51 Days (Jennie)

Just a shade over 7 weeks to go til the big day! I'm halfway through my 101 day journey and results have been... well... I don't know. My easiest benchmark right now is my scale, which is not my friend at the moment. The numbers have been fairly stagnant the past year. I may gain a few pounds over the holidays, then slowly lose them again. So it's time to change it up. It's said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. So the plan for the next 50 is to aim for 100% primal eating (at least during the week). I've been sticking to it fairly well, but still have too many slip-ups that I really need to take better control of. I will also work to do fewer repetitions using heavier weights. The main problem for me is my dumbbells go from 25 lbs straight to 45 lb kettlebells. Not exactly an easy bridge to span there! It's kept me to basically doing most of my weight work with the 25s, and smaller muscle moves with the 15s or 10s. So maybe this weekend I'll go shopping for 35s... so darned pricey, but still cheaper than a gym membership!

Today's food:
Breakfast: Protein shake (vanilla protein powder, blueberries, spinach and unsweetened almond milk)
AM Snack: Coffee, turkey bacon and a cup of red grapes
Lunch: Salad with albacore tuna and ranch dressing
PM Snack: Almonds and a granola bar
Dinner: Leftover galumpke from last night (tomato soup, cabbage, ground turkey and quinoa)

Total calories: 1615
Total burned: 2500
Workout for the day: P90X Plyo, 2 mile walk at lunch

53/52 Days (Jennie)

Stress... stress... STRESS!!! I am a busy gal, I always am burning the candle at both ends, so to speak, and once every so often I get burn out. Work has been extra busy lately with multiple large projects deploying at the same time. I think I'm finally coming to the realization that summer is drawing to a close (at least as far as the kiddos starting up school again) and we didn't get a chance to do anything or go anywhere. Cry me a river, I know... it's not like I'm the only person on the planet right now not getting to take a summer vacation. We have our health, our jobs, our home, so I'm really trying not to make this sound like a big deal that it isn't, but bear with me. Knowing that school is here once again and we're once again back to the craziness of team sports, homework, and all the other activities that come with it, without any R&R is a bit of a bummer. The kiddos were throwing a fit tonight about dinner (hubby's galumpke is not their favorite), they made a huge mess upstairs while we were making dinner. None of it is all that big of a deal... really... but I'm human and sometimes all the little things add up to make a cranky mommy.

So it made me start thinking about exercise and stress reduction. As tempting as it is to skip a workout or sleep in a little later because I'm tired, it's generally not worth it. So what makes it so great?

• Endorphins! Your body's natural feel-good response- this is the "runner's high" you hear about so often.
• Mood! This is totally unscientific here, but I know that if I don't get my workout in, I spend the rest of the day kicking myself (psychologically) for missing it. Not worth the extra hour of sleep. 
• Self-Esteem! I feel better about me when I take care of me. Again, not scientific here, but when I feel better about me, I have more confidence, which helps me to deal with stressful situations better.
• Focus! Exercise helps me focus and tackle my day. I challenge myself to keep pushing physically and get over mental hurdles, which helps later in the day as well. Warm-up, stretching and cool-down gives me time to think, whether it's about the workout ahead or the day ahead.
• And so many more...

Food for the days (you know you're in a rut when you're eating identical meals breakfast and lunch)
Breakfast 8/07 and 08/08: post-workout smoothie (spinach, vanilla protein powder, blueberries and unsweetened almond milk)
AM Snack 8/07 and 08/08: coffee and homemade banana bread (got to get rid of this stuff- I keep eating it!)
Lunch 08/07 and 08/08: salad with grilled chicken and ranch dressing
PM Snack 08/07: handful of almonds and granola bar
PM Snack 08/08: granola bar and a peach
Dinner 08/07: unscheduled stop at Chevy's... had some chips (noooo!) and a big salad
Dinner 8/08: hubby's galumpke
No dessert either day. Still trying to make up for the chips last night and splurging at the BBQ this weekend.

Total calories in 08/08: 1735
Total calories in 08/07: I'm guessing about 2500, although I honestly didn't track it. Darn chips and salsa did me in, I really need to work on willpower there!
Calories burned 08/08: 2300
Calories burned 08/07: 2385
Workout 08/08: P90X Chest and Back
Workout 08/02:P90X Kenpo. It was supposed to be a rest day- but trying to make up for lost time last week. My hands couldn't handle back-to-back pullup days. ;)

54 Days (Jennie)

Do you remember those old 80s milk commercials... the "Milk. It does a body good." ads with the small girls and boys talking to someone who is doubting their worth. They see themselves in a few years looking great, all from drinking their milk. I'm kind of feeling like that today, only replace "milk" with "workout". I was on the shy side growing up. I wasn't the cutest, funniest, or most athletic, which didn't help either. I struggle in many ways today with those same insecurities from childhood; I still clam up in social situations when I don't know people and I really hate confrontation. But here comes the "I'm drinking milk" part... working out is giving me a new confidence that I didn't have before. It's helping me to realize that I hate being ignored and underestimated most of all, which makes the discomfort of not knowing people in social situations and fear of confrontation seem not so bad. I work hard, but it isn't always enough to get me noticed and respected- it really is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease after all. So this girl is going to keep moving forward, keep busting out these workouts, keep learning and working. I have a race to prep for, a body to take care of, and most important of all, two precious little girls to inspire toward a lifelong love of fitness. I've got my eye on the prize!

Today's food:
Breakfast: Protein shake (vanilla protein powder, blueberries, spinach and unsweetened almond milk)
AM Snack: Homemade banana bread (couldn't resist- dang it- looove my banana bread!) and coffee
Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken
PM Snack: Almonds
Dinner: Carne asada with avocado, grilled corn, fresh tomatoes, green chiles and 2 small corn tortillas

Total calories: 1880
Total workout: 2400
Workout for the day: P90X Legs and Back, 2 mile walk at lunch

56/55 Days (Jennie)

Sorry for the second combo post, this is awful! It's been a crazy fun and busy weekend! Friday was a day off but shopping all day long and home late at night. Saturday we had a birthday party for our friends' son's 4th birthday. It was a fun time at the community pool near them. I have a love/hate relationship with pools as my daughters aren't swimmers (yet), so I spend the entire time on extra alert either hanging on to them or keeping them within direct line of sight the entire time. It may sound like not a big deal, but as any parent can tell you, this level of "if I remove my eyes from you for a split second, you will drown" kind of attention is exhausting. Thankfully it was a great pool with a huge shallow end that had a graduated "beach" entrance, perfect for little ones still getting their water wings. The kiddos are now extra excited for swim lessons later this fall, which is fantastic! And I'm proud to say that I was finally brave enough to venture out in a bikini in public- sans coverup. My friend and I were in Vegas last summer and spent some time poolside, but always with a coverup. It may sound like not a big deal, but for a girl who is traumatized annually with swimsuit shopping, it was a major milestone. Today we headed out to visit my dad for a bit, followed by more errands.

Food for the day
Breakfast 8/04: baked oatmeal with blueberries and banana
Breakfast 8/05: three homemade buttermilk pancakes with 1 T light syrup (normally not a fan, but we were out of the real stuff!)
Lunch 8/04: I chose to skip lunch at the birthday party- they were serving pizza which looked amazing, but knowing we were heading to a BBQ afterwards, thought it would be in my best interest
Lunch 8/05: steak with avocado, lettuce, pico de gallo, pinto beans and corn
PM Snack 8/04: lemon Luna bar
Dinner 8/04: bbq tri-tip, carrots and celery... and a few too many fritos and pretzels/dip. I don't normally eat that stuff- but when it's around and I'm hungry, it's a dangerous combo. Especially when I'm the designated driver for the evening and not getting to enjoy the drinks with everyone else. And excuse excuse excuse... haha!
Dinner 8/05: 1/3 of a frozen CPK pepperoni pizza... no bueno
Dessert 8/05: Greek yogurt with strawberries and a few chocolate chips

This weekend definitely wasn't my best. We arrived home late last night and were up early this morning. I had every intention to get my workout in and it didn't happen. I wanted to do it tonight, but Mt. Laundry was threatening eruption if I didn't attend to it immediately- so I did. Tomorrow- back to it. My HRM is going to be hollering at me tomorrow morning for not meeting my weekly goals!




Workout 8/04: P90X Kenpo X
Workout 8/05: nothing official, but I at least managed to get an okay amount of walking in


Tomorrow- back to work!

58/57 Days (Jennie)

I can't believe I missed posting yesterday! I had a great excuse though, I spent my normal "blog time" talking with a dear friend that I haven't had a chance to catch up with in a bit. She is one of the most amazing people I know. She dealt with some serious health issues last year and spent quite a lot of time in the hospital. I am truly in awe of her zest for life and what a positive attitude she has toward everything in life. Her enthusiasm is truly contagious, I am so blessed to call her my friend.

Hubby and I took the day off work today. We went shopping, with full intention of coming home and getting in the workout. Needless to say, I *just* got home and am completely exhausted after close to 12 hours of shopping. I had no idea we would be out and about that much. The kiddos acted like little ones do when they're drug out to shop for "boring parent stuff" and further complicated the effort. On the bright side, I bought a new swimsuit and didn't hate myself in it, which is a small miracle in and of itself. I'm far from looking like a supermodel, but I am happy with the progress I've made and at peace with having to wear it in public tomorrow. Tomorrow morning I'm back at the workout. We have two birthday parties (it's feast or famine with us on the weekends, I swear!), so I'll get up and knock it out in the AM. :)

Food for the day
Breakfast 8/02: post-workout smoothie (spinach, vanilla protein powder, blueberries and unsweetened almond milk)
Breakfast 8/03: we went out this AM for brunch. I had a egg and potato skillet with avocado, salsa, sour cream and a lot of other veggies. Very tasty- probably not low cal with all those dang potatoes, but it kept me full until dinner, aside from a small snack.
AM Snack 8/02: coffee and Greek yogurt
Lunch 8/02: salad with grilled chicken and ranch dressing
Lunch 8/03: 1 oz pack of honey roasted peanuts I grabbed while on the go today!
PM Snack 8/02: handful of almonds and granola bar 
Dinner 8/03: Rubio's tonight while out and about- had the chipotle shrimp orange salad again- very good and calories are reasonable (380)
Dinner 8/02: scrambled eggs with spinach, salsa, a little blue cheese and turkey bacon
Dessert 8/03: Greek yogurt with a few grapes and 1 T honey
Dessert 8/02: homemade frozen yogurt, just 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt and a cup of frozen blueberries blended together- awesome!

Total calories in 8/03: 1660
Total calories in 8/02: 1930
Calories burned 8/03: 2200
Calories burned 8/02: 2350
Workout 8/03: nada... :(
Workout 8/02:P90X Back and Biceps and Ab RipperX

58 days (Mindy)

So I thought I'd better post before my sister kicks my butt!  I have been very bad about tracking what I have been eating... I have been making very good choices and working out a lot but have not been logging anything because I got bored..

So instead of posting what I ate all day, I will post my dinner recipe!


My freezer is getting way too packed so tonight the goal was to make dinner out of all freezer items... the other motivation was to make room for this...

If you can't tell what this is it is a Freezy Pup ice tray that freezes doggy treats... yes my dog is very spoiled.

So back to my freezer meal, I pulled out the frozen shrimp, edamame, and big ass bag of frozen veggies from Costco and got to work.

Shrimp Veggie Stir Fry
(1 serving)


Ingredients:
- Frozen Vegetables (2 cups)
- 1/2 cup edamame
- 6 shrimp or more
- 1tsp Sesame oil
- 3 tsp Rice Vinegar
- 3 tsp Soy Sauce

Cook the edamame and shrimp first according to directions.

In a wok heat on high the sesame oil, rice vinegar and soy sauce.  Add whatever seasonings you think would be good, I bet some sake, red pepper, or chili sauce would be amazing.  Once heated throw in the frozen vegetables and stir fry stirring frequently until heated thoroughly.  Add in the edamame and shrimp and stir fry until heated through.  Enjoy!

59 Days (Jennie)

August 1st already! This year is really flying by at a breakneck pace, it's crazy. A family friend once said that the years pass by quicker as we get older since each subsequent one is less of a fraction of our total life. It is amazing to me, I remember the school year feeling sooooo long when I was a kid- now it rushes by, summer rushes by. My oldest baby is getting ready to start 3rd grade, yet it feels like I was just taking her to kindergarten the other day.

I'm baking cookies tonight, peanut macarons with chocolate ganache filling.

Hi gorgeous!

I absolutely love baking, which is one of my biggest challenges for trying to keep weight off. It is a great stress reliever for me, and makes me lots of friends at the office too. I do try to sub in healthier items whenever the opportunity presents itself, some work beautifully and others, not so much. Subbing coconut flour in for regular flour was a disaster.

A few friendlier substitutions:
- Substitute 1/2 the oil called for in a recipe with applesauce or plain yogurt. It keeps the moisture in baked goods while reducing fat and calories naturally.
- Pumpkin puree can be added to many baked goods, it's low in calories and high in fiber.
- Unsweetened almond milk for whole milk (unless you're using it for whipping)

These are suggestions that have worked well for me and not had a detrimental impact to the final product. I look forward to finding more to share! I am a self-professed baking snob in that I want what I eat to be delicious, if it tastes "low cal", it's not worth it. I don't substitute where there would be a big noticeable difference to the taste of the item, such as removing butter or replacing all sugar with a substitute. I'd rather have a tiny bit of the full-fat wonderful thing then a bigger serving of the overly-substituted artificial counterpart. Food is fuel, but it's also enjoyment. And one forkful of something amazing is better than a plateful of something so-so.

Food for the day
Breakfast: post-workout smoothie with waaaay too much spinach (it was starting to turn and I didn't want to waste it- so dumped it all in the mixer!), vanilla protein powder, unsweetened almond milk and a banana
Morning snack: running late for work, so I grabbed a Greek yogurt from the fridge (fruit kind) and a handful of almonds
Lunch: salad with grilled chicken and ranch dressing, granny smith apple
Afternoon snack: granola bar
Dinner: cheeseburger- caught me a bit by surprise that hubby wanted to go out tonight, but he had a rough day at work and we both got home late. Our usual stomping ground (Chipotle) had a line wrapping around and out the door, so we went a few doors down for a burger instead. Thankfully I had a good workout this morning, so still under my calories for the day!
Dessert: nothing really- although I did sample tiny bits of macaron batter and chocolate ganache as I was baking tonight. So add a few calories there- but they were worth it!

Total calories in: 1930
Calories burned: 2500
Workout: P90X Plyo and a 2 mile walk