Macros & Urban Workouts!

Food: I've started keeping track of my macros just to see what my daily consumption is like & I found that I have some room for improvement!  I'm not going over on calories, I'm doing a good job of sticking to natural fresh foods, but I'm not getting enough protein.  Shucky darn.  Time to increase the amount of meat on my plate!  That is so not a bad thing.  I already went to the store and bought more chicken, eggs, and turkey bacon than I had been buying.

*happy face*

Exercise: I tried an Urban Workout!  We meet up in downtown Dallas and use the train station as our workout space.  The workout includes lots of stair running & various body weight exercises such as burpees, jump squats, lunges etc.  Talk about super-intense!  My legs burned & I was walking around so awkwardly for DAYS afterwards.  It really pushed me out of my comfort zone to go work out with people I didn't know in a new environment but it was so worth it!  I got such a good strength-building cardio workout & even went back for more the following Saturday.  My friend Sarah joined me for each session and my sister joined us for the second round.  I had so much fun going all beast-mode with them!  They are both super athletic & I had to push myself to keep up!  I've been strength training back, shoulders, biceps, triceps, etc. but haven't worked my legs much so this was definitely a new challenge for me.  I love it!  Try something new! Don't let things get boring! Challenge your body!

Urban Workout Photo with Sarah, my sister Elisa, the leader Carla, and several others:

Week 28:

• February 26th cardio (intense boot-camp like cardio session with my sister), March 2nd (urban workout that killed my legs!! stairs, stairs & more stairs)
• February 25th, 27th & March 1st strength training

Week 29:

• March 4th cardio (20 minute bike session with some sore legs), 9th cardio (urban workout round 2 - quicker & less painful recovery this time around!)
• Marth 4th, 5th & 7th strength training

Specific Goals vs. Lifestyle Goals

I'm often asked when I will be finished with my "diet" or when my demanding workout sessions & selective eating will be done.  On the one hand, I completely understand having specific short-term goals as motivation for diet & exercise.  I know that working towards a six-pack has been a great motivator for me & now my new short term motivator is to look great for my trip to Spain.  But, on the other hand, this isn't about set short-term goals, this is my lifestyle.  I don't ever plan to become inactive or to start indulging in mass quantities of unhealthy food.  

The benefits of being healthy - feeling great, sleeping well, looking good, learning what I'm capable of, etc. - are worth the hours spent preparing grocery lists, cooking & getting my workouts in.  I'm sure my life will hit busy periods (i.e. when we have a kiddo...) when I can't put as much time into the fit lifestyle as I do now, but being healthy will always be a priority for me.  It takes sacrifices, time, energy, money but you only get one body and what you get out of it reflects what you put into it.  If I lost no more weight or gained no more strength, I would be ok with that.  I know that I've worked hard to be where I'm at and I'm satisfied with my results.  However, I'm in a period in my life where I actually have plenty of time to accomplish whatever I want.  Praise the Lord!  I've set various professional, spiritual & charitable goals for myself & fitness fits on the list of priorities & goals that I'm reaching for at this time in my life.

MEAL IDEAS:

Do y'all know about Panera's Hidden Menu??  Talk about Fit Food.  The items on this menu are delicious & packed with nutrients.  Yumeroo.

http://mypanera.panerabread.com/articlestips/article/access-into-paneras-hidden-menu/

Week 27:

• February 19th cardio (outside jog/walk with my sister), 22nd cardio (incline walk)
• February 18th, 20th & 23rd strength training

Birthday Shenanigans!

So, I made so much progress leading up to my birthday & finally noticed it when I saw pictures taken at my birthday party.  My progress has been slow & steady so it's hard for my to notice the changes but seeing pictures of myself really opened my eyes to all the changes my body has undergone!  I was rocking that tiny red dress, if I may say so myself.  So how did I mentally handle such a feeling of accomplishment...I went off the deep end into calorie-ville - and lazyville!  D'oh!  Oh well, that was a bad two weeks but I am so ready to start anew.  I went grocery shopping tonight and completely set myself up for success :-)

I really enjoyed the last two weeks.  It's hard to experience such a change from what has now become a lifestyle of exercise and good food choices but I had fun relaxing, spending time with out of town guests & indulging in foods I never have anymore.  I ate a french fry!  I ate chocolate!  I ate ice-cream!  I drank alcohol!  It was fun while it lasted but I miss feeling energized & accomplished so I am going back at my healthy lifestyle full force.  My next cheat/indulgence day will be EASTER!!  Bring it!

Posing with my oldest sister Susana to the left & my middle sister Elisa to the right.  My sisters are also very much into fitness & have developed healthy habits :-)

Posing with my friends Sarah & Kumar.

The next 40 days - between now and Easter - will be intense, but I expect it will be worth it to see more strength gains & more fat loss!

Week 25:

• February 3rd cardio (HIIT on treadmill for 40 minutes), 4th cardio (50 min. incline treadmill walk), 6th cardio (40 min. treadmill run), 9th cardio (outside 1 hour walk), 9th cardio (dancing my booty off at my birthday party!!)
• February 6th strength training - only one strength session - noooo

Week 26:

• February 15th (50 min. incline treadmill walk) - only one cardio session - noooo
• February 11th, 13th (yes, on my actual birthday!) strength training

30 Day Eating Plan & Consistent Workouts

It's almost birthday time!  I'm following a 30 day meal plan in order to ensure that I stay on track.

Perks:
1) The first grocery trip for this meal plan was a little pricey because it called for so many spices, oils, etc. that I did not have on hand.  However, now that I've bought most of the basics, I'm coming out better than before on grocery trips.  Yay!  It's good to know I can eat from-scratch meals for every meal every day at an affordable price.
2) I feel great.  I've tried diets or calorie restrictions at various points throughout the last year or so and they always seem to interfere with my workouts.  If following a diet means I can't push myself lifting weights, running, etc. then I'm not happy.  This meal plan has not interfered with my workouts at all so I'm very happy with that aspect.
3) Yum!  Most of the plan is based around foods I previously enjoyed such as salmon, chicken, meats, eggs, fruits & vegetables.  There hasn't been a single item on the menu that I've had to choke down.  Every meal so far has been enjoyable.
4) Does it work? Yes.  The meal plan provides guidance for all my meals every day so it definitely requires a commitment, but I'm encouraged to stick with the plan because I am seeing results!  I am just starting the plan and have a few weeks left to go I can already see my body responding positively to clean eating.
5) After the 30 days is up, I can still use this plan.  Once the 30 days is up, I still plan to regularly incorporate meals and tips from the plan into my routine.  The plan comes with lots of explanation as to why certain things work and others don't and spells out guidelines to follow in the absence of a completely spelled out menu.

Challenges:
1) This plan takes work/time/effort.  I spent a couple of hours prepping various items for the rest of the week immediately after the grocery shopping trip and I spent up to an hour total per day preparing breakfast, lunch, dinner, smoothies and other snacks on a daily basis.  Although I don't mind cooking, I'm tweaking a few things so that I can spend a little less time on meal prep each day.  For example, the meal plan calls for hardboiled eggs and pesto made from scratch...I don't think it will be to my detriment to buy pre-hardboiled eggs and ready made all natural pesto. I think once I make those changes I'll handle the time demands better.
2) I am following this meal plan to a t.  No exceptions.  Following a plan so closely causes some problems with my social calendar.  For example, we took one of the paralegals from the firm out for her birthday and it was not easy passing on all the delicious food, the shared dessert, etc. and sticking with my plan.  I will have no Super Bowl Sunday indulgences.  Granted, the meal plan itself includes many delicious foods and even allows some sweet protein bar items, I will not eat my usual indulgences while I am on this plan (except for birthday indulgences...more on that later).

In addition to the meal plan, I've been working hard to stay consistent with my workouts & definitely succeeded in that aspect for the past two weeks.  My sister has been running with my, my husband has been joining me at the gym and I've been pushing myself on the days when I've had to work out solo.  Like everyone else, I get tired or busy so it isn't always easy to stick to the workout schedule, but I'll play around with alternatives to figure out what works.  I think incorporating a variety of exercises has really helped me stay on track: my workouts range from the gym, body weight workouts at home, to running outdoors and using elliptical and treadmills.  The variety keeps me from getting bored and pushes me to meet new challenges!

Week 23:

• January 22nd cardio (HIIT on elliptical), 24th cardio (3.2 mile outdoor run), 25th cardio (45 min. incline treadmill walk)
• January 20th, 22nd, 26th strength training

Week 24:

• January 29th cardio (45 min. elliptical), 31st cardio (3.2 mile outdoor run), February 2nd cardio (50 min. incline treadmill walk)
• January 29th, 31st, February 1st strength training

It's the final countdown!

Hubby: WOW.  Guys progress so differently from us lady folk.  My hubby seems to lift more weight or at least add reps every single time we go to the gym.  He is doing so well with his strength training progress AND he is finally able to do a little bit of cardio again!  He's not quite up for long runs yet, but he has started logging some mileage on a recumbent bike without any knee issues.  I know he misses his usual cardio routine so it's good to finally see him doing some leg work without giving up due to pain.

Eating clean: Alright y'all, since my birthday  is rapidly approaching, I've been so strict with my diet.  The first few days were relatively easy, day 6 or so I wanted to eat everything in sight and nothing seemed to satisfy, but then around day 8 or so I could visibly see some progress & seeing that progress made me so determined to stick with my clean eating.  This week I'm devoting my blog to sharing food ideas for those of you wondering what I eat.  I eat a great variety of foods & never do any "cleanses", liquid diets, starving myself, or any kind of extremely low cal dieting.  Even if my calories get as low as 1,200, I won't have the energy & nutrients it takes to work out so many times per week.  I eat plenty of delicious healthy food!!

First category - eggerific!!

My awesome brother in law made this delicious omelette for me!  It is filled with onion, tomato, and Bacon deliciousness!  I topped it with a salsa that included all natural ingredients. Yumeroo!

I stole this idea from the internet.  The exterior is a bacon cup, which went in the oven alone for a few minutes, and I then added egg, egg whites, green peppers, onion, and tomato.  This is a good one for bacon-lovers.

Here is an omelette while dining out at Kerbey Lane Cafe in Austin.  Breakfast is my go-to when dining a new place because it allows me to know what to expect.  Sometimes I'll dine out and order a grilled chicken that comes out swimming in a sea of melted cheese or some other topping that I'm not supposed to eat, but with breakfast foods, you are usually going to be safe with respect to any surprises.

Second category - seafood!!

It's hard to go wrong with fish and veggies.

Why yes, I would like a plate of all kinds of seafood mixed together.  This tilapia, scallops, shrimp & spinach gem is from the Olive Garden.

In a hurry? Throw some Mrs. Dash on your fish.  Dinner is ready!

Bento boxes can be a blessing and a curse.  I skipped that fried little egg roll and held off on the creamy sauces but the rest was delicious.  I very rarely eat rice because I try to stick with paleo foods but this was an exception.

Third category - poultry!!

Be careful about your food selection at Panera.  Although their food is always delicious because of their generous use of fresh ingredients, several of their entrees include a tremendous amount of calories in the bread and sauces.  I stick to their soups & salads. I did not eat those croutons or that bread - Ryan was happy to take them off my hands ;-)

Chicken wrapped in bacon?  Why yes, don't mind if I do.  Toothpicks were used to hold the bacon in place so I had to remember to remove them to avoid injuring my mouth.

Fourth category - beef!!

Chili rellenos are awesome: meat, veggie, tomato sauce...I poured much more tomato sauce on this little guy after I took the photo.  Just check the ingredient list on your sauce and make sure it is a short list of actual foods & not chemicals.

I love the grilled avocado at Chiloso.  However, the smathering of queso that the avocado typically comes with is not going to help me reach my goals.  I told them to hold the queso and this was still a very delicious meal!  Don't be afraid to ask for ingredients to be held off or for substitutes when dining out!

Ok, this is the new face of indulgence.  Indulgence used to mean an extra 1000 to 2000 calories that included a pizza, ice-cream, & alcohol frenzy but now indulgence means a half rack of ribs with topped with a nice creamy barbecue sauce & some sweet potato fries.  This meal was so delicious & full of nutrients that were lacking in my earlier indulgences, but it is higher in calories than the typical meal so, enjoy, just not too often.

Fifth category - vegan/vegetarian!!

Let's be honest here, I'm a major meat eater.  I usually top the pizza shown below with some type of meant.  However, my friend Brandon came to visit and he follows a vegan & gluten-free diet.  He pretty much just eats raw fruits & vegetables but I tried to accomodate his diet and made these special little pizzas.  The "crust" is a huge portobello mushroom, which I topped with tomato sauce, olives, green peppers, red peppers & onion.  This particular photo is of the pizza I served to Ryan that night--so it includes off-limits cheese.  One week after Brandon came to visit we found vegan gluten-free cheese at sprouts! I totally would have used that on Brandon's pizza if we would have discovered it earlier!

Sixth category - meal-snacks!!

Do not underestimate this category.  I typically eat at least 4 times a day so these meal-snacks & these meal-snacks are what help me get beyond the usual three meals per day.  Eating often takes planning but it keeps your metabolism going and you're less likely to overeat at a meal from hunger.

This here is one of my go-tos.  I Love sweet potatoes.  I often snack on a sweet potato topped with one type of nut or another & cinnamon, and I either add some Truvia or honey for some added sweetness. I must have been out of cinnamon this day... And yes, that is my telephone cord for my office phone.

Oh sweet deliciousness.  I love banans and the fact that they are substantive and filling.  Every now and then I do something wit them like add almond butter, dip in honey, or blend with almond milk but bananas are one of my favorite any time snacks.

The hubby loves smoothies.  Use whatever fresh & frozen fruit you want with fruit juice and you'll end up with a nutrient rich snack.  I do not add mlik, ice-cream, etc. but if I want my smoothie a little thicker that day, I will add some almond butter &/or bananas.  My smoothies almost always include strawberries, pineapple, blueberries and cranberries.

Eat a variety of foods.  If you eat the same foods all the time you will not stick to your diet.  We need to keep things interesting to stay on track. It's important to have fun with your food & try to keep your portions in control if you want to stay on track.  Always plan ahead and have plenty of healthy options on hand so you don't blow your diet.

Week 21:

• January 13th cardio (treadmill), 17th cardio (HIIT plus 1 mile walk during lunch, 19th cardio (running outside enjoying the glorious weather!)
• January 13th, 15th, 18th and 19th strength training

New Exercises

(I thought I posted this on January 15th...apparently I hit "save draft". Bah!)
I have so much to share after two weeks!!

Cardio: Let's change things up! This cold weather is killing my usual routine sooooo I've been throwing in different cardio routines.  I finally decided to substitute HIIT (high intensity interval training) into my cardio sessions to try to get the pain of indoor cardio over quickly :-P  You can pretty much pick any cardio activity to do this with including running, cycling or the elliptical.

There are so many variations of HIIT, but I typically use a routine shared by Bella Falconi:
Warm-up
4 minutes of a high but sustainable pace, 4 minutes of easy pace
3 minutes of a high but sustainable pace, 3 minutes of easy pace

2 minutes of a high but sustainable pace, 2 minutes of easy pace
1 minutes of a high but sustainable pace, 1 minutes of easy pace
30 seconds of full on all out speed, 1 minute easy pace - repeat this last part 4 times
Cool-down.

Although HIIT is great for a quick calorie smash and has the added perk of increasing your metabolism for a length of time beyond your workout, I do not enjoy it Nearly as much as I enjoy a nice long jog (especially with a friend, hubby or sister) but since it is so cold outside that it is SNOWING, I felt the need to change it up.  HIIT is not my idea of a good time...maybe I will get used to it as I do more and more of it, but for now, it just serves its purpose and doesn't bring me any real joy.

Weight: My weight has pretty much stabilized but I definitely feel myself getting stronger, Stronger, STRONGER!!  Right now, I'm really focused on seeing my body change shape more than seeing any real loss of pounds.

Gym membership: The big health news around here is that my Hubby & I finally got gym memberships! We were so spoiled by our at home equipment & community fitness center but definitely faced some frustration about the fitness center being closed...so we found an alternative.  It is so awesome getting to lift weights with Ryan.  I like seeing him push himself and work towards goals.  Training with Ryan has helped me get some perspective on how far I've come in the last several months.  First, I actually know what some exercises are called & the proper form for completing them.  Granted, I had to look up some exercises, review youtube videos, and ask one of the trainers at the gym a few questions, but overall I feel like I have a pretty good idea of what I'm doing at the gym.  Second, although we both push ourselves at the gym, the simple fact that Ryan is a beginner means he has to deal with much more soreness than I do.  He could barely move after the first couple of workouts but he is recovering better after our lifting sessions this week.  I definitely get sore and exhausted but its not nearly as bad as it was when I was starting out!  Lastly, I realized how I've made lifestyle changes in order to accomodate my exercise schedule....

Lifestyle changes: Planning, planning, planning. I plan my meals ahead of time to ensure that I have several meals throughout the day and especially to ensure that I have the nutrients and energy that I need in my body in order to handle my workouts.  We're still working on getting Ryan's eating on track so that he is taking in enough protein, fluids, etc. to meet the demands of working out several times a week.  Water intake can be quite the chore but your body needs lots of water to function properly.  Most days I drink some almond milk, a cranergy, a coconut water, a vitamin water zero and some plain old water in order to stay hydrated.  My daily goal is 64 ounces & if I'm not deliberate about taking in fluids, I will not reach that goal.  I usually make a food/liquid plan for the day first thing in the morning.  As far as the bigger picture, I grocery shop about once a week so I try to plan meals, snacks, and fluids for an entire week prior to going out and getting groceries.  This helps me eat clean & often while getting all the things my body needs & enjoying a variety of different foods.

30 to 30:  Ok y'all.  I have now entered the final 30 days before my 30th birthday.  I am going to be so super focused on making these 30 days awesome at work, at home, at the gym - everywhere!  I will be reporting on these 30 days of awesomeness frequently!  But for now my stats...

My stats are alright for the last two weeks.  I am pretty pleased with them considering the fact that most of the people I know took breaks during the holidays ;-)

Week 19:

• HIIT January 1st
• December 30th, January 1st & 3rd strength training

Week 20:

• HIIT January 6th and 9th
• 3.2 mile run on the 11th
• January 6th and 9th strength training

Struggles in Week 18

Things have been tough lately.  I'm only able to do so much with my Body when my Mind is in the right place.  This week my mind has been off on various days.  I've had my mind focused on the new job, financial goals, relationship goals, etc. and with it I suffered from a severe lack of focus & lost sight of my fitness goals.  I'm thankful that I have some people in my life that remind me why this matters & to not lose sight of my goals. I went through the motions with at least some of my lifting sessions but I somehow managed to push through them so my stats are still strong for the week.

Anyways...

I have big goals for the new year & I'm excited that I'm in the final 45 days before my 30th birthday!  Even if I didn't progress any further between now & then, I'd be proud of the work I've accomplished over the last several months.  That said, I'm in the process of drawing up a pretty detailed & arduous plan so I can more carefully manage what I eat, how much I sleep, fluid intake, & training goals.  After a really crappy & off week, I'm back to thinking of this fitness thing as my Fun & extremely Beneficial Hobby & I'm ready to make progress again.

Week 18:

• 3.4 miles walking 
• 12 miles running
• 2 hours 20 minutes of strength training