Day One

Day One

Is almost over. :) I did my workout- loved it and hated it at the same time. LOL It was new and challenging compared to the mindless routine I had gotten into. That made me happy and frustrated. I was surprised that I was frustrated. I guess things had just gotten too easy. I really needed this shake up. I'm not exactly sure how I am going to do tomorrow's workout. I'm already starting to get that ache that comes before some serious DOMS. :) I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm just trying to figure out how and when to get extra cardio in. I usually do whatever my workout is in the morning. I'm not sure if I should do the extra cardio in the morning and my workout after work. I'm thinking the other way around would be better. Work exhausts me as it is. That's why I work out in the morning.
I did really well early on in the day with the water. I slowed down towards the end and I am trying to finish up the gallon. Holy Moly that's a lot of water! I lost count after 10 trips to the bathroom. ha.
Food was on target. Feeling positive about that. I think my pre-training binge hurt me. My weight was surprisingly fine. But the only non-veg carbs I had today was oatmeal in the early am and what was in my MRP. Tomorrow looks like lots of carbs. Breakfast is huge! I have been fighting off a headache all day.

I'm feeling good about everything right now. I know its early and things don't change the same day or overnight but this workout really made my muscles tight. I am also not so bloated. So even those little positive changes make me feel good. :)

I can see myself with my strong, sexy, fit body. I see it. I want it. I'm getting it!

Check!

ACV- check
Lemon Juice - check
Green Tea Extract - check
Flax Oil - check
Glutamine - check
Whey - check
MRP- check
Gallon water jug- check!
Meal Plans - check
Workout for tomorrow - check
Poultry boobs - check
Green veggies - check

I am ready... (I think)

Bikini Body--- Here I Come!

Preparing

Oh boy. I've done it now. LOL I got my meal plans sent to me yesterday. I also got my first workout. I am excited but nervous. I got used to the BFL style workouts and food. My new program won't be quite so... easy. :P I have to learn a whole new process and that's okay. Its just something new. I'm a little stressed right now. I have to go to the grocery store (or supermarket as Tony said). I need to go to the Natural/Health Food store (they have really short hours- super tough to get there because I always work). I am picking up my coworker's dog for the week while she is on vacation. I need to dog-proof my house a little better. I need to buy cat food. My dad is bringing over my dresser and a loveseat tomorrow. I also need to get new brakes. I have all this stuff to do and I have to go to work all day too. By the time I get off, most places are closed. I will be doing some last minute stuff tomorrow I guess.
I'm just trying to not be overwhelmed by everything today. I am going to try and get at least the cat food before I go to work. I don't know if the store is open, but I'll try.

I am pretty tired. The last week at work has been insane. I went out last night with my DH and coworker and his wife. It was nice but I was really missing some sleep.

Tomorrow is a NEW Beginning. A fresh start. I'm hoping I won't feel too carb deprived. :P

Monday -- It Begins!

OPERATION-> BACK INTO BIKINI

I had my phone consult with Tony today! I am so excited! I feel like I really CAN do this! I've got an awesome trainer in my corner- here to help me change for the best- inside and out. Tony was great on the phone. We talked for the full hour! He went over everything and I am pumped about Monday. I went and got my ACV & Lemon Juice tonight. I need to pick up my GTE & Flax Oil on Saturday. I'm planning on ravioli's tomorrow night and on Saturday the DH and I will enjoy some vino. I'll eat some bread one last time at some point-haha! He gave me a preview of what things are looking like for food. No rice, no bread, no pasta, no flour based anything. *sigh* Such is life when you have a body like mine has become. Its not like I expected those foods anyway. I've only had pasta 3 times in the last 8.5 weeks. 2x it was whole wheat and one was a free meal. I'm actually looking forward to 8 weeks of TOTAL clean eating. If I want to make it to *Hotsville* by my anniversary, then short term sacrifices need to be made. I need my body to go back to being a fat burning machine! I trust that Tony will make that happen. (Of course I have to do what he says.... LOL)

I'm off to bed now. Tomorrow is UBWO... yay!

Pete Siegel

Amazing Interview. Listen. Learn. Change.

Negative People trying to kill your dreams?
Fighting yourself?
Listen to this. Its long- but invaluable.

Dreambodies Interview with Pete Siegel

DreamBodies - Blogtalk

You Can Heal Your Life

I love this from Louise Hay's book "You Can Heal Your Life"

I highly recommend reading this book and putting it into practice in you life. It is certainly challenging, but the changes you can make are amazing. I go back to this book often.

Deep at the center of my being there is an infinite well of love. I now allow this love to flow to the surface-- It fills my heart, my body, my mind, my consciousness, my very being, and radiates out from me in all directions and returns to me multiplied. The more love I use and give, the more I have to give-- the supply is endless. The use of love makes me feel good. It is an expression of my inner joy.
I love myself; therefore, I lovingly take care of my body. I lovingly feed it nourishing foods and beverages. I lovingly groom it and dress it and my body lovingly responds to me with vibrant health and energy.
I love myself; therefore I provide for myself a comfortable home, one that fills all my needs and is a pleasure to be in. I fill the rooms with the vibration of love so that all who enter, including myself, will feel this love and be nourished by it.
I love myself; therefore, I work at a job that I truly enjoy doing, one that uses my creative talents and abilities, working with and for people whom I love and who love me., and earning a good income.
I love myself; therefore, I behave and think in a loving way to all people-- for I know that that which I give out returns to me multiplied. I only attract loving people in my world, for they are a mirror of what I am.
I love myself; therefore, I forgive and totally release the past and all past experiences and I am free.
I love myself; therefore, I love totally in the now, experiencing each moment as good and knowing that my future is bright and joyous and secure-- for I am a beloved child of the Universe, and the Universe lovingly takes care of me now and forever more. And so it is.

Protein Pancakes

I've completed Week 3 of BFL with great success. I am very pleased with my results so far, though I admit I wish it was going faster. I never claimed to be patient. :) Along my journey I have discovered some very yummy things. One of my favorite recipes that I have revised as my own is Protein Pancakes. Sounds kinda gross I admit, but the taste is out of this world. How could something sooo yummy be healthy? I find I can make these and eat them plain- kinda like a cookie- you know- not using a fork to eat them. When I feel like a little more in the carb area I add a TSBP or less of Simply Fruit and it does the trick. My last cheat day I used maple syrup and almost went into shock. Oy! TOOOOO much sugar. Even my very picky husband likes these. Anyway, here is the recipe. (sorry no photos this time)

Protein Pancakes
(makes 6 pancakes- you choose if its 2 or 3 servings- I say 2)

1 Cup Oatmeal (NOT instant)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 Cup Egg whites (or 3 if separating whole eggs)
3/4 Cup 1% Milkfat Cottage Cheese
1/4 Cup Skim Milk
1 Scoop Vanilla UMP* protein powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• Use a food processor (or blender) to grind up oatmeal to a powder.
• Place ground oatmeal and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
• Next add cottage cheese to processor and blend until smooth.
• Add scoop of protein powder to blended cottage cheese and process again until protein powder is mixed in.
• Add cottage cheese protein mixture to oatmeal. No stirring needed at this time.
• Next add egg whites and skim milk and vanilla extract to processor. Blend for 20-30 seconds. Add to oatmeal and cottage cheese.
• Stir mixture together until smooth.
• Heat non-stick frying pan at a med-high temperature.
• Add by 1/4 cups to pan and cook until surface begins to bubble. Flip pancake over and cook the other side.

Nutrition Breakdown: (per pancake!)

Calories: 91.6
Carbohydrate: 7.3g
Protein: 11.5g
Fat: 1.5g
Fiber: <1

A 3 pancake serving gives you 275 calories, 34.5g of protein, 4.5g of fat, and 21.9g of carbs. Nice way to get your protein in. :)


* UMP- Beverly International Ultimate Muscle Protein. SOOOO yummy.
Best pricing for the Beverly Supplements HERE .

UMP

Okay so last time I reviewed Muscle Milk- and it still is quite the tasty treat! However, for the sake of calories its best made with water- no matter what I want to think. I also found that it was already balanced with carbs so adding it to meals that were filled with carbs is counterproductive. I ordered some Ultimate Muscle Protein from Beverly International. LOVE it! I like having a protein powder that I can use in recipes. Protein Pancakes, Fortified French Toast, Yogurt and Protein Powder "pudding", awesome shakes... its extremely versatile and great tasting. I also have to hand out kudos to the folks at Beverly International for their commitment to quality. Knowing I can rely on a solid product during my fat loss/ muscle gain journey is important. I have been making great gains in muscle and a nice steady loss in fat so far. I have more energy and I feel great. I love being able to have a shake at the end of the day that is more like a treat than just another protein drink. My favorite blends so far:





Strawberry Shake
6-7 ice cubes
1/2 c frozen strawberries (Target has frozen strawberries in individual servings- awesome!)
1 cup skim milk
1 scoop Vanilla UMP
Blend 45 seconds.
ENJOY! Yummm!

Blueberry Cheesecake Shake
6-7 ice cubes
1/3 c frozen blueberries
1 cup skim milk
1 tbsp Sugar Free/ Fat Free Cheesecake pudding mix
1 scoop Vanilla UMP
Blend 45 seconds.
ENJOY!! Yummmy!

Want more info on UMP? Go Here.

Tasty AND Good For You??

Well, it depends on what you are doing if this is good for you, but for taste - 10+ on my scale. After a long debate with myself (and the help of my husband) I decided that I needed to try a new direction. I have been a vegetarian for 5 years. Well until just last week. I had not lost much weight at all- and it wasn't anything that lasted more than a week when there was some loss- despite the hours of cardio I was putting in each week. I decided to go back to a plan I had done 7 or 8 years ago called Body for Life. I am now eating turkey and chicken and protein drinks. Protein drinks can cause some ill side effects like bloating, gas and nausea, not to mention some just taste bad. Because I am relying so much on getting more protein in my system I need a decent shake to get my 6 meals in. I can't possible cook enough chicken and turkey- and I need something else to "shake" things up. Muscle Milk is my new favorite product. Yum is the first word that comes to mind. Second is good for my lifestyle. I workout 6 days a week now. 3 days are High Intensity Interval Training Cardio days. The key is intervals of intensity. The other 3 days are pyramid style intense weight trainings. So far I love the workouts. I'll go deeper into Body for Life another time. For now I am posting kudos about Muscle Milk. There are plenty of reviews out there that go over the more scientific nature of the formulation. Basically the best time for this mix is before bed and as a mid-meal. The proteins found in Muscle Milk are a blend of long acting and short acting (based on digestion times). The fat content concerns some people, but if you watch your fat intake and eat clean in all your other meals, the fat content is not a factor to concern yourself with. Would I recommend drinking Muscle Milk for all 6 meals. Nope. That goes against a well rounded nutritional plan. However, it tastes good enough to think about doing that. I haven't tried all flavors (I think there are around 20). Vanilla is my favorite choice because its gives me recipe options. I think I have discovered a new way to make a legal ice cream. Frozen banana, skim milk, muscle milk- blend in food processor for a creamy, tasty impostor that won't kill your health goals (just remember to only have ONE serving!).

One last thing- you can order online or go into a number of supplement/ health / workout places to get Muscle Milk. Where did I get mine? Target! And I don't have to feel like a meat head with a 5lb jug of protein. Though those 5lbs jugs are more cost effective. I will be ordering online from Amazon.com soon, but if you want to try it out and get a smaller container Target has a few flavors to get you addicted, I mean started.