like fish), you get the most protein out of the lowest amount of fat and calories...

But every time I train, for some reason I can't get it past my head that chicken breasts doesn't have to be unseasoned and plain. Plain chicken gets old really fast. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike chicken but when you do the plain chicken breast for months on end, even seasoned stuff starts tasting like boring chicken.

So I'm actively looking for more ways to make chicken more exciting. Did a cool one tonight and it really didn't too many extra calories. Simple, easy, quick... Campbell's Chicken marsala mix with an extra small can of mushrooms (I can't get enough mushrooms... YUM!). I've had it before over pasta, but it's amazingly good just on it's own. Score!

Another one I've found recently is marinating in an Italian based marinade, if you can let it sit for days, it's even better. All the other's I've come across doesn't seem to permeate the chicken so it still tastes like chicken. BOOORING!

The pant crisis of 2013

So I noticed yesterday, that my pants are starting to get just a little bit looser. The problem is I sort of started in an inbetween size, so I have some pants that are a little looser and some that are a little tighter... So my bigger ones officially can be slipped over my hips when I walk up the stairs and accidentally step on my pant legs, I know this because I did it. lol
I think this pair of jeans needs to go bye bye.

But I have a bit of a problem that I need to start addressing now (for budget reasons as well as sanity) but I anticipate that if things go as they have in the past, I will not be in a pant size for very long. I mean normally this is a hard problem, but it gets even harder in that I have a very short inseam so finding pants that fit is really hard. Hence why I have pants that I can step on the pant legs and trip myself. lol So anyway I've been kind of browsing around online, trying to find clothing that is inexpensive, fits, that fits my style, and will hopefully shrink with me. I found out that finding tab pants or adjustable waist pants in a style that suits me, with a 28-30" inseam is pretty much impossible. Maybe I need to shift my focus and start wearing skirts and dresses again, but I have fallen out of the habit of wearing heels or really any shoe that is constrictive (read dress shoe here). I am trying to minimize the amount of repurchasing clothes as much as possible, but honoring my body. Mostly it's so I know that I will have enough left over for food and essentials.

I've also been working on other self improvement things. I am taking some online classes on dressing for your personality/energy type. I've also promised myself that every night before I go to bed I would do something nice for myself (like prestyling my hair, or saying an affirmation). I think I am going to be a whole new improved me. And I like the feeling of anticipating, planning, and of course payoff.

I just got thinking about it...

It's kind of scary that for my whole day's allotment of calories, it's basically the equivalent of a big mac with a coke meal (minus the fat and sugar of course). And that it's actually a good amount of food...I'm actually kind of tired of chewing. As time goes on and I am doing more rigorous gym work, I'll be eating even more than that and will see some more weight loss.

I read somewhere that in the 50's the government was concerned about obesity becoming a nationwide problem, by the 70's they made dietary fats out to be the culprit and started subsidizing corn (which can be easily converted to corn syrup)... That seemed to have backfired, since the majority of the country is now overweight or obese.

I think they should start charging by the kilo calorie. I find it sad when my $160 in groceries is the equivalent calorically to 9 fast food burger meals.  Yeah that's my bit of controversy for the year.

On a side note, I got my gym workout and walk in today. I'm going to be sore after working muscles I haven't used in a long time. lol Funny thing is, I still feel like I have energy to burn.

Week 1 in review and Week 2's plan

So good news...

I didn't do as bad as I thought. I actually rocked the week. :D
Scale Weight down .7 lb
Body Fat down 1.4%
Fat mass down 2.51 lbs
Lean mass (muscle) up 1.81 lbs

So I succeeded in cleaning up my diet, quitting sodas, losing scale weight, losing fat, gaining muscle... GO ME!! YAY!

Got next week's nutrition plan and exercise. They kept it simple and portable for me since I'm camping again, but I'm going to have to plan big time to be able to get all my exercise in. Wish me luck!

_________________


Breakfast: PB&J Sandwich with an egg on the side and an apple
2 slices sara lee delightful bread
1 tablespoon bp
1 boiled egg
1 apple

Early Snack:
1 oz beef jerky
1 apple
4 brown rice triscuits

Lunch: (Deli wrap with a fruit)
1 Flatout Wrap
3 oz Deli Ham
1 cup lettuce
1/2 tomato
1 tbsp. mustard
1 cup grapes

Late Snack: (Yogurt Parfait)
1 Danon Light and Fit Greek Yogurt
2 tbsp. grape nuts
1/4 cup blueberries

Dinner: Chicken breast and assorted Veggies
1/2 cup cucumber
4 baby carrots
1/2 cup snap peas
3 oz chicken breast, grilled with seasonings if desired (or salsa)

Night Snack:
1 String Cheese

______________

2 Days in the gym - Weights should be as much as you can do with good form and to "failure" on the last set. Repeat full routine for day 2. 5 Days of walking for 20 minutes

Ball Squats. Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Speed: 4/4 Rest: 30-45 seconds
Leg Press Machine:  Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Speed: 4/4 Rest: 30-45 seconds
Dumbbell Chest Press:  Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Speed: 4/4 Rest: 30-45 seconds
Cable Lat Pulldown:  Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Speed: 4/4 Rest: 30-45 seconds
Dumbbell Shoulder Press:  Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Speed: 4/4 Rest: 30-45 seconds
Standing Dumbell Curl:  Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Speed: 4/4 Rest: 30-45 seconds
Dumbbell Skull Crusher:  Sets: 3 Reps: 8-10 Speed: 4/4 Rest: 30-45 seconds
Forearm Bridge: Sets: 3 Reps: 60 Seconds Rest: 30-45 seconds
Ball Crunches: Sets: 3 Reps: until failure Rest 30-45 seconds

The worst gadget in the world

Weighed myself today, I was feeling all awesome about myself until I realized later I haven't lost as much as I had thought. But then again, I did weigh mid day, when I usually weigh in the mornings. Not even half a measly pound in a week--boo. I figured the first week I would have lost more than that just from water weight. Well I guess a loss is still a loss, so I can't be upset. Just got to keep on keeping on and not lose faith in what I'm doing. And probably get out of the habit of weighing myself daily. I don't even think about it, it just kind of happens.

On a happier note, even though I'm really tired still and counting down minutes until I can take a nap... I do feel happier than I have for while now. The diet is going pretty smoothly, but I can't wait for tomorrow so I can get a new menu. I think I'm tired of turkey burgers. lol

Day 5 - Sleeping like a cat

Actually I'm not sure if even cats sleep as much as me. Day 5 of not drinking sodas, and luckily the headache has subsided but I am so darn tired and dizzy. If past experiences hold true, I should be pretty close to the end of this detox (I sure hope so!)

Meal plans have been going pretty good, I've stayed on target (for the most part, aside from yesterday resorting to Emergen-C to help with the soda detox pains)... but I've decided, I really don't like grocery store peaches. Normally I love fresh peaches, but these ones were picked way too early and even letting them soften up a few days they aren't all that sweet. I may need to start going to the farmer's market or something.

I'm ready for my third nap of the day.

A visual reminder...

I have found that one of the best ways to hit a goal is to have a visual interpretation of what you are reaching for. While appearance is not my first priority, (it's hard to do a visual of happiness, accomplishment, fulfillment, pride, etc.) this is approximately physical the changes I should see if I am successful in following the trainer's plan through the end of December. These were taken from modelmydiet.com, it's a fun little virtual simulator.

 

I think in the next day or so when I have a little more stamina (soda detox, bad... UGH!), I will take a before photo (of my real self) so I can do a real comparison at the end.  And probably figure out some sort of uber reward. Maybe I need to plan a trip to the beach. 8)

 

Week one's nutrition and exercise plan

So a few people have asked me about what I'm doing out of curiosity... or needing some useful tips on what they are doing so I thought I'd try to post it. Hopefully I can keep up with it, but if not surely you will understand it is because I'm cooking, eating, or working out.

Keep in mind this is entirely catered to me, everyone needs different macronutrients, calories, levels of activity, etc. And it does change over time. But week one's plan is as follows:

30 minutes 4 x a week of walking.

(Not so much for the exercise, just to establish a habit since I've been mostly sedentary)

Food every 3 hours. This ends up being approximately 1300 calories which is what my body needs to get to the peak of weight loss.

No soda, coffee with sugar substitute and powdered creamer is OK to stave off caffeine withdrawals. Lots of water. The water will be metered later.

Breakfast (no more than 30 minutes after waking up): The high fiber content has kept me more than satisfied, since I generally eat the apple last so I feel like I get the "sweet ending", sometimes I have a hard time finishing the apple from being full.
1 whole egg
1 cup of fiber one original cereal (it looks like cat food, haha)
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 apple

Early snack:
1 scoop of whey protein (I just happened to have some around) mixed in water
1 peach
1 almond honey granola bar

Lunch (sandwich and a fruit): I love the soft cheese in place of mayo, I picked a chive one which is so tasty! And the Sara Lee delightful bread has 45 calories a slice which makes sandwiches something I can budget into a fairly low calorie diet.
2 Slices sara lee delightful bread
1 wedge laughing cow light cheese
3 oz deli turkey
As much romaine lettuce as I want
mustard
Watermelon

Afternoon snack:
4 triscuits (I am doing a rice and brown bean and it's pretty darn tasty)
1 baby bell cheese
5 baby carrots
1/2 cup cucumber

Dinner:
1 turkey burger breast
1 salad, with any mixed veggies I want... as big as I want
10 sprays of Wishbone salad dressing, any flavor

Late snack right before going to bed:
1 scoop of casein protein mixed in water (I happened to have that)

Everyone thinks I'm nuts... I like nuts.

Silly me, guess when I decided to join with the trainer?

The best time of all. When I thought of it--had all the excitement for a new journey, was ready to light all the excuses that I used in the past to not do this on fire, when I felt like I was good and ready.

But guess when it happened to fall?

Right before a camping trip. Can you imagine how hard starting a new nutrition plan would be while camping, with all the yummy campfire goodness, beer, things to tantalize you?

Guess what?

It wasn't really that hard. I think the past few months while I've been kind of down, I burnt myself out of pretty much everything that shouldn't go in your mouth. Like fast food, soda, candy, junk food... When I started day one, it was actually kind of a relief. And actually my body has been saying it too--I'm detoxing for sure, high fiber, high altitude, clean foods, lots of water... yeah you probably get the drift of what my body is doing. So far it's paid off. I know it's all water weight but it is still a start--get those cells to think that it's not being deprived so it releases it...  The only craptastic part of it is the soda withdrawal headache that I have.

I HATE YOU SODA! Why do you have to keep coming into my life, with your refreshing tasty goodness then when I take a break you make me feel like I'm going to die from something you read about in the Stand? Oh well, I guess if it was easy, it wouldn't be a challenge. But know this soda, I WILL DEFEAT YOU!

3rd time's a charm...

So here we go again. I'm back with a personal trainer. And reviving my blog.

Sure I could use losing some weight since I gained all of what I earned off... but that's not the real reason, just a happy by-product. Sadly, I've been going through some depression. It's entirely irrational, I know it but I go through the negative self hate talk, not over anything specifically...I just didn't feel like I was accomplishing anything good. Anyway not to go into a huge spiel, but once I hit rock bottom I got to thinking when I was at my best. Every time it was when I had a huge goal, something nearly "impossible" to accomplish. Each instance seemed to point to when I was training to lose weight and get fit. So, to break through all this negativity I'm back with them again.

I think I just about made my trainer cry--when I told her "why this, why now". Apparently it's a little rare for people to be overweight and secure of their bodies, but want to train because working out and eating right just feels better on the psyche. Apparently I am starting with all the right reasons, instead of excuses--like feeling the need to impress someone for a reunion. All I know is this has to stop, my body and mind is sluggish. So time to take the bull by the horns. This is my third time with Total Health and Fitness. I have been on every diet imaginable, and have struggled with weight since my gallbladder surgery in 2002. I've had varying success, but most of it has been a struggle to stay on because it cut out too many things that I liked. I've been impressed (obviously) with them, because they customize everything to me, foods I like and stay away from foods I despise, and the weight in the past has fallen off fast (my last go-around was 30 lbs in 4 months, nothing to snub your nose at). But the part I like the best is that they can help me do a reasonable workout, something that is effective and challenging but not that I dread. But as much as I love them, I told them I'm hoping this is the last time I'm in--that my ultimate goal is to make a lifestyle of just staying happy and active.

So wish me luck on this journey.