Turbulence Training - Day 4 of 84

I decided to end the year properly, with some real exercise, not the Wii cop-out. My son requested Turbo Jam Cardio Party 2, so that is what I did. I got a stitch in my side about halfway through and had to muddle through the rest of the workout, but CP2 is always fun, regardless of the pace. I burned 338 calories (3 activity points).

cereal w/ skim milk, banana

apple & cottage cheese

chicken breast salad (lettuce, peppers, salsa & light sour cream) [1 pt for the sour cream]

whole wheat pumpkin carrot mini muffins [2 pts]

grilled cheese & turkey sandwich, tomato soup [9 pts]

banana

Four cups of coffee and 80 ounces of water. I forced myself to get it all in today. 9 weekly and 12 activity points remaining.

Turbulence Training - Day 3 of 84

Today, I cursed Craig Ballantyne the way I cursed Alwyn Cosgrove when I did New Rules of Lifting. Evil, evil men!

Warm Up:
body weight squat - 10 reps
plank - 20s
push up - 6
repeat

Workout B - rest as little as possible
A1) 1-leg dead lift 3x15 per side
A2) chin up 3x4
B1) step-up 3x15 per side
B2) slow push up 3x8
C1) prisoner lunge 3x15 per side
C2) side plank 3x30s per side
D1) close-grip push up 3x30
D2) plank 3x60s

This workout sucked! As in, it whooped my ass. It was 10 times more challenging than Workout A, and longer (because there were more one-sided exercises in this bunch). It took about 45 minutes and I was sweating and huffing and puffing the whole time. I'd consider it heavy exercise and the slider gives me 4 activity points, but I'm only taking 3. The easiest exercise in this whole set was the chin up!! How sad is that??? I had problems balancing with the dead lifts, I had to do the close-grip push ups on my knees, and the prisoner lunges about killed my shoulders. Even the planks were difficult - I spent a quarter of the time on my knees.

Interval Workout: 5 min warm up, 60 s hard pace, 60 s moderate pace x 6, 5 min cool down - I still hate running. I'm a big believer in not doing things I hate, but I'm stuck with this. I am going to look for other options but this is probably as effective as I can get without running outside, so I'll be sucking it up. And who knows - it might get better. I ran (a little) farther today, but burned fewer calories. I hate that I adjust so quickly to exercise.
Distance: 1.63 miles
Calories: 167 (2 activity points)

cereal w/ skim milk & banana

apple & cottage cheese

chicken breast wrap w/ cheese & baked buttercup squash fries [1 pt for half a wrap and 1/4 oz of cheese]

whole wheat pumpkin carrot mini muffins [2 pts]

various raw vegetables

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, light English muffin w/ reduced-sugar jelly [1 pt for muffin]

green & red pepper slices; I love red peppers - I wish they weren't so expensive.

candy bar [4 pts]; I had no idea there was a 3 Musketeers Truffle Crisp bar!!!! Worth every point!!

Three cups of coffee and 40 ounces of water. I am still struggling with water. I have no problem getting my 80 ounces 90% of the time. But just as with exercise, it's more difficult in the winter. 21 weekly and 9 activity points remaining.

Turbulence Training - Day 2 of 84

Today's workout - Wii Sports & a billion science experiments. Santa brought my 5 year old 3 books of science experiments and he wanted to do every single one of them. I had to go with only the ones we had materials for. I think Sebastian just wanted to wear the safety goggles.

multigrain Cheerios w/ banana & skim milk

omelet w/ green peppers & salsa, light English muffin w/ sugar free jelly [1 pt for the muffin]

turkey w/ mustard, lettuce & avocado on Flat Out wrap [1 pt for wrap]

carrot sticks & roasted chickpeas; This was the first time I ever made roasted chickpeas. It's not complicated, but I was worried about how they'd turn out with no oil. They were pretty darn good.

roasted chicken w/ baked buttercup squash & mixed vegetables

apple & cottage cheese; Fat free cottage cheese is still nasty.

Three cups of coffee and 20 ounces of water. I had a really, really hard time with water today. It was just so cold I couldn't make myself drink it. 29 weekly and 4 activity points remaining.

Turbulence Training - Day 1 of 84

Finally, after 3 weeks, I am back on a program. I am so lost without my programs. I've officially registered for the Turbulence Training Transformation Contest. I was listening to Craig's audio on the Rules page and he says that no winner has ever been a non-member, meaning that every TTT winner so far has also been a member of the forums. One can become a basic member for $20 a month or a platinum member for $200 a year. You get access to various workouts and exercise demo videos for those workouts. However, I already pieced together the workouts and I know how to Google and YouTube for exercise demos. There's no way I'm paying a dime for member-to-member support (which I can also get free at any number of diet & fitness web sites). Being a non-member, I have no shot at winning (even though CB says it doesn't really matter, but the support is what gets people through it), but I knew I didn't have a shot at winning the Body For Life contest when I did that either. I am, however, going to give it my best shot and submit my before & afters and my essay (which will point out my success despite being a non-member!) when I'm all done.

With that out of the way, on to the workout. These are all bodyweight only exercises for the next four weeks. Thank goodness - you will notice that the dreaded Bulgarian split squats are on the list.

Warm Up:
body weight squat - 10 reps
plank - 20s
push up - 6
repeat

Workout A - rest as little as possible
A1) push ups 3x10
A2) inverted row 3x8
B1) 1-leg squat 3x7 per side
B2) bicycle crunch 3x32
C1) Bulgarian split squat 3x12 per side
C2) elevated push up 3x8
D1) reaching lunge 3x12 per side
D2) mountain climbers 3x20

The whole body weight workout took about 30 minutes. I did take time in between pairs to jot down my reps and of course, I still cannot do a set of Bulgarian split squats without resting and readjusting my body. I hate those things! And I wasn't sure how to figure the activity points for this. I took a few seconds of rest here and there, so I didn't want to count the full 30 minutes. And I wasn't sure if it was light moderate, or heavy exercise. I got warm, but wasn't sweating. I didn't think it really earned 3 points for heavy exercise but it was more challenging than just 1 point for moderate exercise (for 30 minutes). So, I split the difference and took 2 points (for 20 minutes of heavy exercise). I don't like the sliding scale for this. I wish there was a way to calculate calories burned during resistance training, but alas, most heart rate monitors are designed for cardio. I'm not buying a BodyBugg or GoWear monitor. I'm not sure I'd trust their accuracy when strength training, either. Plus, they just monitor more than I really need to know.

Interval Workout: 5 min warm up, 60 s hard pace, 60 s moderate pace x 6, 5 min cool down - all I can say about this is, I HATE RUNNING! I would rather do a billion split squats then gut myself with a dull, rusty knife than run intervals. Unfortunately, running is the only option I have right now. It does help that my new shoes are heavenly. My feet do not hurt at all, so major, major thank you to Running Etc. in Virginia Beach!
Distance: 1.61 miles
Calories: 181 (2 activity points)

I'm back on Weight Watchers, doing the Core program/Simply Filling Technique. I'm so glad to be back. I weighed in at 137 today - up 10 pounds from last week's low and I'm pretty sure I'm back in the overweight category for a few days. I'll get back on the scale January 1, then weekly (Sunday mornings) until whenever.

apple & cottage cheese; Fat free cottage cheese is a filling food - eat until satisfied. Or, eat until you can't gag it down any longer, which in my case was a few bites. This stuff is so nasty. I don't know if I should just try to get used to it or go back to the low fat cottage cheese and count the points for it. I don't get the difference between this crap and the 1% skim - the calories are the same, both are made with skim milk. Why isn't 1% cottage cheese a filling food? Where are the 2.5 grams of fat coming from? Is there a difference between skim milk and nonfat milk?

carrot sticks

omelet w/ green pepper & salsa, light English muffin w/ sugar-free jelly [1 pt for muffin]

carrot sticks & green pepper slices, tuna w/ Swiss cheese on Flat Out bread [3 pts for bread & cheese]

venison tenderloin, small potato, half an avocado & mixed vegetables

banana

air-popped popcorn

Three cups of coffee, one cup of tea and 80 ounces of water. 31 weekly and 4 activity points remaining.

I gained 12 pounds & other holiday updates

I was kicking butt with the diet until the day before Christmas Eve. I was even down 2 pounds from my post-P90X weigh in. Then I realized that I didn't have any cookies for Santa Claus. After a weekend of binges, I made my husband take all those cookies & brownies I'd made and get them out of the house. And for four days, I was rock solid. Then made my friend's super secret sugar cookies with royal icing. And for the last three days, I've eaten cookie after cookie. I hopped on the scale this morning and it was 139 pounds. I know most of it is water weight, but I probably gained 3 pounds of fat in there. It will come back off once I buckle down. Which will be soon!

Thanks to the Christmas generosity of my father-in-law, I did something I never, ever thought I'd do - I spent $100 on a pair of sneakers. I'm cheap. I hate spending money, but I really needed something good for my feet. My father-in-law brought down his treadmill for me to use for a few months - I'll be using it for my intervals in Turbulence Training. Then I am doing Insanity. So I figured I might as well bite the bullet. I had went to a place called Running Etc. in Virginia Beach and they watched me run and had me try on a bunch of different shoes. I ended up buying some New Balance 760s. I really like them. As soon as I got home, I put them on and did some Turbo Jam. It was good. But the real test will be next week.

I am going to start Turbulence Training on Monday. I was originally going to do it Sunday, but I can't get a newspaper until Monday, and my company will be gone by then. So Monday, it is.

Where can I buy good shoes?

I need to buy a good pair of shoes for high impact exercise (treadmill running and plyometrics). I know I need to go to a real store that specializes in this kind of stuff, but I'm not really sure what kind of store that would be - more than just a Foot Locker, right? Anyway, I'm not even sure what's close (and by close, I mean within a 90 minute drive - I know for sure there is NOTHING nearby). The closest real city to me is the Norfolk/Virginia Beach/Hampton Roads area. If anyone close to there knows a good place, I'd love some names!

Insanity Fit Test/Turbulence Training Prep

Since I'm in between programs, I'm just doing random stuff. Yesterday, I did some Turbo Jam (CP3). Today, I did my prep work for Turbulence Training and the Insanity Fit Test. I have no plans to do Insanity right away - I just did it for fun. Well, it wasn't fun. I did it to see where I stand. Or collapse on the floor, is more like it.

For Turbulence Training, I needed to find my max for a bunch of exercises. The numbers are pretty low because I only did as many as I could do at the specified tempo and without any mini-breaks. Here are the numbers:

push ups - 12
1-leg squats - 8 (and I'll admit, I touched the wall for balance)
chin-ups - 5 (re-grip, of course)
slow push ups - 9
inverted rows - 10
bicycle crunches - 40
elevated push ups - 10

So when I do my first month of Turbulence Training, I'll be working in sets of 3 x a certain percentage of each exercise. I'm going to try to increase each week, but these will form my starting numbers.

Insanity. Oh boy. I don't even know what to say about this beast. Insanity will very likely kill me. The freaking fit test is hard! I don't know if it's because I have a cold or what, but I struggled. And I definitely need better shoes!

switch kicks - 78
power jacks - 53
power knees - 86
power jumps - 25
globe jumps - 9
suicide jumps - 13
push up jacks - 14
low plank obliques - 32

Fat X - Day 12 - Friday

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

Day 12
do circuit 5 times: shuffles (10 reps), bench jumps (10 reps), Roman chair crunches (10 reps), dumbbell swings (10 reps), burpees (10 reps), sandbag or medicine ball slam (10 reps), rest 2-3 minutes

I used a 20 pound dumbbell for the crunches and 10 pound dumbbells for the swings. I do not have a medicine ball or a sandbag, so I used my son's beanbag chair. From what I read when researching alternatives, the important part of the exercise is not the resistance but the explosive movement. So I slammed the bean bag chair. It wasn't a bad workout. Total time: 30:00. Calories burned: 186 (2 Activity Points)

Sadly, I must report that not even 5 minutes after posting my blog last night, I lost control and ate cookies/brownies. I think I had 3, maybe 4 brownies. That was all it took for me to start feeling sick as hell. And that is a good thing. I want to feel like crap when I eat this junk. Like alcohol. I hate how I feel when I drink, so I usually don't. I need that same physical response to sugar. I felt guilty and yucky but I hope to remember that feeling. Obviously, I have no weekly points left. I am going to try to stick to Core foods (from the Filling Foods list) until my points reset on Monday. Actually, I think I will reset them on Sunday, since I'll be switching to that day for Turbulence Training anyway.

That said, I am done blogging until I start Turbulence Training. I may post once or twice (especially if I do the Insanity Fit Test) between now and then. I'll be back to regular blogging AND a clean diet on December 27.

Fat X - Day 11 - Thursday

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

do circuit 5 times: dumbbell bench press (use heaviest weight possible for 6 reps, drop they weight by 50% and do 10 reps), rows (use heaviest weight possible for 6 reps, drop they weight by 50% and do 10 reps), unstable object lift (6 reps per side), rest 2-3 minutes

I was feeling ambitious, and did these with 30 pound dumbbells to start off. It was very challenging, especially for the rows. For the unstable object lift, all I had was a gallon jug of water (not even the milk jug kind, some 7 Eleven refill thing) and it was just not heavy enough. I did not care for this workout at all. I barely broke a sweat, and that was from the warm up. Total time: 21:26 Calories burned 107 (1 Activity Point)

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese & salsa, light English muffin w/ reduced-sugar jelly [6 pts]

cake ball [8 pts]; My friend made the cutest (and most delicious) little cake balls - I estimated the points, but they are small. And delicious. Really delicious! And these were spread out through the day, not all at once!!!

SteamFresh Meals for Two [3 pts]; I can't remember what "flavor" it was, but I made it a meal for four. I added some green pepper slices to bulk it up.

apple & cottage cheese [4 pts]

banana [1 pt]

SteamFresh Meals for Two [3 pts]; Again, beefed up with green pepper chunks. And carrot sticks on the side, even though there are carrots in the meal.

turkey meatballs [3 pts]

Four cups of coffee and 80 ounces of water.

28 points today. 12 weekly and 6 activity points remaining.

Fat X - Day 10 - Wednesday

Day 9 is an Active Rest day. Since I took Sunday off, I'm skipping the Active Rest day. I plan on Wii-ing it up with Sebastian Saturday.

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

Day 10
do circuit 5 times: full squat (use heaviest weight possible for 5 reps, repeat after burpees with drop sets), burpees (5 reps), rest 2-3 minutes

How it works: do 5 squats, then 5 burpees, drop the weight a bit and do 5 squats, 5 burpees, drop the weight again and do 5 squats, 5 burpees, drop the weight again and do 5 squats, 5 burpees, rest, go back to your start squat weight and do it all over again 4 more times. I cheated and used a barbell - there was no way I could grip heavy enough dumbbells to be able to do 4 drop sets. I started with 55 pounds and dropped in 5 pound increments, down to 40 pounds. And burpees suck. I did 100 farking burpees. I hate burpees. Total time: 31:01. Calories burned: 195 (2 Activity Points)

I forgot to note in yesterday's blog that at the end of my workout, I did 40 extra jumping jacks. There was still time left on the clock, but not enough for me to get through another circuit, so I just kept jacking.

I also ate after I blogged last night. Don't worry - it wasn't close to anything horrible. I had one small piece of one of the naughtier cookies and a bite of pizza cracker. So 3 more weekly points down.

I've been doing some more research on Weight Watchers, and though I have no plans to do it "officially" (as in meetings and such), I do find it much less stressful to deal with than anything I've done recently, so I'm going to continue. At this point, I'm trying to decide whether I want to continue counting all my points with the Momentum program, or switch to the Simply Filling Technique (which is essentially Core). With SFT, I would only have to count points for foods that are NOT on the Filling Foods list. The Filling Foods list is pretty decent. The key (and problem) is that you eat from the Filling Foods list until you're satisfied, without counting points. You count points for foods not on the list (and you get 35 per week, plus activity points, if I'm understanding it all correctly). For the most part, there's no limit on how much you eat (provided you ONLY eat until you're satisfied, not stuffed), with a few exceptions (If you have more than one serving of cold cereal per day, you count the points after the first serving. The same goes for rice/potatoes/whole wheat pasta, and ground meats, which have to be 97% lean, otherwise it's not a Filling Food.). I'm still trying to understand SFT (and I think I have a good grasp) but I'm leaning toward that option. Of course, there's the SATISFACTION part of the whole deal. I've been paying more attention when I eat, and I can tell when I'm full, but I can't quite stop myself when I'm just satisfied yet. And of course, if I could do that, I wouldn't have this whole problem I have. Then there's the whole mental part of wanting to eat "bad" foods (from here on referred to as non-filling foods because that makes it sound less evil). I can be stuffed to the gills with good foods and still want the cookies.

banana [1 pt]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese, & salsa, light English muffing w/ sugar-free jelly [6 pts]

tilapia w/ roasted vegetables [5 pts]

apple & cottage cheese [4 pts]

crumb-coated chicken breast & baked butternut squash fries [3 pts]; Oh my!!! I have never had butternut squash fries before - mainly because they just didn't sound appealing and it's a pain in the buttocks to peel a winter squash with my crappy kitchen tools. TOTALLY WORTH THE EFFORT!!!!!! My 5-year old didn't care for them, even covered in ketchup, though he loves sweet potato fries.

yogurt & pumpkin cookie [4 pts]

Four cups of coffee, two cups homemade hot chocolate [2 pts] and 80 ounces of water.

25 points today. 20 weekly and 5 activity points remaining.

Fat X - Day 8 - Tuesday

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

Day 8
do circuit as many times as you can for 10 minutes: dumbbell bench press (5 reps), rows (5 reps), shuffles (10 reps), jumping jacks (10 reps), rest 2-3 minutes, repeat one time

I really liked this one. It's simple, but intense. I did 16 circuits all together. Total time: 27:25. Calories burned: 176 (2 Activity Points).

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa; light English muffin w/ sugar-free jelly [4 pts]

banana [1 pt]

leftover chicken thighs w/ steamed broccoli & cauliflower [5 pts]; I really wanted some damn cookies so I made a huge plate of vegetables. NOT THE SAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh.

tuna w/ light mayo & mustard on rice cakes [4 pts]

green pepper slices [0 pts]; I want a damn cookie.

venison tenderloin & mixed vegetables [5 pts]

pumpkin cookie, part of an M&M cookie [4 pts]; Now we'll see if I can hold it all together and not eat everything in the freezer.

Four cups of coffee, two cups of tea and 80 ounces of water. I've stopped taking milk in my coffee just so I can use that point elsewhere. Not earning as many activity points blows.

23 points today. 28 weekly and 3 activity points remaining.

Fat X - Day 7 - Monday

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

Day 7
do circuit 8 times: full squat press (use heaviest weight possible for 8 reps), side planks (hold for 10 seconds), weighted Roman chair crunches

As always, it's harder than it looks. I started out with 15 pound dumbbells for the squat press and by the middle of the second set, I had to go to 10 pounders. Side planks, piece of cake. But for some reason, the crunches were rough on my arms, which were exhausted from the squat presses. Not a fan of this one. Total time: 23:01. Calories burned: 121 - I knew it wouldn't be a big burn because you're off your feet half the time.

I have decided that I am not going to do another round of ChaLean Extreme (sorry, Melissa) in January. I've been kicking around the idea of doing Turbulence Training for a while now and the next transformation contest starts December 27. I am going into this like I went into the Body For Life Challenge - I won't win, but an official entry will be great motivation. So I'm going to do it. Last night, I picked out three four-week TT programs to do during the 12-week challenge. They are fantastic.

So, that means only 1 round of Fat X, which will end this coming Saturday. I'll take Sunday off, then do some prep for the first TT program. I need to figure the maximum number of:

regular push ups
1-leg squats
chin ups
slow push ups
inverted rows
bicycle crunches
elevated push ups

I can do. Between Monday and Thursday of next week, I'll do that. The other three days will probably be Turbo Jam, and I still want to try the Insanity Fit Test. I'm going to rest Christmas day, and the day after. it will be weird beginning my week on a Sunday! I still plan to stick to Weight Watchers, rather than the Turbulence Training nutrition (which I don't have to follow - the only thing I have to do is the workouts).

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese & salsa; light English muffin w/ sugar-free jam [6 pts]

French toast stick [1 pt]; Just one, left over from my son's breakfast.

banana [1 pt]

tilapia & mixed vegetables [4 pts]

apple & cottage cheese [4 pts]

carrot sticks [0 pts]

baked chicken thighs, quinoa w/ mixed vegetables [7 pts]; Before I started eating, I really, really wanted to just pile my plate high with chicken because I knew it would be really delicious. However, I forced myself to take a smaller portion and to my surprise, it was quite filling.

banana [1 pt]; I really wanted a freaking cookie or 50 and I just could not eat another vegetable. I knew if I didn't eat something, I was going to lose it. A banana seemed like a safe choice. But it's no cookie, damn it.

Three cups of coffee, one cup of green tea, and 80 ounces of water.

24 points today. 31 weekly and 1 activity point remaining.

Fat X - REST - Sunday

Technically, this should be Day 7, but I just didn't feel like working out this morning. My living room was torn apart last night and I just wanted to get it cleaned up. I have enough time between now and the end of the year to get through all the Fat X workouts twice, even taking a couple days off. I might take Christmas off, too.

I hopped on the scale this morning. I'm down 2 pounds from last week. That's a little much for this stage of the game. I think I need to eat more.

Rice Krispies w/ skim milk [3 pts]

M&M cookie [2 pts]; I had a portion of the monster cookies I made. I didn't want to. Well, yes, I wanted to, but I knew I shouldn't have even a bite.

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese & salsa; light English muffin w/ butter [7 pts]; Yes, I had butter, too. I've been craving and English muffin with freaking butter, so I had a little.

rice cakes [2 pts]

chicken breast w/ lettuce, light sour cream & salsa [4 pts]

carrot sticks [0 pts]

venison meatloaf w/ mixed vegetables [5 pts]

carrot sticks [0 pts]; I was trying not to go to the freezer with all my goodies.

banana & pumpkin mini muffins [4 pts]

bite of a cream cheese brownie [2 pts]; Yeah, that measly little bite was worth about 2 points. But so, so good.

rice cakes & banana mini muffins [6 pts]; I tried to eat up the rest of my points and balance a treat with sensibility.

Three cups of coffee, one cup of tea and 40 ounces of water. Again, slacking with the water. But, it has been an entire week since I've had any diet pop. It was Wednesday before I realized I hadn't had any and I wanted to see if I could make it a week. Yay me!

33 points today. 0 weekly and 0 activity points remaining. I think my math is right for the week LOL

Fat X - Day 6 - Saturday

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

Day 6
do circuit as many times as you can for 6 minutes: bench jumps(4) with crawl (1) (2 reps), front-to-back (10 reps) and side-to-side hops (10 reps), rest 2-3 minutes, repeat 3 times

This one was a lot more difficult than I expected. It simple to execute but it was no walk in the park in terms of intensity. Also, I had to modify the bench jump. I can't crawl under my bench because it has the adjustment bar for the incline/decline part of the bench. So I just skipped it. Next time, I'll do 2 extra jumps. Total time: 35:01. Calories burned: 250 (2 Activity Points)

Rice Krispies w/ skim milk [3 pts]

banana [1 pt]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese & salsa, light English muffin w/ sugar free jam [6 pts]

pumpkin muffin batter & crumbs [4 pts]; I licked the spoon and picked at the pan after I took them out. I made the cutest mini muffins - a batch of pumpkin and one of banana. I don't plan on eating (very many of) these. I want to make some whole wheat pumpkin carrot muffins next week for myself.

carrot sticks w/ a side of hiccups [0 pts]

green pepper slices [0 pts]

homemade pizza [10 pts]; I used turkey bacon, mozzarella cheese, black olives, onion, green pepper & pasta sauce on a FABULOUS dough I found at SparkRecipes. I could have made it with whole wheat flour and some flax, but I didn't feel like it. I added some garlic & onion powder and rosemary to the dough - my house smelled awesome!!

Three cups of coffee, three cups of green tea, and 40 ounces of water. It was just too cold to get all my water in, and I was running around crazy busy getting my cookies and crap ready for distribution.

24 points today. 4 weekly and 11 activity points remaining.

Fat X - Day 5 - Friday

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

Day 5
do circuit as many times as you can for 4 minutes: box squat press, curl, tricep extension, reverse crunch(use a weight that would max out at 12 reps, do 8 reps), rest 2-3 minutes, repeat 3 times

This one wasn't so bad - nothing really to say about it. Total time: 25:52. Calories burned - 169 (2 Activity Points)

I'm having a hard time with the cookies. I want one. But I know if I have one, I won't stop. I am absolutely certain of it. I don't know if avoiding them is going to make me snap and just eat them anyway. Even if I hadn't made them, I would still want them. Or something like them. Why can't I ever want vegetables the way I want sweets? Not even fruit would be a suitable substitute. I hate that I'm wired this way.

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese & salsa; light English muffin w/ sugar-free jam [6 pts]

chicken salad w/ light sour cream & salsa [5 pts]

grilled cheese sandwich, beef & vegetable soup [9 pts]; I don't normally eat canned soup and I debated such a high point meal, but it's freezing and all I wanted to do was get some warm food in my belly, curl up in the Snuggie, and start reading the new Stephen King book.

mixed vegetables w/ EVOO [1 pt]; I really wanted a cookie.

Four cups of coffee [1 pt], three cups of green tea, and 80 ounces of water. I forgot to add the tea last night. I had 2 or 3 cups, I can't remember. I didn't put milk in it though. Anything to stay warm...

22 points today. 8 weekly and 9 activity points remaining.

Fat X - Day 4 - Thursday

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

Day 4
do circuit 10 times: burpees (10 reps), dumbbell swing (10 reps), jumping jacks (10 reps), butt kicks (20 reps)

I was really looking forward to this workout, even though I despise burpees. I used 5 pound dumbbells for the dumbbell swings. I tested out 10 pounders last night and there was no way I'd be able to do 10 rounds with them. This was the most exhausting workout of the series so far, thanks to those damn burpees. Even the first set of 10 was brutal, and each set got slower and slower. Time: 22:58. Calories burned - 166 (1 Activity Point - I know it could probably be rounded up to 2 points but the other days this week were a tad under 2 points, so it all works out).

banana [1 pt]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese & salsa, light English muffin w/ sugar free jam [6 pts]

cookie dough licks [3 pts]; I'm technically done baking, but I till had some bars to cut up and I picked at the crumbs in the pan.

tuna fish w/ light mayonnaise & mustard, green pepper slices & carrot sticks [3 pts]

tilapia w/ mixed vegetables [5 pts]

yogurt [2 pts]

banana & cottage cheese [5 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

26 points today. 10 weekly and 7 activity points remaining.

Fat X - Day 3 - Wednesday

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

Day 3
do circuit as many times as you can for 3 minutes: cross jump (5 in each direction), pull ups, (5 reps) dumbbell incline press (pick a weight that would max out at 8-10 reps, do 5 reps), rest 1-2 minutes, repeat 3 times; 5 minute circuit: lunges (3 per leg), spin crunch (1 in each direction)

Spin crunches are eeeeeeeeeevil!!!! Especially on carpet. I don't even know if I can describe them. You get on your back, kind of like you're an upside down turtle, and side-crunch your way around in a circle. Your abs are engaged the whole time because of the rounded turtle position. Ugh. It was not fun on carpet. I managed 7 of those lunge/spin crunch circuits in that final round. In the first set, I did 3 in each round - 20 pound dumbbells for the presses, and I used various grips for my assisted pull ups. Total time - 27:03. Calories burned - 184 (2 Activity Points)

Today was my last day of baking cookies and brownies and bars, and I think I survived the entire ordeal without any major incidents. I'm very pleased with my restraint. Why can't I do that all the time? Tonight, when I really, really wanted a cookie, I went with something healthier. I have no idea what makes today any different than last week or the week before.

banana [1 pt]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese & salsa, light English muffin w/ sugar-free jam [6 pts]

cookie dough licks [6 pts]

grilled turkey breast & various vegetables w/ light dressing [4 pts]

roasted chicken breast, steamed broccoli & cauliflower w/ EVOO [4 pts]

apple & cottage cheese [3 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

25 points today. 16 weekly and 6 activity points remaining.

Fat X - Day 2 - Tuesday

I had a Buckeye (chocolate covered peanut butter ball) last night after I blogged, so I'm down 4 more weekly points, to 25.

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

Day 2
do circuit as many times as you can for 10 minutes: shuffles, shoulder press, step-ups, Russian twist (use a weight that would max out at 15-20 reps, do 12 reps per exercise/side), rest 3-4 minutes, repeat one time

Whoa, baby! This one gets the old ticker going immediately!!! I was sweating by the end of my first 12 shuffles. Most excellent workout, though I hate step-ups with a passion. I did the circuit 4 times in each round, using 10 pound dumbbells for step-ups (onto my stupid chair that's really high, but everything else in the house is too low) and a 10 pounder for the Russian twists. Those suck too - any exercise where there's pressure on my tailbone really bugs me. For the shoulder press, I used my 15 pound bar, no extra weight. I may add 5 pounds next time around. Total time - 28:39. Calories burned - 196 (2 Activity Points).

multigrain Cheerios w/ skim milk [3 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, Swiss cheese & salsa, light English muffin w/ sugar-free jam [6pts]

cookie doughs [5 pts]; I'm estimating here. I didn't have a lot.

grilled turkey breast cutlet, various raw vegetables [2 pts]

turkey breast cutlet & sweet potato chips [6 pts]

cottage cheese [2 pts]

Two cups of coffee and 80 ounces of water.

24 points today. 21 weekly and 4 activity points remaining.

Fat X - Day 1 - Monday

I was going to do one of my favorite workouts in this "off" time between programs but then I figured I'd give Fat X a shot. I've seen quite a few people on SparkPeople.com doing it, and I've been reviewing it for a couple months. It's a 12-day workout program. The workouts are pretty short. The web site has videos for each workout - I wrote everything down.

Fat X Workout
(warm up 5 minutes before each workout)

Day 1
Turkish get-ups – 3 reps per side for 5 min, rest 2-3 min
do circuit as may times as you can for 5 minutes: dumbbell bench press, dead lift, weighted Roman chair crunch (use a weight that would max out at 10 reps) do 6 reps per exercise, rest 2-3 minutes, repeat one time
Turkish get-ups – 3 reps per side for 3 min (try to use a heavier weight)

Holy hell - I was not expecting this to be so intense. I was only on my first circuit of Turkish get-ups and I thought I wasn't going to make it. Oh, it so rocked!! Here's how it worked out:

Turkish get ups - 9 circuits at the beginning, 4 at the end - both rounds with a 5 pound dumbbell
other exercises - 4 sets of 6 with 20 pound dumbbells in both rounds
Total time - 27:33
Calories burned - 197 (2 Activity Points)

I'm trying to get back on track with food today. I'm also starting my Christmas baking today.

multigrain Cheerios w/ skim milk [3 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, Swiss cheese & salsa, light English muffin w/ sugar-free jam [6pts]; I am totally in love with Swiss cheese.

turkey salad w/ green peppers & light dressing [4 pts]; I absolutely HATE the Wishbone Bountifuls Tuscan Romano-Basil dressing. I'm glad this was the last of it.

cookie dough [5 pts]; I licked the beater and figured I'd better overestimate. I honestly have no desire to eat any of the junk I'm making today. I ate so much crap at the movies yesterday that I still feel lousy.

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, Swiss cheese & salsa [5 pts]

apple & peanut butter [4 pts]

Two cups of coffee and 80 ounces of water. Water has been hard for me lately because it's so cold, and I only count plain water as water.

26 points today. 29 weekly and 2 activity points remaining.

Christmas Baking Links

Here is everything I plan on making in the month of December. I may eat it all, I may give some away. If I have any flour left, I might make some bread, too. It is most definitely NOT diet friendly.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
Pumpkin Cookies
Nanaimo Bars
Chocolate Brownies
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Magic Bars
Millionaire's Shortbread Bars
Cream Cheese Brownies
Melting Moments
Rice Krispies Treats
Buckeyes
M&M Cookies
Chocolate Mint Brownies

P90X - Week 13 - Sunday - FINAL MEASUREMENTS

So here is the moment of truth. The day I've been dreading since the halfway point of the program when most of my measurements were up. Today, I am comparing only my before and after measurements.

Neck: -0.25 inches
Bust: -1.25 inches
Rib/Bra band: -1.5 inches
Waist (across the belly button): +1 inch
Lower abdomen (where all my fat is): +0.5 inches
Hips: +0.5 inches
Thighs: (right) no change (left) +0.25 inches
Calves: (right & left) -0.25 inches
Biceps (flexed): no change
Triceps: (right) +0.25 inches (left) -0.25 inches
Forearms: (right) no change (left) -0.25 inches
Wrists: (right) no change (left) -0.25 inches
Weight: no change
BMI: no change

Remember back before I started, the post I made about body fat measurements? I did the same thing this time around and got various measurements. On the web sites that rely on tape measure data, the body fat percentages were higher - 24% and 26%. The average of those is 25%, which is what I get using my 1-site test with the Accu-Measure calipers. The 3-point and 7-point tests from rustyiron.net gave me a body fat of 19%. I wish I'd kept my caliper measurements from my start date because then, my body fat was around 31%! I am for sure keeping this set of measurements to compare. The other two spreadsheets I used to calculate body fat gave me 24% and 32% today. I honestly don't know what to call it. Last time, I just averaged everything. The average of my start date body fat was 29%. Today's average is 24.3%.

I think the problem is how my husband measures with the calipers. When I do them, I get bigger numbers, closer to what the other methods are giving me. I think he's measuring wrong, not pinching enough. I really, really need to have a professional show him how to use these things. However...the measurements were done the same way both times. I did my tape measure stuff and my husband did the calipers. So I think it's fair to say there is a downward trend, at the very least, which is what we want.

Oh, the U.S. Navy Circumference Method (which also uses the tape measure) gives me a body fat percentage of 32. I did not use that in my start date set, so I didn't include it in the average above.

The latest set of pictures is available, at the end of the page. There are the before pictures, the half-way pictures, and the after pictures. I don't see much difference. I don't feel much difference. But I think the good stuff was in my Fit Test, and I can live with that. I have to get my diet under control. The exercise program doesn't matter. It's the food.

P90X - Week 13 - Saturday - FIT TEST RESULTS

Well, Judgment Day has arrived. Today I did my Fit Test. I must make note of two things before I get to it. First, the instructions on the Fit Test say to use a wide, overhand grip for the pull ups. When I took my first test, I did not use a very wide grip because of the way the grips on my bar are positioned and the (lack of length) of my arms. I can't even reach the grips very well - if I had just a straight bar, I could have picked a more in-between distance. Alas, the pull ups on the Fit Tests are based on the same grip, just not the exact one specified. Second, the instructions for the bicep curls say not to go more than one second between reps. My husband told me that means I needed to do each rep within a second. NO. It means I can't pause longer than 1 second between reps. I can go as slow or as fast as I want. I could have done quite a few more reps in my initial test if I'd done it the right way. So the improvements in bicep curls may be skewed.

Here's how the Fit Test works. First, take your resting heart rate. With a heart rate monitor, just turn it on and lie still for 2 minutes. Record your heart rate. I left mine on for 3 minutes and took the average. If you don't have a heart rate monitor, rest for 2-3 minutes, then take your pulse from wrist or neck, counting beats for 30 seconds and multiplying by 2 for beats per minute.

Then, my resting heart rate was 58 bpm. Today, my resting heart rate was 58 bpm. So, no change there.

Pull ups: Warm up for 10 minutes with light cardio, until you build up a light sweat, then stretch lightly. Using wide grip & palms facing away, pull from hanging position until chin is above bar. Lower back to full hang. Repeat to failure.

Then, I was able to do 3/4 of a pull up. Today, I did 1, and really got some height to it! I did go for a second, but only made it about a quarter of the way up. Still, 1 is good for that particular grip.

Vertical Leap: Rest for 1 minute. Stand sideways with shoulder against the wall and raise arm straight overhead against wall. Record height. Then lower the arm and take one step back and jump straight up, trying to touch the highest point on the wall. Record height. Subtract second number from first number.

Then, my vertical leap was 10 inches. Today, my vertical leap was 11.75 inches.

Push ups: Rest for 4 minutes. Put pillow on floor to make contact with chest with each rep. Do normal or knee push ups to failure.

Then, I did 23 push ups on my toes. Today, I did 37 push ups on my toes.

Toe touch: Rest for 4 minutes. Sit on the floor with legs extended directly in front of you. Bend forward at the waist and extend arms over legs toward toes. Don't bend knees. See how close you can get fingertips to toes. If not able to reach, measure the distance between your fingertips and your toes (-). If able to reach beyond toes, measure how much further fingers reach beyond toes (+). Do not strain or force.

Then, my distance was +2.5 inches. Today, it was +5.0 inches.

Wall squat (the worst bitch of them all): Place back flat against wall and lower into seated chair position (knees over toes at 90 degrees). Start timer as soon as you are in this position. Stay in position until failure. Do not place hands on wall or "scoot" with shoulders. You can slide down but once butt touches floor, you're done.

Then, I was able to hold the squat for 79 seconds. Today, I held it for 129 seconds.

Bicep Curls: Rest for 4 minutes. Use 20 lbs minimum (male) or 8 lbs minimum (female). Extend arms straight down in front of body. Be sure that arms are fully extended in between each curl. Using both arms at the same time, perform as many curls as you can until failure. Don't rock or cheat and don't take longer than 1 second between reps.

Then, I did 13 reps at 15 pounds. Today, I did 23 reps at 15 pounds.

In & Outs: Rest for 3 minutes. Starting position: seated with hands on the floor at your sides, knees bent with feet on the floor. Raise feet off the ground and bring knees toward chest. Straighten legs back out and repeat the movement without touching the floor.

Then, I did 35 in & outs. Today, I did 70.

Heart rate maximizer: Rest for 4 minutes. Perform jumping jacks nonstop for 2 minutes at a quick and steady pace. During the final 30 seconds, go as fast as you can to maximize your heart rate. When you finish, be prepared to measure your heart rate over a span of 4 minutes.

This is where things got weird. Here are the (then) and [now] values for the four minutes:
immediately after jacks (161) [161]
after 1 minute (116) [115]
after 2 minutes (88) [90]
after 3 minutes (82) [80]
after 4 minutes (72) [81]

My heart rate actually went up as time went on today. I think it was because I was watching the numbers like a hawk and really anxious! So this is the ONLY area I did not show improvements. My heart rate normally drops pretty rapidly after a workout, so yeah, I'm going to blame it on nerves. For tomorrow, I'll have my final stats and pictures (which are already done), and hopefully the bonus fun numbers.

P90X - Week 13 - Friday

I AM SOFA KING DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did Core Synergistics this morning, then decided to go ahead and get my last yoga workout out of the way. I did not do push ups with the vinyasas (because I had just done all the push ups in Core) and I had a hard time with crane (again, because of Core) but I did well. I didn't nail the twisting half moon like I'd hoped, but I'll get that eventually. I have no plans to stop doing yoga. I really, really wanted to get my Fit Test out of the way, too, but thought better of it. I will need very fresh arms. So I will do it tomorrow night, along with pictures, and post all of that on Sunday. I'll also have some just-for-fun math: how many push ups & pull ups I've done, how much total weight I've lifted, per-exercise improvement over time. Lots of stuff that is just keeping me busy with a pencil and a calculator.

Food was much, much better today. Not stellar, but nothing to cry about, for sure. I even resisted the new mint M&Ms I bought for my cookies for next week. I'm going to post a list (with links) of the recipes once I get everything baked (next week). The problem is going to be storing everything (my refrigerator and new freezer are full) until I finish baking all 13 double batches and prepping it for distribution. I'm giving some to my mom, some to my son's teachers, and some to the front office at the school. And of course, lots to my belly.

P90X - Week 13 - Thursday

I did some X Stretch today and boy did I need it!! Ever since Core Synergistics on Tuesday, my lower back has had a bit of an ache to it. I don't know if I used some bad form (not likely) or I'm just not used to that workout (likely).

Food wasn't all that great today. I'm beyond caring.

P90X - Week 13 - Wednesday

Today was my last Kenpo workout. I burned 342 calories. It was fun, but I was tired.

Food is still decent. I ate too much homemade deer jerky though.

I've been working all day on spreadsheets for next year. I'm rushed - sorry!

P90X - Week 13 - Tuesday

I got up early to do Core Synergistics. It went well. As usual, that workout kicks my butt - probably because I only do it twice a month.

Food was okay today. No binges, no major junk (I did have some pretzels & a bite of my son's toaster pastry).

P90X - Week 13 - Monday

I was just going to make this a week-long post because I didn't think I'd really have anything to day. I don't, not of importance, but I still need a space to sort out all the crap in my head about my diet. I know I screwed up badly. I think I am over the hump though (for now - I have to accept that I will never not have this problem). I ate cleaner today. I didn't weigh or measure or even track but there was no junk. It was a lot of food, but fairly clean.

As it is Recovery Week, today's workout was Yoga X. I had every intention of doing it at 5 AM, but I did not sleep last night and I just didn't have the energy to do it at that time. I waited until I drank some coffee and finished cleaning my house. By that time, I had my second wind and was able to get through it. I really put a lot of effort into the first half and managed just about everything, including a good portion of the twisting half moon. My crane pose was fantastic. Not the full minute but I get stronger and can hold it longer every time. My hamstring stretches were great. I'm looking forward to that part of the Fit Test on Sunday.

P90X - Week 12 - Sunday

X Stretch today, but I did it without the dvd. Tony yaps too much.

Not much to say, other than I've been cleaning all day and I'm in a really pissy mood.

P90X - Week 12 - Saturday

I had a fantastic Kenpo workout today (362 calories burned)! I almost did Kenpo Cardio+ from the P90X+ series but changed my mind because I want to stick to the schedule as much as possible. I've slacked off a bit on Doubles this past week, but I've been cleaning and will continue to do that, along with trying to squeeze a little extra cardio in during my last week. Not that it will matter - I'm up four pounds from my starting weight.

I haven't mentioned him in a while, but I'm a huge fan of Craig Ballantyne. He recently did an interview with Tony Horton. It's a great listen. Tony talks about how he got started in he fitness business, and how he's evolved. He touches on nutrition, which I really made sure to pay attention to, but it's nothing we don't already know, so it doesn't solve my problem. Heck, I don't even know what my problem is. I don't think it's motivational. I'm motivated. Maybe I'm just an impulsive moron. But anyway, if you don't want to download the mp3, you can read the interview on Craig's blog, but I don't think all parts are up yet.

P90X - Week 12 - Friday

I did my final Ab Ripper X and Legs & Back workouts today. I can't believe the hard part is over. Well, I am not a fan of Recovery Week and I still have to get through that and another Fit Test. But for the most part, it's over. Now I get to be Math Geek and play with numbers to see what I've done. I already calculated how many ARX reps I've done - 10470. And I am pleased to say I did break through my goal of 100 pull ups - I did 108 today.

I still need to figure out what I'm going to do about my horrible eating. I know all the strategies for not making bad choices. I have goals and can picture what I want my body to look like. And I still fail. I really do want to continue with Weight Watchers. Like I've said before - the eating plan itself is not the problem. The whole "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels" saying is bunk. Nothing tastes as good as Death By Chocolate ice cream on a double chocolate brownie. Or a spicy chicken pizza with double mozzarella. So that strategy just won't work for me. I don't buy into it at all. So I need to figure out what I do buy into.

P90X - Week 12 - Thursday

I woke up this morning, feeling like hell. I've had some sinus pressure lately that won't go away not matter what I do. I've tried medicines, steam, neti pot - nada! I don't know if it's a cold or allergies. I have a cough but I think it's due to post-nasal drip, rather than anything else. No fever, no headache unless the sinus pressure is bad. Nights are worse than the day. So when I woke up this morning, I wanted to push Yoga X to Sunday. Then I thought I'd do it Saturday, and do Kenpo on Sunday. Then I thought I'd try to just rest for a bit and do Yoga X later in the day. Finally, I just got off my butt and did the damn yoga. At times, it was hard to do the breathing right, and I was off my game so my moves weren't as steady as they normally are. I have two more shots at nailing this next wee. I will say, today's Crane was pretty darn good.

I don't even know what to say about food. I am so frustrated with myself. I've spent the last six months not in definite weight loss mode that I don't know whether I'm coming or going. Every day, I go back and forth - do I want to lose more or do I want to maintain? All this indecision is causing me to make crappy choices. I want to lose more weight, after all. I wish there was a plan I could actually stick with. No matter what I do, I still eat crap (sometimes lots of it). I don't understand this weakness. I am not eating out of boredom or lack of planning or lack of healthy food on hand. It's not a matter of not buying crap. I have stuff in the house often that I don't even think about, but I'll go buy some other crap when the mood strikes.

P90X - Week 12 - Wednesday

Ab Ripper X and Back & Biceps today. I totally rocked my workout. I was up in weights or reps, and even pulled a few unassisted towel pull ups out of my ass.

Food is not going well. I just can't stop eating crap. I don't know why I can't eat the way I work out. It's pissing me off, to be honest.

P90X - Week 12 - Tuesday

Last night was an intense battle of wills. It was me vs. the toaster strudel. Me - 1, junk - 0. Then it was me vs. the crackers. Me - 2, junk - 0. Finally, it was me vs. Fiber One toaster pastries. Final score: me - 3, junk - 0. It sucked. Truly.

Today was my last Plyometrics workout. I brought it, and burned 416 calories. I know I bitch about Plyo all the time, but it's a keeper. I don't think I want to do it every week, but I won't leave it out of my bag of tricks.

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk, banana

applesauce cookies

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, light English muffin w/ jelly

fish sandwich

venison & vegetable soup

bunch of crap...

Four cups of coffee an 80 ounces of water.

P90X - Week 12 - Monday

It's the return of Ab Ripper X. It was nice not to have to do it last week (since I did it during the previous Recovery Week). I also did Chest, Shoulders & Triceps. I'll be honest - I did not work as hard as I could have. I was absolutely uninterested in doing P90X today. The only reason I pushed through is because it's the last week of weights. So the light at the end of the tunnel is what keeps me going.

I'm also ravenous today! Seriously, I ate twice before I even worked out. It's going to be a crappy week, food-wise. I've already got it in my head that Thanksgiving (and the lack of extra, proper cardio this week) is messing me up. So, I'll have fewer activity points, different food options (more about my menu in a minute), and a lack of motivation. In my head, that's all permission to just screw it, but in reality, it should be all the more reason for me to buckle down and eat well. This is the battle I'll be facing the next 5 weeks. This week, I'm not even going to bother with keeping track of points. I'm going to try to be good, but I'm not sure I even want to be.

My menu! We're just staying home for Thanksgiving, and my husband actually won't even be here. He's going hunting, and won't get home until way after dark. We discussed it and decided we did not want a traditional Thanksgiving feast. After lots of back and forth and many menu changes, I've decided to make it a Hell's Kitchen Thanksgiving. We're huge fans of Gordon Ramsay and his shows, so I picked some items off the menu from the Hell's Kitchen competition. So far, I have risotto, wellington (venison, not beef), and chocolate souffle. The only thing on that list I have ever made is risotto, and I don't even make true risotto - I make an easy version. But anyway, I'm going to give that all a shot. I'd like to have one more dish, but I'm not sure what. It's hard finding the menus from the show.

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk, banana

apple & cottage cheese

omelet w/ onions, green pepper, cheese & salsa, light English muffin w/ jelly

salad w/ sliced turkey, green peppers & light ranch dressing

whole grain spaghetti w/ venison meatballs & onion gravy, homemade garlic bread, half a cookie (I won't say how big the cookie was)

garden vegetable medley; Okay, the cookie was a bad idea. All I wanted after I ate it was more junk.

Two cups of coffee and 80 ounces of water.

P90X - Week 11 - Sunday

I did a little X Stretch today, or as I prefer to call it - Snooze-A-Palooza. It was regularly scheduled and I still have one to make up. I will probably do that on Tuesday.

Week 12 is going to be different. Instead of doing extra cardio, I'm going to deep clean my house. I really need to do it now, because I want to offer a bunch of Christmas stuff (trees, lights, ornaments, etc.) on Freecycle. I also want to go through Sebastian's toys and books, getting rid of the things he doesn't use any more. Then I need to start getting ready for the holidays. My father-in-law is coming down for Christmas, and I need to redo my kitchen to prep for all the baking I have planned. I am going overboard on the cookies and bars (double batches of 11 recipes), but I don't care. Baking goodies is the only think I like about Christmas and damn it, I am going to enjoy it.

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk, banana [4 pts]

omelet w/ onion, cheese & salsa, light English muffin w/ jelly [6 pts]

fudge baby [2 pts]

chicken breast salad w/ light sour cream & salsa [6 pts]

roasted venison & couscous [7 pts]

apple & cottage cheese [5 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 20 ounces of water. Yeah, I sucked with the water.

31 points today. 0 weekly and 6 activity points to waste.

P90X - Week 11 - Saturday

Today was Plyometrics, since I couldn't do it Tuesday and did Kenpo instead. It doesn't bother me to jump anymore. I worked harder than I have in a while, probably since Phase 3 started. I burned 408 calories (earning 4 Activity Points). It was fun and exhausting. Since Thanksgiving is next week, I'm going to be thankful that I won't have to do this workout again after Tuesday!

I also did my dive bomber push ups that I skipped on Monday. My body is feeling pretty much 100% so I can stretch and put pressure on my belly now. I'm still paranoid that I'm going to get pregnant. I just can't win.

apple & cottage cheese [3 pts]

turkey & bacon w/ lettuce, onion, green pepper, light mayo & pepper jack cheese on flat bread, apple slices [12 pts]; We went to Subway for lunch. It wasn't really all that filling and I was still hungry an hour later.

carrot sticks & green pepper slices w/ avocado hummus [1 pt]

applesauce cookies [4 pts]; I have a huge jar of unsweetened applesauce and I wanted to get in the mood for holiday baking, so I gave these a shot. I've never had them before. They are good, I guess. I'm not a huge fan of apple desserts. My son will eat them, for sure.

banana [1 pt]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese & salsa, light English muffin w/ jelly [6 pts]

peppermint patty [3 pts]; I am really proud of myself. I stood in the checkout line at the store forever - I had no choice but to stare at the candy. I really wanted a king size peanut butter anything, but controlled myself and made a rational purchase of 1 peppermint patty.

garden vegetable medley [2 pts]; I passed on a toaster strudel and a grilled cheese sandwich and picked the smarter option. Still, I feel like a pig.

Three cups of coffee [0 pts] and 80 ounces of water.

32 points today. 0 weekly and 17 activity points remaining.

P90X - Week 11 - Friday

Legs and Back this morning (2 Activity Points, but I really should take 3). I am so close to breaking 100 pull ups. I'm up to 20 unassisted chin/pull ups. I'm going to break 100 next week. I am sure of it. I also did my 4 mile walk (309 calories burned, 3 Activity Points). I don' know why the numbers are so high today as compared to others the last week. I was walking quite a bit faster (completed it in under an hour) and against a vicious wind. Yeah, that sounds good :p

I don't know what the deal is but my belly is really bloated, even more than it was when I left the hospital. In the last two days, my pants are suddenly tighter and it's annoying the crap out of me. My throat is also sore again. That's the most annoying of all.

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk, banana [4 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese & salsa [6 pts]

chicken breast w/ barbecue sauce, carrots & green pepper slices w/ avocado hummus [5 pts]

fudge baby [2 pts]

mixed vegetables [1 pt]

venison tenderloin & garden vegetable medley [7 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

26 points today. 5 weekly and 20 activity points remaining.

P90X - Week 11 - Thursday

Yoga this morning (2 Activity Points). I didn't stretch my core too much during the upward dogs and such. My incisions have healed nicely but I am still trying to take it a bit easier than normal. I was able to do Yoga Belly 7 with no problems (other than hating it as usual). And I swear, I am never going to get that twisting half moon crap down. After yoga, I took about a 4 mile walk (224 calories burned). Between the two, I earned 4 Activity Points.

I'm having a bit of a problem with food. I swear, I am a bipolar eater. I either don't care and eat everything in sight, or I panic and try to stay within my daily points, and not touch my weeklies or my APs!! It's ridiculous because I know I'm supposed to eat at least the weekly points. I definitely think I should be eating my APs because Weight Watchers doesn't give me enough points (IMO, of course - I don't think the calorie deficit should be so big). I also don't think I get enough activity. I'm a total contradictory mess right now. I'd like to lose a few more pounds (I'd be perfectly content to lose only 5 more), but I also want to bulk. I can't bulk on Weight Watchers, I know that. But I cannot go back to counting calories. I just can't. It makes me nuts. And in order to get enough calorie to bulk, I'd need to know how much I'm eating. I don't want to overdo it. Damn, damn, damn. I hate when I get my head like this, especially when I know damn well that it's all going to fall apart with the holidays. I'm not even going to say I'll try to be good. I say that every year. The only part of the stupid holidays I like is the sweets. I have 11 different treats planned out. Maybe I should make it 12 for the 12 Days of Christmas. I want to make lots and lots of goodies to give out to my son's teachers, and to my own mouth. I should have named this blog "I don't know what the hell I want!" I love thinking, prepping, and eating in terms of points - it makes life so much easier. But I'm just always so hungry.

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk, banana [4 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, cheese & salsa, light English muffin w/ jelly [5 pts]

chicken salad [4 pts]

fudge babies [4 pts]; Portion control with these sucks.

broiled tilapia parmesan & broccoli in cheese sauce [6 pts]; This fish was fantastic! I'd leave out the celery salt though.

fudge babies [4 pts]

apple & cottage cheese [3 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

31 points today. 11 weekly and 15 activity points remaining.

P90X - Week 11 - Wednesday

I got in about a 4 mile walk this morning. It wasn't as quick as normal. It takes me a while to get warmed up, for some reason (probably a little gas left over from my tubal), and I get a stitch in my sternum. It goes away after a while, but I did take it easy anyway. I walked for 62 minutes and burned 194 calories (2 Activity Points). I came home, rested for about 15 minutes, then did Shoulders & Arms (2 Activity Points). It whooped me. I've made progress on paper but it always feels like I'm not getting any stronger. I'm working on a chart that shows my progress for all the workouts - I'll post that on the last day when I post my final stats and Fit Test results.

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk, banana [4 pts]

apple & cottage cheese [3 pts]

chicken salad w/ light sour cream & salsa [4 pts]

carrot sticks [0 pts]

venison meat loaf & garden medley vegetables [6 pts]

fudge baby [4 pts]; I discovered this gem on a raw vegan blog. I have never, to my recollection, had a (fruit) date before so I was a bit skeptical. I am no longer a skeptic.

garden medley vegetables [2 pts]; These Green Giant steamer things are awesome!

Two cups of coffee [0 pts] and 80 ounces of water.

25 points today. 22 weekly and 11 activity points remaining.

P90X - Week 11 - Tuesday

I decided to hold off on Plyometrics until Saturday. Jumping too much makes my belly feel weird, so I did Kenpo today (323 calories, earning 3 Activity Points). It was a decent workout but I was disappointed that I couldn't really do the jumping jacks or X jumps. Meh, I'm still recovering, and I need to accept that. I feel great though.

Kashi honey oat waffles w/ sugar-free syrup [3 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, light English muffin w/ sugar-free jam [4 pts]

carrot sticks, green pepper slices & turkey slices w/ avocado hummus [4 pts]

roasted chicken w/ light sour cream, salsa, lettuce, onions & green peppers [4 pts]

country fried steak & mixed vegetables [5 pts]

yogurt [2 pts]

cheese [1 pt]; My mother-in-law sent down some Buffalo wing cheddar cheese and that stuff is freaking awesome! Very delicious but so spicy, so I can only eat a little bit!

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

24 points today. 27 weekly and 7 activity points remaining.

P90X - Week 11 - Monday

Wow, three weeks to go! Today was my final Chest & Back workout (2 Activity Points earned). Too bad - I really like this one. Now, this is dumb but I was really disappointed with my workout, even though I either stayed the same or improved. I think I was just nervous, even though I was in no pain or even discomfort at all from my tubal (I was given NO post-op instructions regarding exercise - or anything else for that matter - so I just listened to my body). I will admit I skipped the dive-bomber push ups. My abdomen usually grazes the floor when I do them, and I didn't want to chance anything. So, I will do them during recovery week some time.

Before I did Chest & Back, I tried to get my extra cardio in. It was a slow 16-minute mile before I came home to rest. Then after my P90X workout, a shower and some breakfast, I walked to the post office, then did another mile. So 42 minutes and another 2.5 miles later, I felt really great. Between the two walks, I burned 241 calories, earning 2 Activity Points.

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk, banana [4 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, light English muffin w/ jelly [4 pts]

roasted chicken w/ lettuce, onion, green pepper, light sour cream & salsa [5 pts]

pork ribs & mixed vegetables [10 pts]

carrot sticks [0 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

24 points today. 31 weekly and 4 activity points remaining. For shiggles, I logged everything in my tracker to see how many calories this was - a mere 1321 [166 g carbs (22 fiber), 100 g protein, 35 g fat]. Not enough for my liking, but I really don't want to eat any more tonight.

P90X - Week 10 - Friday Through Sunday

Another few days of the "I don't care if it's junk" diet. Friday's goal was to be able to swallow food. I woke up in the morning, completely stiff and sore. My incisions had a dull ache, but my throat was in horrible shape. It hurt to even breathe and prepare to swallow. Actually swallowing made my eyes tear up. My throat was swollen and tender from the breathing tube Thursday. So eating perfectly was not high on my list of priorities. Actually, it wasn't even on the list.

Saturday was much better. My throat was a little sore but I could pretty much eat normally. And by normally, I mean junk. It was impossible to get back on track, so I didn't even try. My incisions were about 90% better - just a little tenderness if I rubbed against them.

As of Sunday, I'm feeling almost 100%. I'm eating like crap and that pisses me off, but I think not exercising has a lot to do with it. I know I'll be 100% on track tomorrow, no doubt. It's really sucked not working out and I'm looking forward to hitting the weights again tomorrow. I am glad I did Ab Ripper X during Recovery Week though - my stomach is bruised from the doctor pushing on it, probably when he pushed the gas back out. My husband said the pattern looks exactly like a hand print. My belly button incision is in good shape, but the one by my c-section scar is all bruised and still a little puffy, so I left the tape on it. Because of that, I also did not do X Stretch today. I will do it at a later date, sometime in the next two weeks. I didn't think my abs would like me very much if I did Bow and Camel and all that stuff that works the core.

P90X - Week 10 - Thursday

Today's post has nothing to do with P90X or Weight Watchers or dieting and fitness. I want to post about my surgery - mostly for my own records, but hey, you never know who may stumble upon it. I had a bilateral tubal ligation, so if there are any guys reading who get uncomfortable with womanly issues, click away now.

I had a lot of anxiety over this procedure, not because I was having doubts but because I was afraid of complications from the anesthesia. I'm not usually worried about stuff like that but it really, really freaked me out.

I went in, did my paperwork & urine sample, then waited. And waited. My surgery was scheduled for 9:30, but I didn't go into the OR until closer to 10:30. The IV was very uncomfortable, especially if I bent my arm (they put it inside my elbow instead of my hand). I started crying when they put the oxygen mask over my face - more because I was scared of the anesthesia than anything else. I did fight the anesthesia as much as I could LOL And that's all I remember until I started waking up. When I first started to come around, the only thing I could really focus on was how much my throat hurt from the breathing tube. I wanted to cough but it just hurt. I was trying to hard to wake up all the way but I kept drifting back to sleep. I said something about nausea, and I think they gave me something for it. I don't know - I was out of it. I woke up again and managed to stay conscious. Throat still hurt and I was sore from the IUD removal. I couldn't feel my incisions at all. I still don't feel any pain there (in my belly button and above my c-section scar). I wasn't even sure they actually did the tubal until someone came to check the area. I was still loopy, and they gave me some ginger ale and graham crackers. I was so hungry, I tried to eat the crackers but the dry mouth was so bad, I thought I'd choke. By the time I finished my ginger ale, they had husband on the phone to come get me. I was a bit dizzy for a while if I stood up too quickly, but I hit McDonalds on the way home. It took me forever to eat and it made me crazy because I was ravenous. All I cared about is food. LOL

I don't know what they gave me for pain while under - whatever it is must have been strong because I'm still not feeling anything there. They did not give me a prescription for anything and just told me to take Advil or Tylenol as needed.

It took me about 2 hours to eat my lunch. I did eat junk - I didn't care, and I didn't count points. It had been 22 hours since I'd last eaten and I was freaking hungry. I did eat the M&Ms I bought last year, finally. I didn't really enjoy them, with the cotton-mouth and all.

P90X - Week 10 - Wednesday

It's my last crazy workout day. This morning, I did Kenpo, Jillian's Cardio Kickbox & Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout (613 calories burned). Just after noon, I did Ab Ripper and Chest, Shoulders & Triceps. I had to get it all done today because I'm not allowed to drink water in the morning. This morning's craziness earned me 8 Activity Points.

A huge challenge today was the need to be on a clear liquid diet after lunch. I ate my last meal around 2 PM. As the hours went on, I go crankier and crankier. I'm so used to eating frequently that even just an hour or two past my "scheduled" time really bothers me. I am going to have to take a sleeping pill and go to bed early so I don't a) realize I'm hungry and b) toss and turn all night trying to sleep but not sleeping because I'm too anxious about the surgery. I am scared to death of the anesthesia. I've been under before with no real problems, but for some reason it's really bothering me this time around.

apple & cottage cheese [4 pts]

turkey sandwich, carrot sticks, black bean & corn salad w/ avocado lime vinaigrette [7 pts]

crustless pumpkin pie [3 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, multigrain English muffin w/ light cream cheese & jelly [5 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

20 points today, with 0 weekly and 17 activity points remaining.

P90X - Week 10 - Tuesday

I suck. I suck so hard I make my Dyson look weak. After I blogged last night, I ate so much crap - candy corn, chocolate chips, pretzels, pumpkin pie. I might be overestimating, but I'm going to take away all my weekly points. I am completely disgusted with my inability to control these impulses for more than a week. I don't know if it's the stress of Thursday's surgery or what. It may be, but that doesn't excuse my other binges. Hell, it doesn't even excuse this one. I felt like total crap (physically) as I was eating the junk!! Why the hell do I do this to myself???? GAHHHHHHH!!!

Ab Ripper & a 4 mile walk this morning (266 calories burned, earned 2 Activity Points). I did Legs & Back (2 Activity Points) later in the morning. My pull ups are increasing each week, which is good, but for some reason I can't match Week 7's unassisted chin up count. Must have been a fluke. Still, I'm up quite a bit overall. I wish I would have done some chin ups in the fit test, which calls for wide grip pull ups. It would have been interesting to see some real progress, because I think my final fit test pull up count is going to be the same as my initial. I just can't do wide grip pull ups. I can do 1 close grip pull up at a time, and I can do chin ups. But no wide grip. For one thing, my arms are way too short to reach even the closest "wide" grip on my bar (comfortably anyway). And I still don't (and probably will never) have the upper body strength to haul 130 pounds straight up.

cereal w/ skim milk [4 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper, avocado & salsa, multigrain English muffin w/ jelly [7 pts]

sliced turkey w/ mustard, carrot sticks, sliced green peppers, pickle [3 pts]

banana [1 pt]

turkey sandwich [4 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

20 points today. 0 weekly and 9 activity points remaining.

P90X - Week 10 - Monday

Yoga and Plyo (362 calories burned) this morning - 5 Activity Points. There's not really much to say about the workouts. They were typical.

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk, banana [4 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & turkey slices, multigrain English muffin w/ jelly [5 pts]

sliced turkey w/ mustard, carrot sticks & green pepper slices, pickle [3 pts]

black bean & corn salad w/ avocado lime dressing [4 pts]

teriyaki chicken w/ mixed vegetables [5 pts]; This was so, so good. I could have eaten the entire batch, but I only had a little bit.

yogurt & candy corn [7 pts]; Don't ask.

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

29 points today. 26 weekly and 5 activity points remaining. Damn candy corn.

P90X - Week 9 - Sunday

Technically, it's the end of week 9 but I'm starting Week 10's workouts today. Well, yesterday's cardio was to get a jump on next week's cardio. Oh, never mind.

This morning, I did ARX, Cardio Kickbox (153 calories) & Turbo 20 Minute Workout (139 calories). This evening, Back & Biceps. No regression on this one. I made improvements in several places. It was a good workout - I felt really good, and strong. Energized, even. I gave myself 5 Activity Points for all of it.

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk [3 pts]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, turkey bacon, multigrain English muffin w/ reduced sugar jam [8 pts]

banana [1 pt]

carrot sticks & green pepper slices [0 pts]

baked tilapia & sweet potato [7 pts]

pumpkin pie [5 pts]

apple & cottage cheese [6 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

31 points today. 0 weekly and 0 activity points remaining. I busted my ass this week and I wasn't letting a single AP go to waste.

P90X - Week 9 - Saturday

I ate a protein granola bar & yogurt after blogging last night - six activity points subtracted.

Yeah, my legs are total toast today, so no Plyo. Instead, I did X Stretch, Turbo Jam 20 Minute Workout (143 calories) and Jillian Michaels Cardio Kickbox (24 minutes, 148 calories). Altogether, 291 calories, and I gave myself 3 Activity Points.

Banana Nut Cheerios [3 pts]

scrambled eggs w/ onion, green pepper & salsa. light English muffin w/ light cream cheese & jelly [5 pts]

chicken breast, green pepper slices, corn & black bean salad w/ avocado lime vinaigrette [7 pts]

banana [1 pt]; I am desperately trying not to eat the chocolate in the freezer. I have the points to have a piece or two but I'm afraid I won't stop with one or two.

chicken, pasta & vegetable casserole [7 pts]

chocolates [6 pts]; Obviously, I failed.

Five cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

30 points today. 0 weekly and 6 activity points remaining.

P90X - Week 9 - Friday

Crazy exercise day. Things start doubling up and shifting around as I try to get everything out of the way before my tubal on Thursday. I know I should probably just suck it up and take an extra week but I am SO OVER this program. Don't get me wrong - I love it, I think it's fantastic, and I see myself doing it again some day, but right now, I just need to get away from Tony Horton. I just want it to be over.

This morning was Ab Ripper X and Legs & Back (2 Activity Points). I didn't get as many unassisted chin ups as I did the last time I did this workout (2 weeks ago). I don't know if it's my mental state or I'm just tired. This whole week, I haven't been satisfied with my performance. I'm improving in some areas and not in others - sometimes even going backwards. I'm sure it's just mental. I know I haven't been nearly as excited about Phase 3 as I was about the first two. Plus, decided to try to squeeze in all the extra stuff is stressing me out. Too late now. I just need to get through the next 6 days.

It's marathon weekend here on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I knew there was an annual marathon but I did not realize there was also a half-marathon, an 8K, and a 5K. So, in honor of this weekend, today's Doubles cardio was a 5K walk (50 minutes 224 calories, 2 Activity Points). I did this immediately after Legs & Back. Don't ask me what I was thinking. I wasn't. But it gets worse.

After my 5K, I grabbed some food and sat down for 45 minutes to watch Friday Night Lights. It's a little light on the Riggins so far this season, which is disappointing. Man, Taylor Kitsch is one fine hunk of meat. What is it with guys named Taylor and total hot? Taylor Lautner's body is even better than Taylor Kitsch's, but since TL is only 17 (18 in 4 months), I can't really comment further. But I digress. After my quick break, I got a head start and did tomorrow's Kenpo X workout (323 calories and 3 Activity Points). I will admit, it was rough because my legs were tired. I have never been so happy to do blocks in all my life. Needless to say, I am exhausted!!! But, I'm hoping my legs will be well enough to do Plyo tomorrow. I know I should rest them more, but this crazy situation I've put myself in really is a one-time thing. I can handle all the regular workouts being scrunched together. It's this Doubles stuff that has me stressed, trying to fit in FOUR extra cardio workouts a week (instead of the three from the last phase). Those three and a half days of rest I'll be getting after my surgery next week are going to be bliss!

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk [3 pts]

apple & cottage cheese [3 pts]

chicken breast, green pepper slices & avocado hummus [4 pts]

venison sausage patty w/ cheese on multigrain English muffin [6 pts]

green pepper slices [0 pts]

venison tenderloin, corn & black bean salad w/ avocado lime vinaigrette dressing [8 pts]

Four cups of coffee [1 pt] and 80 ounces of water.

25 points today. 0 weekly and 19 activity points remaining.

P90X - Week 9 - Thursday

I ended up eating 2 granola protein bars after I blogged last night, taking away 8 of my weekly points. I could have eaten a ton more.

Butt crack of dawn yoga today. I am really getting better. I can do just about everything - the only two poses I still have even a little trouble with are twisting half moon and crane, but I can hold them for a bit. Rock on. 2 Activity Points for Yoga. I did Turbo Jam Cardio Party 3 again (371 calories burned, 3 Activity Points). Technically, the fourth day of doubles is supposed to go on Plyo day. Screw that!!! I don't even want to walk to the shower after Plyo, much less do more cardio. So I do it after yoga.

Today is Day 60 for me. Technically, I should have weighed in and done pictures and measurements. That's too much work. I'll wait until the end.

I am rethinking whether I'm going to do another round of P90X. I was so sure I would do P90X+ (along with the other Beachbody stuff I had planned). Then I read this blog. It's a critique of P90X that points out the "flaws" in the program. They aren't really flaws but they do go against my "lift heavy for fewer reps" preference for weight lifting. The blogger points out that the P90X routines are essentially circuits of mid-to-high reps. Yeah, I do opt for the 8-10 rep range, but even that is pretty high compared to what I like. I like the 3x5 and 5x5 or 4x6 rep ranges. I like multiple sets of really heavy (for me) weights. So I don't think I could be happy doing P90X again. And if I use that same logic, ChaLean Extreme won't be "right" for me again. I can't say anything about Insanity yet - that's all cardio, and I know I'm not ready for it. So now I need to rethink my game plan.

This does not mean P90X hasn't helped me. Hello!! I can do pull ups and push ups now. Know what that means? That I can actually use those in any routines I design on my own, or actually do them in routines I find (like New Rules of Lifting - I love that program). I will continue to do yoga and stretch when I finish P90X (probably not the P90X dvds though, unless I need a Daniel fix). I think I need to pull out my NROL book again and maybe do that. My husband has been "doing" the workouts for a couple months - that means he did 2 weeks of Break In workouts, then moved on to the goods, and only did one week (and his workouts are only twice a week!!!). Maybe if I'm doing it, he'll get his ass in gear.

Banana Nut Cheerios w/ skim milk [3 pts]

protein granola bar [4 pts]

chicken breast, cauliflower w/ light mayo & mustard, yogurt [5 pts]

Strawberry Mini Wheats [5 pts]; I only eat Mini Wheats dry. And these were getting stale. I do like them for a snack.

apple [1 pt]

omelet w/ onion, green pepper & salsa, light English muffin w/ jelly, homemade venison sausage [7 pts]

pumpkin pie [6 pts]

Two cups of coffee [0 pts] and 80 ounces of water.

31 points today. 0 weekly and 17 activity points remaining.