Insanity:R2 - Week 1, Day 5

Make up workout number 1 done.  I still have to make up Saturday's workout of Plyo, but there's no way I'll get it today.  I'm going to do it on Thursday with Cardio Recovery, because it'll be easier and still give me my rest day on Sunday.

I almost didn't make it through Pure Cardio.  I was only able to do about 30 seconds of each exercise, and that was pushing it.  Level 2 Drills and Suicide Jumps or Drills or whatever the hell they are can kiss my receding butt.  Love me some Mountain Climbers though.

And I'm going to stop writing now because my whole body feels like head cheese. 

Insanity:R2 - Week 1, Days 2-4

So I just finished Cardio Recovery. 

I barely made it through it.  I barely made it through Plyometric Cardio Circuit or Cardio Power & Resistance on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I feel wimpy. 

Then again, it's only Week 1, and I have not been active like this since my last round of Insanity.

One bonus for me is this time I'm not gasping - more like dying - for breathe after 10 seconds like I was before.  But, I still think I should be doing better than I am.  But, I can only get better.  :)

Another bonus was my stomach, which used to get in the way of many stretches and exercises, isn't that much of a problem now.  It's more of a "I don't have the balance for this right now" problem.  I almost fell over a number of times over the last couple of days.

I was going to be super awesome and do Pure Cardio today too.  PC is Friday's workout, and TH and I will not be here as we're going to our camper this weekend. 

OH HELL NO. 

Yes, capitals.  My legs feel like the head cheese I talked about the other day.  There's no way I'd make it through the warm up, much less the entire workout.  I don't think I should be doing double workouts during the first week anyways.  If I was on Week 3, maybe.  But not fresh out of the gate.  So, I'll do Friday's workout on Sunday when we get home, and go from there.  Yes, I realize this is going to throw my schedule off for a little while, but I will make it up - maybe after next Thursday's Cardio Recovery.

My feet are starting to hurt again.  At least I know this time it's because I'm using them and that it's not my shoes.  Though, if I were smart (and had a job), I'd probably get decent workout shoes instead of my dependable, old, every day Sketchers.  Something with a bit more flexibility and support.  If anyone knows if that shoe exists, let me know!  :)

Anyways, I've got a tone of crap ro finish before TH gets home from work, so I'm going to leave you now.  Stay safe!

Tips To Replace Junk Food With Healthier Food

This is the first of what I hope to be many blog posts that have absolutely nothing to do with my Insanity workouts, but are actually kind of informative.  Today I'm going to talk about how to exchange that yummy, sometimes sugar-loaded junk food that we all love and our thighs and butts hate into something that's actually good for you.  This topic came up in the group that I'm part of on Facebook that is comprised of our Beachbody Team, and one of the women posted that she was really trying to get off the junk food - like cookies and milk - and have something healthy instead because getting into the "eating right" phase is difficult to do.

It's difficult for everyone!  If you can't get hooked on some form of "bad thing" then I really don't think you're human.  Seriously.

Anyways, Helga (that isn't her name, but you gotta love obscure names) said she's been bringing deviled eggs to work to snack on instead of cookies.  Go Helga!  She also asked what kind of others things she and her family could do to gradually phase out the junk and phase in the healthy.  Here are some tips from our wonderful team:

• Get Rid of The White.  

This means buy whole wheat bread instead of white bread.  Buy brown rice instead of white rice.  Use whole pasta instead of regular pasta.  You can even use Turbinado Sugar instead of white sugar.  Clicking this link will take you to Live Strong's website where they have a really good write up on how to use Turbinado sugar in place of white sugar.  The options are out there, you just need to find them and not be afraid to try something new. 

• Make A Meat Rub.  

One of the women suggested going through all your spices and make a meat rub that you can use for chicken, pork, beef, etc.  With a rub you can do all sorts of things with you meat - marinate it, use a bit extra to form a crust when you cook the meat, or even smoking the meat.  By using the rub as a "crust" you eliminate the need to use bread crumbs, which is always a bonus. 

• Replace Crunchy With Crunchy.  

Everyone has their favorite type of chips.  Mine happen to be Flamin' Hot Cheetos and Sun Chips.   I replaced my chips with baby carrots.  Every time I wanted something crunchy to munch on, I grabbed a handful of baby carrots instead of a handful (or a whole bag) of chips.  Same goes with eating celery or an apple. 

• Replace Soft With Soft.  

Same thing as above, but with soft foods.  I replaced cookies (and I do love cookies) with fruit - bananas, strawberries, pineapple. 

• Buy Sandwich Thins.  

I recently discovered these wonderful Sandwich Thins at Sam's Club (where they are much cheaper), but they also have them at grocery stores.  I buy the Whole Wheat and the Honey Wheat.  They are great for so many reasons.  First off, they are thin, so when you make a sandwich, you can actually TASTE the things you put between the slices instead of a mouthful of just bread.  Second, they make GREAT brat, hot dog, and Italian sausage buns.  Same principal as with the sandwich - you can taste the meat instead of just the bread.  And, they are lower on calories than regular wheat bread.  :) 

• 90 Calorie Granola Bars.  

I buy these because they are great snacks, treats/desserts, and breakfast foods.  I get the ones from Wal-Mart in chocolate chip.  It gives me a chocolatey treat without all the bad stuff.  I don't eat them every day, but they are nice to have on hand. 

• Drink Water.  

I know, it sounds silly.  But, when you get a craving for something, drink a glass (8 ounces) of water then ask yourself if you are really hungry for that food or just think you are. 

• Replace Your Milk.  

I know I've said this before, but Almond Milk is the way to go!  I love the Almond Milk / Coconut Milk blends (60 calories), and I have stopped buying regular milk completely.  TH even loves it.  I get him the Vanilla flavored Almond Milk (which is 90 calories).  I use it to cook with, to make my Shakeology, eat it with my cereal, and use it as my coffee creamer - on the off days when I actually want to drink coffee. 

• Change Your Cereal.  

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I don't like to cook breakfast for myself.  So, I'm a big eater of cereal, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch is hand's down the best cereal on earth.  But, it's not healthy.  So I replaced the best cereal on earth with granola types.  Sam's Club/Wal-Mart has a Pumpkin Flax Seed Granola which is actually really freaking good - as cereal and mixed in yogurt.  Another good one is from Jewel's Wild Harvest brand.  It's a Cherry Vanilla Granola and a Blueberry Flax Seed Granola.  And they are all excellent with Almond / Coconut Milk.  :) 

• Experiment With Your Greens.  

Stop using just iceberg lettuce! Experiment a little and get yourself some baby spinach, romaine, arugula, kale, or just a spring mix from the store.  And before you go "Ewwww, spinach!", stop.  Spinach in a can isn't what REAL spinach tastes like.  It's much much better, because I thought the same thing.  I use different lettuce types for salads and sandwiches.  I also make the spinach into a dinner side dish by wilting it with some garlic and extra virgin olive oil.  It's delicious.  :) 

• Drink More Water Instead of Soda.  

I can't say it enough, drink water like it's going out of style.  I used to think this wasn't very important, and I was wrong.  Now, drinking 64 ounces of water a day is nothing.  The best way to do this (for me anyways) was to use a 32 ounce cup.  We have several Iron Man and Farmville cups from 7-11 Slurpees, and I know that I have to drink minimum two a day.  Because I was drinking so much water, I didn't even WANT a soda.  Though I will admit, kicking the soda habit was hard.  I started small by saying gradually reducing how much I drank it - like 1 can every other day.  Then I reduced it to Wednesdays only.  By the third week, I didn't even want it anymore and it tasted terrible.  

• Avoid Fast Food.  

I love french fries.  I especially love french fries from Wendy's.  And sometimes you really don't have a choice about eating at a fast food restaurant.  So if you have no choice, check out this very informative posting from the Dr. Gourmet website as it lists some "healthier" options as well as nutritional value for each.  He also has a handy printable version for most of the restaurant options as well.

So these are some of my tips and some of our Facebook groups tips.  I hope they help you make better food choices whenever possible.  If anyone has any others, post'em up!  I'd love to hear them!

Insanity - R2 - Week 1, Day 1 - Fit Test

Have you ever seen head cheese?  It's kinda like jello with fruit in it, only not nearly as good looking or appetizing.  Or as colorful.  My grandma used to get it from Jewel (a grocery store) back in the day and eat it on rye bread.  That's how my muscles feel right now.  Like head cheese, a little jiggly with chunks of stuff you'd rather not see.  Google it and tell me it's not the most disgusting looking thing you've ever seen given the label of "cheese".  I won't post a picture of it because I already feel like puking. 

Yes, today was Fit Test Number One day.  I swear they made it harder.  I don't know how, but they did.  I didn't do too bad considering I haven't done one for "real" since the last one of Insanity Round 1.  I'm not counting the one in June, because I didn't even finish week one.  Yes, my numbers are lower, but not as low as they were the very first time I did Insanity, so I consider that a bonus.

Here's my Fit Test #1 Results:

• Switch Kicks - 50
• Power Jacks - 21
• Power Knees - 55
• Power Jumps - 12
• Globe Jumps - 4
• Suicide Jumps - 4 (DIAF. That means "Die In A Fire" for you non-nerdy types)
• Push-Up Jacks - 8 (I hate you with a  passion only rivaled by my hatred of spiders)
• Low Plank Obliques - 50

I also have good news to report!

I did my weigh-in before doing the Fit Test.  I'm down to 194.2 pounds.  On my last weigh-in date, which was May 23, I was 208 pounds.  That's a difference of 13.8 pounds!  And the weird part?  I didn't workout, I wasn't really watching what I ate (besides eating smaller portions sometimes), drinking my Shakeology every other day or so, and drinking TONS and TONS of water.  I was in shock!  So, now you can imagine me doing a happy dance around the living room, because that's what I did.  :)

Now, my goal weight is 180 pounds.  Considering I lost 10 pounds on my first round of Insanity, and I was still learning how to eat proper portions of the right foods, I'm pretty damn confident that my final weigh-in in 60 days is going to be 180 or LOWER.  That's right.  I said it.  LOWER.  It could be 179.9, but that's still lower.  :P

Here's to a great beginning to another round of Insanity.  I guess this means I have to nix the beer completely now.  /sigh

My Fitness Goals - Round 2

I know, I've said it before but I'm doing Insanity again!.  This time I mean it!  When I said that back in June I think, we had normal weather.  Four days into the program, mega hot heatwave hit us and it didn't let up until last week, but this week has been gorgeous.  I've made my start date tomorrow, August 13th, because 13 is my lucky number.  You may think it's strange or weird, but I like that number because everyone else fears it.  :)

Part of starting Insanity the first time was to make a goal list.  If you want to check it out, you can find it by clicking on the pretty blue link you just read.  So, I figured the best way to do this right would be to create a new set of goals that reflect what I've learned from the first round of Insanity, and what I want to accomplish in this second round.  If you'll look back through my first round, I lost a total of 10 pounds and 19.7 inches.  In a perfect world, I'd like to double the weight lost, but realistically, I know that is not possible, nor would it be super healthy.

Why you might ask?  Well, I'll tell you.

Because I'll rebound and go on an "I must eat all the ice cream I can because I'm not as huge as I was anymore" spree.  Like the great and well known "Eat the Brownie Extravangaza!".  And I know I would.  I may not limit it to ice cream - cookies, soda, chips, chocolate, candy, Wendy's, beer, Burger King - whatever.  It would be a total nightmare and a waste of 60 days of kickin' ass.  Not to mention depressing as all hell.

So, I'm going to do it the way I did before - Daily, Weekly, and Monthly goals.  I am also staying with Sundays as Rest Days (except for camping weekends where I make up Saturday's workout on Sunday), and also with the "I'm allowed one bad thing on Wednesdays IF I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE IT".  With my last round of Insanity, I had to kick the soda habit and letting myself have one on Wednesdays was awesome.  After a while, I didn't even want one, or if I opened it, I couldn't drink it because it killed my stomach.  Sadly, this is no longer the case, so that one day of having a single bad thing will help again with cravings and rebound issues. 

Also, Saturdays are considered "Free Days".  I don't have to follow my nice eating healthy habits, I can eat badly if I want too.  With the first round of Insanity, this "Free Day" was used probably 50% of the time.  I just didn't want to jam my mouth full of french fries and a burger all the time, so I rarely used it.  BUT - when I did use it, I wouldn't feel as guilty about it.  Having a Free Day is a good thing.

TLDR version for you ADD types: Saturdays are Free Days, Wednesdays are "One Bad Thing" days, and Daily, Weekly, and Monthly goals are a must.

So, here they are, in no particular order:

Daily Goals

• Drink a glass (8 oz.) of water with every snack & meal.
• Eat 5 times a Day - Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner.
• Drink at least 64 ounces of water daily, more is better.
• Log my Calorie Intake with My Fitness Pal.
• Do the WORKOUT!.
• Eat suggested serving sizes, not how much I really want.
• Write an INVENTIVE blog post about the workout of the day.  Because I've done this before, it gets kind of old reading about how much I hate Plyometric Cardio Circuit.  Be Original!

Weekly Goals

• Lose 1/2" inch on a body part; it doesn't matter which one.
• Record bi-weekly measurements & weight, and ONLY bi-weekly.  No checking weight in between measuring days.
• 6 of 6 workouts done each week.
• Don't injure myself!
• Write a blog post that doesn't pertain to a workout at least twice a week.

Monthly Goals

• Push myself harder each week than I did the previous week.  
• Month 1 - Lose 4" total.  Month 2 - Lose 8" total, for a total of 12" lost by end of Insanity.
• Stick with the program!!!

Final Goals

• Final weight of 180 pounds or less
• A flat stomach
• Have more energy and sleep better.
• Complete lifestyle change by eating healthier foods & proper portion sizes without realizing it
• Be able to wear the "closet jeans" with no belly flab hanging over the top, or in this case, "closet shorts" since it's summer time.  :)
  

And there you have it.  Some of them are the same as before, as they are things I still need to work on.  Some of them have changed because I know what I can accomplish if I set my mind to it.  Round Two - here I come!!  :)